man the only thing i don't like about gibson standard models is the paint, my hands stick to it like glue. of course i could always steel-wool it to satin, but how much do ya think that'd drop the value?! otherwise i'd love one of those black standards! wish i could afford one right now....
I remember reading that Gibson doesn't let the finish cure long enough, and that's why their finishes (excluding the higher end stuff hopefully, and of course the faded stuff) are sticky. I can say from experience that the finish gets less sticky with time.