The Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue is a guitar worth fighting for—all of us at Musician's Friend demanded equal time with it. The thinner neck profile had something to do with it. So did the CustomBuckers. And that finish—the Heavy aging from the Murphy Lab makes it a dead ringer for a vintage Les Paul that's spent decades in dive bars. If you're looking to reward yourself with a reissue that makes all other suffer in comparison, the ’60 Les Paul Standard will do the trick.

Let's Start With the Finish


Tom Murphy was instrumental in creating the Gibson Custom Shop; he's also a pioneer in the art of aging guitars. This Custom Shop Les Paul gets a Heavy aging, equivalent to a half century of wear. You'll see lacquer checking and belt buckle rash, but only light arm and neck wear. The hardware is heavily aged to match.

Historically Authentic Construction


The Custom Shop doesn't fool around when it comes to construction. From laser-scanned dimensions to chemically recreated plastics, their attention to detail makes all the difference. This mahogany body has a 2-piece figured maple top assembled with hot hide glue. The mahogany neck has less "meat" than a ’59 Les Paul—Gibson calls it a 1960 Slim Taper profile. Extra-rolled binding makes the rosewood fretboard as comfortable as a well-oiled baseball glove.

A Tone Like No Other

Gibson loaded this guitar with a set of CustomBuckers. Alnico III magnets supply the warmth; leaving them unpotted adds clarity. A hand-wired harness with paper-in-oil capacitors and 500K CTS pots gives you more sonic space to explore. The "reflector" volume and tone knobs and wider "double ring" tuner tips match original specs.

If you want an absolutely authentic Les Paul, get this Gibson.


The waiting list for a Murphy Lab guitar can take up to two years, so if vintage style and sounds are your game, grab this Gibson while you can. It comes with a certificate of authenticity, and a brown and pink reissue 5-latch hardshell case.