I agree with Rusell. I play an epihone Les Paul. My son plays a strat, and a B.C. Rich Warlock Revenge. The Les Paul has a deeper, richer, sound, and with Seymour Duncan's it has a dark, biting sound. The strat, is more versatile, and you can play more styles of music. Many blues palyer's have converted to Strats, though I still prefer the Les Paul, or even better the ES-335 or ES-355. The BC Rich is strictly a metal making machine. Hope this helps.
But, here's the secret about the guitar: It's defiant. It will never let you conquer it. The more that you get involved with it, the more you realize how little you know.
Les Paul March 2007