I have "real" Gibsons, Fenders and Epis. Each has it's own "personality" - my stable includes a Gibson Les Paul that is really sweet, an Epiphone Les Paul Goldtop that is awesome, and an Epiphone Les Paul Special that's really pretty to look at, but until it get the frets worked on it's really hard to play.

Epiphone guitars used to have the stigma of being cheap junk - back when Gibsons were affordable - but the quality has improved steadily and considerably over the years. It appears that Epiphone has taken center stage with the likes of the Ultra II and Prophecy, while Gibson is quietly issuing variations on the same themes (don't get me wrong - the Anniversary Flying V is amazing!). In short, Epiphone can hold their own as a sought-after brand.

GP