I think you can find what you're looking for among the Pacifica models from Yamaha. There are enough style and hardware variations to cover just about any style.

My own 'Brand X' is an old (1986) SBG 1000 Les Paul copy with DiMarzio pickups and some customized wiring. The new SBG series are a bit plain to my taste, (at least the 700 and 800 models I've seen), but the build quality is still excellent.

The price range you've given should get you a very good new guitar. If you can get past the urge for a brand-new axe, take the time to prowl the pawn shops and the 'used' sections of music stores. With some patient searching, $800-$1000 can put a really good guitar in your hands.

Good Luck :)