I own a Murphy lab Les Paul. Every time I play it, it brings a smile to my face. It is like magic, I just can’t explain it. Had many other boutiques, which looks better and probably playing better but prefer the Gibson sound. Can’t explain it.
My murphy lab r6 - 1956 gold top, rules. I put up a vid showing it live since there arent many of that model. Hands down my number one gigging guitar since I got it a year ago
I think:.... If the thinner finish and thinner binding feel better in your hands, you will play better. The smaller frets stretch the strings less when you fret a note unless you have a real light touch. This helps your chords stay in tune. If you are playing a pedal and not the guitar, then any axe will do. If you play cleaner tones with less distortion, you can really feel a well-crafted musical instrument. It also takes years of playing to really hear and feel the difference. I have an R9 and it's supposed to sound better than a standard, but my skills are lacking. I love it.
I think even when amplified, the extra resonance from the thinner, more rigid finish results in more overtones, longer sustain, which the amplification picks up.
I would agree. Original PAF pickups as well as P90 pickups from the 1950s were unpotted. The unpotted pickups are slightly (and sometimes very) microphonic and will pickup harmonics and major vibrations of the guitar when played. All of my Les Paul guitars currently have unpotted pickups, even the R4 I have. I'm currently playing through a Marshall 1987x and a Fender Twin Reverb, feedback only becomes an issue when I stack overdrive pedals, and even then only when I'm right up/near the amplifier. I would encourage anyone searching for a vintage tone to try a good quality set of unpotted pickups. Also, I built an early Fender Broadcaster clone, the pickups I'm using are a faithful reproduction of the originals that are lacquer potted, IMHO this really makes for a very dynamic and articulate pickup for a Telecaster style guitar.
To me there is magic in the R8, and I own one in the non-Murphy Lab. I don't have anything against the ML's but I'm not going to spend the extra money to look old. I can do that in time. The R9 and R0 I do like just not as much as the R8. The R8 with the tall narrow frets and baseball bat neck does the trick for me. It's like having a guitar made for me, from scratch, it's a great feeling and a fantastic guitar to play.
This is my guitar and I’d agree, hence why I went with the ultra light aged (the only aging is checking), BUT the lacquer formula etc isn’t the same from what I was told at the Gibson factory, and the woods they use aren’t either… that being said, a great guitar is a great guitar regardless of cost!
The r8 was my choice as well. Love the frets and neck. Gibson has purposely over priced the r9 and r0 models due to demand. The r8 is the exact same instrument save for the neck and frets.
@@MrMattsac232 I thought the same but apparently it’s not to do with demand, it’s due to figuring - the R9 and R0 have flame tops whereas in general the R8’s are supposed to be plain?
When your guitar is louder and more resonant acoustically I believe it makes it sing better, with less gain needed and hence more clarity. I also believe lower output pickups sound clearer as well.
I just test drove a 2015 True Historic Gibson Les Paul that was aged by Tom Murphy at my local vintage guitar shop. I have had them all folks and I have tried PRS's and everything in between. If you have not picked up a Murphy Les Paul you haven't lived!!! This thing was like holding the holy grail before I even plugged it in! Unbelievable! I don't know how I'm going to do it but I will make this thing mine! All I need is 15K ! And yes they are worth every cent!!
The Murphy aged guitars don't sound any different from standard custom shop guitars. It's purely cosmetic. And there are regular R9s that will play and sound better. The Murphy gimmick doesn't make them play or sound better. Instead of a Murphy lab buy a regular R9 and use the rest of the money to buy a set of real vintage PAfs or ealry patent number pickups and you will have a guitar that sounds way more like the real thing than any Murphy lab with modern Gibson PAF types
@@adamwatson6916 Anyone who has actually played one of the Murphy Lab guitars knows it is not just "cosmetic." Most of the process to achieve the "look" is more so about achieving the "feel" of a vintage guitar. If you have played them both you'd know.
Did Gibson turn out beat up scared up 1959 Les Paul's in 1959...? NO SIR...!!! And Gibson just announced a week or so back that they gave the Murphy Lab a large amount of Brazilian Rosewood for 1959 Murphy Lab 1959 Reissue Les Paul's...list price will be $19,995.00 ...anyone care to Jump on any of these...? 😅😅😅...I am 69 years of age...and played Les Paul Standards in the late sixties and forward...here's what many have no clue about...! You could buy a Cherry Burst Les Paul Standard then for about $350.00 , what is important is there was NO CUSTOM SHOP then and the BUILD QUALITY then was close to the CUSTOM SHOP QUALITY of TODAY...! And I own a Beautiful CUSTOM SHOP Les Paul 1960 Reissue with a Brazilian Rosewood Fretboard...Beautiful...! It is one of 5 CUSTOM SHOP Gibson's I own...a Vintage Les Paul Custom...too many people falling for the Marketing...!!! And of course...to each his own...now quick...run down there and grab your $20,000.00 Les Paul...😅
@@WilliamBCarr Not sure exactly what your point is? They don't build anything like they used to, so in order to get that build quality today, you need a "special" department that is over and above what todays economy allows for products. Hence the Murphy Lab custom shop for example. And inflation is what it is. This is simply the cost in todays market to get that quality and attention to detail that was offered back then. And the "aged" guitars are again there to give the "feel" of what an original from back then would play like today, because inflation or not...no one can afford a half million dollar 59 original in this day and age!
Hey... you are certainly entitled to your view...but WHO can afford the ABSURD price of a Murphy Lab...? NOT MANY...! Besides... your claim that Murphy Lab's sounds like an Original 1959...? Some just claim that to justify their desire for one of these...! Sure...the materials used have some impact on the tone... but the majority of tone originates from the person playing the instrument...! It's in the hands ...! An EXCEPTIONAL Player can make a CHEAP Guitar sound... BEAUTIFUL...and a Player with NO TALENT AND OR SKILLS can make an EXCEPTIONAL INSTRUMENT sound like GARBAGE...! I am from New Orleans and have many PROFESSIONAL Guitarists... Session Players...who agree... about these ridiculous priced instruments...they would never buy them and not many would gig with something like that. Why is it a SUPERB Guitarists like JACK PEARSON... makes those CHEAP SQUIRES he plays sound SO GOOD...??? But Hey...if you don't get the point... you probably never will... just rush down and spend your $20,000.00 ...? To each his own...! And Gibson is not the only Company doing it...most of the Guitar Brands are on the same page...! I personally have a friend that owned a Pro Audio Shop, and he sold Gibson and Fender...bought a NICE Fender Voo Doo Stratocaster from him... American made ...in 2002...MSRP was around $1700.00...my price at the time of purchase was ...$965.00 ... but perhaps YOU HAVE UNLIMITED WEALTH...and money is no problem with you...? Great...! Have you ever heard the expression..." A FOOL and his MONEY soon PART WAYS...?" The Guitar Players I know like...CLEAN ...GLOSS FINISH Guitars... hmmm 🤔... maybe you are one of those ROAD WARRIORS...? Anytime I see someone playing a Guitar that looks AGED OR RELIC Finished...it says ONE THING...That person did not RESPECT NOR TAKE CARE of the instrument...!!! But ...I DIGRESS...
Great overview, nice playing! The Murphy Lab looks and sounds lovely. 'Extra Light Aged' seems ok but I have checked out a few of the more heavily aged ones at local stockist and I find them a bit silly - maybe 'contrived' is a better word. I have a 1968 LP Custom that I bought in the early 70's and despite 10 years of live playing it doesn't look half as knocked about as some of the ML stuff. Whatever, each to his own! Enjoyed your vid of you comparing the Seymour Duncans w Monty's Underspuns as I am planning on ordering a pair of the Monty's.
The "Extra Light Aged" as this one is to me seems about as relic as I'd go - it's still a TON of checking etc - anything more and like you I'd think it was maybe a bit over the top?
Beautiful guitar! The R4, R6, R7 and R8 now have the narrow/tall frets. Theyre narrower, but quite a bit taller than the medium jumbo. Love them myself!
That is also my understanding, 1959 (R9) was the first year Gibson used the medium (larger) more modern fret wire. I've an R4 Goldtop that I ordered with the medium jumbo frets, the neck is still the massive +1.00" neck profile.
An aluminium tailpiece with steel studs will give your standard a bit more zing/air. I ended up with a Maybach Lester which I love. Not strictly vintage spec but all of the important things are spot on. It's nicer than the R8 I sold
You might find a flame top on an actual 58. In fact some flame maple has been found on the earlier gold tops when the owner had a burst conversion done (swapping pickups, bridge etc etc to be more like a later 50s model)
I acquired an R7 Custom from 2003 a little over a year ago. I know it's not a standard, but I must have played 9 or 10 Les Paul customs that day, ranging from '72-2022 USA range. My custom shop just has a presence and sparkle that no other had...whatever they do, it certainly adds something.
