Fender Stratocaster with Locking Tremolo or Gibson Les Paul Studio?

Apples to Oranges. I'm a Fender man myself. Both are tremendous guitars. But if you don't see a distinct difference in the sound of these two, you need to listen a little longer before you buy one of them. If you like the sound of the Gibson, you are not going to get it out of the Strat. So that should answer your question for you. Whammy bars are what they are. They go out of tune. You have to deal with that. Get the Paul and figure it out as you go.