Esquire-esque

[fender3x]

TD and WB have some pretty interesting aesthetic ideas. I don't know that I can contribute much in that area.

...it's also lighter overall, and about 5 to 6 mm thinner....

...It does have a neck plate in place - and eventually I might replace this with 4 bushings (or "ferrules") so I can round it there (so reaching the upper frets is a bit more comfortable). It wouldn't weigh much but I wonder if it's removal would also lessen any tendency for "neck dive"...

Great ideas, but it occurs to me that you might want to be careful about screw length. If the body is 6mm thinner and you lose another 3mm or more by using ferrules rather than a neck plate...

I don't think the weight will make any difference with regard to neck dive since the neck attachment point is so close to the guitar's fulcrum.

It might be simpler to use a contoured neck plate unless you've already drilled...