Aniline (pronounced Anileen) dates back to 1907 and has been used to dye many commercial items in that time but fell out of favour due to the fact it's not sun-proof or very waterproof - ironically that's what we all love about it on 59 Les Pauls and so why it's now being used in the Murphy lab in the hope that your down payment for your new house you blew on a bit of wood plastic and basic electronics will age well and be an investment sometime in the future you could realise or just love the fact you got your own 59 which in 2060 will look as cools as those older versions do today.
Aniline has been used in custom shop pre Murphy Lab as well. Easiest way to tell is if it bleeds into the binding from your hands warming bits of the neck
Never played a Murphy Lab, but I imagine that your experience was not too far off from mine when I had an R7 in the mid-00s. Compared to my LP Classics at the time, it was so much more elegant, and silky. As much as I loved it, it was way too refined for my taste. Beautiful guitar, but more of a status symbol to show off the dudes on the Les Paul Forum at the time.
Got A les Paul this winter, had A black custom 71 in the 80s three pickups was heavy ! The one I got this winter is A select from WildWood music so put A Bone nut on and rolled the edge of neck one last thing Titanium saddles locking Bridge ! as close as I will get to Murphy Lab in this life time
One difference between the Murphy and a 1959 gibson are the materials in the pickup. Gibson now uses polyplastic. Then they used butyrate. That's a material who warps more easily when winding pickups. Won't make a lot of difference in tone but they är not that history accurate.
Hi J - re the width of the binding I’ve checked a custom shop les paul and 335 both ‘21 models and compared it to a 19 sg standard. The cs guitars both have very thin binding and the sg is at least twice as thick. So I presume that the Murphy guitars aren’t unique in that respect.
The tone sounds quite nice. But my first question always is: what is your signal path? And what model of a Gibson ML are you playing? Otherwise, I find it very hard to get engaged to that kind of reviews ...
I have a R7 custom 2 pickup and I love it. I picked it over a’68 custom reissue because it has a warmer tone and I’m a jazzer. The original customs did not have the maple cap, the body was all mahogany. It has a very chunky neck, and only weighs 9lbs 8oz. Was it worth the price? I bought it to use it, so absolutely it was worth it. It’s a solid player that along with my ‘91 es-775 will out live me. The important thing is to buy the best you can in your price range and play the hell out of it.
What a wonderful guitar this ML Les Paul is. It sound absolutely great, but so does your Standard. I agree with you when you describe the sound of both guitars. I have taken the time to read most of the comments on this video. It's so interesting to read all the different aspects and points of view. And they prove the fact that looks and sound of a guitar and the way it feels to you are a very personal and subjective thing. Anyway, your playing is absolutely stunning
I have 2 Murphy Labs - a Gold Top Les Paul and a Cherry 335. It's one of those things where you have to have one for a while to see a difference. The wood Gibson uses is a higher grade on the Murphy Labs than a regular Custom Shop. The Murphy Labs are much lighter. When I go back to a regular Standard Les Paul it feels like a ton of bricks.
You got that Right. Today I got to pick up a Guys 60's standard style fairly new, it was a TON of BRICKS, Had to be 10 maybe even 11 pounds. Only prob. with a Murphy Lab so pricey you would not want to GIG it. It seems today one is better off loving and caressing an Epiphone model and doing pickups to bring it to a Gibson level. If you like Burstbuckers they already got those. I personally from what I have heard like the CUSTOM buckers, and or a boutique builders pickups, lollar some seymour duncans, Throwbacks and those guys, at least at a show/gig you don;t have to worry about a treasured high price guitar disappearing. Does anyone steal Epiphones?
@@ksharpe10 I had a couple of regular Les Paul Standards for a long time and never had a problem with them. It wasn’t an issue with me till I got the Murphy Labs that I felt the regular Les Pauls were not that good. I never owned an Epiphone so I can’t comment on their quality. The guitars that I think are really good for the money are Electromatic Gretschs. Pay the extra money and get one plecked and setup properly and it is amazing. I have a $5,000 Silver Falcon Gretsch and I can’t see the difference between that and a Chinese Electromatic.
@@rdanalytics9197 I have one of the 900.00 Electromatics bought new last year. Beautiful guitar for the money. I used to own an 1968 gretsch Blackhawk, they came stock with Super filteron pickups, best part of the Guitar. The build quality and the way they built them back then cannot touch these Electromatics, glad they do not replicate that old style neck Join, they prob. do on those higher price models. IF and ONLY if I wanted to upgrade the new one, I would get TV JONES replica of a SUPER filteron, but Honestly the Broadtrons that are in it are Fine. Funny you mentioned Gretsch, that was my 1st GOOD guitar. CNC levels the playing Field today in the mid range guitars. And it even has a scarf joint neck, it is STRONGER than a one piece. And the Newer guitars have one thing Gibson has not adopted, the 2 way adjustable Truss Rod, which Epiphones come with, they are an UPGRADE, but don't tell em they will charge more money for them. LOL.
Oh I do my own setups, ironically from sweet water the intonation was not quite in, about an hours worth of tweaking using tuner and MORE my Ears with harmonics, and I got it to the SWEET sounding spots, thru most of the neck, listening for the BELL tone/ring is the secret sauce so to speak. I once did a friends Strat, bacause in the audience I could tell his intonation was out, he let me take it home I returned next week with it, and told him now it will be Nice. He never complained. LOL.
Thanks for your comparison video. Your 2002 USA - beautiful, btw - sounded surprisingly close to the ML '58 imo but the '58 was a little brighter, just a bit clearer. Hope you're able to get yourself one of the GCS TM Lab '58's but if not you've already got a great LP. Cheers.
Would be cool if you dialed back the volume and we could hear some really clean tones. Les Paul clean tones are criminally underrated and underused. I always measure a Les Paul by that, not the dirty or distorted tones. Nice overview.
Monty's done an excellent job on the pickups. I can hardly hear a difference between the two guitars. It's mosly weight, neck carve, aesthetics and probably playability. But is it worth 3 or 4 x the price tag... ? I wonder. Cheers
You know what else? Higher action to let your guitar ring free without buzzes is my setup. Every electric guitar I play in a store from Gibson is setup way too low and buzzy. This robs sustain, tone and clarity.
Hey John. Have you ever played a Heritage H-150? I’d love to see you do a review of one and compare it to a Gibson. I know others have done the comparison, but I think you would offer a pretty honest and practical review of their similarities and differences, as well as whether you thought it was worth it to spend the extra $$$ on a Gibson (or not). Thanks, man! P.S. Sick shreddy licks on the opening jam in this video.
Totally worth it. Have a CS 59 and now have a 58 ML heavy aged but it’s wildwood spec’d. So much better playing experience. It has that worn in feel. Neck is so smooth and tonally it far surpasses my 59. Selling my 59. This is the last LP I’m buying (so I tell the wife, last one) but this time it’s true🤣 I prefer the thinner taller frets and a bit more girth in the neck on the 58. It’s a lovely thing. I used to be against the whole aging thing but now I understand 😀 Weighs 7.9 lbs and I don’t have to worry if it gets a ding or two. The wildwood spec under winds the pups so lower output.
They are most certainly worth the extra cost (IMHO). Many people who scoff at the price may not understand what its like to own the same guitar for 30 or 40 years. I've found that every little bit of extra care taken during the build makes a difference after decades of use. That has been my experience.
I think it's interesting isn't it - what is this - sort of the price of 3 Les Paul Standards that you might end up buying/selling thinking there was something better - if you bought one of these and fell in love straight away....Maybe it's not as expensive as staying on the GAS rollercoaster?
@@johnnathancordy I'm sure it could go either way. Much depends on the individual. In 1976 I was 14 years old and had saved up for a new guitar amplifier. I ended up purchasing a brand new Fender Twin Reverb for $400 (a crazy large amount of money for a 14 year old). I'd worked multiple Summer Jobs to save up for it, however the high cost was not lost to me and I didn't take the purchase lightly. My guitar instructor explained to me, that as a young man I would get many years of use out of the amplifier which would offset its initial high cost. He was correct, I still own and regularly use that very same Fender Twin Reverb! I most certainly got my money's worth, and a great gift to leave for our Son to have and use. Play the long-game and your future-self will thank your past-self every time.
