I like this guitar much... my first guitar was a black Epi LP. And I sold it, no idea why.
I do not know why, but I like a Black LP. Normally, Black is not my favourite... but it looks incredibly good so for LP.
The finish - really good. Mild imperfections with the binding, so what.
The neck - maybe more easy to be played than a Epi LP 50s. Mind complex chords. It works smoothly here.
The sound - rather massive, more on the dark side. It is my personal idea of a LP. I might be wrong, but for bright sounds, a single coil guitar or a Gretsch is the better choice.
Mind that is not only a tool for Hardrock... it is the ideal solidbody Jazz guitar. It is an almost universal tool.
The tuners - very good quality!
The weight... nothing for kids... ok: LP.
I checked a variety of LP-like guitars. To me, this is A Les Paul - you do not need to, but you can pay for a "real" Gibson or similar. I am sure it is worth the price if you want, but not drastically better. Maybe change pups first if you are dissatisfied here?! I am happy with them.
This is a real Les Paul, i.e. a no-nonsense guitar, no gimmick-ish extras.
The Epi LP has almost doubled in price in the recent +- 6 years. Still, it is a moderately priced good quality guitar which you will keep. I regret that I did not keep it, so I got it back. "Inspired by Gibson" is a good series.
