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Part of the difficulty in playing a Tele, compared to other electrics, is the neck angle relative to the Tele body. If you hold a Tele horizontally against your tummy, the neck is pretty much in a straight line in relation to the guitar body. A Les Paul's neck, however, angles back closer to your body, which makes it anatomically easier for most folks to play.
The Tele's slab body is another factor. Coupled with the neck/body angle issue noted above, it can be more anatomically difficult for a lot of folks to play because there is no relief where the forearm rests on the body. This results in the wrist of the picking hand sitting at an angle that isn't the easiest for playing.
The Tele's neck also joins the body a few frets further up than a Strat, making more reach necessary for first position notes.
Strats hug the body more and have relief carved where the forearm rests, making for an easier picking angle for the wrist.
For those comparing Gibsons to Fenders, Gibsons have a shorter scale length, which also is easier for a lot of folks to play. When Larry Carlton had his Strat made by Valley Arts, he had them build it with the shorter Gibson scale length.
I've always been able to set my Strats and Teles with similar-feeling low actions. As much as I love my Tele, when I absolutely, positively must pull off a difficult passage in a song (especially if I'm a bit rusty), I'll use my Strat.
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