Re: les paul special tobacco burst
depending on brand. fender, gibson, prs and most usa-made guitars are just a tad cheaper than in usa. not so sure about europe though.
however, korean or japan-made stuff like tokai, ibanez, esp, edwards etc, are way cheaper. but not schecter diamond series. albeit being mik, their prices are similar to us. maybe the dealer chose to price it that way.
does that help?