A Les Paul is a fine guitar for a beginner. A Gibson Les Paul… not so much. The difference is that a Les Paul is a style and Gibson is a brand. Gibson is a good brand, but is exceedingly expensive for a beginner. Epiphone is another brand and it happens to be owned by Gibson. Epiphone makes many similar style guitars for a fraction of the cost of Gibson. So, to sum up - if the player likes the Les Paul style, go with an Epiphone Les Paul.