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 meticulous 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: Nickel
Made in: Made in the USA
Product Color: Factory Burst
Relic or Aging Level: Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
Serial Number: 94914
Series: Gibson Custom Shop Historic
Weight: 8lbs 14oz

Body:
Body Binding: 1-Ply Royalite
Body Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Material: 1-Piece Light Mahogany
Body Shape: Les Paul
Top Material: 2-Piece Figured Maple

Neck:
Fingerboard Inlay: Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoids
Fingerboard Material: Indian Rosewood
Headstock Inlay or Decal: Mother of Pearl Gibson Logo and Les Paul Model Silkscreen
Neck Binding: Cream
Neck Joint: Set Neck
Neck Material: Mahogany
Neck Shape: Authentic '59 Medium C
Number of Frets: 22 Frets
Nut Material: Nylon
Nut Width: 1.69" (42.85mm)
Truss Rod: Authentic 1950s No-Tube

Electronics:
Bridge Pickup: Gibson Custombucker Alnico III Unpotted
Controls and Switching: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 3-Way Switch
Electronics Notes: CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers and Paper-in-Oil Capacitors
Neck Pickup: Gibson Custombucker Alnico III Unpotted
Pickup Configuration: HH

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