Had an old epiphone that was crap when I received it for replacing a friends brakes years ago. It probably is not a good comparison since it needed more work than it was worth but it still played ...some...lol
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...lectric-guitar
I have a 6string ESP atm but this 7 string would be a nice addition if you're into deeper sounds or the lovely non standard tunings.
Sweetwater has ok gear but they tend to have higher prices
http://www.sweetwater.com/
Sam Ash and other big names are also reputable where if there's any problems you can easily ship it back & have them restock pickups, set intonation, etc...