Ive noticed that when picking out a guitar, it usually comes down to how it looks, how it plays, and how it sounds.
about looks, with strats or les pauls, this changes with paint color, top materials pick guards, harware finish etc.
how it plays, is the dimensions of neck, fret size, balance, things like that.
how it sounds is the weird one. My hearing is horrible. to someone with a trained ear, they might be able to tell small changes in pickups, material or wiring. People in the audience or casual radio listeners are not going to care if its an original or re-issue guitar. but the player knows.
In my opinion, a new player might go for how it looks as a priority. someone who has been playing for a while may go for how it feels or plays. While a veteran player already should have locked on the look and feel and may be tweaking with the sound. On top of that, I really dont know many active players that own 1 guitar. We will buy pretty much anything if money is in hand.
The way i see it, fender and gibson cater to a first time buyer and to a legend like Clapton. they have everything in between and something for everyone even if it is just the color of the pick guard.
