Well I think that your budget is enough to buy a good quality instrument.
The only thing when you buy brands is that you can end up paying a lot for the name - as in you could get a low end fender of a high end lesser known name for the the same. I would choose the highest specs I could afford as ultimately the name does not make an excellent guitar - quality does.
That being said, the Fender are a good guitar and would suit all blues rock like Clapton and Hendrix etc
The best thing to do before you spend that amount of money is to get down to a guitar store and test some out - see and feel the differences between lower end and higher spec guitar - have a play and see what they sound like -(through the amp you intend to buy of course as this makes a lot of difference)
Also it is worth considering the second hand market as well. I personally have always found with a new guitar, it takes about a year of playing it before it turns into a really good instrument. Buying secondhand this transformation will have already occurred so you get an immediate feel for how the instrument plays.
Anyhow - good luck with your purchase - I am sure you will find the guitar that suits you best!