The strat can create a huge variety of sounds, which is one of the reasons why it is so popular. Above all, however, the biggest reason why Strats, and fender guitars generally are so perenially popular is that they are way less expensive than Gibsons and they are just about indestructible. If you look at a Gibson the wrong way, you need to take it to a tech. Fenders can be thrown in the back of the van in a gig bag, bounce around in the back until the next town, then get hauled out, plugged in and be mostly in tune. You break the neck? bolt on a new one, string it up and you're good to go again. Wiring's messed up? take off the pick guard and shove a new pickup in. Fenders are workhorses, infinitely customizable, and pretty hard to kill. My weapon of choice is an Epiphone Jack Casady Electric bass for when I play rock, and an Upton "Brescian" model 5 string bass when I do everything else.