Carrying on Orville Gibson’s historic pursuit of sonic excellence and aesthetic perfection, the Gibson Custom Shop combines traditional instrument-making techniques, innovative methods, and meticulo​​us attention to detail to craft instruments worthy of its banner-era slogan, “Only a Gibson is Good Enough.”

This instrument exclusively features woods hand-picked by CME’s expert guitar-buying team at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, paired with one of our favorite finishes, plus a thoughtful combination of preferred fingerboards, neck profiles, pickups, and hardware, to make this customized Gibson guitar.

Following decades of research for the Gibson Custom, Art, and Historic Division founded in 1993, Gibson Custom Shop established the Murphy Labs Division in 2017 to take Tom Murphy’s proprietary techniques to the next level.

Sporting a scientifically reverse-engineered nitrocellulose lacquer identical what was used on Gibson guitars of the ‘50s and ‘60s, this Custom Shop instrument has been meticulously aged by hand at Murphy Labs—with all the wear-and-tear of a well-played original, including an extra-rolled fingerboard binding for a broken-in feel and true-to-life look.

General:
Brand Name: Gibson
Case Type: Hardshell Case
Hardware Color: Aged Nickel
Made in: Made in the USA
Product Color: Dirty Lemon Fade
Relic or Aging Level: Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
Serial Number: 96961
Series: Gibson Custom Shop Historic
Weight: 7lbs 3oz

Body:
Body Binding: Single-Ply Royalite
Body Finish: Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Material: 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany
Body Notes: Back Color: Full Cherry Aniline Dye
Body Shape: Les Paul
Top Material: CME Hand-Select AAA Maple, Hide Glue Fit

Neck:
Fingerboard Inlay: Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid
Fingerboard Material: Indian Rosewood
Headstock Inlay or Decal: Gibson Logo w/Silkscreen Les Paul Signature
Headstock Veneer: Holly
Neck Binding: Cream .040
Neck Finish: Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Joint: Long Tenon, Hide Glue Fit
Neck Material: Solid Mahogany
Neck Shape: 1959 Carmelita (0.860"/.975")
Neck Tint or Color: Full Cherry Aniline Dye
Number of Frets: 22 Frets
Nut Material: Nylon
Nut Width: 1.69" (42.85mm)
Side Marker Inlay: Tortoise Side Dots
Truss Rod: Authentic 1950s No-Tube

Electronics:
Bridge Pickup: CME Custom "S" Bucker
Controls and Switching: 3-Way Switchcraft; 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Electronics Notes: CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil Capacitors
Neck Pickup: CME Custom "S" Bucker

Hardware:
Bridge: ABR-1
Fret Wire: Historic Medium-Jumbo
Knobs: Gold Butyrate Top Hats
Pickguard: Laminated Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Saddle Material: Nickel-Plated Brass
Switch Cap: Amber Catalin
Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
Truss Rod Cover: Authentic Stepped 2-Ply
Tuning Machines: Kluson Single Line, Single Ring