I don't think these match up very well. While Gibson's most iconic guitar is the LP and Fender's is the Strat, they still make a bunch of different guitars that are NOT expensive, but play great. This is moreso true of Fender, who makes amazing guitars in the $500-750 range. They also don't come with any particular image associated with them. Strats have been used for all sorts of music, from Iron Maiden to John Mayer.

Gibson feels a bit more stuck to an image, but it doesn't feel old and crusty the way Harley does.