Les Paul Essence with New Must-see Perks
The Les Paul Modern Lite by Gibson will impress with iconic Les Paul character carefully enhanced for improved comfort and modern demands! All this is accomplished while preserving the quintessential Les Paul sound with materials including a mahogany body, a mahogany neck, and humbucking pickups. The Les Paul Modern Lite’s mahogany body features thinner dimensions that make it more nimble onstage and easier to play for extended periods of time. A fresh satin finish shows off lots of mahogany woodgrain, which adds to the Modern Lite’s workhorse feel and stylish looks. Guitarists at Sweetwater are especially impressed with the Les Paul Modern Lite’s tasteful 498T and 490R humbucking pickups. Sonically faithful to prized vintage Les Paul humbuckers but subtly enhanced for hot-rodded output, these humbuckers offer more midrange response and better resistance to microphonic feedback. Crack open the next chapter of a Gibson legend with the Les Paul Modern Lite from Sweetwater!
Lighten up, Les!
Les Paul tone will always be appealing, but the instrument's heavy weight makes many players hesitant to use them as their go-to axe. Enter the Les Paul Modern Lite and its welcome improvements! The Modern Lite’s thinner body shaves off several pounds from the average Les Paul’s weight. This weight reduction has practically no impact on tone, and purists can rest easy knowing that a mahogany body, mahogany neck, and PAF-inspired pickups deliver a sound firmly in the Les Paul camp. Luthiers also opted for a lightweight aluminum bridge instead of heavier metals, which further demonstrates Gibson’s commitment to making this classic more approachable than ever.
SlimTaper neck for comfort
The Les Paul Modern Lite's comfortable mahogany neck fuels access to countless styles. A SlimTaper neck carve offers fast freedom across the Modern Lite's 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, while a set neck joint improves sustain and increases upper-fret access. If you like the combination of a slim neck and a rosewood fingerboard, then you will love the Les Paul Modern Lite.
Fresh overhauls of humbucker classics
Driving the Les Paul Modern Lite’s tone are two powerhouse humbuckers based on the legendary Gibson PAF. Updating the PAF doesn’t necessarily make the Modern Lite a “better” Les Paul. Rather, these updated pickups help modern players achieve desired sounds with less hassle and more clarity. A 498T treble humbucker in the bridge position is hot-rodded for fierce output that quickly drives your amp into crunch, overdrive, and distortion. A modern-voiced Alnico V magnet makes the 498T fit for powerful leads and thick rhythms, while pole spacing tailored to the bridge position gives notes exceptional definition. The 490R rhythm humbucker in the neck position sits closer to the original PAF and offers a smoother presence with a wide, luscious character — a perfect counterpoint to the 498 T’s firepower. You’ll also find the 490R retains more upper-midrange content and an improved resistance to microphonic feedback.
Gibson Les Paul Modern Lite Electric Guitar Features:
- Familiar Les Paul performance paired with modern looks and a weight-conscious build
- Solid mahogany body delivers classic richness and warmth with outstanding sustain
- Thinner body weighs significantly less than a traditional Les Paul
- Mahogany neck with a SlimTaper neck carve for fast, all-purpose comfort
- Indian rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets
- Wax-potted 490R rhythm humbucker: prized PAF character with enhanced upper midrange and improved resistance to microphonic feedback
- 498T treble humbucker: hot-rodded PAF-style design optimized to push amplifiers into overdrive, crunch, or distortion
- Graph Tech nut and Grover tuners enhance string resonance and tuning security
- Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge offers wide-ranging adjustable intonation
- Rare matching headstock finish
