It is a sad reality that the more you pay for a guitar, the more you get. So, we of limited disposable income have to do the evaluation and the math to get a good (though far less than the best) guitar and a good fit for our money. I think Epiphones are consistently better than other low cost options, especially if tone (and sustain) are what you are really after. Some guitars can be too pretty. Playability and tone. That's the ticket. Epi will not disappoint.
Charlie Pekarek