Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1955 J45 Light Aged

The Gibson J-45™ was first introduced in 1942 and quickly earned its nickname, “The Workhorse,” due to its wide acceptance, no-nonsense simplicity, and understated elegance. It’s one of the most recorded acoustic guitars in history and Gibson’s best-selling acoustic model of all time. 1955 was a significant year in the history of the J-45 model. It was when Gibson lengthened the fretboard and added a 20th fret to the J-45. Around the same time, the teardrop pickguard used on the earlier models was dropped in favor of a larger 50-styled pickguard.

Handcrafted with care in Bozeman, Montana, by Gibson Custom’s expert acoustic luthiers, the 1955 J-45 Light Aged is a stunning recreation of the 1955 J-45. It features vintage-accurate appointments and features. The round shoulder mahogany body has a thermally aged Sitka spruce top to give it the sweet tone of a long-cherished, well-seasoned vintage guitar. The X-bracing is fitted with hide glue, and the body is adorned with multi-ply top and single-ply back binding. The mahogany neck has a Round profile and is attached to the body with a compound dovetail neck-to-body joint that is also fitted with hide glue. The neck is capped with a rosewood fretboard that is equipped with 20 standard frets and decorated with simple mother-of-pearl dot inlays. Vintage-style Grover® strap tuners with cream buttons are installed on the headstock, and the nut, saddle, and bridge pins are all bone. The 1955 J-45 Light Aged features Light Aging by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab. The Murphy Lab 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. It comes packaged in a 50s-style Lifton™ hardshell case to complete the authentic vintage playing and ownership experience that only Gibson Custom and the Murphy Lab can deliver.

Body Specs

Back Mahogany

Binding Multi-ply Top, Single-ply Back

Body Finish Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Body Material Mahogany

Body Shape J-45

Body Styles Round Shoulder

Bracing Traditional Scalloped X-bracing

Side Mahogany

Top Thermally Aged Sitka Spruce

Neck Specs

Fingerboard Material Rosewood

Fingerboard Radius 304.8mm / 12.0in

Fret Count 20

Frets Standard

Inlays Mother of Pearl Dot

Joint Compound Dovetail Neck to Body Joint

Neck Material Mahogany

Nut Material Bone

Nut Width 43.82mm / 1.73in

Profile Rounded

Scale Length 628.65mm / 24.75in

Hardware Specs

Bridge Traditional Belly-up; Rosewood

Bridge Pins Bone

Pickguard 50s-style J-45; Tortoise

Saddle Material Bone

Strap Buttons Cream Endpin

Truss Rod Adjustable

Tuner Plating Nickel

Tuning Machines Grover Strap with Cream Button

Misc Specs

Case Lifton Hardshell

Model: CSRS4555VSLA

Headstock Inlay Gibson Logo Gold Silkscreen

Strings Gauge  .012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .053