My "if you could only have one" is unique and based on personal experience... Before I cashed out my vintage collection about 9 years ago, I had a 1976 or so Fender Starcaster... It played like butter, honestly. Super low soft action, the equal of ANY 24 3/4 scale guitar...
However, it had a beefy maple neck, laminated maple body, 25 1/2 scale, and GREAT clean twangy yet POWERFUL Fender wide range humbuckers... This guitar was a PERFECT marriage of telecaster and 335 tones... It could cover that entire range, honestly.
What a fine guitar that was, I should NEVER have sold it back to Rumble Seat... It was a perfect "only" guitar... crossed Fender twang, clarity and bite with Gibson punch growl and sustain, with the soft playability of a good 335, and the feel of a slick Fender tele with maple board.... bob