Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1958 Les Paul Standard, Ultra Light Aged, Bourbon Burst

Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1958 Les Paul Standard, Ultra Light Aged, Bourbon Burst Overview

The Les Paul Standards made by Gibson between 1958 and 1960 are some of the most coveted guitars in the world, also known as ‘Bursts’. This period was considered the peak of electric guitar manufacturing and it’s estimated only around 1700 of these models exist today, making them particularly pricey if you want to get your hands on an original.

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 1958 Les Paul Standard has a lightweight mahogany body and a 2-piece plain maple top, a classic tonewood combination providing great resonance. It has a solid mahogany neck with a comfortable Chunky C-Shape profile and a smooth Indian rosewood fretboard with 22 Historic Gibson Narrow/Tall frets for historical accuracy. The ABR-1 bridge and lightweight aluminium stop bar provide a vintage look and tuning stability.

For pickups, it has a pair of unpotted Custombuckers with Alnico 3 magnets, which deliver a clear, articulate sound without sounding harsh, and smooth, rounded tones - recreating the PAF pickups from the past. It also has a 3-way Switchcraft pickup selector and 2 volume and 2 tone controls, giving you full control over your sound.

The 1958 Les Paul Standard is completed with 1-ply Royalite binding, nickel Murphy Lab Light Aged hardware, and a classic Bourbon Burst finish with nitrocellulose lacquer for extra authenticity.

It comes with .010 - .046 strings, a brown/pink Lifton reissue 5-latch case, a certificate of authenticity, a mounted Custom Shop switchplate medallion and a reissue switch backplate in the case.

Weight - 8.74lbs

Overview by Gibson

The Beginning of the Burst

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.

The 1958 Les Paul™ Standard Reissue features all the painstaking historic construction methods of the famous '59 Reissues with a few historically-accurate spec differences that allow it to stand on its own. Like the 1958 originals, it has narrow frets which help more of the fingerboard wood to be heard in the tone profile. It also has a round, chunky neck profile for a full feel and maximum bending leverage. It has a beautiful plain maple top; each is unique and full of character. It also 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.