If you are going to drop serious coin on any guitar, you really MUST play the actual specimen you are going to take home. I would make that recommendation of any brand out there barring the badass, smaller customshops out there. (Like Sweetnipples - that guy can make a shipping pallete/skid sound good.)
When I bought my Tobacco LP, I was at the end of my 10 year Sam Ash stint, and I literally pulled every single Gibson we had out, and regardless of color, model, or even body (I tried both single and doublecuts, Standards, Classics, Sigs, and Customs) After 10 plus Standards, 10 plus Classics, and at least a dozen mixed Customs/DoubleCuts/Wierdo Sigs, I picked the Tobacco Classic because the whole guitar department said, "Yeah - thats the one tonally." It was also by far, the lightest one there, which isnt just a myth with Gibsons from that era. The lighter ones usually DID sound superior. I was still on a tight gear budget back then, as I hadnt started any of my own companies yet. I needed maximum bang for my dollar, and I got it by trying out a bazillion guitars in person. Spent the whole day on it too, my whole guitar department staff was worthless that day because we were far more interested in exploring the difference between various Gibsons, than talking to any customers, lol.