any audiophile guitarists out there?

6550c - Epiphone is not made in China but in Korea (big difference) in largest instrument factory in the world. Samick has factories in Korea and Indonesia. I've never suggested same quality as Gibson but it is pretty good. If it is enough for Epihone (owned by Gibson) and Gretsch to build guitars there - it should be enough for me. Samick uses quality stuff - Grover tuners, Duncan designed pickups, Wilkinson bridges. As for headstock - I compared Epiphone to Silvertone and not the Gibson. Gibson is 10x more expensive.

Here you'll find user reviews of Samick Les Paul copy (4.5 of 5):

http://www.harmonycentral.com/products/83532

I'm not much help on amps... I only play acoustic guitars. Have a few different models, but my favorite is a Martin HD-35. Really great sound! Move over Clapton...
Paul

I play a Diezel VH4, an awesome amp. In addition to its plethora of great features, one can crank the master volume and turn down the channel volume to get tube distortion at a reasonable (note, reasonable not quiet, volume). I tried bogner uberschall, bogner ecstacy, boogie roadking, engl savage, peavey XXX, marshall, etc before buying the diezel. All had some pros, but the diezel could get most tones of other of the above mentioned amps.

I am unaware of a SET guitar amp that I have heard of, but I am not the ultimate authority.

I play a 1992 PRS CE24 and unfortunately had to sell my McNaught vintage single cut with korina body/neck, brazilian rosewood board, and killer quilted maple top.

Interesting comments about cables in the post. I am just starting to explore this. I had been wondering if it would be worthwhile having a guitar wired internally with audiophile cable as the first link in the audio chain and came across this http://www.analysis-plus.com/images/Luczak1.JPG

Has anyone done this? What cable company brand possesses the traits that would most well suit this purpose (i.e., in terms of capacitance, etc)

@Kijanki - I'd never do that today... but when I was thirteen, had a guitar and no amp... well it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Grimace - It was not bad idea at all - if it worked. Also, at age of 13 your system was perhaps not very expensive.