Gibson custom Shop | murphy lab
Gibson's New Shop Within A Shop, Dedicated To Vintage Guitar's "Greatest Hits."
Gibson announces its new custom aging program, the Murphy Lab, a division of the Gibson Custom Shop led by the expert artist himself.
Tom Murphy is instrumental to the Gibson Custom Shop. A veteran of over 25 years, he developed Gibson's proprietary aging processes, using them to recreate distinctive guitars as played and owned by legends like Jimmy Page, Slash, Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons, Joe Walsh, and more.
The Murphy Lab elevates Tom's practices to new heights. Here, he and his personally trained team of aging artists use cutting-edge technology and Tom's own techniques, developed over years of careful testing, to produce perfect replicas of golden-age Gibsons, each dressed with Tom's brand of authentic, hand-applied playwear, and scientifically reverse-engineered nitrocellulose lacquer, identical to that which the brand used in the 1950s and 1960s, creating "game-changing" effects indistinguishable from those collected over decades of use.
The Murphy Lab Menu
Players can select a Murphy Lab Collection model, made according to Tom and his team's vision, or create one for themselves using the Murphy Lab Menu of four Made 2 Measure aging options: Ultra Light, Light, Heavy, and Ultra Heavy.
Ultra Light aging applies a soft touch. A bit of finish checking, some minor wear, and VOS patina hardware suggest the instrument spent most of its life in its case.
Light aging shows the effects of five or more decades of average use, like more extensive checking patterns, deeper playwear, a few nicks and marks, softened edges, and patina VOS hardware.
Ultra Light Aged
Light Aged
Heavy Aged
Ultra Heavy Aged
Heavy aging illustrates the wear and tear of a life on the road. Checking patterns are much more dramatic, buckle rash and playwear more pronounced, and the newly developed Murphy Lab-aged hardware reflects the rigorous, nightly demands of working musicians.
Ultra Heavy aging takes it a step further. Finishes give way to bare top wood. Checking is rampant. Buckle rash and playwear are extreme, and the Murphy Lab-aged hardware shows severe tarnish.
The Murphy Lab Collection
All Murphy Lab models, including Made to Measure, feature extra-rolled fingerboard binding for a broken-in feel and true-to-life look, a feature which Tom insists is worth the price of admission alone.
Examples of Tom and his team's uncanny artistry speak for themselves. To learn more about the Murphy Lab, its aging menu, or how to purchase one of its newest creations, please call, click, or visit us to speak to one of our Gibson experts.
In the Murphy Lab, history happens every day. Don't miss your chance to be a part of it.
SHOP GIBSON MURPHY LAB GUITARS
Related Posts
Moog Synthesizers | Mavis
The Moog Mavis is the newest offering from the legendary synthesizer company, offering signature Moog sound in a compact and feature-packed instrument! Perfect for both first-time users and established synthesists, Mavis can be used as a standalone instrument, a Eurorack module, or a module alongside Moog's other semi-modular instruments. Learn more about Mavis, then pick up your Mavis today at Chicago Music Exchange!
Read more
CME Sessions | Baroness
We’re used to seeing live touring acts stop into CME—but, it’s not often that we get our own private concert! No matter what descriptors one might use to describe Baroness’s music, the way they use classic guitar models equipped with single-coil pickups to paint lush sonic landscapes is a reminder to musical artists of any genre that, often, the best surface upon which to paint—whether recording or in live performances—is a colorless canvas. Check out what we mean, here, in the Baroness CME Session!
Read more
Gibson USA | CME Exclusive Les Paul Standards
Both CME Exclusive Les Paul Standard ’50s and Les Paul Standard ’60s come equipped with a pair of Gibson T-Type humbuckers, to provide a well-rounded top-end chime! Developed in collaboration with Chicago Music Exchange for an exclusive 2019-2021 run of CME Exclusive SG Standards, “T-Type” pickups are a replica of Gibson’s T-Top humbucker pickups used from 1968-1980—the same model pickup Jimmy Page installed in the bridge his own 1959 Gibson Les Paul Sunburst, affectionately dubbed his “No. 1,” which helped to forever define the sound of ‘70s hard rock.
Read more