Most articles on tone state that electric guitar pickups have a major - or even the greatest- influence on tone. It is also typically said that tonewoods make a small difference in tone.
So why is it that a Les Paul and SG sound substantially different? (For this purpose, let's assume both are equipped with the same pickups, wiring, bridge, strings, neck, fretboard material, are non-chambered, etc.)
If tonewood makes a minor contribution, the maple cap on a Les Paul should not matter much.
Shape and mass are otherwise obvious differences between the Les Paul and SG. Do one or both of these explain the differences in tone?
Suppose the answer is mass. Non-chambered Les Paul Standards typically range from 8-10 lbs, yet - when the electronics, etc., are all identical - they generally sound very similar.
How does all this factor into the conventional wisdom about the most influential contributions to tone?