I agree with you pretty well 100%. I don't have a budget for a murphy lab - would love to have one. I also got to play a real 1960 transition LP Standard (had a flamed 59 body but the 1960 neck/headstock) before a customer of mine sold it (like you said, it was the cost of a house). I have a well-worn 96 standard with a plus top. It was played a lot, and the guy I got it from was from the Salt Lake City area, a very dry climate. It already had the full treatment - it had a duncan antiquity and seth lover - one was slightly dewound. it has a faber abr style bridge/conversion and a light weight aluminum tailpiece (don't recall if it is faber brand, probably). It has the original gibson pots but paper in oil caps and 50s style wiring. The finish is quite checked - I assume the desert environment might have affected that. It is a GREAT guitar. Everyone that plays this thing loves it. So when I bought a cheaper LP 50s tribute goldtop - I did most of the same treatments. I didn't age it, although it has a thin finish that I polished. I did the ABR conversion posts from philadelphia lutherie and Kluson ABR and lightweight tailpiece. I rewired it to 50s wiring, and put in CTS pots and paper in oil caps (mojo if recall). I put sheptone blue sky humbuckers in it. The feel is a bit different because neck shape and different finish, but it is very lively as you discussed, and I think everyone would notice playing it next to a stock one the difference in acoustic volume and a bit of upper mid zing it did not have previously. I wound up doing the same with several guitars since, a Gibson SG Standard, and I have a some copies - upgraded pickups, abr bridge conversion, lightweight tail pieces, and 50s wiring. I am only giving brands to explain what I tried, not promoting anything, just people that want to try this might want to know where to get the stuff. I even did the abr bridge conversion to two korean-made dean guitars I have, and really like it. I am a believer. I also have done it for customers as well - very happy with it. The nashville bridge is nice for intonation and adjustability, but it sounds differently than the ABRs I am using - less lively, maybe more boomy bottom end, less acoustically lively. I wonder if they make a lightweight version of a nashville if it would make a big difference (maybe materials more than design?). I don't know. But you have the formula with your Les Paul. It gets you close. I think it is an improvement.
Great video and demo! To me, the Monty’s pickups actually sound a little clearer and the notes more defined. The Murphy Lab sounds better overall though and that is completely down to the resonance of the guitar and its playability. The pickups can only pick up what’s there after all. Keep up the great content!
Ideally you want your strings to sustain as long as possible if the guitar body vibrates that only means the energy from the strings is being attenuated and transferred to the strings which reduces vibration period …….. result is less sustain.
Recently, I got the fateful dream guitar. R9 Golden Poppy Burst Heavy Aged. This is the same name as my late daughter doggo Poppy. She knows I'm still mourning her death, she appeared in front of me in the form of this R9. Of course beyond words, amazing dream guitar.
The Beatles, famously, stripped the finish from their 335 Casinos, specifically because they were told the heavy coatings "dulled" or absorbed some of the resonance. That logic seems right. Nitro finish, used to high end guitars today, is supposed to be much lighter than the poly based finishes and thus allows more resonance. My sense is you can actually feel that on the guitar. However, how much of that extra resonance gets into the picups is a matter of contention. After all, the very idea behind "Humbuckers" was to limit buzz and feedback with wax potting etc, in order to cut out 'local' extraneous noise, to stop the pickups being microphonic? Apart from the "aging" Murphy does, I think you are paying for the extra work they put into the set up, which is what I would expect a premium manufacturer to have done in the first place. All that said, it is impossible to spot the difference, especially in a mix or once you ad any kind of gain.
Putting a side all other things, the at least newer Murphy Labs come with Gibson's best pickup I have heard in years, the CustomBucker, something about the Alnico 3, just resonates well with my Ears. They now sell those pickups but they are over 500 for a set, in that case I would go with one of the Boutique builders perhaps. The Lazarus you have seems Quite CLose and at least for right now, you can Gig it and not be so concerned that someone might try to run off with it.
I definitely preferred the Murphy tone, even just listening on my iPad…. I need to find out what pickups are I. It. Are they chosen by the buyer or standard across all the Murphy’s? Do you know which these are? Maybe I’ll get some for my Wildwood Spec Les Paul Standard. Love the Murphy relic treatment and color. I didn’t like the way the Murphy Lab necks felt in a few brief ‘store rack fondles,’ though.
@@johnnathancordy Yes, that’s what I’m seeing, as well. Just found a comparison of them vs Custom 57s, and there is about the same difference I have between my Wildwood Select underwound pickups vs my Custom 57s, so maybe I won’t be so quick to try to get Custombuckers. Thanks, John. When I win the lottery I’ll hook you up with a Murphy….
I just got a teriffic deal on a MURPHY Les Paul R7 (so a 1957 black beauty). The guitar was SUPPOSED to be ultra-light aged but appeared more "heavily aged". (Sorry, my spelling stinks!) Naturally, the sales photos did not show the extensive finish-checking. Nor did the website indicate its substantial weight of 9.6 pounds. So the guitar crushes my leg beneath, but the guitar does sound rather good to my ears. It makes me wonder if Murphy Labs pulls their guitars from better*, more resonant woods and possibly put better PUs in there. (*Note, this is just conjecture, just an idea I throw around. It has no foundation so please don't quote this or spread about a rumor that is untrue!) So I love this guitar, except perhaps the weight. If it were under 9 pounds, there'd be no issue for me. Then there is that extensive finish-checking that ML put on this black beauty. I don't believe finish-checking pairs at all well with black paint. So, this may sound unbelievable, but I am seriously considering mailing this guitar to Kentucky and having it entirely re-surfaced so the guitar looks mint and new again. A $2,500 cost. With that additional cost, I may as well have bought the VOS R7 with no input from ML (Murphy Lab). Weighing it out, the cost comes to about the same. What is your opinion? (1) Keep the ML R7 and leave the Murphy Aging be? Or (2) keep the ML R7 and spend the extra $2,500 to make it look nice again? OR (3) send the ML R7 back for a refund and use that money towards the purchase of an R7 VOS? Thanks for reading and thank you for your input!
Hey John, I have a 2014 r9 lemonburst. The best les paul I've ever owned. This makes it my 4th,very resonant, brighter,long tenon,stays in tune, and a beautiful flame top.For me, the custom shops or Murphy's are the real deal.Also you really make them gibson's sing.
I think it's just the tone of the Murphy is sharper and brighter and so more direct or dynamic. The finish may be part of that because the standard sounded smoother but muddier by comparison.??
Thought I'd copy this across from your previous video on the ML '58 LP as the comments are talking about cost... Having an expensive instrument is like having expensive HiFi. You can get plenty of good instruments and sound systems for under 1k. Plenty of fantastic ones under 2k. So why spend more?... because of a personal connection with how something feels and makes you feel. If you have that special feeling and can afford it then I say it’s worth it to you. If you go looking then you’ll find those special expensive instruments, but you’ll also try many along that journey that cost a fortune and don’t give you that extra special experience. It’s also worth noting that as relic guitars have become the norm with the majority of todays manufacturers, there are going to be some great bargains on the 2nd hand market bring down the cost of such instruments to lower price brackets. There really is something for everyone these days and no shortage of real gems at every price level. If you do trade up, just enjoy it and let your creativity feed off it.
As the guitars finish up from the custom shop, the Murphy labs guy select them (by random I think) to do their aging process. So they start their life as normal custom shop guitars There are video's tours of the custom shop that talk about this
I think Jake who chatted to Tom Murphy at the custom shop was told they're actually painted/finished in the Murphy Lab too - different paint formulas than the custom shop (not sure it matters, mind you)
I admire the artistic talent it takes to relic / age a guitar right... and if I'm Kirk Hemmet and I want to play my 2M '59 Les Paul, sure I want one made just like it so I can tour with it... but when I spend $10K on a guitar (And I've done that several times)... I want my Gibson Les Paul to be cherry... with a 5A 1 piece top (maybe 2 piece if it's a '59).. and so on.. I want to age it myself over the decades. Most recently I got a '59 Reissue with a 2 pc 5A top, and the '59 Series I Alnico 4 pickups installed in it, total price $9999 ... for me, a better "investment"
The custom shop make a great guitar. Though, I’ve had my US standard for 10 years and I still wouldn’t trade it for a reissue. I could care less about the old looking paint, the neck tenon, and the ABR-1 posts. It might be 10lbs, but it’s hard to beat the sounds it makes.
Genuinely thought your standard had the edge on the Murphy.. Had a feeling the pickups might be an upgrade so maybe that's it. The Murphy sounded great and is stunning but your standard sounded noticeably better to my ears at least. Great vid and sweet playing too 🤘
Most of it is just some Les Pauls sound better than others. I have 4 Les Pauls. 2 sound better than the other two. One is a Custom the other is a Standard. Those sound special. The other two another standard and a modern sound good too they just aren’t as special. It’s not based on weight.
Beautiful guitar…re. fret size, my favorite is fender medium jumbo, however my old Wolfgang has tiny SS frets and I freakin love that neck…never been a fan of huge train track frets👍
Hey John, nice video. The whole is it worth it question depends on where you are standing, I think. It depends on how you see the world even. Some people will think it absolutely absurd to spend that much money on a guitar when there is ______ fill in the blank in the world. Others will see it as something to aspire to "Yea, it's expensive, but one day I'll save up my pennies and buy one." But I do always like this question. I often ask myself: "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" Thanks.
