Seriously, EpiSG, I know what you mean - "apples to oranges" is the most overused phrase on this site -
enough already - it should be banned from ever being used here again - obviously,
this is a matter of opinion, for fun, just like it was when I posted the "Taylors vs. Martins" thread...SO, just answer the damned question, all you snobby knobs!
Personally, I like Epiphones better, they seem to be built better in most ways and my Epiphone Nuclear Extreme Les Paul will stand up with best of 'em and was only $249 used.
http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/2001/mar15a.html
I was lucky enough to have the Firebird style, too, ( the Slasher, which I got from Guitar Center for $199!!!) but it got traded when I needed something else more...EpiSG, check out the "pierced SG" with it's "radical x shaped tone hole"...You know you want it!!!! Check out the Moderne E Series, too - I've heard that Gibson made only 4 of those in the 50's, and that of those, one is owned privately, one was lost in a fire, one is in the Smithsonian(!!!) and the other is who knows where, thus making it a Holy Grail $$$$ for guitar collectors...
I had to take the nasty green/yellow crackled finish off my Extreme( yes, my bassist ground it off, with a Dremel, heavy grit paper, etc, and then it was hand rubbed with shoe polish to give it a very interesting look, almost like a pencil drawing...)The hardware and trim were also swapped from cream/chrome to black, so it's very uniquely MINE. The pups are a special hot rodded humbucker that screams, and the action is just crazy low and very smooth.
The only problem I've noticed with Epi's is the toggle switches suck ass. They never stay tight and they never stay working for very long. I've had four Epi's, ( the list is: Epi E series Nuclear Extreme, Epi E series Slasher, Epi Les Paul, Epi Dot Deluxe...) all had this problem. It was very frustrating...
That being said, there are many, many guitars out there that are bought cheap and with a little attention can be serious. The only Squier I've owned was a Tele reissue thing that was $200 new, and it fed back like mad, didn't stay in tune for crap, and the knobs were always loosening up...All of which I could have fixed, but so what...I still love the Epi's I've had and my Nuclear Extreme will go with me to the grave.