Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1957 Les Paul Junior, Ultra Light Aged, TV Yellow

Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1957 Les Paul Junior, Ultra Light Aged, TV Yellow Overview

The Gibson Les Paul Junior was originally designed as a more affordable ‘student’ alternative to the Les Paul Standard, with the same single-cut body shape but a more stripped-back design and a single P-90 bridge pickup.

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.

The 1957 Les Paul Junior has a solid mahogany body and neck, with the neck having a comfortable Chunky C-shape profile, topped with a smooth Indian rosewood fretboard with 22 Authentic Medium Jumbo frets. It also has a wraparound bridge for accurate intonation and Kluson Strip tuners.

It has a single Custom Dogear P-90 pickup in the bridge position, which provides punchy, fat, musical tones with great balance and dynamics, as well as a big midrange with clean sounds. There are volume and tone control knobs so you can get the tone you’re looking for.

To complete the 1957 Les Paul Junior is nickel Murphy Lab Light Aged hardware, a black pickguard, doy inlays and a classic TV Yellow finish with nitrocellulose lacquer for historical accuracy.

It comes with .010 - .046 strings, a Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch Case, and a Certificate of Authenticity.

Overview by Gibson

Gibson Custom Shop is the pinnacle of craftsmanship, quality, and sound excellence. Each instrument celebrates Gibson’s legacy through accuracy, authenticity and attention to detail.

In guitar lingo, being “ruined” is when you play something so good, there’s no going back to what you once had. No Gibson guitar has evoked this expression more than the Les Paul™ Junior. In the 1950s it was sold as a student/budget model – as simple as a set-neck electric guitar could be. But after a while, the humble Les Paul Junior caught the ear of professional guitarists who appreciated its sonic purity and minimalist components. Gibson Custom Shop has proudly kept the recipe the same for this Historic Reissue. From the solid mahogany and hide glue construction to the vintage-style wiring, the classic Les Paul Junior is back…and ready to “ruin” you. 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.