Ah, I'm late to the party! Long time member, but I had actually forgotten about the site for a couple of years.
I built my les paul back in 2003, and I still have to put a finish on it.
If you've never carved a top before, I'd suggest getting some wood from some place like Home Depot, that is the same thickness as your top, and practice with that. I carved three poplar tops like that to get a feel for what I was doing before I tackled the quilted maple.
I did the step method, where I routed ledges in the top where I wanted the lines to be, then sanded it smooth with an electric disk sander.
BTW, how close to a 59 Les Paul do you want to get? The top carve is a little different on the 50s Les Pauls.
And, I did a scarf joint on my neck, but I put the scarf in the headstock. It is hidden on the top by the veneer on the face of the headstock.