Hi Brian, thats a steal at that price. In Australia we pay a premium for everything 
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What David said above is true, the price is significantly higher then what you pay for it in Europe. There is no specific magic to unlock from the guitar, premiums are easier to play, sound better and are made better but in general that is all there is.
I hope you will enjoy it, it sounds very bright. Most of us starts with something affordable and tries to go up the ranks up to certain level when it becomes a whim rather then practicality 
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My Epiphone Les Paul Studio was made in China and I think the quality is great. Just my anecdotal experience with chinese made guitars but Iāve had no issues with it.
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My next guitar would be my second guitar and as Iāve got an acoustic, Iād love an electric. Unfortunately (for my budget) I kinda fell in love with this one:
HSS as Iād love the versatility of that and just look at the colorā¦
But well. Long way to go (hopefully itāll be available when I got the money).
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Hello, well I have just purchased a second hand Epiphone ( inspired by Gibson) Hummingbird. Once again , al the gear and no idea. The old Yamaha I have has a bulged top ? Bit hard to play. Just adding to the collection.
Cheers John.
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I donāt know when Iāll get it, but, Iām really contemplating one of those collapsible, travel acoustics.
well. nice!
I have 2 guitar shopping lists in my brain at any one time. Thereās the fantasy list (what would I get if I had unlimited spending money) and thereās the actual, practical list 
The fantasy list is full of stuff like Strandberg NX headless and Ormsby 7-string Hype GTR
On the practical list, I have 2 electric guitars and thatās plenty for me to be going on with, so if I was going to buy another guitar I would probably go for an acoustic, just so that I have access to an unplugged option. Something like the Maton Performer that @jkahn mentioned would be a strong contender. I like the idea of the thin body, although ideally I think Iād prefer an acoustic guitar with no electronics. A pure acoustic in that body shape (and at a much lower price point haha) would be at the top of my list, if such a thing exists.
My brother just bought a Cort 5-string bass a few months back. The price was amazingly good for the quality of the bass. Heās very happy with it.
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That was my initial thought as well. Then I learned about loopers, and what you can do with them. Turns out the electronics donāt take away from the acoustic sound at all. Final nail was that almost all of the premium acoustics in stores near me had pickups, so I ended up with an electro-acoustic. Not that Performer though, a dreadnought size with a cutaway.
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Thatās neat, but actually the reason I wouldnāt want electronics in an acoustic guitar isnāt about the sound. Itās just an aesthetic preference I have.
An acoustic guitar has a huge amount of old-timey appeal, they were, and still can be, hand-made with low-tech traditional techniques. The fundamentals of its construction have not changed much for hundreds of years. Thatās awesome. But if you cut a hole in the side and jam in a bunch of plastic and wires ā¦ I donāt know how to explain it man, but that kind of kills the vibe. Thatās just me though. Sometimes I get hung up on weird stuff like that.
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Plenty of old school guitars still out there if you donāt want wires jammed in your holes.
All due respect for peoples opinions but I have never encountered a guitar where I thought ātoo bad there is electronics in this one, it would probably sound a lot better if they didnāt put in this pre-ampā. I did enounter models where I thought a pre-amp was missing though. 
If you arenāt the purist, persuing some ideal out of principle, I donāt see why an installed pre-amp is an issue. If you play unplugged, it doesnāt bother you. It will always be better integrated than when you decide to go for a soundhole pickup or something afterwards.
All my gigs are amplified and being able to plug in takes away the issue of sitting still in front of a mic to keep your guitar evenly picked up by the microphone. I am in total control of my levels and amounts of reverb on both vocal and guitar.
As @jkahn said, as soon as you want to use loopers or some effects like reverb or delay to liven up that experience, you will miss it if you donāt have it.
If you consider a Maton, you wonāt be disappointed by the electronics! @jkahn and myself (and many others) can attest for their quality pre-amps 
But really, the cheaper system on my $400 Fender Hellcat gives me control over my sound as well; playing amplified doesnāt need to mean āplaying loudā; au contraire, a bit of compression and time based effect will polish your strumming and fingerpicking experiences!
Still, I play my acoustic unplugged 25% of the time.
So, all of that for wondering why the con side of having a pre-amp installed always seem to weigh so heavy in peoples consideration. The choice is yours of course
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Gibson has the volume and tone controls tucked inside the sound hole so you canāt see them and the out put jack is inside the strap button. Keeps the clean acoustic look.
FWIW, I totally get this. For me, itās a desire to hold something ānaturalā and āgenuineā in my hands (donāt ask me to define those terms!), without ājamming in a bunch of plastic and wiresā.
Iām not necessary totally averse to having an electro-acoustic, the ability to play with a looper, as @jkahn noted, is a big plus. Still, Iād have to convince myself the pros outweigh the cons.
Good discussion.
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There is an undeniable beauty in simplicity.
Many of us are also drawn towards nostalgia.
As a teenager in school I preferred to use a quill and ink pot instead of a fountain pen 
I know someone who likes to type on an old typewriter. I believe thereās an aspect of this in the fashion of buying vinyl records.
Technology is great
Simplicity is cool too 
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Probably the same reason I prefer to use only hand tools for woodworking. As you say Brian, simplicity and nostalgia.
Well said!
During my studies at University, I owned no car but had an old, almost historical bicycle from my grandmother (classical āDamenfahrradā), no gearshift but the best citybike Iāve ever had. Reduced to the essentials, but rock solid. Today they reproduce them as āretroā versions. As my father sold it later, without telling me, I was so sad!
Transfered to guitars, I really understand, if someone likes the pureness of fine woods, just some wood and steel, reduced to the aspects of basic quality 
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Quick question Brian, did you also use a slide ruler or did you go old school with an abacus?? 
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