aww..c'mon folks...satisfy your GAS and fund mine :laugh2:
How about $450 shipped in the lower 48 for SD forum members? I paid $630 locally for this with the gig bag. You'd pay 599 online for a new one with a cheapa$$ Gibson gigbag
EDIT: BTW those are grover tuners. I guess the newer ones have them? : shrug :
Playing-wise I DO prefer the Epi. It's got a bit more string tension which I prefer (makes me more honest),and the natural sustain is slightly better. It's more of a classic "fat" les paul sound. The Gibson Les Paul is buttery smooth to play, and it's a bit more modern/brighter/middy sounding (and overlaps tone-wise with the McCarty because of that)
The McCarty will cover alot of ground without the need for new PUPS etc. It will fill in for all my "finesse" sounds. It's very elegant and sophisticated so to speak. But I've got a new Gibson on order to take care of what the McCarty cannot do, and I'm not afraid to scratch/mod/beat up on like I am w/ the Les Paul or McCarty. A workhorse brash 70s/80s hard rock/metal guitar