well you get what you pay for.
Epiphone basically runs the gauntlet from cheap shit to pretty good. and hit all points in between. So they’re kinda like Squier, Mexico Fender, and low end American Fender all in one company.
my sons each had a really cheap entry level Epiphone SG special. Same price range as your Squier.
About the same quality level too. Cheaply made. look cheap, feel cheap, sounds cheap. Didn’t stay in tune, etc.
Where as you can get a Les Paul in the $500-$600 range that’s probably roughly equivalent quality to the Made in Mexico Fender. Lots of musicians gig with this level. Look, feel, and sound close to the real thing to get away with in bars and clubs. But much more affordable to put through the abuse of gigging than a full blown American. This where most of my Epiphones call home.
the $800 range is some really good instruments. and fits nicely into a slot in between Mexican and American Fenders. My Tribute Plus Les Paul was just over $800. All American woods and electronics. Came with a hard case too. For my personal taste, it’s the best guitar Epiphone builds. even better than their top end signature models.
Then you can get up near the $1,000 range.
Which is just shy of the starting pricing point of American made Fenders. Really and truly getting a quality axe now. Much less you can see it in the finish. Feel it in the weight and running fingers along edges of the frets on the neck. These almost all come with high end locking tuners, top of the line electronics, hard cases, etc. These are your Epiphone customs and artist signature models.
At this price range, if you buy an entry Gibson instead (Studio, Jr, etc) you’re just a snob paying for the logo on the headstock. Because frankly speaking the top end of Epiphone is simply better than the bottom end of Gibson.
of course if you got money to burn and get up in the $1,750 and above range, those Gibson’s beat the piss outta Epiphones. no contest.