So I decided to have an unfair competition for these two. The 1979 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Pro that cost a few grand against the 2009 Epiphone Les Paul Standard that cost $70, excluding the pick guard and the new knobs.
Quite clearly, the Gibson won the battle. Feel, touch, sound, punch, all in favour of gibby. Yet, the epi has no need for shame. On her own, with the others in a similar class and price(a few hundred bucks), she should be able to hold her own well. She’s a worthy les paul pretender.