I made this Les Paul-ish tone machine from a Warmoth body and neck. Absolutely done to my spec. Here are some of my “improvements”:
- Seymour Duncan pickups
- custom wiring replacing 3 way toggle with blend pot giving me 100% bridge pickup, 100% neck pickup, or any combination in between (not just the 50-50 you get with a toggle witch)
- PRS tremolo bridge
- locking Sperzel tuners
- Mahogany tone wood
- single cut away for easier reach of upper frets
- chambered body for better resonance
- flatter neck radius (fits my playing comfort)
With a little skill, you can build yourself a better guitar than you can buy off the rack. And if you have a local luthier who can do some finishing touches for you (clear coat, fret dressing), you can make a superior instrument.