Why do people want an accurate reproduction of old technology? I don’t see people longing for a new accurate reproduction of a Model T ford or a refrigerator from the 1950s when technology and quality controls have improved so much since then.
Yeah it is kinda silly how Gibson has brainwashed people to shell out soooo much money for this stuff. I did tons of shopping for Les Pauls and chose the Classic over the Standard and other expensive models because it has such great... GASP..push pull options. I can do so much more with it than anyone can do with a standard and it still sounds like a standard too. But again...brainwashing is a hell of a thing lol.
Don't take it bad, but my impression from the first seconds of your video is that digital gear make them sound perfectly the same. I didn't know you were using ditigal tools cause I didn't know your channel. But since the first notes I could hear that you were not using analog stuff. That kind of ML guitars needs real amps. Just my humble opinion.
Who cares if they are worth the hype. The real question is are they worth the money ? And what/who are they for? I have played these and they are good yes. But they are at least 3 x price if an LP standard. Even 2nd hand. If you have this much money to blow on a guitar and play in your room then they are great. If you are a working player don’t go near them. There is no way an audience or even you will discern the microscopic differences in sound this guitar makes in a live band situation. Put it through some drive pedals and an amp and you can’t tell the difference in sound. And do you really want a $10k guitar sitting on a stand on a bar stage? No. Hence these rarely leave the house.
Yeah, I will never understand why people do not base their reviews on the clean tones mostly otherwise what we are hearing is some distortion pedal mainly. Really not a good indicator of the guitars sound. Huge pet peeve of mine. Many times it is because players hide behind distortion which is more forgiving than clean playing. I dont think that is the case with John though, he seems top notch.
No there isn’t anyway to justify the cost objectively as an instrument. custom shop normal models are of the same quality build wise. Do you want a relic’d instrument is really the question. IF the question was gibson USA vs Gibson custom shop then the argument is more intriguing. Edited to say: you sound killer here. Might be the best I’ve heard you sound.
A new Les Paul Standard in 1959 cost $310 with a case. In today's money that is about $3340. A new Gibson Les Paul standard with a historic Lifton-style case is $3148. So if you are buying a production model Les Paul, you are getting the same value for your dollar. So you have ask yourself: Are production Gibson lesser quality than what they were making in the 1950's? Does tripling your investment get you a guitar that is "as good" as a production Gibson from the 50's? I'm gonna honestly say that this is a psychological question, not a tangible one. When you spend lots of money on something, you're going to convince yourself you made a good investment, no matter what the objective reality is.
No, I don't think so. I am a Gibson collector and own a bunch of CS guitars. You know, I had to sell some of the nicest and more expensive ones, cause I didn't like them tonally as well as the other LPs I own. I am convinced I made a good investment only when I play them and I like them, otherwise I am very dissatisfied and frustrated. I keep only the ones I like tonally speaking (now 12 CS LPs), even if they aren't the nicest or the more expensive. Let me also tell you that your first sentence about the price of the LP back in 1959 and the price today is completely wrong, sorry.
I think it’s a scam that we have to pay crazy money for a better guitar Murphy Lab, Master built, Custom Shop, R8, R9, Historic. Etc Does it not mean that Fender and Gibson are saying our basic range is not as good. What are we buying then?
I think the idea is that they have set up these sort of boutiques within the factories to do "better" work....Tbh there are probably many fine Les Pauls across the whole price range, but for the narrow tall frets etc they seem to be only doing that on the high end stuff... Mind you - even a Standard at £2200 I think is pretty expensive and so one should hope it'd be a very good guitar?
Just doesn't seem like the extra $4k on top of an already TOO expensive instrument that gives you nothing other than a name and a special piece of paper. Gibson has lost their minds.
@@johnnathancordy I got a good china 59 put stewmack parson street pickups, classic taper cts pots, grover tuner's,, it does all the classic Gibson sounds really well. 😁
@@johnnathancordy Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard Outfit Aged Dark Cherry Burst let's hear this guitar at 700.$ vs the custom, and talk about the playing feel also. show all the sounds and volume roll off sounds of both guitars. 🤔
Gibson Les Paul Standard or Classic basic Gibson tones that can be tweaked with different pickups and wiring set ups. My opinion Murphy Labs are beautiful but another way Gibson is offering more to separate you from your money. Serious case of GAS my opinion , unnecessary.
Based on what I'm hearing over the Internet, and not what you're hearing in your room, the Murphy Lab sounded too bassy, and indistinct to me. I liked the way your Standard with the "original pickups" sounded. The Monty's made it too bright in my opinion. I prefer the way your Standard looks. But, your experience with the tone, playability, look, and price of any guitar is what really matters. The nibs on the fret-binding is just one more thing that I consider a potential design flaw and irritation. Please do a Tone Match comparison between the Murphy and your Standard so we can see what the differences are, and if EQ could remove the differences. 🤷♀
I wonder how many pedals he used. Custom Buckers are the worst they've ever made, fake plain enamel wire thats dyed brown poly, overwound pole screw coil, something never found in any vintage PAF, plasticized fake nitro, WAY WAY over priced. Lets hear it in an actual tube amplifier without a DAW being involved, no pedals, no effects. They just don't hold up, middle switch position has zero chirp that original PAF's have. Their most hyped guitars ever, sure they're "pretty" but next to an original they fall flat in sound. And INDIAN ROSEWOOD??? For that much money go find an older beater, upgrade everything in and on it and the Murphy will pale into buyer's remorse, and you'll save thousands.
find a guitar somebody played everyday and gigged with for like 20 years. No amount of trickery can give a guitar that kind of feel. Guitar makers are finding more and more ways to upsell to doctors, dentists, and lawyers. The rest of us just need a quality, well set up guitar.
It's all up to how much care you put into music. If you play all the time and it's your livelihood then I can see spending this much on a guitar easily. But for a normal person who just plays for fun, I would not recommend spending that much unless you just have the money.
@@stephenbennett5240 this is totally insane for a freaking guitar. Not even vintage rare instruments cost this yet. I put more into music than most and I play guitars exclusively under $1000. What exactly about this commands 10-20 K? Is there 10K worth of work going into the neck? $1000 pickups?!? lol
An ultra light aged ML ‘58 LP is often cheaper than a ‘59 VOS version. So as far as ML LP’s go, those that love the ‘58 models can save a decent sum, and that saving will no doubt improve with a used purchased. With this model we’re talking circa 5k new. It’s the Ultra Heavy relic ML’s that are circa 10k new. As always when in the market, window shop, take your time, learn to haggle and you can save a lot.
I own a Murphy lab Les Paul. Every time I play it, it brings a smile to my face. It is like magic, I just can’t explain it. Had many other boutiques, which looks better and probably playing better but prefer the Gibson sound. Can’t explain it.
I love strats, but having watched lots of your videos this is the best you've ever sounded to me
My murphy lab r6 - 1956 gold top, rules. I put up a vid showing it live since there arent many of that model. Hands down my number one gigging guitar since I got it a year ago
I think:.... If the thinner finish and thinner binding feel better in your hands, you will play better. The smaller frets stretch the strings less when you fret a note unless you have a real light touch. This helps your chords stay in tune. If you are playing a pedal and not the guitar, then any axe will do. If you play cleaner tones with less distortion, you can really feel a well-crafted musical instrument. It also takes years of playing to really hear and feel the difference. I have an R9 and it's supposed to sound better than a standard, but my skills are lacking. I love it.
I think even when amplified, the extra resonance from the thinner, more rigid finish results in more overtones, longer sustain, which the amplification picks up.
I would agree. Original PAF pickups as well as P90 pickups from the 1950s were unpotted. The unpotted pickups are slightly (and sometimes very) microphonic and will pickup harmonics and major vibrations of the guitar when played.
All of my Les Paul guitars currently have unpotted pickups, even the R4 I have. I'm currently playing through a Marshall 1987x and a Fender Twin Reverb, feedback only becomes an issue when I stack overdrive pedals, and even then only when I'm right up/near the amplifier. I would encourage anyone searching for a vintage tone to try a good quality set of unpotted pickups.
Also, I built an early Fender Broadcaster clone, the pickups I'm using are a faithful reproduction of the originals that are lacquer potted, IMHO this really makes for a very dynamic and articulate pickup for a Telecaster style guitar.
I agree with the sentiment on unpotted pups. I just love them. Feedback is not a huge concern.
To me there is magic in the R8, and I own one in the non-Murphy Lab. I don't have anything against the ML's but I'm not going to spend the extra money to look old. I can do that in time. The R9 and R0 I do like just not as much as the R8. The R8 with the tall narrow frets and baseball bat neck does the trick for me. It's like having a guitar made for me, from scratch, it's a great feeling and a fantastic guitar to play.
