Both the Strats and Teles come in several flavors, such as the Vintage, Deluxe and Artist Series (Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen etc). You need to weigh the pros and cons of owning a Tele because there are only so many styles you can play with it. The Strat on the other hand is a Jack-of-all-trades. The Tele may be specialized for certain types of tones, but the Strat can do everything. I can name you a thousand death metal guitarists, as well as bluesmen who swear by the Strat. The Lone Star is possibly one of the finest guitars Fender ever made.