Well, I was able to go to the local GC again today. They had a Jackson SLATHXMG3-6 which is a Soloist with a painted neck. I discovered that the paint didn't bother me--at least not now in the dry winter months. That Jackson also suffered from some interesting GC abuse. It was marked down because somehow the switch had been sheared off at the body so you would have to replace it in order to switch pickups. I also tried a couple of Fenders. It seemed like when I played the Fenders I was fighting against them. The Jackson just felt right. The neck seemed a bit chunkier than my beloved DK2M, but still very Jacksony. That gave me all the more interest in a SL4X.