This is my guitar and I’d agree, hence why I went with the ultra light aged (the only aging is checking), BUT the lacquer formula etc isn’t the same from what I was told at the Gibson factory, and the woods they use aren’t either… that being said, a great guitar is a great guitar regardless of cost!
The r8 was my choice as well. Love the frets and neck. Gibson has purposely over priced the r9 and r0 models due to demand. The r8 is the exact same instrument save for the neck and frets.
@@MrMattsac232 I thought the same but apparently it’s not to do with demand, it’s due to figuring - the R9 and R0 have flame tops whereas in general the R8’s are supposed to be plain?
Intro composition was standout excellent. That should go on an album someday.
When your guitar is louder and more resonant acoustically I believe it makes it sing better, with less gain needed and hence more clarity. I also believe lower output pickups sound clearer as well.
I think that's probably the case right!!
I just test drove a 2015 True Historic Gibson Les Paul that was aged by Tom Murphy at my local vintage guitar shop. I have had them all folks and I have tried PRS's and everything in between. If you have not picked up a Murphy Les Paul you haven't lived!!! This thing was like holding the holy grail before I even plugged it in! Unbelievable! I don't know how I'm going to do it but I will make this thing mine! All I need is 15K ! And yes they are worth every cent!!
The Murphy aged guitars don't sound any different from standard custom shop guitars. It's purely cosmetic. And there are regular R9s that will play and sound better. The Murphy gimmick doesn't make them play or sound better. Instead of a Murphy lab buy a regular R9 and use the rest of the money to buy a set of real vintage PAfs or ealry patent number pickups and you will have a guitar that sounds way more like the real thing than any Murphy lab with modern Gibson PAF types
@@adamwatson6916 Anyone who has actually played one of the Murphy Lab guitars knows it is not just "cosmetic." Most of the process to achieve the "look" is more so about achieving the "feel" of a vintage guitar. If you have played them both you'd know.
Did Gibson turn out beat up scared up 1959 Les Paul's in 1959...? NO SIR...!!! And Gibson just announced a week or so back that they gave the Murphy Lab a large amount of Brazilian Rosewood for 1959 Murphy Lab 1959 Reissue Les Paul's...list price will be $19,995.00 ...anyone care to Jump on any of these...? 😅😅😅...I am 69 years of age...and played Les Paul Standards in the late sixties and forward...here's what many have no clue about...! You could buy a Cherry Burst Les Paul Standard then for about $350.00 , what is important is there was NO CUSTOM SHOP then and the BUILD QUALITY then was close to the CUSTOM SHOP QUALITY of TODAY...! And I own a Beautiful CUSTOM SHOP Les Paul 1960 Reissue with a Brazilian Rosewood Fretboard...Beautiful...! It is one of 5 CUSTOM SHOP Gibson's I own...a Vintage Les Paul Custom...too many people falling for the Marketing...!!! And of course...to each his own...now quick...run down there and grab your $20,000.00 Les Paul...😅
@@WilliamBCarr Not sure exactly what your point is? They don't build anything like they used to, so in order to get that build quality today, you need a "special" department that is over and above what todays economy allows for products. Hence the Murphy Lab custom shop for example. And inflation is what it is. This is simply the cost in todays market to get that quality and attention to detail that was offered back then. And the "aged" guitars are again there to give the "feel" of what an original from back then would play like today, because inflation or not...no one can afford a half million dollar 59 original in this day and age!
Hey... you are certainly entitled to your view...but WHO can afford the ABSURD price of a Murphy Lab...? NOT MANY...! Besides... your claim that Murphy Lab's sounds like an Original 1959...? Some just claim that to justify their desire for one of these...! Sure...the materials used have some impact on the tone... but the majority of tone originates from the person playing the instrument...! It's in the hands ...! An EXCEPTIONAL Player can make a CHEAP Guitar sound... BEAUTIFUL...and a Player with NO TALENT AND OR SKILLS can make an EXCEPTIONAL INSTRUMENT sound like GARBAGE...! I am from New Orleans and have many PROFESSIONAL Guitarists... Session Players...who agree... about these ridiculous priced instruments...they would never buy them and not many would gig with something like that. Why is it a SUPERB Guitarists like JACK PEARSON... makes those CHEAP SQUIRES he plays sound SO GOOD...??? But Hey...if you don't get the point... you probably never will... just rush down and spend your $20,000.00 ...? To each his own...! And Gibson is not the only Company doing it...most of the Guitar Brands are on the same page...! I personally have a friend that owned a Pro Audio Shop, and he sold Gibson and Fender...bought a NICE Fender Voo Doo Stratocaster from him... American made ...in 2002...MSRP was around $1700.00...my price at the time of purchase was ...$965.00 ... but perhaps YOU HAVE UNLIMITED WEALTH...and money is no problem with you...? Great...! Have you ever heard the expression..." A FOOL and his MONEY soon PART WAYS...?" The Guitar Players I know like...CLEAN ...GLOSS FINISH Guitars... hmmm 🤔... maybe you are one of those ROAD WARRIORS...? Anytime I see someone playing a Guitar that looks AGED OR RELIC Finished...it says ONE THING...That person did not RESPECT NOR TAKE CARE of the instrument...!!! But ...I DIGRESS...
Great overview, nice playing! The Murphy Lab looks and sounds lovely. 'Extra Light Aged' seems ok but I have checked out a few of the more heavily aged ones at local stockist and I find them a bit silly - maybe 'contrived' is a better word. I have a 1968 LP Custom that I bought in the early 70's and despite 10 years of live playing it doesn't look half as knocked about as some of the ML stuff. Whatever, each to his own! Enjoyed your vid of you comparing the Seymour Duncans w Monty's Underspuns as I am planning on ordering a pair of the Monty's.
The "Extra Light Aged" as this one is to me seems about as relic as I'd go - it's still a TON of checking etc - anything more and like you I'd think it was maybe a bit over the top?
Beautiful guitar! The R4, R6, R7 and R8 now have the narrow/tall frets. Theyre narrower, but quite a bit taller than the medium jumbo. Love them myself!
That is also my understanding, 1959 (R9) was the first year Gibson used the medium (larger) more modern fret wire.
I've an R4 Goldtop that I ordered with the medium jumbo frets, the neck is still the massive +1.00" neck profile.
Own a 21 r8 and can confirm. Love the new frets.
Such beautiful playing. So tasteful and full of feel
An aluminium tailpiece with steel studs will give your standard a bit more zing/air. I ended up with a Maybach Lester which I love. Not strictly vintage spec but all of the important things are spot on. It's nicer than the R8 I sold
You might find a flame top on an actual 58. In fact some flame maple has been found on the earlier gold tops when the owner had a burst conversion done (swapping pickups, bridge etc etc to be more like a later 50s model)
I acquired an R7 Custom from 2003 a little over a year ago. I know it's not a standard, but I must have played 9 or 10 Les Paul customs that day, ranging from '72-2022 USA range. My custom shop just has a presence and sparkle that no other had...whatever they do, it certainly adds something.
I have an R7 Custom too which had previously suffered a headstock break. I joke that it is unique in having a one piece body and a two piece neck
Aniline (pronounced Anileen) dates back to 1907 and has been used to dye many commercial items in that time but fell out of favour due to the fact it's not sun-proof or very waterproof - ironically that's what we all love about it on 59 Les Pauls and so why it's now being used in the Murphy lab in the hope that your down payment for your new house you blew on a bit of wood plastic and basic electronics will age well and be an investment sometime in the future you could realise or just love the fact you got your own 59 which in 2060 will look as cools as those older versions do today.
Aniline has been used in custom shop pre Murphy Lab as well. Easiest way to tell is if it bleeds into the binding from your hands warming bits of the neck
Never played a Murphy Lab, but I imagine that your experience was not too far off from mine when I had an R7 in the mid-00s. Compared to my LP Classics at the time, it was so much more elegant, and silky. As much as I loved it, it was way too refined for my taste. Beautiful guitar, but more of a status symbol to show off the dudes on the Les Paul Forum at the time.
Got A les Paul this winter, had A black custom 71 in the 80s three pickups was heavy ! The one I got this winter is A select from WildWood music so put A Bone nut on and rolled the edge of neck one last thing Titanium saddles locking Bridge ! as close as I will get to Murphy Lab in this life time
One difference between the Murphy and a 1959 gibson are the materials in the pickup. Gibson now uses polyplastic. Then they used butyrate. That's a material who warps more easily when winding pickups. Won't make a lot of difference in tone but they är not that history accurate.
Hi J - re the width of the binding I’ve checked a custom shop les paul and 335 both ‘21 models and compared it to a 19 sg standard.
The cs guitars both have very thin binding and the sg is at least twice as thick.
So I presume that the Murphy guitars aren’t unique in that respect.
