Hey I've just been doing a similar evaluation and although there are certainly some differences for you to deal with( mostly personal preference really) the one that really sets them apart for me is the fact that the strat seems to hold it's tuning much better. It seems to be that because the strings are running straight through the nut they return to position far more accurately. I use a graphtech string tree and nut sauce to lube the strings and a Peterson strobostomp tuner and the strat holds it's tuning really well even though I put a graphtech nut on the "Les Paul", especially after a bit of bending. I'm selling the Les Paul copy now.