Imitation guitars are hard nowadays. It all depends on the quality of wood used man.
When you buy a hand built american guitar you are paying for a quality instrument.
When you pay for some korean wooden guitar that is thrown together by slaves you cant expect it to play right, and not to mention if youre buying through the mail you cant really be careful enough.
Should never really buy a guitar without being able to ploay it.
Im lucky enough to live in LA, where there is no shortage of guitar shops and places.
shits cheap here, tons of vintage guitar shops with all the best guitars.
I like gibson sg's myself. i have a black sg, and richenbacker 12 string. the 330 but the 12 string version. the 340.
my prized guitar, its at a friends shop being tuned up and tweaked a bit.
12 strings are a little much for me, but i love these guitars.
<img src=http://www.voxshowroom.com/northcoast/images/rickenbacker/370/370fg1.jpg border="1">
http://www.rickenbacker.com/us/330x.htm
mines red like this but the 12 string version.