Gibson's New Murphy Lab

tony99

Brize said:

tony99 said:

Brize said:

johnl said:

I can't see anything wrong with any of those? Alright they look a little on the light side in the photos (which can be deceptive) but that doesn't mean much at all. There looks to be quite an attractive pattern / figuring on the SG as well....

Each to their own, but those fretboards and dry and streaky, which is a hallmark of low-grade rosewood. Compare those boards to the rosewood that the Gibson Custom Shop was using just a few years ago and there's no comparison.

When do you think it changed?

It started going downhill in 2012, although there were good boards on 2013 and 2014 guitars. In the last few years the quality of the rosewood has generally been dire.

my GT's a 2012 USA, it does have a noticeably lighter board, it took a bit of lemon oil ok though, but there's quite a bit of difference between it and my mex fender (2015?)

Brize

tony99 said:

Brize said:

tony99 said:

Brize said:

johnl said:

I can't see anything wrong with any of those? Alright they look a little on the light side in the photos (which can be deceptive) but that doesn't mean much at all. There looks to be quite an attractive pattern / figuring on the SG as well....

Each to their own, but those fretboards and dry and streaky, which is a hallmark of low-grade rosewood. Compare those boards to the rosewood that the Gibson Custom Shop was using just a few years ago and there's no comparison.

When do you think it changed?

It started going downhill in 2012, although there were good boards on 2013 and 2014 guitars. In the last few years the quality of the rosewood has generally been dire.

my GT's a 2012 USA, it does have a noticeably lighter board, it took a bit of lemon oil ok though, but there's quite a bit of difference between it and my mex fender (2015?)

I'm not talking about Gibson USA guitars, which are at a lower price point. I'm talking about Gibson using low-grade rosewood on £5k guitars.

tony99

ah don't worry, I'll have a word with Agnessi, I'll tell him to get the baked maple out

designerseye88

First pics are up

https://guitar.com/news/gear-news/gibson-murphy-lab-les-pauls/

RaymondLin

It’s all cosmetic anyway, with no BRZ and not the original nitro due to legal reasons it will never be 100% the same.

lustycourtier

clarkefan said:

Brize said:

johnl said:

I can't see anything wrong with any of those? Alright they look a little on the light side in the photos (which can be deceptive) but that doesn't mean much at all. There looks to be quite an attractive pattern / figuring on the SG as well....

Each to their own, but those fretboards and dry and streaky, which is a hallmark of low-grade rosewood. Compare those boards to the rosewood that the Gibson Custom Shop was using just a few years ago and there's no comparison.

Is that a fact? Colour is an indicator of low-grade rosewood? Genuinely curious, not being a swearword.  

Agreed about prior years, even cheap guitars had darker rosewood boards in the past, like my 80s Squier Strat for example.

But was it dark in the 80s, or just when youd played it for 30 years?

Skipped

I think Tom needs to ditch the razor blade. Maybe he already has.

Historic Makeovers use (cold) temperature to achieve fine checking. They say the checking looks real because it is real.

This poster on MLPF says that Collings use  cold checking. It sure looks that way.

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/gibson-launches-murphy-lab.434359/page-2#post-9357305

I will reserve judgement until we see some more examples from Gibson. But the GT picture posted on this page is not grabbing me at the moment. 

Hattigol

Just had to check whether the OP had posted a thread saying 'Tell me all your petty gripes about Gibson'...

WezV

Skipped said:

I think Tom needs to ditch the razor blade. Maybe he already has.

Historic Makeovers use (cold) temperature to achieve fine checking. They say the checking looks real because it is real.

This poster on MLPF says that Collings use  cold checking. It sure looks that way.

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/gibson-launches-murphy-lab.434359/page-2#post-9357305

I will reserve judgement until we see some more examples from Gibson. But the GT picture posted on this page is not grabbing me at the moment. 

the pattern on this  makes me thing its temperature ageing - which shows it can also look naff when forced

https://www.instagram.com/p/CESW464Hybo/?utm_source=ig_embed

Caffeine_Vampire

Good to know the accountants, doctors and banking executives I used to sink a few pints with at the jam nights are still being looked after by Gibson.  I really miss hearing about the ridiculously overpriced guitars they never took out of the case because they never learned to play.

HandwrittenHero

It’ll be interesting to see how these turn out. Makes a lot of sense Gibson going after some of the money that clearly exists when you look at various Les Paul forums and see the amount people spend on an R9 before putting more in to send it to be recarved, have a new fretboard, new parts, paint job and aging etc.

