Gibson has forever engraved its name in the hall of fame of guitar, from jazz to rock, blues and metal. Founded in 1894 by Orville H. Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, the company has revolutionized the guitar world with technical and aesthetic innovations such as the humbuckers or the Flying V, Explorer and Firebird shapes. With ambassadors like Charlie Christian and Slash, or Tommi Iommi and, of course, Lester Polfus, Gibson crosses the ages and musical styles, and stands out as a must-have brand of guitar, both electric and acoustic.

Tom Murphy and his team create each Murphy Lab guitar in the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee using the most sophisticated tools and technology. Each instrument is handcrafted and finished with techniques that produce the most authentic aging impressions, and thus features the character, sound and feel that elevated the original models to iconic status.

It's hard to believe that Gibson could do a better job than the Collector's Choice Edition, and yet this Murphy Lab meets the challenge with flying colors. From the look on Sergio's face when he opened this guitar's case, you'd think Gibson had put a real vintage guitar inside. Well, almost. This Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul '59 Kindred Burst Murphy Lab Ultra Heavy Aged is a superb embodiment of the Les Paul '59 in all its glory. As you lay eyes on it, the flamed maple top pattern hot glued to the mahogany body oozes class, in that elegant yet ragged (Ultra Heavy Aged) way that distinguishes this famous jazz guitar that made rock ’n roll history with its character and swaying lines. Every detail, every nook and cranny has been given special attention. You can see it, you can feel it, and as we found out, you can hear it too.

Once you get your hands on it, the feel of the Authentic '59 Medium C profile and the mahogany neck take you into a devilishly solid and precise machine. Because it's a real axe: it's beautiful, but you'll be able to break it in. Weight-wise, it's relatively light for a Les Paul, and it's comfortable both standing and sitting by adjusting its position. The Gibson scale makes the neck immediately more accessible, while the medium size allows you to feel like you're really holding it. The Ultra Heavy Aged finish provides a silky feel to the touch, and the patina, scratches, and oxidation on each of the parts that make up this instrument are breathtaking.

Visually, it's not easy to tell this guitar from a vintage great-cousin without a lab test… Every element of this Les Paul '59 Kindred Burst Murphy Lab, from the woods to the metal .12" screws, to the varnish solvent, reflects the care and passion that went into its construction. Every inch of the instrument has received thousands of looks and hundreds of strokes with a microfiber cloth, it's obvious. It becomes even more obvious when you plug it in and play it.

The tone is as Les Paul as one could wish for: big, fat, round, creamy. Our copy is clear, and as it often happens, it sounds a bit more articulate than the average of the genre. In practice, it gets less muddy less quickly when you turn up the gain or attack the amp more aggressively with it. The neck pickup sounds like a bell, or a piano, with lots of presence, and lush overtones. The middle position is more docile, slightly drier, but more versatile because you can use the four pots to control it. They behave like the originals, so not optimal in engineering terms, but so delightful tonally: on the palette from 0 to 10, you find all the many nuances and subtleties that make the amps react in a very musical way. The bridge pickup has an obvious strong presence in the midrange, which makes it easy to drive just about any amp, with a slightly eroded dynamic range due to humbucker compression and aging components. The cleans as well as the overdrives pack a lot of punchy, ample and centered sound. Apart from a vintage guitar, there is no competition for this Les Paul in its category. Come and try it without moderation.

2 years warranty from our workshop.