have you considered buying the guitar and hardcase separately?
since you play some j-rock, sounds like LTD is ok... i would consider epiphones only if...
1. i'm on a limited budget like 20k below
2. i'm gunning for a specific epiphone model (like the Epiphone Pro II superstrat)
for all intents and purposes, if you have that much cash, get a Gibson or ESP. a good name brand will often ensure you get your money's worth, but it's still possible to get a good sounding guitar from other brands (Samick is a good example since the Pro II that I'm referring to seems to be mostly made by Samick, branded as an Epiphone... with the exception of the Epiphone Pro which according to some searching I did, were made in the US)
imho lang sir