I have a 59 LP Murphy Lab. Yes. They are absolutely worth it. Amazing instruments.
The tone sounds quite nice. But my first question always is: what is your signal path? And what model of a Gibson ML are you playing? Otherwise, I find it very hard to get engaged to that kind of reviews ...
it's possible they even tap the wood to select it, and/or user older (and so drier) wood stock.
I have a R7 custom 2 pickup and I love it. I picked it over a’68 custom reissue because it has a warmer tone and I’m a jazzer. The original customs did not have the maple cap, the body was all mahogany. It has a very chunky neck, and only weighs 9lbs 8oz. Was it worth the price? I bought it to use it, so absolutely it was worth it. It’s a solid player that along with my ‘91 es-775 will out live me. The important thing is to buy the best you can in your price range and play the hell out of it.
What a wonderful guitar this ML Les Paul is. It sound absolutely great, but so does your Standard. I agree with you when you describe the sound of both guitars. I have taken the time to read most of the comments on this video. It's so interesting to read all the different aspects and points of view. And they prove the fact that looks and sound of a guitar and the way it feels to you are a very personal and subjective thing. Anyway, your playing is absolutely stunning
And now he ROCKS a great sounding Lazarus Epiphone!!!
That one looks and sounds incredible.
I think 2023 was a good year for Murphy labs because mine is incredible too!🤘 Just got it yesterday and can't put it down
I have 2 Murphy Labs - a Gold Top Les Paul and a Cherry 335. It's one of those things where you have to have one for a while to see a difference. The wood Gibson uses is a higher grade on the Murphy Labs than a regular Custom Shop. The Murphy Labs are much lighter. When I go back to a regular Standard Les Paul it feels like a ton of bricks.
You got that Right. Today I got to pick up a Guys 60's standard style fairly new, it was a TON of BRICKS, Had to be 10 maybe even 11 pounds. Only prob. with a Murphy Lab so pricey you would not want to GIG it. It seems today one is better off loving and caressing an Epiphone model and doing pickups to bring it to a Gibson level. If you like Burstbuckers they already got those. I personally from what I have heard like the CUSTOM buckers, and or a boutique builders pickups, lollar some seymour duncans, Throwbacks and those guys, at least at a show/gig you don;t have to worry about a treasured high price guitar disappearing. Does anyone steal Epiphones?
@@ksharpe10 I had a couple of regular Les Paul Standards for a long time and never had a problem with them. It wasn’t an issue with me till I got the Murphy Labs that I felt the regular Les Pauls were not that good. I never owned an Epiphone so I can’t comment on their quality. The guitars that I think are really good for the money are Electromatic Gretschs. Pay the extra money and get one plecked and setup properly and it is amazing. I have a $5,000 Silver Falcon Gretsch and I can’t see the difference between that and a Chinese Electromatic.
@@rdanalytics9197 I have one of the 900.00 Electromatics bought new last year. Beautiful guitar for the money. I used to own an 1968 gretsch Blackhawk, they came stock with Super filteron pickups, best part of the Guitar. The build quality and the way they built them back then cannot touch these Electromatics, glad they do not replicate that old style neck Join, they prob. do on those higher price models. IF and ONLY if I wanted to upgrade the new one, I would get TV JONES replica of a SUPER filteron, but Honestly the Broadtrons that are in it are Fine. Funny you mentioned Gretsch, that was my 1st GOOD guitar. CNC levels the playing Field today in the mid range guitars. And it even has a scarf joint neck, it is STRONGER than a one piece. And the Newer guitars have one thing Gibson has not adopted, the 2 way adjustable Truss Rod, which Epiphones come with, they are an UPGRADE, but don't tell em they will charge more money for them. LOL.
Oh I do my own setups, ironically from sweet water the intonation was not quite in, about an hours worth of tweaking using tuner and MORE my Ears with harmonics, and I got it to the SWEET sounding spots, thru most of the neck, listening for the BELL tone/ring is the secret sauce so to speak. I once did a friends Strat, bacause in the audience I could tell his intonation was out, he let me take it home I returned next week with it, and told him now it will be Nice. He never complained. LOL.
Not alway’s the case, I have a regular cs weight 3.8 kg and a Murpy light aged weight 4.1 kg
Thanks for your comparison video. Your 2002 USA - beautiful, btw - sounded surprisingly close to the ML '58 imo but the '58 was a little brighter, just a bit clearer. Hope you're able to get yourself one of the GCS TM Lab '58's but if not you've already got a great LP. Cheers.
Would be cool if you dialed back the volume and we could hear some really clean tones. Les Paul clean tones are criminally underrated and underused. I always measure a Les Paul by that, not the dirty or distorted tones. Nice overview.
Monty's done an excellent job on the pickups. I can hardly hear a difference between the two guitars. It's mosly weight, neck carve, aesthetics and probably playability. But is it worth 3 or 4 x the price tag... ? I wonder. Cheers
What rug were you going through up to three and a half mins in? Lovely sounds maestro!
You know what else? Higher action to let your guitar ring free without buzzes is my setup. Every electric guitar I play in a store from Gibson is setup way too low and buzzy. This robs sustain, tone and clarity.
Hey John. Have you ever played a Heritage H-150? I’d love to see you do a review of one and compare it to a Gibson. I know others have done the comparison, but I think you would offer a pretty honest and practical review of their similarities and differences, as well as whether you thought it was worth it to spend the extra $$$ on a Gibson (or not). Thanks, man!
P.S. Sick shreddy licks on the opening jam in this video.
Some of the nicest playing I've seen you do. Maybe it's because I love Les Pauls.
Totally worth it. Have a CS 59 and now have a 58 ML heavy aged but it’s wildwood spec’d. So much better playing experience. It has that worn in feel. Neck is so smooth and tonally it far surpasses my 59. Selling my 59. This is the last LP I’m buying (so I tell the wife, last one) but this time it’s true🤣 I prefer the thinner taller frets and a bit more girth in the neck on the 58. It’s a lovely thing. I used to be against the whole aging thing but now I understand 😀 Weighs 7.9 lbs and I don’t have to worry if it gets a ding or two. The wildwood spec under winds the pups so lower output.
They are most certainly worth the extra cost (IMHO).
Many people who scoff at the price may not understand what its like to own the same guitar for 30 or 40 years.
I've found that every little bit of extra care taken during the build makes a difference after decades of use.
That has been my experience.
I think it's interesting isn't it - what is this - sort of the price of 3 Les Paul Standards that you might end up buying/selling thinking there was something better - if you bought one of these and fell in love straight away....Maybe it's not as expensive as staying on the GAS rollercoaster?
@@johnnathancordy I'm sure it could go either way. Much depends on the individual.
In 1976 I was 14 years old and had saved up for a new guitar amplifier. I ended up purchasing a brand new Fender Twin Reverb for $400 (a crazy large amount of money for a 14 year old). I'd worked multiple Summer Jobs to save up for it, however the high cost was not lost to me and I didn't take the purchase lightly.
My guitar instructor explained to me, that as a young man I would get many years of use out of the amplifier which would offset its initial high cost. He was correct, I still own and regularly use that very same Fender Twin Reverb! I most certainly got my money's worth, and a great gift to leave for our Son to have and use.
Play the long-game and your future-self will thank your past-self every time.
Tom can scratch up a guitar.
@@qua7771Indeed he can. But then again, so can you and I! Mr. Murphy's talent is that people pay him to do it! 😉👍
@@hkguitar1984 I put mine out in the cold overnight. It checked naturally, and it's a different look. Some people want that certificate though.
I have had a few LP,s. I bought a 58 Murphy lab 6 months ago. Will not be shopping for LP,s anymore. Amazing
I agree with you pretty well 100%. I don't have a budget for a murphy lab - would love to have one. I also got to play a real 1960 transition LP Standard (had a flamed 59 body but the 1960 neck/headstock) before a customer of mine sold it (like you said, it was the cost of a house). I have a well-worn 96 standard with a plus top. It was played a lot, and the guy I got it from was from the Salt Lake City area, a very dry climate. It already had the full treatment - it had a duncan antiquity and seth lover - one was slightly dewound. it has a faber abr style bridge/conversion and a light weight aluminum tailpiece (don't recall if it is faber brand, probably). It has the original gibson pots but paper in oil caps and 50s style wiring. The finish is quite checked - I assume the desert environment might have affected that. It is a GREAT guitar. Everyone that plays this thing loves it. So when I bought a cheaper LP 50s tribute goldtop - I did most of the same treatments. I didn't age it, although it has a thin finish that I polished. I did the ABR conversion posts from philadelphia lutherie and Kluson ABR and lightweight tailpiece. I rewired it to 50s wiring, and put in CTS pots and paper in oil caps (mojo if recall). I put sheptone blue sky humbuckers in it. The feel is a bit different because neck shape and different finish, but it is very lively as you discussed, and I think everyone would notice playing it next to a stock one the difference in acoustic volume and a bit of upper mid zing it did not have previously. I wound up doing the same with several guitars since, a Gibson SG Standard, and I have a some copies - upgraded pickups, abr bridge conversion, lightweight tail pieces, and 50s wiring. I am only giving brands to explain what I tried, not promoting anything, just people that want to try this might want to know where to get the stuff. I even did the abr bridge conversion to two korean-made dean guitars I have, and really like it. I am a believer. I also have done it for customers as well - very happy with it. The nashville bridge is nice for intonation and adjustability, but it sounds differently than the ABRs I am using - less lively, maybe more boomy bottom end, less acoustically lively. I wonder if they make a lightweight version of a nashville if it would make a big difference (maybe materials more than design?). I don't know. But you have the formula with your Les Paul. It gets you close. I think it is an improvement.
