I have had very good luck with old Yamaha guitars on eBay. Their quality control was such that there was no such thing as a 'bad one'. I don't know about the new ones, but I suspect that if you find one you like in a shop, then one of the same model on eBay will be just as good. The quality is not as good now as it used to be, as a result of keeping the prices reasonable, but I'm sure they're every bit as consistent as they ever were.

I have a few old Washburns that I don't plan to part with, most of them bought on eBay. Again, I don't know how the new models compare to their mid-eighties production, but they're probably worth a look-in.

YMMV, but my most expensive guitar is a 1985 Yamaha SA-2100 that cost me all of US$1400, delivered to my door. I've played ES-335s and Sheratons that weren't as good. And they cost a lot more.