I got a decent deal on one of these because it was being sold as a demo but, in person the blemishes appear very minor and in fact, I have a Custom shop Les Paul that came direct from Gibson, brand new, not demo, not aged, and it arrived with as many if not more imperfections than this guitar. This modern series has been out for a few years so, this one didn't necessarily have the most amazing top but, in my opinion it does have two nice pieces just not the greatest symetry between them, but I'm not knocking it just acknowledging that some of these can come with really amazing tops.

I opted to get the setup on this one and it was money well spent, the action and relief is perfect, it plays buttery smooth and it stays in tune with no binding on any strings when tuning. I really couldn't ask for more. I like the setup so much that I'm going to drive down to Fort Wayne from Detroit area this summer to have a Sweetwater setup done on my other Les Paul. Of course there are other techs I could go to in the Detroit area however, most of them are really busy and sometimes take weeks or longer to turn around. Mike Koontz is no longer around, most local music stores seem to be farming out to amateurs and even though there are four Guitar Center locations around Detroit, I called them all last year and only one even has a guitar tech working there and they told me they were not even accepting more work due to backlogs (Gibson offered to pay for a setup under warranty work because my guitar arrived from them with imperfections that Gibson agreed were "not acceptable for a Custom shop guitar" but of all the places in my area they said I could go to for the setup, none of them had a tech working or would accept the work for warranty or otherwise).

Although I'm a beginner, I still like to try and get guitars that won't need to be replaced. This Gibson is great. After A set up was done on it, it's an amazing guitar. The appearance is amazing. It arrived in record time. Altogether happy with the new blue Gibson

Beautiful cobalt flame is stunning
Lighter weight for standing gigs for hours
Massive sound with single coil split P 90 sounds
Neck is slim and compound radius is great for shredding on the upper register
Ebony fingerboard is so smooth
Cut away back for better upper fret access
Just a great feeling and sonically definitely that Les Paul powerful full wide sound
Highly recommend this fantastic guitar

First off it is a very pretty top on this one. But to boot it sounds amazing, the pups bring out every string very clear. I had Sweetwater do a pro setup and it was perfect, plays like a dream. I love the modern touches. I love my older 60s Les Paul as well , but this just seems to fit me. Makes me want 2! Who knows……

I picked up my Gibson LP Modern today, and it is absolutely amazing! Could not be happier with the feel, sound, and looks. Special thanks to my sales engineer Chris Moseley for making the purchase seamless and rewarding.

If you want a guitar full of gimmicks you have it here.
AAA flame tops, compound radius ebony fretboard and carved mahogany back and a myriad of switching options.
Smoke and mirrors in spades. Things I don't care for and hidden in the specs.... PCB electronics, modern swiss cheese weight relieved body, back and sides too dark and don't go with the top coloring on the green and blue ones.
Summary...you are basically paying $ more for a AAA top and compound radius ebony fretboard and ergonomic carved back that doesn't match the top coloring. No thanks Gibson. Nice try though.

As a Les Paul player who loves the standard with the 60's neck, I was a little skeptical of the modern at first, not knowing if I would like the changes in the modern. When I took it out of the case, I noticed right away how beautiful the ebony fretboard with the mother of pearl inlays looked with the highly figured top, but to me the acid test was how well it played! The modern's neck felt a little different from my standard's, but in a good way. After getting used to the neck, I actually prefer it over my standards neck, and it felt far more comfortable to play (for me that is) All in all, I'm very happy with the modern and find myself playing it more than my other Les Paul's. I think Gibson got it right on this model for player's looking for something with different options. As usual Sweetwater was great and another big thanks to Jeff Jent for ALWAYS making sure I'm happy and educated on all the latest gear!

This has some performance features that the LP Standard doesn't have, such as the asymmetrical neck profile and compound radius, which I believe is unique to these models. It took some time to break it in and get used to it, but now I'll never be without it. With most Gibsons, a good setup is the key. This one is no different. The factory/Sweetwater setup was ok, but I have an ace nearby and that took care of it. Fantastic guitar, nice bookmatched top, the mother-of-pearl is quite vivid on the perfect black Ebony board, which is the reason I went for this instead of a Standard. It was the right decision. I never use the coil tapping, because I have two fantastic Strats that take care of the single-coil sound. It feels quite different from any Standard I've ever owned or played, and that's a good thing. Very fast, very comfortable.

