Choose a guitar

Huhh man you mentioned just the three brands I would consider myself if I ever bought a what you call "lifer". (Besides my trusty Strat of course^^.)
To be honest, I think at that price you can expect any guitar from any of these brands to be perfectly built. And as you seem to be on the Strat side you can tell them what neck scale you want on your guitar. So, long story short, I would go for the brand that has the best looking guitars for you. Honestly, what else can be taken into consideration when the rest is already state of art:)

Xander: Never buy a guitar recommended by other users. Always try it out with your equipment.
Never the less i'm very happy with my Godin XTSA. With the Kemper i have an amp that is so variable and with
that guitar i can do thousands of things too.
It has 2 Humbuckers and 1 Single Coil. So you can play fat rock stuff like Les Paul and crispy like a
Strat. Additonally it has Piezo installed to play like acoustic and a 13-pin out for guitar to midi
if you have a standard converter. The tremolo is good and with all that you have a many-in1 guitar.
So try it out if you can. It is not a cheap one but you can get a used one between 600 and 800$.

I think you just need to go with your gut feeling on something like this. Go to your local music store and play lots of guitars even take your own amp too, so you can hear what they sound like through your set up. I'm a massive PRS fan and have been since I was 15 (20 years ago argh!!!) I have 3 all with tremolos. I also have an ibanez with a floyd rose system. The trems on the PRS are very good and changing strings is quick and easy unlike my ibanez which is a bit of a fath. Just make sure you try lots of guitars

I think a 'lifer ' in your sense has to be searched for and found by yourself.
Don't expect ordering online and getting a random guitar will give you 100% satisfaction.
In your case I'd be actively looking for a Suhr strat.

It's hard to go wrong with a Suhr.

I have said many times to my girlfriend.. this is my last guitar.. the truth is that you are searching for new insterument and new inspiration all the time.. some years ago i bought a Tom Anderson, and tought this was my last electric once again after some years i had to custom order on myself, built after my personal specs! not the cheapest guitar but its realy worth it!
The best is to know before you are looking for a guitar what you realy want what music you play and what suits your fingers and playing style! I am a strat player and if i had to choose another brand than Tom Anderson i would go for a, Suhr, Pensa, Tyler or other custom shop guitars well known..
Good luck!!

I have a load of "lifer guitars" cos I rarely sell any They are like children, all different but love them equally...

My preferences:
A custom made guitar- a lifer becuase no one else will pay close to what you paid for it
Musicman Axis...like marmite, love ''em of hate 'em
Yamaha SG
Any Telecaster
No Les Pauls or strats

I would suggest going for P90 or single coils, I see lots of guitarist going from HB to Sc growing older, I also tend to prefer them nowadays.

If you plan to keep it for the rest of your liffe , why don't you work a luthier, he will build you dream guitar for the same price as a Suhr ?

If you wonder about anything about Tom Anderson guitars just send me a PM! I am from Norway too!

Suhr are very nice. Prolly the next one I get. My advice would be stainless steel frets. If you don't mind the feel, they last really really well.

Custom guitars have tons of options. The most important for many wrt playability is the neck profile. I would be very hesitant to buy high-end guitars unless I'm able to test them in person, or must have tested a guitar with the same neck-profile previously. It sounds like you're after a high-end all-round guitar with trem which is the classic territory for a strat/superstrat in HSS or HSH-configuration with opitional coilsplit.

Here's a handful 2nd-hand goodies currently for sale on the Norwegian market:
http://m.finn.no/bap/forsale/ad.html?finnkode=66452979
http://m.finn.no/bap/forsale/ad.html?finnkode=66347250
http://m.finn.no/bap/forsale/ad.html?finnkode=65435086

Quote from Xander

The ideal would be the round violin type sound you can get from say a Les Paul but with a ebony or other hard wood fingerboard with a good tremolo which stays in tune.
It must be a versatile guitar too.
In the most soundclips i have heard on youtube, the suhrs and andersons can be a bit brighter but the eq section on the kemper is there for a reason no?:D

It's a pity that Gibson forced Anderson to discontinue the Bulldog model. One of those with a trem would fit the bill perfectly.

