Its a combination of both really, but as you become better, you'll see what I mean by different guitars getting different styles of music. If you're into shred (Vai, Satch, etc.), then they use Ibanez, whose necks are thinner and their frets are lower, which makes it easier for them to sweep and play extremely fast. The satch model Ibanez is like $1000 and super lightweight too. You could also tweak your tone on your amp to get a more distorted sound if you wanted to cover up when you mess up or something (Nothing wrong with that, sloppy players do that), or you could get a completely clean tone for a real 20s or 30s Jazz sound (like real jazz, lol), but in order to do that, you have to know exactly what to play and when to play it, unlike Jimmy Page or someone who turns up distortion and then solos and has their tone cover up their mistakes (take Zeppelin I, for instance). Nothing against Jimmy Page, but he's a pretty sloppy player, but it isn't gonna stop me from loving him.

Also, be sure to change your strings in the first couple of weeks when you get a new guitar. The ones that are on the shelves most likely have some really old, rusty strings that would make your fingers bleed and then you'd need a tetanus shot.[/Sarcasm]

Seriously though, be sure to change the strings in the first couple weeks of owning the guitar, then every month or so after that. (I don't do it as often as I should, admittedly) I'd suggest D'Addario or Ernie Ball because those are the types of strings I use most of the time and a lot of people like Ernie Ball. D'Addario tells you which string is which on the back of the packaging and even has them color coded at the bottom, so it would help you out if you're new to use those. I suggest 9s or 10s because they're the standard, but if you like the SRV tone or something like it, be a man and go with 12s, see if they hurt your fingers to bend, then come tell me.[/Sarcasm](again)
 
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Thanks Sam for an awesome job and an awesome wait!

I couldn't agree more, but if you're just starting out, then I wouldn't go out and buy a Gibson, lol...

Les Pauls are a body style, just like a flying V or an Explorer, Gibson is just the company that makes them. If it were me, I'd go with a strat just because I love my strat so much, but a Gibson Les Paul from like the 70s is a damn fine guitar (have one myself with mini-humbuckers, and if it didn't go out of tune so much, it'd be amazing).

As far as amps go again, I said it before, I'm a Marshall/Fender guy, but the only way to know is by going to the store and playing one that interests you. I personally don't like Line 6 because I dislike their effects, but hey, a lot of people like using them. Same would go with Vox, although I have a portable one that I use thats pretty awesome to use, and it has a bypass on the effects so I can always use that button to get rid of them. Again, its all your choice, so go in and try some out when you get a chance to.

Edit:

Umm... You got part of that right... Iommi played one, but Hendrix didn't. He played a very artistic Flying V but I've never seen him with an SG. You're probably thinking (GAG!) Angus Young, who used one all the time... Page used one too, but he also used a telecaster and an LP, the most famous of which being the LP. I also despise SG's with a passion. I played one that was from the Gibson Custom Shop thinking it would be awesome to play, but I was unfortunately wrong. It was so lightweight and strings kept coming from under my fingers mid improv solo, it was a huge disappointment. Then again, try one out if you want to, but I'd stay with an LP if you're going Gibson and a Strat if you're going Fender.
 
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Thanks Sam for an awesome job and an awesome wait!

Play Bass.
 
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If I were going with a nice Ibanez, I'd go with a prestige or maybe a JS 1200. They're both pretty expensive though, and I don't know how to re-string a Floyd Rose... Good luck, though.
 
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Thanks Sam for an awesome job and an awesome wait!