The best thing to do is to go to a lot of different guitar stores and play a lot of different guitars and look for the one that works best for you. With the budget you're working with, there's not a lot that's going to be out of your price range, and you should be able to get one that's almost perfect for you.

I'd suggest playing a Music Man Axis among the candidates. They run between $1,500-$2,000, slightly less for the Super Sport model. I'll admit that I haven't played every guitar out there, but the first time I picked up an Axis, it was like a lightning bolt hit me. In 20 years, that's only happened with two guitars that I've ever played. To me, it's got the sweetest neck in the business.

Of course, that's just me. Your preferences may be different. I'd say just play, play and play some more until you find the one.