A big part of the LP tone is in the shorter scale (less string tension). I would look for HH-guitars shorter than 25". Suhr and Anderson offer pickups ranging from very bright to rather mushy so it all depends on what you order. Suhr offer mostly 25.5" guitars, while Anderson offer short-scale versions of most models. A Cobra or Short Drop Top with HF1 (neck) and HF3 (bridge) pickups could fit the bill.

In this territory you could also look at the many 25.0" models from PRS like the DGT, Custom 22 or Custom 24. Several of the models in their new mid-range S2-series could also fit you well. There's a couple DGTs up on finn.no at the moment. The DGT has pickups with a few extra windings and thus a little "creamier" than their standard 57/08 used in several other models.

I can easyly recreate a LP type of sound on my Anderson, typical tones from Mark knopfler, Brothers in arms/Money for nothing.
I have the switcheroo system and singelcoils doubble wounded. i can choose paralell/serial or standby. I can bypass the middle pickup and engage HB in bridge and have paralell in neck, roll down the tone and the feel is just like a doubble HB guitar

Here are some thoughts about 'Lifers'

1) They are typically lucky finds. Some come when you're not looking.
2) Since you don't know what it will be, it's a journey. And your tastes change over time.
3) There may only be one, there may be 5. Since there are different types of guitar, you could have a lifer Acoustic, 3 lifer Electrics, etc.
4) You tend to want to leave it home so it isn't stolen on the road. So you are really looking for your 2nd Lifer to boot!
5) Better back that stuff up with insurance. Regular home owners often don't cover more than one $1k guitar.
6) You can get a Lifer sight unseen. But I don't recommend doing things that way. I got luck, and have to do this sometimes as a lefty.
7) When someone else tells you a guitar is great, think "they really like that guitar". It means nothing to you. When you HEAR a guitar that SOUNDS great, then perk up and take notice.
8 ) To me, a Lifer may be spread out into categories. One is a Lifer because of Tone. Another because of Action. Another because of versatility. One because of looks. One because it has a story (and was a gift) It's rare to get All-in-one. Some do. Some say 'OMG, My Anderson does it all for me' and for them it does. They are lucky indeed.
9) When you find your lifer, learn to take care of it. Or else it's metal will get rusted. Body chipped. IF that matters to you. For me, they add to the story. Those things only matter for resale IMO. But some people, perfect looks are part of the deal. So, hard case when not using, wipe-downs, proper humidity, and keep fire alarms and your house safer so you don't burn your gear up.
10) Only because a list has to have 10 things. Lifers often require traveling. As Benjamin Franklin said "in my experience, the harder I work, the luckier I became" and so it is with guitars. The more you get to see and play, the quicker and more chances you will have at holding a Lifer in your own hands where it's For Sale.
11) Because of Spinal Tap. Your Lifer might be owned by someone else. And when you hold it in your hands, that make/model may not necessarily be a Lifer. It's the INDIVIDUAL guitar. You can play 10 of the same guitars and 1 can be your lifer, none may be. Angus Young said he got his famous SG in NYC while on tour in a shop used. When he was famous and Gibson found out he played one, then sent him 10. He didn't like any of them. Wood and craftsmanship make for individual things that speak to you. You can feel them while playing.
12) Because my boutique amp company went one beyond Spinal Tap. Resist the Urge to Modify your Lifer! I had a 10+ Taylor. Had the nut redone in bone. It's 9.5 and never has played the same. If it's perfect when you find it, leave it that way!

This all said, keep an open mind. I spent 10 years hating Les Paul because of knockoffs I played and cheap Epi's I tried to make into one and thought "humbuckers aint for me". Then I heard a Les Paul Trad played by a lefty on my amp. Then I got one sight unseen. Unbelievable. I LOVE the thing. After thinking I hated them. Point? Keep An Open Mind. You don't know what you like until it flirts with you across the room and spirits you away to the alter. Sometimes, haha.

