A good read

[Brian]

Thanks to Borut for this link

[Sacred]

Interesting , I like the sound of a Gibson, just to heavy for me to play.

[Scott Rosenberger]

Goes to show you that you "dont always get what you pay for"

[Guest AlexVDL]

I knew that a long time already. I don't buy Gibson les pauls anymore, but good quality Japanese copies like Tokai, Burny (Fernandes), Greco, Orville, Bacchus, ESP, edwards (ESP), grass roots (ESP) and even epiphone Japan.

These guitars go for about 350 to 700 bucks on ebay. They are built better and usually sound even better than real Gibsons

Okay, I would buy a Gibson if my monthly income is $10.000 or more... that way I can buy one gibson each month and a little bit bread and water to survive

[gwflet]

I have always thought of Gibson Les Pauls to be a hit or miss kind of thing (more miss than hit though). I have played a lot of guitars (many Gibsons included). I have told many people that IMHO, 95% of the time the quality of the guitar that you will get from Gibson is not worth the price. That being said, finding a quality Gibson Les Paul is an exciting experience for me as a guitar player. When they are great they are inspirational. It is also in my experience that quality is never a given just because of a high price tag from any manufacturer. I have played some high priced "crap" and I have played some cheap guitars that have blown my mind. Bottom line, a brand name can never replace what your ear can hear.