Basically my man, while the punk side of tones are usually heavily overdriven humbucker guitars played with an attitude, you can do the same with a Stratocaster, a Gretsh like Tim Armstrong of Rancid, even Teles, through a $300 Laney bedroom amp.
I suggest to learn more about guitar builds, types, and pickup differences, see what style of guitar you would like to be seen riding on a mosh pit on, and go from there to find your guitar =]
What a good piece of advice. The fellow has said it all for you.
Here's more for you to consider;
I've a strat and a LP. They're different beasts altogether, but I love them both. They both have their uses.
Tone-wise, the strat has that bell like chime that simply no other guitar can replicate. And the LP gives me my thick creamy tones. It can weep and it can roar. But it can't chime and twang like my strat.
Playability and feel wise, I think my LP is easier to play on. I have to 'fight' and tussle with my strat, which is not exactly a bad thing.
It has to do with the scale length. My strat like most Fenders, are of the 'long' scale, i.e, 25.5". The LP like most Gibsons are of a shorter 24 3/4" scale length. With its reduced string tension, the short scale is easier to bend on, responds quicker to the touch, and enable smaller hands to span larger distances.
More about the scale length: Because of the higher string tension on the longer scales, it's louder and more powerful, has better definition and note separation, allows for heavier attacks and has a brighter and tighter sound. But a longer scale is harder to bend on, and the longer reaches may trouble some.
When playing chords, the notes 'blend' on the shorter scaled LP. While as mentioned, on the longer scale, there is that distinct note separation.
Hope I've helped widen your perspective!
