I have a 1970 Tele, got it brand new, and a 1968 Fender Princeton, my parents got it for me for completing 4 years of music lessons. I would never trade it, finally had to get the frets replaced a decade or two ago. I did go for a Strat to and some Gibsons, sometimes humbuckers are just the right tone but Gibson drives me crazy with the neck angle and the G string going out of tune all the time. Plus their bridges suck.
It took me a long time to finally get into the tele world. My first was an ASAT, which isn't a true tele. The MFD pickups are a lot hotter than a normal tele. Then, 10 years ago, I bought a Melancon Pro Artist T which is an excellent hand made T style. Light swamp ash, maple neck, Lollar pickups. It has the best fretwork I've ever seen!
I have had a few strats here and there, not really my cup of tea but I do think I might buy a Frankenstein Strat some day. My first guitar was a 1959 strat, Seventy five dollars.
The strat and tele have very distinct and different sounds. If you want the tele sound then you need a tele. The combo of the pickups, ashtray tail piece and single cut slab body make it unique.
Thar she blows in all her Frankenstein glory. She be pretty. She plays well and sounds good. Could use a good set of tuners. I have some laying around somewhere.