Jer231

It’s a bit of a stretch to claim that an Epiphone Les Paul Classic is as good as a Gibson Les Paul Classic. I've got a Epiphone Peter Frampton Les Paul Custom, and it’s a very good guitar. But play the Gibson after playing the Epiphone and you will notice a difference. The pickups are totally different, the controls are smoother and there’s no noise. If you open each up you’ll notice a few thing also, shielded pickups, routing cutouts are smooth, no leaks in the finish. Thicker wire and better solder joints. Not to mention how smooth the neck is. when I bought my Gibson, all it had to do was tune it . I checked the string height, with a gauge and then with the feeler gage Gibson gives you. No high frets, all the frets were polished, the intonation was set. when I got my Frampton there were a few sharp frets, that I filed a week later because I was thinking it was due to shipping. The action was super high, and when I lowered it there was a buzz on the high E string. No problem with the fit and finish, except for a few small spots on the binding.

There is a big difference in the wood quality, the electronics, the fit and finish and the way that it is made. Some Indonesian plants can crank out an incredible number of instruments compared to what is built in Nashville. Kind of like Honda makes 200+ motorcycles for every ONE that BMW makes. I've got 2004 Korean LP Custom and there is a big difference even between that and a more recent issue. Manufacturers are always looking at ways to cut costs and increase profits. If you can save .90 cents on each guitar it adds up quickly. I think that if you are spending $800.00 for a guitar you should get a hard case for it. But even a Highway One US made Fender now comes with a Gig Bag!! My Thinline deluxe Tele came with a gig bag but I bought it at a promotion and got a Coffin case thrown in.