According to most players, quality for both brands has fluctuated over the past decade or two, as have the exact specs and designs being brought to the table.
The truth of the divide, though, is much more complex than a simple split between high- and low-end. The split is considered to be cheap vs expensive, imported vs American-made, and at its core, budget-friendliness vs historic quality. It's a long and entwined history, but for most modern players, Epiphone is seen first and foremost as the current low-end of the wider Gibson catalog. In 1957, Gibson purchased Epiphone and used the brand as a way to broaden their distribution network and, eventually, to expand production beyond just the US. The two companies were competitors in the archtop market in the 1930s and during the development of the earliest electric models. Gibson and Epiphone are two of the oldest brands in the whole history of guitar production, especially when focusing on electrics.
