OK, this is somewhat of a philosophical question.

I have an Epiphone Les Paul Standard copy(?) and, while a very good guitar, doesn't cut it straight up against a Gibson LP. No big surprise there and I had no expectations otherwise.

However, there are a whole lot of different LP copies, both past and present, which seem to span a vast range of quality from rotten plywood to some Japanese copies reportedly exceeding the quality of a USA Gibson. Of course, one must keep in mind that USA Gibson quality has varied more than a bit over the course of more than 50 years of LP production.

Is it really possible, and worth the effort, through diligent research to find an off-brand copy for considerably less money than a Gibson that will sound, feel, and play better than the original?

I've heard stories of Grecos, Epi Elitists, etc. that make them seem better than the Gibsons. How much stock should a person put into these statements?

And just what do people mean by "better"?

PS- Sorry if I opened a can of worms here!