Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1959 Les Paul Standard, Ultra Light Aged, Sunrise Teaburst

Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1959 Les Paul Standard, Ultra Light Aged, Sunrise Teaburst Overview

The 1959 Les Paul Standard is one of the most coveted guitars around and considered the ‘holy grail’ amongst vintage guitars. Only around 650 of the original guitars were produced, making them rare and beyond unaffordable to most. But now with the launch of the new Gibson Murphy Lab, you can get hold of a replica of this classic guitar, crafted by a team of experts led by one of the original pioneers of guitar ageing, Tom Murphy.

The Gibson Murphy Lab is a new division of the Gibson Custom Shop and is dedicated to crafting historically-accurate guitars of Gibson’s most legendary and sought-after instruments. The team of experts is led by Tom Murphy, known for being one of the original pioneers of guitar ageing, who for 25 years has been faithfully recreating the sound, feel, and character of vintage guitars. The attention to detail in the Murphy Lab is second to none, from laser-scanning the dimensions to get the exact size and shape of the originals to reverse-engineering the original lacquer to create ultra-realistic ageing, every detail has been thought of. This guitar is the closest you can get to the real thing.

This model has a 1-piece lightweight mahogany back and a 2-piece Figured Maple top with an iconic Sunrise Teaburst finish - a classic combination. The neck is made from solid mahogany with an authentic ‘59 Medium C-Shape profile and 24.75” scale length, which is topped with a smooth Indian rosewood fretboard with 22 Historic Medium Jumbo frets and a 12” radius. It also has an ABR-1 bridge with a lightweight aluminium stop bar and Kluson single line, single ring tuning machines.

For pickups, it has two unpotted Custombucker Alnico 3 pickups with a 3-way pickup selector. The 2 volume and 2 controls give you even more control over your sound.

To complete the 1959 Les Paul Standard is Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid inlays, gold butyrate top hats, 1-ply Royalite binding on the body, and nickel Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged hardware to match the Ultra Light Ageing of the guitar

It comes with .010 - .046 strings, a Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch Case, a Certificate of Authenticity, a Mounted Custom Shop Switch Plate Medallion, and a Reissue Switch Backplate in case.

This model is also available with Ultra Light Ageing in Southern Fade Burst and Factory Burst

Weight - 8.20lbs

Overview by Gibson

Gibson Custom Shop’s 1959 Les Paul™ Standard Reissue is not just a tribute to the priceless original models – it’s a clone of them. From laser-scanned dimensions to chemically-recreated plastics to color-matched shades of sunburst, every element has been rendered in unbelievable detail. It represents the culmination of decades of work by Custom Shop’s expert team – a tireless quest to bring accuracy and authenticity to the hands of fans. It’s the definition of cool, and it’s the best representation of the 1959 Les Paul Standard since the Gibson Custom Shop began making Historic Reissues over twenty-five years ago. It features Ultra Light Aging by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab. The Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged finish treatment, paired with lightly aged hardware, simulates decades of light play wear, giving it the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era.