I purchased this guitar. Gibson is really all you have to say. It is perfect. When I first started shopping Sweetwater was out as was all the other stores. I put myself on a waiting list and my Sales Engineer (Eric Rojas) sent back an e mail saying they were expected mid April. I kept checking arround and found one at a local chain store. I know they simply remove them form the box and hang them on the wall. I really liked the inspection process Sweetwater uses so I decided to wait. Well lo and behold Sweetwater finally got one in. I spoke to Eric on the phone and he told me he had several in. I wanted one with a nice figured top and lighter in weight. He told me to look on line as they were put up on the web site and I could buy one there and it would come directly to him. In the mean time he reserved one for me so that I did not loose an opprotunity to get one of the few that came in. On that Saturday purchased one on line. I was nice but not as nice of a top as I had hoped. On Sunday afternoon I got a call from Eric. He told me that he saw I purchaed one on line but that he saw the one he reserved and he thought I might like that one better. He sent pictures and it was exactly what I wanted. Eric switc hed out the guitars. This is the third guitar I purchased from Eric. You cannot put a price on OUTSTANDING customer service! This will not be the last purchase from Sweetwater!

I purchased this guitar. Gibson is really all you have to say. It is perfect. When I first started shopping Sweetwater was out as was all the other stores. I put myself on a waiting list and my Sales Engineer (Eric Rojas) sent back an e mail saying they were expected mid April. I kept checking arround and found one at a local chain store. I know they simply remove them form the box and hang them on the wall. I really liked the inspection process Sweetwater uses so I decided to wait. Well lo and behold Sweetwater finally got one in. I spoke to Eric on the phone and he told me he had several in. I wanted one with a nice figured top and lighter in weight. He told me to look on line as they were put up on the web site and I could buy one there and it would come directly to him. In the mean time he reserved one for me so that I did not loose an opprotunity to get one of the few that came in. On that Saturday purchased one on line. I was nice but not as nice of a top as I had hoped. On Sunday afternoon I got a call from Eric. He told me that he saw I purchaed one on line but that he saw the one he reserved and he thought I might like that one better. He sent pictures and it was exactly what I wanted. Eric switc hed out the guitars. This is the third guitar I purchased from Eric. You cannot put a price on OUTSTANDING customer service! This will not be the last purchase from Sweetwater!

The tonal options and design of the guitar is just beautiful.

I love this guitar. The weight relief makes it feel nicely balanced. The neck is fast and comfortable. The pickups have a nice growl to them. Most importantly: the sweetwater setup with ernie ball 9.5's was perfect. Nothing beats a guitar that plays perfect out of the box. Nick Graham is also great to work with! Very happy with my purchase.

First of all, Sweetwater provided a great delivery service. Free shipping and it arrived 2 days after I ordered it, with excellent packing (box in a box, extra foam inserts for protection and support). The hardest part was waiting 24 hours to open it, but I didn't want to chance any damage to the finish, due to the winter temps. When I opened the case, if anything, it was even better looking in person than in Sweetwater's excellent photos! The flamed cobalt burst top, white binding and dark blue back and neck look flawlessly beautiful! I had been hesitant to order a guitar online, since I didn't know how it would feel, but the slim-taper neck and ebony fretboard were instantly comfortable and nicely playable. I plan to have the action adjusted, just slightly, since it's a hair higher than I prefer on the upper frets, but that's a very minor detail. Plugged in, it has a nice, balanced sound, with good sustain and clarity. Between the coil-splitting, phase switching, and pure bypass options, the available tones cover a wide spectrum and make the guitar suitable for any style of music. Overall, I'm very impressed with the looks, feel and sound of this guitar!

I love everything about this one.
The service from Sweetwater is the best. This was not my first order and will not be the last if possible.
Highly recommend that Seeetwater be your "GO TO" for music equipment.