Great video and demo! To me, the Monty’s pickups actually sound a little clearer and the notes more defined. The Murphy Lab sounds better overall though and that is completely down to the resonance of the guitar and its playability. The pickups can only pick up what’s there after all. Keep up the great content!
Lmao magnets don't pick up wood vibrations...
Ideally you want your strings to sustain as long as possible if the guitar body vibrates that only means the energy from the strings is being attenuated and transferred to the strings which reduces vibration period …….. result is less sustain.
We used to get alot of Sustain and overtones from Hollow body guitars.
Recently, I got the fateful dream guitar. R9 Golden Poppy Burst Heavy Aged. This is the same name as my late daughter doggo Poppy. She knows I'm still mourning her death, she appeared in front of me in the form of this R9. Of course beyond words, amazing dream guitar.
set a signal generator to 761.3 and you get a nice drone over this backing track :)
The Beatles, famously, stripped the finish from their 335 Casinos, specifically because they were told the heavy coatings "dulled" or absorbed some of the resonance. That logic seems right. Nitro finish, used to high end guitars today, is supposed to be much lighter than the poly based finishes and thus allows more resonance. My sense is you can actually feel that on the guitar. However, how much of that extra resonance gets into the picups is a matter of contention. After all, the very idea behind "Humbuckers" was to limit buzz and feedback with wax potting etc, in order to cut out 'local' extraneous noise, to stop the pickups being microphonic? Apart from the "aging" Murphy does, I think you are paying for the extra work they put into the set up, which is what I would expect a premium manufacturer to have done in the first place. All that said, it is impossible to spot the difference, especially in a mix or once you ad any kind of gain.
Putting a side all other things, the at least newer Murphy Labs come with Gibson's best pickup I have heard in years, the CustomBucker, something about the Alnico 3, just resonates well with my Ears. They now sell those pickups but they are over 500 for a set, in that case I would go with one of the Boutique builders perhaps. The Lazarus you have seems Quite CLose and at least for right now, you can Gig it and not be so concerned that someone might try to run off with it.
I definitely preferred the Murphy tone, even just listening on my iPad…. I need to find out what pickups are I. It. Are they chosen by the buyer or standard across all the Murphy’s? Do you know which these are? Maybe I’ll get some for my Wildwood Spec Les Paul Standard.
Love the Murphy relic treatment and color. I didn’t like the way the Murphy Lab necks felt in a few brief ‘store rack fondles,’ though.
I'm not sure on the pickups, I think they use "Custombuckers" fairly consistently?
@@johnnathancordy Yes, that’s what I’m seeing, as well. Just found a comparison of them vs Custom 57s, and there is about the same difference I have between my Wildwood Select underwound pickups vs my Custom 57s, so maybe I won’t be so quick to try to get Custombuckers.
Thanks, John. When I win the lottery I’ll hook you up with a Murphy….
@@CentaurusRelax314 Now he has the Lazarus epiphone and believes/knows he likes it better than his Gibson. comes down to FEEL.
Looking forward to this one! Murphy is probably one of the next on my "list" or journey. This one does sound a bit brighter and open to my ear.
I just got a teriffic deal on a MURPHY Les Paul R7 (so a 1957 black beauty). The guitar was SUPPOSED to be ultra-light aged but appeared more "heavily aged". (Sorry, my spelling stinks!) Naturally, the sales photos did not show the extensive finish-checking. Nor did the website indicate its substantial weight of 9.6 pounds. So the guitar crushes my leg beneath, but the guitar does sound rather good to my ears. It makes me wonder if Murphy Labs pulls their guitars from better*, more resonant woods and possibly put better PUs in there.
(*Note, this is just conjecture, just an idea I throw around. It has no foundation so please don't quote this or spread about a rumor that is untrue!)
So I love this guitar, except perhaps the weight. If it were under 9 pounds, there'd be no issue for me.
Then there is that extensive finish-checking that ML put on this black beauty. I don't believe finish-checking pairs at all well with black paint. So, this may sound unbelievable, but I am seriously considering mailing this guitar to Kentucky and having it entirely re-surfaced so the guitar looks mint and new again. A $2,500 cost. With that additional cost, I may as well have bought the VOS R7 with no input from ML (Murphy Lab). Weighing it out, the cost comes to about the same.
What is your opinion? (1) Keep the ML R7 and leave the Murphy Aging be? Or (2) keep the ML R7 and spend the extra $2,500 to make it look nice again? OR (3) send the ML R7 back for a refund and use that money towards the purchase of an R7 VOS?
Thanks for reading and thank you for your input!
Hey John, I have a 2014 r9 lemonburst. The best les paul I've ever owned. This makes it my 4th,very resonant, brighter,long tenon,stays in tune, and a beautiful flame top.For me, the custom shops or Murphy's are the real deal.Also you really make them gibson's sing.
Lovely bit of playing John, lovely guitar. I’m a bit of a stickler for keeping my guitars as new, but having a guitar like this would ease my anxiety!
ML is a cosmetic relicing department which uses Gibson Custom Shop guitars and finishes the parts differently. Thats it. Theyre not made differently.
I purchased both my Murphy's used saved a bundle...😊
Just signed up for truefire and pete Townshend has messaged me for my credit card details?
I think it's just the tone of the Murphy is sharper and brighter and so more direct or dynamic. The finish may be part of that because the standard sounded smoother but muddier by comparison.??
Thought I'd copy this across from your previous video on the ML '58 LP as the comments are talking about cost...
Having an expensive instrument is like having expensive HiFi. You can get plenty of good instruments and sound systems for under 1k. Plenty of fantastic ones under 2k. So why spend more?... because of a personal connection with how something feels and makes you feel. If you have that special feeling and can afford it then I say it’s worth it to you. If you go looking then you’ll find those special expensive instruments, but you’ll also try many along that journey that cost a fortune and don’t give you that extra special experience. It’s also worth noting that as relic guitars have become the norm with the majority of todays manufacturers, there are going to be some great bargains on the 2nd hand market bring down the cost of such instruments to lower price brackets. There really is something for everyone these days and no shortage of real gems at every price level. If you do trade up, just enjoy it and let your creativity feed off it.
As the guitars finish up from the custom shop, the Murphy labs guy select them (by random I think) to do their aging process.
So they start their life as normal custom shop guitars
There are video's tours of the custom shop that talk about this
I think Jake who chatted to Tom Murphy at the custom shop was told they're actually painted/finished in the Murphy Lab too - different paint formulas than the custom shop (not sure it matters, mind you)
I admire the artistic talent it takes to relic / age a guitar right... and if I'm Kirk Hemmet and I want to play my 2M '59 Les Paul, sure I want one made just like it so I can tour with it... but when I spend $10K on a guitar (And I've done that several times)... I want my Gibson Les Paul to be cherry... with a 5A 1 piece top (maybe 2 piece if it's a '59).. and so on.. I want to age it myself over the decades. Most recently I got a '59 Reissue with a 2 pc 5A top, and the '59 Series I Alnico 4 pickups installed in it, total price $9999 ... for me, a better "investment"
The answer is yes they are worth it got mine it’s the best!
I don't know how to describe it, but the Murphy lab sounds happier? That's just the vibe I get compared to the standard.
The custom shop make a great guitar.
Though, I’ve had my US standard for 10 years and I still wouldn’t trade it for a reissue.
I could care less about the old looking paint, the neck tenon, and the ABR-1 posts.
It might be 10lbs, but it’s hard to beat the sounds it makes.
Genuinely thought your standard had the edge on the Murphy.. Had a feeling the pickups might be an upgrade so maybe that's it. The Murphy sounded great and is stunning but your standard sounded noticeably better to my ears at least. Great vid and sweet playing too 🤘
Most of it is just some Les Pauls sound better than others. I have 4 Les Pauls. 2 sound better than the other two. One is a Custom the other is a Standard. Those sound special. The other two another standard and a modern sound good too they just aren’t as special. It’s not based on weight.
