EpiNova95

I don't have much to add other than IMO the 57 Classic, Classic+, 490R, 490T, and 498T pickups are all great. It's true the 490 series sounds more "modern" but the difference in the mids and highs also make them great for note separation with more complex chording and leads. I'd say the 57s are softer or rounder but it isn't night and day to my ears.

Yep my 2013 Plus has a back veneer. The seam can barely be seen looking at the back edge.

The 1960 Tribute (plain top) had a 14" fretboard radius, specs for the current Tribute Plus say 12". The pre-Plus model had different color options as well (e.g. no midnight sapphire). It is confusing because the Epiphone website seems to pretend this guitar never existed....it doesn't show up under Out of Production, and only the current model is featured as the Les Paul Tribute Plus Outfit. The earlier plaintops were specifically sold as "1960 tribute". Even though the trussrod cover on the Plus says 1960, it isn't officially part of the model's name. And of course neither is to be confused with the "1960Les Paul Standard" they did a few years back. A google search for something like "epiphone les Paul 1960 tribute -plus" will return some dealer pages of the discontinued plaintop, forum threads, and reviews.

To the OP, what years are your other Gibsons? IME, every new Gibson USA guitar I've bought has the vanilla smell (I switched to Gibsons in 2001) and it is not due to the case (though cases have their own smell). The Gibsons that shipped new with gigbags had the vanilla smell, as do guitars off the shelf at stores, many of which have been on display for several months. There's gotta be something different in the Gibson formula or how thy buff them out or something, as the nitro finishes I've done on guitars, or Fender nitro finishes lack the particular scent on the Gibsons (although they do have a nitro smell of their own)