If the people that I love are living and I can call them up,what is it of a guitar?I can make a $30.00 Silvertone sound good.Do a session or walk onstage with it.Does it feel good to you to play it and does it sound good to me?I have had some beauties,Yet all of them came up short for one reason or the other.And I had a baby to take care of so what was it gonna be..the guitar or the baby?I have got guitar fever again (the baby is now 21 years old) and have already got a very lovely Hofner Colrama.But I so bad want to get another Epi,the best one they ever made,Lucille,The 355.Made in korea.I do not want one made in China.I have an estaphon Impala acoustic made in China that is wonderful but their epi's are very cheaply made.The USA Gibson I would dream only to have.I don't have that kind of bread to invest right now.Still this is the Epiphone top of the line model.Their best guitar!I would prob stick with the Epi(yet would not modify it) and forego the Gibson if I can find a good deal.I still have my Hofner and Estabon. Only musicians care about all of this anyway.If you are playing good your fans are into it and that is the only thing that counts.I am working with a budjet of 4 hundred bucks,it must be Korean,not Chinese,Get back with me if you can help.Thanks/Ren