There are a few kinds of Les Paul basses.
The specials during the mid ninties boasted of active bartolinis while some others have no switches.
Ask them for year of make or model make then cross check online, tons of info.
And I am afraid a Gibson is a Gibson, Epis come close only because of the same pickup configuration, but do a indepth test of years and big rigs, you will find that the wood , make and finish work much better on the Gibsons.
I played both Gib and Epi les Pauls in different setups.... The Epi only sounds as good at a glance. Also, because the Gibsons are handcrafted, no two of the same model are truly the same and one has to hunt out to pick that perfect one, but having said that, its nice to find little eccentricities and differences...each is trul one of a kind barring the tonal characteristics of the model.
Just to add, if one truly wants a good les paul that's not a gibson or near that price... Greco had very very good copies.... can hunt for them one. Good copy plus Jap craftsman QC, can't go wrong.
My two cents
