Probably much too late but I LOVE my Tremonti SE Custom. It's my Les Paul. OF course it doesn't have stock pickups in it.
I don't find that the maple setneck makes it real bright sounding. I have a Duncan Custom Custom in the bridge (they're my fave bridge pup and are described as being good for taming bright guitars. I suppose.) and a 59/09 in the neck.
I can squeeze Les Paul tones out of it. Les Paul with a trembridge. Does a Paul with a Floyd still sound like a Paul? A PRS trem bridge (even an SE), I think, sounds a little less...ummm.."tremmy" than a Floyd...but it IS still a trem. I like my trems though.
You do have to think about that if you're planning on any alternate tunings. Can be a pita on a floater like the Tremonti..unless you tremol-no it etc...or just deal with it.
Hey..if you want a Paul, get a Paul.
I'm like the OP and don't like chunky necks though..but some Pauls are pretty ..well, relatively slender. Anyway yeah, you can get a Studio brand new, from MF for like UNDER $800!!!
Sure it's gonna be satin and I think either black, bgndy or brown (BLACK!!!), they're plain with dots and no binding, a gigbag instead of a hsc? But it IS a Les Paul and it's under 800 clams. Pretty hard to argue if you're REALLY after a Gibson Les Paul.
Maybe that poor upper fret access is part of the magic tone mojo?
I always wanted a Paul. I bought one just about annually. Bought a wine (glossy) early '90s iirc Studio with trapezoid inlays, ebony board, hsc, in MINT shape a couple years ago on eBay for like $600. It looked and sounded beautiful but....kinda chunky neck (not overly) and I just can never bond with a Gibson's feel/action/scale. Even with fat strings :-(.
I sold it to my drummer and it's still wicked and mint.
fwiw