I have a 03 Gibson Classic goldtop and a 02 Epiphone Elite LP Flametop. They are both quality instruments. Are they the same? Do they have the same tone? No, every guitar is different. Why people insist on this debate is beyond me. Buy what you want, play what you like, but stop insisting what you think is "better" is right for everyone else. If you dont think Epis can sound great, listen to Dcoopers clips. If you still dont like the sound buy something else! Can we talk about something else??