I have found that 25.5 scale guitars like tweed circuit amps better, and 24.75 scales like blackface amps better, when doing both lead and rhythm. Of course this presumes clean to medium gain music, particularly Jazz/Blues. Pickups are a personal choice for sure, and I love HBs, P-90s and single coils for various things like most everyone.
What is interesting is that my two least expensive axes (Reverend & Samick) do what they do well, better than anything I have found for any price. Of course this presumes that one can get pups, pots and caps of choice, but tonewood and overall design/construction are big issues. My Gibson ES 339 is one of the best sounding semi hollows I have ever heard, but my Samick RL-4 semi hollow is also. Why? The Gibson is plywood laminate, and the Samick is all mahogany. The Samick has a darker tone, while the Gibson has an unbeatable ring. I put P-94 pups in the Samick, and it wails.
Tone has become a science of sorts. ALNiCo mag speakers tone down a bright Fender amp, while ceramic speakers will liven up a darker amp. Certain pedals work.
If I could just have one guitar and one amp forever, I'd have to take ES-339 and Fender Princeton Reverb. But I would sure miss Reverend and Samick and Sligo, they are a serious #2.