What he means is a "Starter Les Paul", as in "I want to get a jumpstart into the world of Les Pauls, what is a good Les Paul to get, before I spend the real cash on one?", and not "I'm just starting.....what's a good les paul". Of course, I'm just interpreting what he is trying to say, but I believe that is it.
The High End Epiphones are better than the Low End Gibsons, keep that in mind.
Me, I play a Gibson Les Paul Double Cutaway +, the only Les Paul with 24 frets, and a double cutaway that basically allows you free reign on the fretboard. Simple electronics, Master Tone/Master Volume/3 way toggle, it is definitely a steal.
I got mine Brand New from Music123.com for $1087; They do the price-match system, and I found a website that was selling them brand new for $1099, so music123 beat the price.
The LPDC+ is a steal at $1400, and for $1000, that sweetens the deal.
~Incidents