You’re quite a player, sir. I found a 2022 Murphy Lab that I’ll probably trade a pile of gear that collecting dust for here soon.
which one is which
hello. I bought your presets for the pod go but I haven't received it yet
I think you should have an email now chap!
Beautiful guitar…re. fret size, my favorite is fender medium jumbo, however my old Wolfgang has tiny SS frets and I freakin love that neck…never been a fan of huge train track frets👍
Hey John, nice video. The whole is it worth it question depends on where you are standing, I think. It depends on how you see the world even. Some people will think it absolutely absurd to spend that much money on a guitar when there is ______ fill in the blank in the world. Others will see it as something to aspire to "Yea, it's expensive, but one day I'll save up my pennies and buy one." But I do always like this question. I often ask myself: "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" Thanks.
Why do people want an accurate reproduction of old technology? I don’t see people longing for a new accurate reproduction of a Model T ford or a refrigerator from the 1950s when technology and quality controls have improved so much since then.
Yeah it is kinda silly how Gibson has brainwashed people to shell out soooo much money for this stuff. I did tons of shopping for Les Pauls and chose the Classic over the Standard and other expensive models because it has such great... GASP..push pull options. I can do so much more with it than anyone can do with a standard and it still sounds like a standard too. But again...brainwashing is a hell of a thing lol.
CAUTION: This guy makes every guitar sound good...even the cheap ones!!!
Don't take it bad, but my impression from the first seconds of your video is that digital gear make them sound perfectly the same. I didn't know you were using ditigal tools cause I didn't know your channel. But since the first notes I could hear that you were not using analog stuff. That kind of ML guitars needs real amps. Just my humble opinion.
You can feel the difference period. Night and day and you can tell he does too.
Who cares if they are worth the hype. The real question is are they worth the money ? And what/who are they for? I have played these and they are good yes. But they are at least 3 x price if an LP standard. Even 2nd hand. If you have this much money to blow on a guitar and play in your room then they are great. If you are a working player don’t go near them. There is no way an audience or even you will discern the microscopic differences in sound this guitar makes in a live band situation. Put it through some drive pedals and an amp and you can’t tell the difference in sound. And do you really want a $10k guitar sitting on a stand on a bar stage? No. Hence these rarely leave the house.
New guitars that look old, old guitars that are considerably well manteined. Then cames de PA guy and landscapes us all.
What a fantastic video I actually enjoyed it
whaever differences you can't hear, you feel. These Murphy Lab Gibsons are the best guitars on the market right now!
Now I want you to play only gibsons!
Step away from the 15K Les Paul John 😂
Need to hear the clean sounds to know for sure.
Yeah, I will never understand why people do not base their reviews on the clean tones mostly otherwise what we are hearing is some distortion pedal mainly. Really not a good indicator of the guitars sound. Huge pet peeve of mine. Many times it is because players hide behind distortion which is more forgiving than clean playing. I dont think that is the case with John though, he seems top notch.
They still use mix of nitro and poly. Unbelivible for that price.
No there isn’t anyway to justify the cost objectively as an instrument. custom shop normal models are of the same quality build wise. Do you want a relic’d instrument is really the question. IF the question was gibson USA vs Gibson custom shop then the argument is more intriguing.
Edited to say: you sound killer here. Might be the best I’ve heard you sound.
And now he sounds just a SUPER with a Lazarus EPiphone!!!!
A new Les Paul Standard in 1959 cost $310 with a case. In today's money that is about $3340. A new Gibson Les Paul standard with a historic Lifton-style case is $3148. So if you are buying a production model Les Paul, you are getting the same value for your dollar. So you have ask yourself: Are production Gibson lesser quality than what they were making in the 1950's? Does tripling your investment get you a guitar that is "as good" as a production Gibson from the 50's? I'm gonna honestly say that this is a psychological question, not a tangible one. When you spend lots of money on something, you're going to convince yourself you made a good investment, no matter what the objective reality is.
No, I don't think so. I am a Gibson collector and own a bunch of CS guitars. You know, I had to sell some of the nicest and more expensive ones, cause I didn't like them tonally as well as the other LPs I own. I am convinced I made a good investment only when I play them and I like them, otherwise I am very dissatisfied and frustrated. I keep only the ones I like tonally speaking (now 12 CS LPs), even if they aren't the nicest or the more expensive.
Let me also tell you that your first sentence about the price of the LP back in 1959 and the price today is completely wrong, sorry.
I think it’s a scam that we have to pay crazy money for a better guitar Murphy Lab, Master built, Custom Shop, R8, R9, Historic. Etc
Does it not mean that Fender and Gibson are saying our basic range is not as good. What are we buying then?
That’s an excellent question and the one to be asking.
I think the idea is that they have set up these sort of boutiques within the factories to do "better" work....Tbh there are probably many fine Les Pauls across the whole price range, but for the narrow tall frets etc they seem to be only doing that on the high end stuff...
Mind you - even a Standard at £2200 I think is pretty expensive and so one should hope it'd be a very good guitar?
I honestly thought the non murphy lab guitar in this vid sounded the best
Just doesn't seem like the extra $4k on top of an already TOO expensive instrument that gives you nothing other than a name and a special piece of paper. Gibson has lost their minds.
The hype - yes the price - hell no
play it up against yhe best Epiphone 😊 lets hear them.
I'll see if he'll let me borrow it again at some point if this is actually interesting?
@@johnnathancordy I got a good china 59 put stewmack parson street pickups, classic taper cts pots, grover tuner's,, it does all the classic Gibson sounds really well. 😁
@@johnnathancordy Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard Outfit Aged Dark Cherry Burst
let's hear this guitar at 700.$ vs the custom, and talk about the playing feel also. show all the sounds and volume roll off sounds of both guitars. 🤔
Gibson Les Paul Standard or Classic basic Gibson tones that can be tweaked with different pickups and wiring set ups. My opinion Murphy Labs are beautiful but another way Gibson is offering more to separate you from your money. Serious case of GAS my opinion , unnecessary.
Based on what I'm hearing over the Internet, and not what you're hearing in your room, the Murphy Lab sounded too bassy, and indistinct to me. I liked the way your Standard with the "original pickups" sounded. The Monty's made it too bright in my opinion. I prefer the way your Standard looks. But, your experience with the tone, playability, look, and price of any guitar is what really matters.
The nibs on the fret-binding is just one more thing that I consider a potential design flaw and irritation. Please do a Tone Match comparison between the Murphy and your Standard so we can see what the differences are, and if EQ could remove the differences. 🤷♀
They just robbed you , thousands more for just a thinner finish and thinner binding lol
I wonder how many pedals he used. Custom Buckers are the worst they've ever made, fake plain enamel wire thats dyed brown poly, overwound pole screw coil, something never found in any vintage PAF, plasticized fake nitro, WAY WAY over priced. Lets hear it in an actual tube amplifier without a DAW being involved, no pedals, no effects. They just don't hold up, middle switch position has zero chirp that original PAF's have. Their most hyped guitars ever, sure they're "pretty" but next to an original they fall flat in sound. And INDIAN ROSEWOOD??? For that much money go find an older beater, upgrade everything in and on it and the Murphy will pale into buyer's remorse, and you'll save thousands.
Paying someone to rough up a guitar is stupid! Plenty of idiots out there!
One word - Absolutely Not. Complete rip off. Several thousand dollars for a brand new guitar.
find a guitar somebody played everyday and gigged with for like 20 years. No amount of trickery can give a guitar that kind of feel.
Guitar makers are finding more and more ways to upsell to doctors, dentists, and lawyers.
The rest of us just need a quality, well set up guitar.
not that accurate John, but good guitars nonetheless.
No.
no guitar is worth that kinda money.
I can buy a brand new already pretty decent car for the cost of these LPs, no thanks!
It's all up to how much care you put into music. If you play all the time and it's your livelihood then I can see spending this much on a guitar easily. But for a normal person who just plays for fun, I would not recommend spending that much unless you just have the money.
@@stephenbennett5240 this is totally insane for a freaking guitar. Not even vintage rare instruments cost this yet. I put more into music than most and I play guitars exclusively under $1000. What exactly about this commands 10-20 K? Is there 10K worth of work going into the neck? $1000 pickups?!? lol
@@ShreddingFinn I guess I didn’t hear the price he said. I was thinking 5-6k for most Murphy labs. 10k plus is way to expensive I agree
Its not 10k no....Also Cars immediately depreciate in value and continue to cost money every single year you own them....
An ultra light aged ML ‘58 LP is often cheaper than a ‘59 VOS version. So as far as ML LP’s go, those that love the ‘58 models can save a decent sum, and that saving will no doubt improve with a used purchased. With this model we’re talking circa 5k new. It’s the Ultra Heavy relic ML’s that are circa 10k new. As always when in the market, window shop, take your time, learn to haggle and you can save a lot.