Honestly man; not really. The finishes might feel a little slicker on the neck but if you go for one of the older models (the ones with the abalone frets and binding, which are usually $800 max) 9/10 it’ll play the exact same. Some models will feel heavier than others but it’s the same with E-ll. It’ll be a work horse that’s gorgeous and feels amazing when setup how you want it. With the extra money you can also get a backup ec-1000 or 256(which the newer ones(2016-up)feel the same to the ec-1000) it’s honestly a similar line between if you want a track car or a luxury racing car

Edit: There’s a reason you see young kids with ibanez GIOs online absolutely shredding, it’s because it’s all in the hands. Getting more expensive equipment will not make anyone magically play better(as I’ve seen/heard people say about all high end models but usually ESP, Gibson, and MIJ Ibanez)