I think that many of the offerings from the bigger names like Epiphone, Ibanez, Schecter, Dean & ESP will all work fine for you. You'll run into the occasional clunker, it's inevitable...but for the most part their quality is going to be fairly consistent overall. Most times though, with any brand and model in that range, you'll most likely need to get a good setup job done on it for it to really play up to it's potential. Most guitar shops will have that sort of service available.

Reading your post again, if a fixed bridge Les Paul style guitar is something that appeals to you....taking a quick look at something like the Dean Evo, ESP EC Series or the Michael Kelly Patriot might not be a bad idea. There is also numerous Ibanez ARC & ART models that fall into that range as well. All of those that I mentioned feature that classic Les Paul style/shape and are very comparable to the Epiphones in every way. I've tried several of the Michael Kelly Patriots & they might be the real sleepers of the bunch. They have really nice finishes, great setups (the ones I've played at least), good pickups and most of the models sell in the $350-$500 range. If you can hold out a bit longer & save up a little more cash, the PRS Single Cut SE models are pretty nice too.

But of course, having said all that...there is no substitute for actually geting out there and trying one out before buying it. If at all possible bring along some who has more playing/buying experience than yourself, just for some added input/feedback when trying stuff out. Even if you don't end up buying something from a local shop, trying stuff out will still give you a better picture of what you're getting for your money.

Best of luck to ya,
Don