I love Les Pauls, and technically the SG is a Les Paul, but my experience has been that the SG has balls the LP doesn't. I don't mean to say a LP can't get nasty, they can, but their real shining moments are clean tone and slight overdrive sounds. SGs can do things from super clean tone jazz to the heaviest of heavy metals and everything in between. Plus the neck is thinner and faster and the guitar overall is much lighter and more well balanced. Let me add I've owned a couple of LPs, recorded an album with one and played about 200 gigs with one, so I do have experience with them.