Watch It First
Epiphone’s Modern series exists for one reason: to give people a Les Paul that doesn’t play like it’s stuck in 1959.
The Les Paul Modern Figured takes the classic mahogany-and-maple recipe and modernises basically everything else — the neck profile, the weight, the electronics. I got my hands on the Purple Burst version to see if „modern” actually means better.
Short answer: mostly yes. Long answer below.
A Quick Note on the Colour
Quick heads up: the specific finish I’m covering here is the Purple Burst (PB) variant, which is the one currently in stock. The Mojave Burst version that used to be the flagship colour has been discontinued — same guitar underneath, just a different flame maple stain on top.
Build and Materials
Mahogany body, AAA flame maple top, mahogany neck with an ebony fretboard. That’s proper Les Paul spec, no corners cut on the tonewoods.
The headline feature is Ultra-Modern Weight Relief — chambering that shaves noticeable weight off compared to a traditional Les Paul. It’s still not a lightweight guitar (nothing with this much mahogany ever is), but it’s a genuine improvement over older Epiphone LPs that felt like carrying a paving slab around your neck for a three-hour gig.
The neck profile is an Asymmetrical SlimTaper with a contoured heel, and this is where „modern” really shows up. Upper fret access is dramatically better than a standard LP-style heel, which matters if you actually solo up past the 15th fret instead of just admiring the sunburst.
Hardware and Electronics
ProBucker 2 in the neck, ProBucker 3 in the bridge — Epiphone’s attempt at recreating vintage-style PAF tone without the vintage-style price. Both volume knobs pull up for coil splitting, and one tone knob pulls up for an out-of-phase switch. That’s a lot of tonal ground covered from four knobs.
Locking tuners keep things stable, the Graph Tech NuBone nut helps with tuning stability too, and the Locktone ABR bridge with stopbar tailpiece is the tried-and-tested formula. Nothing exotic, just well-chosen parts.
Playability and Sound
Plugged into a tube amp on the clean channel first, and the ProBuckers do a convincing job of warm, slightly compressed neck-pickup jazz tones. Split the coils and you get a thinner, more Fender-ish single-coil voicing that’s genuinely usable, not just a novelty switch you try once and forget.
Push it into an overdriven amp like a Marshall Studio Classic SC20C and the bridge pickup delivers exactly the kind of thick, saturated rock tone you buy a Les Paul-shaped guitar for. It’s not subtle, and it’s not supposed to be.
The out-of-phase switch is the fun surprise here — a hollow, nasal, slightly quacky tone that most players will use rarely, but it’s a nice option to have when you want something unusual for a recording.
Neck feel is genuinely one of the better parts of this guitar. The SlimTaper profile is comfortable for hours of playing, and combined with the weight relief, it doesn’t feel like the neck-dive-prone brick that some Les Paul copies turn into.
Out of the Box
A few owner reviews mention the factory setup being rough — a slightly crooked knob here, action that needs adjusting there. I’d echo that. Budget for a proper setup (or do it yourself if you know how) and this guitar goes from „pretty good” to „really impressive” fast.
Who It’s For
Anyone who wants Les Paul tone and looks but has been put off by the weight and the stiff neck heel of a traditional model. This is squarely aimed at players who want the classic sound with a genuinely modern playing experience.
It’s also a solid pick for gigging players who need versatility — the coil split and phase switch mean you’re not locked into one tone all night. Pair it with a versatile head like the EVH 5150 Iconic 40 and you’ve got a genuinely gig-ready rig.
If you want something lighter still, or prefer a completely different neck feel and switching layout, it’s worth comparing this against something like the PRS SE CE24 — different philosophy entirely, but a similar price bracket and a genuine rival for the „affordable, versatile electric” crown.
Honest Niggles
- Rough factory setup on some units — budget for a proper setup
- Still fairly heavy despite the weight relief
- Cutaway access, while improved, isn’t as dramatic as a full carve-away design
- Not the cheapest Epiphone — you’re paying for the upgrades
None of that is a dealbreaker, IMO. If anything, the setup complaint tells you more about factory QC variance than the guitar’s actual design.
Pairing It With Pedals and Amps
The bridge ProBucker takes overdrive extremely well. Something low-to-medium gain like the Wampler Belle Overdrive keeps the humbucker’s character intact while adding just enough push for a solo.
For amps, this guitar doesn’t need a lot of help — it sounds great through a straightforward valve amp like the Orange TH30H. If you want a boost pedal permanently on your board for that little extra push, the Xotic BB Preamp is a popular choice among Les Paul players for good reason.
Specs at a Glance
- Body: Mahogany with Ultra-Modern Weight Relief
- Top: AAA flame maple
- Neck: Mahogany, Asymmetrical SlimTaper profile
- Fretboard: Ebony, trapezoid inlays
- Scale length: 628mm (24.72″)
- Nut: Graph Tech NuBone, 43mm width
- Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo
- Pickups: ProBucker 2 (neck), ProBucker 3 (bridge)
- Controls: 2x Volume (push/pull coil-split), 2x Tone (1 with push/pull phase switch), 3-way selector
- Bridge: Locktone ABR with stopbar tailpiece
- Tuners: Locking
- Included: Premium gigbag
Final Verdict
The Les Paul Modern Figured does exactly what it says — it’s a Les Paul, modernised in the ways that actually matter for a working or practicing guitarist. Lighter, faster to play, more versatile electronically.
Get a proper setup done after you buy it and this is a genuinely great electric guitar, not just a „good for the price” one. The Purple Burst finish is gorgeous in person too, for what it’s worth — photos don’t quite do the flame top justice.
If you want a Les Paul but the traditional models have always felt like hard work to play, this is the version built for you.
