Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1968 Les Paul, Ultra Light Aged, Ebony

Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1968 Les Paul, Ultra Light Aged, Ebony Overview

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 1968 Les Paul Custom has a mahogany body with a 2-piece plain maple top, a great tonewood combination. The neck is made from solid mahogany and has an authentic medium C-shaped profile, topped with a durable solid ebony fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets. There’s also a wired ABR-1 bridge, stop bar tailpiece, and Kluson Waffleback tuners for great tuning stability as well as a vintage look.

For pickups, it has a pair of ‘68 Custom humbuckers, with 2 volume and 2 tone controls and a 3-way Switchcraft pickup selector so you can easily choose from a range of classic Les Paul tones.

The 1968 Les Paul Custom is completed with multi-ply binding, mother of pearl block inlays, gold Murphy Lab light aged hardware, a black pickguard and a classic Ebony finish with nitrocellulose lacquer for historical accuracy.

It comes with .010 - .046 strings, a Custom Shop hardshell case, a certificate of authenticity, a mounted Custom Shop switch plate medallion and a reissue switch backplate in the case.

Overview by Gibson

Beauty…and a Beast!

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 1968 Les Paul™ Custom stood apart from its 1950s predecessors in a few significant ways. Instead of a solid mahogany body, it now had a solid maple top on a mahogany back - adding the clarity and bite that many rock guitarists sought. It also came standard with two humbuckers as opposed to three, providing additional picking clearance. And lastly it had a 14-degree peghead angle for reduced string tension.

This set of features instantly became the new standard for the Les Paul Custom model, which has been produced continuously by Gibson ever since. This 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue was designed to be the final say in historical accuracy, tone and feel. Every detail and spec was meticulously revived by the skilled artisans at Gibson Custom Shop to provide an amazing, life-long vintage ownership experience. 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.