I think one has to decide just which Les Paul tone they're after in their Gibson/Epi LP or other LP copy before they decide on a particular model.
Some early Gibson LP's came through with carved mahogany tops, like the gold tops and black beauties. Others were made with 3/4" carved maple tops, both plain and figured. This is continued on in the Gibson line still today. The two styles have differing tone. The mahogany carved tops are known for a warm, darker tone while the carved 3/4" maple tops a brighter tone. Which is right for you depends upon your style, your ear, and the tone you like when listening to your favorite artists who play LP's.
I have three Agile LP type guitars with humbuckers. The first I bought was the LP-2800 DLX, which is an early model with a maple neck and a carved top mahogany body with a 3/8" flamed maple cap. It is a dark toned guitar. I ended up installing a 1-meg neck tone pot in it to lighten the dark boomy, muddy tone in the neck pickup. This was after trying about 4-sets of pickups and numerous types and values of tone caps. When I first re-wired it I put CTS pots in it that averaged 520K. Not all heavy mahogany body Agiles with thin maple tops are dark sounding, but many are.
I have an AD-3000M which is a double cut with a mahogany neck, a two piece mahogany body, and a 3/4" plain maple top with a thin veneer of flame maple. Although not quite the same as a single cut LP it is very close. The guitar is none-the-less brighter and snappier in tone than the LP-2800.
The third one is the AL-3100M I just recently purchased. It has a 1-piece mahogany neck, a two piece center joined mahogany body, and a 3/4" carved, plain maple top. The tone of this guitar is brighter, snappier, and more resonant that the original LP-2800, and even a little more so than the AD-3000M (but differences in the body mass in general may have something to do with that).
With this last purchase I wanted to get as close to the tone of a Les Paul with 3/4" maple cap as I could, but within a reasonable budget. This AL-3100M does this. I've owned Gibson LP's in the past, and this Agile mimics the tone and feel of the thick maple top models that I've had. And it is a different animal than my old Gibson gold top, which did not have the maple cap and was thus darker in tone. I also wanted a nut width of 1-11/16" or as close as possible. My Strats are all this neck width, and so are the Gibson LP's I played in the past. I was a little more ambivelent about the neck profile. I'm fine with a slightly thicker C or D profile neck, but since the Gibson LP's I'm most familiar with are 60's models with the thinner D shape, I leaned more towards that profile. So, these were "feel" issues, which taken along with my other criteria were important.
As to appearance, I wanted the guitar to be attractive looking with good fit and finish but not necessarily over the top stunning looking. A classic LP look was more what I was going for. The plain maple top in the classic cherry sunburst finish has IMHO, an understated elegance that I find appealing.
Now, having said all of this, there are still lots of variables. No two guitars have wood that has the same density or resonate the same. Weight varies also. And when you're talking about combining wood types the variables increase. But, there are generalities that can be made about each type.
Generally carved mahogany top LPs are on the darker side of the LP tone spectrum. And,
generally mahogany body thick carved maple top bodies are on the brighter side of LP tone. Choose the right fit for you.
There are are other options to consider as well. What neck profile are you looking for? Thicker 50's C style? Thinner 60's D style? Or perhaps a variable of either? What about the nut width? Do you want the standard Gibson 1-11/16" (or something metrically close)? Or, are you more fond of the narrower 1-5/8" width?
In my case the electronics were not a real issue as I can change anything in that regard to my liking (and usually do). But not everyone is so inclined, so things like pickup types, pots, switches, and wiring schemes need to be considered. What's ideal, what's good, and what's good enough.
So, this was my evaluation process in choosing my most recent LP type guitar purchase. We all have our own likes and dislikes across the whole spectrum. But for someone who is trying to decide exactly which LP they want, perhaps this evaluation can help them a little in prioritizing their requirements.
