Innovation?
 
Since my wife gave me the okay, I've been shopping for a Gibson Les Paul for a week or two and it soon hit me that I was better off with anything pre-2015.
 
I'd find one that fits my budget, take a closer look and realize that there was something that turned me off. Typically, Min-Etune. I absolutely don't want that battery powered chunk of plastic on the back of my headstock, and there were quite a few guitars which would have been perfect otherwise that I had to discard.
 
Or then, a so-called new twist on the classic design - replacing a knob with a switch. What the heck?
 
May sound superficial, but if one's going to put 2k on a guitar, it seems legitimate to get one that's quite exactly what they want. If I pay for a Gibson Les Paul, I have a clear image in mind of what I want, and I am aware I'm also paying for the name. As such, the last thing I want is a new twist on a classic design. I'm paying for classic. I'm not going to get 12 of these in my life - even less now considering the way they inflated their prices in 2015.
 
If I wanted something else, that somehow looks like a Les Paul but different, honestly, I probably wouldn't buy a Gibson. 
 
Rant off...

http://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/guitar-buying-guides/the-les-paul-buying-guide
 
I am a big fan of LP's made between 1998 and 2001,
that said,
the BEST paul i ever played, was a '77 black beauty, with P-90's.
 
 
that said,
when it was time for me to buy MY les paul,
and after months of looking and trying everything out,
i ended up with this:
 
 
 

 
a '78 Ibanez Artist 2619.
slayed every les paul i ever played.
 
years later, i bought another slighty older one:

a beautifully aged '77 Ibanez Artist 2618.
 
 
yes, they have a slight case of 'neck dive', but never stopped me for a moment.
 
 
that said, the les pauls are all over the map.
 
me, i would not waste one minute in the GC or wherever, playing new ones.
 
i would simply squirrel my money away, and start playing every used paul you can find, in the want ads, on craigs list, pawnshops, friend of a friend, etc.....
 
til you find the one that you just dig.
 
ebay is an option,
but WTF, it's ebay.
ugh.
 
 
 

I've wanted one for a long time, too, but the escalating prices keep putting it farther out of reach. I hope I'll get one some day. For Christmas I got an Epiphone Standard Plus Top Pro. It's got a flamed honeyburst top. I really like it. I know you have a couple Epiphone LP's already. Good luck on your search.

What sucks is that I missed a big opportunity last year when a friend offered to sell me his tea burst LP. It just wasn't in the cards back then, but considering the price he made and that he would have gone so far as to accept splitting it into a bunch of smaller payments, I'd be all over it.
 
I need to visit here is Cow Town guitars - they do have some really interesting used guitars. 
 
That being said, in my situation, I don't think I could exceed what I'm ready to put on a guitar in a foreseeable future. Actually, my wife has already doubled my initial budget. I wasn't hoping to go anywhere beyond a little LP Studio. I now have more options. I also have the Marshall that's supposed to be coming in this year.
 
This'll have to be my dream rig - even if it's not the actual 59 LP and old Plexi. Anyway, it's not like I'm touring w/ Celine or Mick Jagger. As long as the guitar and amp click w/ me, I'm good. I'm not after supernatural vintage tone nirvana. I'm a "in that ball park" sort of guy, and not getting any younger, so I need to make it happen.
 

First world problems, eh ? ;)

I feel bad about your situation Rain. I just sold an classic style 2013 SG for $900 CDN. Things are soft up here so used guitars are readily available. If you didn't need a master volume I could definitely hook you up with an amp for a fraction of what you'll spend in the USA.
 
I built an amp I call the 59. IT's essentially a JTM45/tweed bassman head. I can't use it because it's just too loud for an apartment. It looks amazing (in my less than humble opinion) is all hand wired and will handle all sorts of different tubes. No one that I know wants a powerful amp and the lack of a name scares off the rest. I was trying to sell it for $500 and got no takers. The output transformer cost $200. It sits as eye candy in the living room.
 
The gear market is a mess right now. Everyone wants American quality but will only pay Chinese prices.

ampfixer
I feel bad about your situation Rain. I just sold an classic style 2013 SG for $900 CDN. Things are soft up here so used guitars are readily available. If you didn't need a master volume I could definitely hook you up with an amp for a fraction of what you'll spend in the USA.
 
I built an amp I call the 59. IT's essentially a JTM45/tweed bassman head. I can't use it because it's just too loud for an apartment. It looks amazing (in my less than humble opinion) is all hand wired and will handle all sorts of different tubes. No one that I know wants a powerful amp and the lack of a name scares off the rest. I was trying to sell it for $500 and got no takers. The output transformer cost $200. It sits as eye candy in the living room.
 
The gear market is a mess right now. Everyone wants American quality but will only pay Chinese prices.

Well, it is what it is. Sure I could get a better deal under different circumstances, or if I really wanted to be patient. I can't say that I need a new guitar or an amp. The Gibson SGJ does a great job and my Epiphones cover a lot of sonic ground. Likewise, between the POD HD and a couple of little amps, I have everything covered for what I do, that is, to write and record demos.
 
There are tons of options out there which could also be worth looking into - ESP has some pretty interesting guitars, Epiphone also has a couple of guitars that are a bit more expensive but nowhere near as pricey as Gibson's. 
 
But the truth is that whatever I buy, I'll be wasting more money on alternatives than if I go and spend $3500 and get my Marshall+Gibson Les Paul. Because that's the rig that I keep coming back to, no matter how many guitars and amps I own. I'll always want that.
 
And now seems to be the right time, because after that we have the house and renovations and all the rest. It's now or never, as the song goes.
 
The good thing is that I'll be happy with a rig that isn't necessarily top of the line. I mean, a Les Paul Custom would be super nice, but I'll be 100% with something humbler.

Hi Rain,
 
That's a darn shame.  I would have thrown-up! 
 
Bat, I would definitely love an old Black Beauty (Gibson) with P90s.  Ibanez with P90s would be my other choice. Another choice might be a Charvel with EMG pups. I prefer all black body/hardware. But anyway, my Jackson (Japan made) will have to do.

I really love to watch Phil x play guitar and got to speak with him a couple times via phone and email. He can get any tone and feel he wants and simply kills at classic rock type stuff. He used to be an ESP endorser but I think he's now a Yamaha guy. I can tell you for sure that the next guitar I get will not be  Gibson or Fender. The only guitar I really miss is a Yamaha electric I had. They put a ton of thought into the design and used great materials. OF course I wanted a REAL guitar and got rid of it. Biggest mistake ever and I'm searching for another.
 
Musicians and gear are much like teenage girls and fashion.

I like Les Pauls a lot, they look great, but for that money....
 
I'd buy a second hand well built Epiphone, with a good neck.
Bring it to a Luthier, get rid of the pick-ups, get new pots and Seymour Duncans in it.
And then you'll have a great sounding guitar.