If I’m being completely honest, I had low expectations for this guitar. My recent experiences with Gibson QC have been less than stellar, and while I adore how they look, I’ve never liked how a Les Paul felt. Too big and bulky and the neck heel joint was always a challenge. A very sad thing for a kid who grew up in the 70’s with posters of Jimmy Page and Ace Frehley on his wall. When the Modern Lite was announced I was cautiously optimistic because on paper it ticked a lot of boxes. Also, being a performing musician in the 80’s, those colors speak to me! I took a chance and was pleasantly surprised. It’s got the Les Paul shape and name on the headstock, but it’s the anti Les Paul in the hands. Everything I want in a guitar without the excess. So first things first, the quality. I’ve gone over the guitar several times and I find no defects in workmanship. The finish is clean, no paint blemishes or overspray. The fretwork is great. Everything is level, no fret sprout, no rough feeling frets. The fingerboard looks good. No obvious tooling marks or blemishes and no issues where it meets the neck like there were on the Special Tribute and other lower cost models. The hardware is all standard Gibson stuff. Grover tuners work well enough but I’ll likely replace them with locking mini beans. Personal preference. The bridge and tailpiece are Gibson standard Advanced Plating parts, no surprises there. The wiring is all hand wired, no PCB so that was a nice surprise. No… read more big orange drop cap though. The jack and switch all feel sturdy as well. The knobs are top hat and I’ll probably replace those with speed knobs just because they are easier for me to adjust. Overall a really well built guitar. Aesthetically, the mahogany body with no filler is a personal taste thing. It’s very similar to the Special Tribute or even the PRS S2 satin. It looks like painted wood and I really like it. It’s very thin as well. Thinner than an LP Special for sure. The carved top is a very nice touch that gives it something a little classier than a straight flat top. Oh and yes, there is the poker chip in the bag if you want to put it on. The satin slim taper neck feels great. Smooth and easy in the hands and no issues at all reaching the upper frets. No need for extra shaping on the neck joint since the body is so thin. The weight on mine is just under 7 pounds. It’s incredibly comfortable to wear. The belly carve fits my aging dad bod quite well. It’s got good balance too. No noticeable neck dive. Overall I am extremely happy with this guitar. I’ve not been able to put it down since it got here and if you knew me, you’d know that’s saying a lot.

Sound
I don’t have enough long term experience with ‘real’ Les Pauls to say this sounds just like them with any authority. I can say that I really enjoy the tones I am able to get. I have no issues with the pickups, they are articulate and sound great from clean to medium high gain/grungy stuff. I think it would do well in any genre.

Features
By far the thin body is the best feature. It’s so comfortable to wear and play. The colors are also really cool. Muted 80’s baby!! It’s one of the few times that the guitar I unboxed looked just like the ones in the photo. I chose the Rose Gold Satin (pink) because that was the one my daughter liked the most. She’s 30 and still a daddy’s girl. My one and only complaint is, they don’t do the baby photo anymore :( Not sure when they stopped doing that but a quick Google confirms most recent guitars don’t have them….

Ease of Use
This guitar is so easy to play it’s almost effortless. Plug and play. It’s got the typical Gibson HH control set so everything is where it always is and adjustments are easy. This guitar sounds great and has the sustain you would expect from a Les Paul. Hang it around your neck and hit an open power chord and you will smile.

Quality
Sadly I have had my fair share of poor quality Gibson guitars. I call the QC issues you live with to say you own a Gibson “the Gibson tax”. I have looked this over with a fine tooth comb and overall the build quality is finally there. No issues with the finish, frets, or the fingerboard. It feels very solid and well constructed. Even the setup out of the box on my guitar was excellent. Very playable action and intonated perfectly. The soft case it comes with is also excellent. No need for an aftermarket bag, this bag will handle some stuff.

Value
I did a bit of research before I decided to buy the guitar, watching videos, trolling TGP and other forums, and the single most repeated comment I saw was “Nope I’m not paying that much it should be $800 yada yada”. I certainly get that, but the folks making those comments are not in touch with the current state of the economy. I can’t believe I’m defending Gibson on this (kinda) but they were actually the LAST major American manufacturer to raise the entry level price above $1000. The Fender American Performer that used to be $1050 is now $1400. The PRS S2 Satin that I bought for $999 pre-pandemic now sells for over $1400. Sadly, it is just the way things are. I don’t like it, none of us like it, but it is what it is. So stepping off my soapbox do I think it’s a good value at $1499? I wouldn’t say ‘good’ value, but it’s a fair price for what you are getting in today’s world. I’m very happy with my purchase and I think this guitar will last me a long time.

Manufacturer Support
I’ve never dealt directly with them.

The Wow Factor
Gibson took a chance on this one and I hope it works out well for them. This is probably not going to appeal to the die hard 10 pound Les Paul players. It’s really a completely different guitar. I think this might be Gibson’s attempt to appeal to the younger crowd that they have been losing to Fender and other companies the last 20+ years. It’s thin and light, well built, and the colors are fun. This guitar surprised me for sure and that is a big WOW right there. I was not expecting to like it this much. It’s really a blast to play. I think it will be at home anywhere from a beginners lap to a seasoned gigging guitarists stage and everything in between. It almost pains me to say this, but good job Gibson.

Musical Background:
Playing for 50 years and still going strong.

Musical Style:
Rock, prog, CCM read less