in my experience IBANEZ suckes...but that is MY experience plus im only judging the guitars in the same price range of epiphone les pauls or mex standard fenders. I have both a les paul and fender standard. I always like the les paul, and still do WANT to like the les paul, but i give my hats off to the fender, it a better quality quitar. Try a fender standard, you wont regret it! But everyone has different taste and can pull of great licks on any guitars but the most objective comparisoin i can think of between the fender and epip les paul is that a real les paul gibson cost about $3200 canadian for a standard and prices can range considerbly depending on the comsemtics, pickups etc, and the epeiphone is $650. that a ratio of about 4x cheaper give or take then the gibson. Now fender american guitar is about $1200-1400 canadian or less or more, and the standard is $550 which is about 2.5 X cheaper. Which brand is more likely gonna be closer to the original in quality? Now however keep in mind that these prices are NOT carved in stone and are subjectiable to specification of guitars and places shopped and also keep in mind the economics of business where, Epiphone might cut more corners then fender i.e. less ads, cheaper production methods etc.

but bottom line (if your still reading!) is that fender is better for the reasons of quality by comman sence, and the my subjective descision of having both guitars, its better quality!

p.s. there both good guitars thoguh, so dont feel that bad when you pick one over the other, its a safe gamble.