I can relate to Gibson hate. About 5 or 6 years ago , I attempted to buy a new Les Paul. Because I live in a remote area , my guitar purchases tend to arrive via UPS. ( I know , in a perfect world , one would like to hold , feel and hear any guitar before buying , .....but I can't , so ) .....long story short , my attempt to buy a "good" Gibson turned into a multi-year event. I think I returned a dozen guitars to get a couple of good ones , and it took me a few years to accomplish that.
( Which might be one of the reasons I cherish my LPs so much.)
My first electric was a humbucker strat with a Floyd. ( Make that my second - the first was an unplayable P-O-S my folks bought for me when I was a kid.)
Years later , when I got my first LP , that thick beefy tone hooked me for life.
I love them. IMO , they look , feel and sound the best.
I have no love for the company itself , their lack of QC , or that meathead Henry , but I still love a good Les Paul ( even if there aren't many )
For a while , I was disgusted with Gibson. The time I wasted , and the frustration they caused me - pissed me off.
I've since learned to deal with the fact that LPs are not all the same quality , because humans are involved in the manufacturing process , AND greater numbers are being produced - which I'm sure adds greatly to poorer QC.
( You know Henry..... Money first )
A guitar preference is a very personal thing. Even the best made pair of seemingly identical Gibson guitars will likely not sound and feel the same. It can be quite an ordeal to get what you're after.