I’ll be honest, it’s not for me. I’m capable of putting my own dings in, like that the binding bleed is from me (and it tells you I need to ease up on cowboy chords and A minor pentatonic position one) but hopefully for people who do like this they enjoy it.

The fretboards looking dry is just how long they must sit. Both my CS Gibson’s had been at least 12 months since leaving factory before I’d bought. My Les Paul looked better with some lemon oil, might have to do a before/after with SG when first change the strings soon.

roberty

Bonkers but not my money, I'm sure they will be great guitars

ICBM

designerseye88 said:

First pics are up

Dear god. They look like someone took a razor blade to a couple of Vintage Les Pauls. And I do mean Vintage with a capital V.

Caffeine_Vampire

Wow. They look awful.

Philly_Q

Brize said:

tony99 said:

Brize said:

tony99 said:

Brize said:

johnl said:

I can't see anything wrong with any of those? Alright they look a little on the light side in the photos (which can be deceptive) but that doesn't mean much at all. There looks to be quite an attractive pattern / figuring on the SG as well....

Each to their own, but those fretboards and dry and streaky, which is a hallmark of low-grade rosewood. Compare those boards to the rosewood that the Gibson Custom Shop was using just a few years ago and there's no comparison.

When do you think it changed?

It started going downhill in 2012, although there were good boards on 2013 and 2014 guitars. In the last few years the quality of the rosewood has generally been dire.

my GT's a 2012 USA, it does have a noticeably lighter board, it took a bit of lemon oil ok though, but there's quite a bit of difference between it and my mex fender (2015?)

I'm not talking about Gibson USA guitars, which are at a lower price point. I'm talking about Gibson using low-grade rosewood on £5k guitars.

2012 was the year they used "bi-layered" rosewood boards, even on Custom Shop stuff.  In fact possibly on Custom Shop more than Gibson USA, although I may have that wrong.  My CR8's a 2012.

guitars4you

ICBM said:

designerseye88 said:

First pics are up

Dear god. They look like someone took a razor blade to a couple of Vintage Les Pauls. And I do mean Vintage with a capital V.

I don't think the pics/light help on the Gold Top - Certainly does it no favours - It looks more subtle around the fingerboard end of the body, but the light shows it stronger below the tailpiece - Even so it just looks wrong - I have a Murphy 57 Gold Top that is 15 years old or so and looks kosher - I  think if some of our FB colleagues launched a 'replica' with that grade of work,we would not be singing their praises and I've seen some great pics on here by some FB guys 

But if this is a factory promo then surely they should be getting such images right to maximise interest and not stifle it 

BlueStrat

Will Gillette will be selling TM Signature razor blades in time for Christmas?

If you were into relics, @Skipped’s suggestion is a great one - buy a great playing modern guitar and get it aged by an expert in antique restoration, they’d just be going in the other direction and un-restoring it

WezV

WezV said:

Skipped said:

I think Tom needs to ditch the razor blade. Maybe he already has.

Historic Makeovers use (cold) temperature to achieve fine checking. They say the checking looks real because it is real.

This poster on MLPF says that Collings use  cold checking. It sure looks that way.

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/gibson-launches-murphy-lab.434359/page-2#post-9357305

I will reserve judgement until we see some more examples from Gibson. But the GT picture posted on this page is not grabbing me at the moment. 

the pattern on this  makes me thing its temperature ageing - which shows it can also look naff when forced

https://www.instagram.com/p/CESW464Hybo/?utm_source=ig_embed

here is the pic from instagram that i think shows temperature checking


to me it looks terrible... like the crazing you get on a tea cup, not a guitar.   

one of the reasons they used a blade in the first place was to give predictability to the patterns, this pic shows why they would want that.


I have done both, i first got much better results with a blade at first, but am moving towards more temperature checking - mostly though, its a mix of both.  I think both methods can be done well, both can be done badly.

The goldtop pics above look like its just been finished with the knife, a few more steps after may help make it look a lot more realistic

this is the last one i did with a knife AND temperature checking





the problem is Gibson are more likely to stop at this stage, which was just knife work and stain - its far too flat




 

SRich

Latest Gibson Staff photo of Tom Murphy

guitars4you

@WezV ; - That is what I'd expect to see - And when I said earlier about FB colleagues who can carry out such work I know you are part of that - My Murphy 57 is similar to above regarding aged work + the actual gold top colour - Looks like it has wear, dirt and grime in the actual checking as well - That new Gibson 57 above looks far to 'contrived'  -