Just got the SSCM-1E all mahogany kit with the view to make a black Les Paul Custom with gold hardware my version of the "Black Beauty". I even ordered the split diamond mother of pearl inlay from ebay. Significant upgrades seen in the photo below:
Tonerider Gold AC2 pickups
Gold Grover tuners
Gotoh Gold tunomatic bridge and tail piece.
CTS long neck pots
Sprague caps
US speed knobs for the CTS pots
Will grain fill with Z poxy resin and undercoat with filler acrylic lacquer rattle cans. Colour coat with black acrylic rattle cans and clear coat with clear acrylic. All the rattle cans came from a local car paint retailer and have the wide spray nozzles that make spraying a bit easier.
The body looks good the neck is a very good fit and the neck angle appears to very good for the future set up.