Quote from db9091

Here are some thoughts about 'Lifers'

1) They are typically lucky finds. Some come when you're not looking.
2) Since you don't know what it will be, it's a journey. And your tastes change over time.
3) There may only be one, there may be 5. Since there are different types of guitar, you could have a lifer Acoustic, 3 lifer Electrics, etc.
4) You tend to want to leave it home so it isn't stolen on the road. So you are really looking for your 2nd Lifer to boot!
5) Better back that stuff up with insurance. Regular home owners often don't cover more than one $1k guitar.
6) You can get a Lifer sight unseen. But I don't recommend doing things that way. I got luck, and have to do this sometimes as a lefty.
7) When someone else tells you a guitar is great, think "they really like that guitar". It means nothing to you. When you HEAR a guitar that SOUNDS great, then perk up and take notice.
8 ) To me, a Lifer may be spread out into categories. One is a Lifer because of Tone. Another because of Action. Another because of versatility. One because of looks. One because it has a story (and was a gift) It's rare to get All-in-one. Some do. Some say 'OMG, My Anderson does it all for me' and for them it does. They are lucky indeed.
9) When you find your lifer, learn to take care of it. Or else it's metal will get rusted. Body chipped. IF that matters to you. For me, they add to the story. Those things only matter for resale IMO. But some people, perfect looks are part of the deal. So, hard case when not using, wipe-downs, proper humidity, and keep fire alarms and your house safer so you don't burn your gear up.
10) Only because a list has to have 10 things. Lifers often require traveling. As Benjamin Franklin said "in my experience, the harder I work, the luckier I became" and so it is with guitars. The more you get to see and play, the quicker and more chances you will have at holding a Lifer in your own hands where it's For Sale.
11) Because of Spinal Tap. Your Lifer might be owned by someone else. And when you hold it in your hands, that make/model may not necessarily be a Lifer. It's the INDIVIDUAL guitar. You can play 10 of the same guitars and 1 can be your lifer, none may be. Angus Young said he got his famous SG in NYC while on tour in a shop used. When he was famous and Gibson found out he played one, then sent him 10. He didn't like any of them. Wood and craftsmanship make for individual things that speak to you. You can feel them while playing.
12) Because my boutique amp company went one beyond Spinal Tap. Resist the Urge to Modify your Lifer! I had a 10+ Taylor. Had the nut redone in bone. It's 9.5 and never has played the same. If it's perfect when you find it, leave it that way!

This all said, keep an open mind. I spent 10 years hating Les Paul because of knockoffs I played and cheap Epi's I tried to make into one and thought "humbuckers aint for me". Then I heard a Les Paul Trad played by a lefty on my amp. Then I got one sight unseen. Unbelievable. I LOVE the thing. After thinking I hated them. Point? Keep An Open Mind. You don't know what you like until it flirts with you across the room and spirits you away to the alter. Sometimes, haha.

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Good points all - take heed!

I'll add a couple, inspired by this.

13) Not everybody will know what their lifer is at first play - give it some time.
14) Seriously consider buying used guitars, since you sound like you will have limited ability to try before buying. If you go the used route, you won't take a big hit on resale value (if you buy at a proper price). Then you can rotate until you find what resonates with you. Then you CAN (if you want) check out a brand new version of that, and see if it works as well.
15) Maintain your stuff. That means rechecking relief, action etc a couple of times a year. If you're fairly confident and can do it yourself, adjust the guitar as necessary. Otherwise, have a professional do it. Better to KEEP it adjusted than to make a BIG adjustment once every four years.
16) If and when you find a geetar that plays GREAT, and sounds good, but is lacking the last 5-10 % - don't let it go until you've messed with different string gauges and materials, and futzed a bit with the pickup heights.

I think that's all of it

Apparently, that wasn't all of it after all

Your second option of buying a beater/cheaper guitar has some merit. If Norway is like Denmark, there's far between the more "expensive" guitars that don't have either Gibson or Fender on the headstock - so you'll have a greater variety to choose from regarding cheaper guitars - with a good chance of finding something where the basics are really good (woods, basic sound, playability).