[jtkung]

Pretty good history of these two giants.

They went into the differences a little bit, but not all the way.  It is pretty amazing how different these designs are, yet both are able to produce some amazing tones. Here are some of the things I see as major differences:

1. Scale length: Strat = 25 1/2", Les Paul = 24 3/4". The shorter scale length of the LP makes tension less and some say it's easier to play.
   
2. Body style: Strat = double cut-away with body contours, Les Paul = single cut-away, no body contours, arched top.  Both designs are very nice, though the Strat has body contours and some say more comfortable.
   
3. Body wood: Strat = Alder or Swamp Ash, Les Paul = Maple cap on Mahogany. The LP is heavier and some say gives it meatier tone.  The woods are also more expensive.
   
4. Neck wood: Strat = Maple, Les Paul = Mahogany. Heavier neck on the LP and more expensive
   
5. Neck binding: Strat normally has none. LP is stock, bound in plastic
   
6. Neck attachment: Strat = bolt-on, les Paul = set-neck (glued in).  Set necks some say have better sustain, but this is more myth. Set necks are harder to adjust and replace, and some say take more labor to make.
   
7. Neck joint angle: Strat = none, Les Paul = 5 degrees. The LP body is arched so perhaps they wanted to account for a higher bridge and keep the strings aligned to the neck.
   
8. Headstock angle: Strat = none, Les Paul = 17 degrees. The LP probably has more downward pressure on the nut. Since there's no trem and is a fixed bridge, this is fine. 
   
9. Headstock: Strat = 6 pegs to a side, Les Paul = 3 on each side. No real tone change on this -- just aesthetics.
   
10. Inlays: Strat = dots, Les Paul = block. Aesthetics again.
    
11. Bridge: Strat = floating tremolo, Les Paul = tune-o-matic. Major differences in tone. Trem has springs in the lighter body, allowing vibrato. LP has a fixed bridge into a heavier body.   This gives the Strat a more open, airy tone while the LP has a meatier sustain.
    
12. Pickups: Strat = 3 single-coil, Les Paul = 2 PAF Humbuckers. Huge difference. PAFs are higher output, less noise, and meaty for singing solos, while the single coils on the Strat give it a throaty clean tone, but noisier and less output.
    
13. Controls: Strat = Vol/Tone and 5-way switch, Les Paul = vol/tone for each pickup, switch for pickup selection. The 5-way on the Strat allows out-of-phase sounds not possible on the LP
    

In general, I'd say the Strat is a bit more versatile and has got a larger collection of clean tones. While the LP has incredible rhythm and lead tones.

It is amazing when you look at these differences. It's almost as if someone gave a designer the specs for one guitar and asked them to design something totally opposite.  Every single major design component is different.  Yet both guitar designs were  able to define modern rock and roll and continue to do so.