Any Gibson fans here familiar with the Murphy Lab models? Interested in how they differ from regular and if they're worth the 2 to 4K more in MSRP. Makes me think they're trying what Ren Ferguson tried with the Orpheum models.
Murphy Lab Gibson
- Thread starter Brad Little
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AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Not exactly a Gibson fan (but not a hater) but the Murphy Lab guitars signify some type of high end relicing job. They have supposedly refined the process so that they can make brand new 1950s used guitars. Fake mojo Dept.
So, are the differences only cosmetic? Hard to justify such a price difference IMO.
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Murphy Labs guitars are extremely well done. Are they worth it? Only the buyer can decide, but most of what a Murphy guitar has that will blow you away (and they are amazing) is cosmetic, though some of those cosmetic changes affect the feel of the guitar like a worn neck, etc. The difference between a Murphy and someone else’s “relic” (TM Fender BTW) is that the Murphy guitars are amazing and are often indistinguishable from a real well played Les Paul.
Murphy guitars are some of the best looking Les Pauls out there and the prices reflect that. Worth it? Maybe if you consider the prices of new Historic Les Pauls to be worth it and want one with better bragging rights.
I maintain that people who complain about relics and Murphy LPs have likely never played one. They feel and usually play amazing and if people didn’t want them they wouldn’t sell at the prices they command. The fact that an actually worn guitar sometimes sells less than an artificially worn guitar if the same model is admittedly quite funny, but having played a few Murphy Labs LPs, I love to own one. I’m just not paying that much for a guitar.
Murphy guitars are some of the best looking Les Pauls out there and the prices reflect that. Worth it? Maybe if you consider the prices of new Historic Les Pauls to be worth it and want one with better bragging rights.
I maintain that people who complain about relics and Murphy LPs have likely never played one. They feel and usually play amazing and if people didn’t want them they wouldn’t sell at the prices they command. The fact that an actually worn guitar sometimes sells less than an artificially worn guitar if the same model is admittedly quite funny, but having played a few Murphy Labs LPs, I love to own one. I’m just not paying that much for a guitar.
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Funny, I had no idea they were doing acoustics. LOL
Weirdly I can't see wanting a worn-in looking or feeling acoustic.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Me neither! I also know them mainly from Les Pauls.
"Luthiers at our Gibson Acoustic craftory in Bozeman, Montana, applied Murphy Lab Light Aging to five classic acoustic models. With thermally aged tonewood tops and lightly aged hardware, these beautifully simulate decades of light play wear, giving them the unique character, vibe, and feel of vintage originals."
Ralf
This blows my mind...:
Checked Finish
We reverse-engineered the original formula of nitrocellulose lacquer used in the 1950s and 1960s. With Tom Murphy’s proprietary aging techniques, this brittle lacquer checks beneath the surface for a vintage look and feel.
HeyMikey
Enlightened Member
You can do that with a can of compressed air and a hairdryer.This blows my mind...:
Checked Finish
We reverse-engineered the original formula of nitrocellulose lacquer used in the 1950s and 1960s. With Tom Murphy’s proprietary aging techniques, this brittle lacquer checks beneath the surface for a vintage look and feel.
Or, as a friend once did, take your guitar out of a freezing car, plop it on top of a radiator, open the case, and watch the fun! Instant finish checking.
Nuuska
Enlightened Member
When working at James Berns Music Store - Bloomington MN - one COLD day a customer walked in w guitar case. He wanted to sell the Les Paul that was in there. He put it on the floor and opened the case. In less than a minute - CRACK - the laquer cracked - and the poor guy instantly lost few hundred bucks - it turned out he had it in his car for three days before coming to us . . . .
Simple - put it in freezer for few days - pull it out in room temperature - voila' - checked finish - more money . . . .
Simple - put it in freezer for few days - pull it out in room temperature - voila' - checked finish - more money . . . .
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Never understood the whole relicing thing.
8 pages of ranting about relics here:
Relic rant
Hi all I’m sure I’ll get in the weeds on this one, but what’s the deal with the relic fad? I personally love guitars like we all do here, and I love as my telecaster ages it gets things and beat up. But, I put those marks there from real use. Why pay ridiculous prices for a “fake” or relic...
letstalkguild.com
I'm proud that all of the relicing on my body was achieved through honest aging...
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Yep, I've got a fair amount of honest finish checking and rust on the body I walk around in.
Neal
Senior Member
You can find a real-deal late ‘40’s or early ‘50’s J-45 or J-50 for the same money.
Walter Broes
Enlightened Member
If Gibson's "relicing" was really..ahem..authentic, the acoustic guitars would have loose bracing, warped tops and wonky bridge plates.
Charlie Bernstein
Senior Member
Hmpf. Pay someone else to damage my guitars? I do enough damage for free once I get 'em home!
So it's hard to justify any price difference. When I buy a damaged (a.k.a. used) guitar, I expect it to cost less than a new one. Otherwise, what's the point of buying used?
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People pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for 1959 Les Pauls in damn near *any* condition. A Murphy Lab gets you a similar experience for orders of magnitude less money. And there is clearly a demand for them.
It's not my thing, but I've got an ES that had "VOS" treatment (pre-Murphy lab, and it had some gunk on the metal parts that made them look older. Fairly unnatural, but once it got some regular play patterns on, wearing off some of said gunk, it looked a little more natural. I guess I could have polished it off, and made it look new. It wasn't why I bought it, it just sort of came with it. I got it because it was a great player, and they nailed the right cherry color on the finish. It took a little more work to dial in the sound to where it should have been.
The Murphy business is a little more serious/involved
The Murphy business is a little more serious/involved
It's fascinating to me how few of us LTGers actually are interested (personally) in this relic process. I have to admit that I think old instruments that have "honest" play wear are wonderful to behold. I imagine that's because I was raised with classical instruments where "old wood" is where it's at.
Anyway, I think the stuff they're doing to these Murphy Lab instruments is technically fascinating, even if I wouldn't want one for myself.
Anyway, I think the stuff they're doing to these Murphy Lab instruments is technically fascinating, even if I wouldn't want one for myself.