Yes, you need to get the Strat up and running also. Sometimes a Strat is just exactly what is needed. I am as comfortable playing a Strat as a LP. I was without one and needed to pick one up as well. Spacey kind of got me started with the idea, based off one of his builds. I ended up buying a pawn shop MIM Squeir Strat for $100 to use as a base to Mod. After cleaning everything up with Naptha, I replaced tuners, the bridge block, and installed a ebay loaded pick guard with Tex Mex pups and new electronics. It plays really nice with all the mods.

I still need to install a new bone nut and I may still go for some different pick ups. The Tex Mex may be a little darker than what I was wanting.

Then I need to look into them Texas for middle and neck - I'm definitely looking to darken the tone of that guitar. Against all odds, my ear seems to be getting more and more sensitive to upper frequencies, and a lot of strats and tele make my teeth cringe. Mine also has a maple neck, which it seems has an impact on that brightness as well.
 
But the bulk of the work is to simply replace the pick ups and pots, give it a good tune up, check the neck and such. If I could, I'd probably have it stripped and sanded and re-painted, but I don't think it'll happen. So, at least to have it up and playable...
 

that Epiphone sure looks a lot like the Fender Robben Ford  
 
Kenny

I had installed CS '54s in a mid 90s Am Strat but it was too "sweet". It did not sound good through the Mark V at all. I re-installed some DiMarzio Fast Tracks and ... I should never have taken them out. They are darker, louder, all around better. Another thing I would highly recommebd is talking the Wolfe McLeod at Wolfetone pickups. I've known him for years. He can wind pickups just for you and your taste and he is a good guy. He isn't hard to find with Google. Tell him jbow told you. He will rewind on your bobbins and save you money too.
 
 
J

THAT is a Fender? Oh my... Why don't they do more guitars like that one?

back in the 80's  I worked at Manny's Music in the guitar dept.
Fender had came out with a few versions of that Guitar ..
They were called The Master Series , 
http://www.vintageguitar.com/1754/the-fender-master-series/ 
D'Aquisto Elite , D'Aquisto Ultra, D 'Aquisto Standard, Esprit Elite , Esprit Ultra, Esprit Standard….
they are excellent guitars ….i still kick myself in the a$$ for not having bought one 
btw…there is also Squier version  
Kenny

Rain
I like the idea of a double cutaway, but the Epiphone Genesis always looked a bit crippled to me. 

I don't run into a lot of people who even know what that is.
Yeah, she is kind of an odd bird.

This is a '77 Genesis Custom. You can't really see it in this picture, but the multi-layer binding is kind of cool. The new re-issues don't have the distinctive tiny tap switch. The pick-up switch is in an odd place, but it's real easy to reach down and kick it with your pinky. It has gold hardware, but it isn't anywhere near as rich as the gold on the P-93.
It is not terribly comfortable to play sitting down, as it always feels like it wants to roll off of your lap.
But it does balance nicely hanging from a strap.
I picked it up for $100 in 1980 from a friend who was a little strapped for cash.

First time I've heard of those Genesis was because Ace Frehley from KISS had his old tobacco burst LP butchered into a double cutaway. I figured that since then, someone out there had to think of manufacturing a better option than that. 
 
The look puzzles me, though it looks a bit un-balanced for my taste. But I'd really like to try one.
 
That being said, despite my tendency to look for classic models, I'm starting to think that it may not be a bad idea to go for something different, like a ESP, an Ibanez or something like that. Just for the sake of it.

Though... The newest series of ESP Viper kind of bridge that gap between classic and modern. The below model is $399 over at Sweetwater - of course that's for an asian guitar, but, that's what this thread was about...
 
Its a twist on the SG design that I've been eying for a long time. I like the fact that these new ones have a set neck and are actually much thicker than a SG. Design-wise, it makes a whole lot of sense to me. 
 

 

In the mid eighties I was in a band with a guy that played an Epiphone Genesis. That thing was a boat anchor. I was about sixteen at the time, and I swear that the strap would wear a groove into your shoulder if you played that thing for a while. It felt like it weighed fifty pounds! It didn't sound bad, but it didn't hold its tune worth a crap.