In fact it was an Aria Pro copy of a Gibson ES335 that the lead guitarist in my band uses, that convinced me that copies had got so much better over the years. And I actually own a 1964 Gibson ES335 ( that I bought back in 1976 - before it was considered vintage ) so I was well able to compare it with the Aria Pro and it compares admirably.

In fact I now use the Agile DLX-2800 as my main guitar and use my Fender Strat and Gibson Les Paul Special as backups in case I break a string during a set. I never would have thought that was possible but it certainly is the case now. So I can believe your findings comparing the Gibson with the Aria Pro.