I registered for this forum just so I could respond to this topic.
I wholeheartedly agree with shaulin that a design needs to remain unchanged for a long time in order to become truly timeless. One of the things that frustrates me about how Washburn handles the Idol is they keep changing things from year to year. The wide-bodied Idol with the medium-thickness 22-fret neck and 3x3 headstock is perfection IMHO, but I miss the distressed natural finish with copper hardware WI64, the Damen Idol, and the half-block and delta inlays. The Idol might be a singlecut, but it's not a Les Paul. It's not supposed to be a Les Paul. If Washburn want to have a Les Paul-type guitar in the lineup, then they should come up with a new design, but keep the Idol as its own thing, just like Schecter did with the Tempest and Solo 6. Frankly, if it weren't for Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, I don't think the Les Paul would be seen as such a big deal, some sort of standard to live up to.
And I've seen pictures of what the Idol might look like if it were longer/narrower, and it's pretty UGLY.