Murphy Lab Acoustic Collection

[jt]

If there's a market for aged acoustics, then Gibson should participate.

As far as the propriety of abusing a new guitar to make it look old, seems OK to me. The folks who like pristine guitars are not the folks who want a relicked guitar. This gives Gibson the opportunity to serve a portion of the market they have not previously served.

I love vintage guitars. No, I don't believe that all vintage guitars are better than modern guitars. I just like the feel of the guitar and the ability to imagine who has played it (I do know for some of my guitars: I own 3 WWII Banner Gibsons bought by US soldiers in 1942 and 1943). If someone wants to pay a talented few folks to make his/her/their guitar look and feel old, why not?

I've not played one of these Murphy-ized acoustics. But I suspect I would like it.

[BluesKing777]

After watching the interview with Tom Murphy I posted, I wonder if the Murph Lab acoustics will eventually be available in all the Murphy 4 ageing stages? The new ones are currently all ‘light aged’......

I’m thinking the 32 L-00 for me with some severe relic! Could probably get it as a ‘custom’? What I appreciate is that the fretboard and frets are untouched, new, ready to go, where some vintage guitars I have bought...well....

My guitars rarely look any different after I play them for 20 years - they are never going to look ‘relic’d’.......so to buy a bashed up new acoustic is not that different than me buying a bashed up old guitar - I didn’t do any of it, just bought it!

Give us the 4 Murph ageing system, Gibson!

 

BluesKing777.

 

[E-minor7]

On 9/29/2023 at 1:12 PM, Murph said:

That's 20 years of playing it every day.

Surgical sanding?

Give me a break.

Sure - as long as it doesn't hurt your neck, , , eeeh the break.

I sand some guitars exactly there and have the same marks - but never on the oldies. 

 

[Murph]

I sand mine with calloused hands.

Hours and hours at a time in all kinds of conditions.

It's slow, but it's honest.

[Sgt. Pepper]

I let the guys who build my guitar sand on it. I just play it. All my relic-ing was do the way it was supposed to, by accidentally bumping into stuff. 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[gibsonchiq]

How often do these come back in stock?

 

The one I wanted from my go to retailer was sold

[BluesKing777]

25 minutes ago, gibsonchiq said:

How often do these come back in stock?

 

The one I wanted from my go to retailer was sold

Still have the one at Sweetwater....

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

[gibsonchiq]

Do they make more of these or is it whatever they make this one time is whatever they make?

 

If you look online it seems like there's only 5 or 6 available to buy in the whole USA. is that right?

Edited October 8, 2023 by gibsonchiq

[gibsonchiq]

I ordered the l-00. Was only able to play it for like a minute before heading to a show but it didn't seem like it had the mid range Gibson dry wood tone to my ears. My 42 reissue has more of it I think. But I have to get home to play it more 

Edited October 13, 2023 by gibsonchiq

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 10/8/2023 at 11:48 AM, gibsonchiq said:

Do they make more of these or is it whatever they make this one time is whatever they make?

 

If you look online it seems like there's only 5 or 6 available to buy in the whole USA. is that right?

Well first Gibson has make guitar that are not scratch and dents. Then they have to give em to Tom's crew to beat them up a bit. If they just stated doing these it may take a bit to get some back stock. 

[BluesKing777]

17 hours ago, gibsonchiq said:

I ordered the l-00. Was only able to play it for like a minute before heading to a show but it didn't seem like it had the mid range Gibson dry wood tone to my ears. My 42 reissue has more of it I think. But I have to get home to play it more 

 

We await an update on the L-00 after you play it a while!

Like I mentioned earlier somewhere, the new Gibson acoustics are scalloped braced whereas my old Gibsons AND Waterloo WL-14X are NON scalloped (my other Waterloo is ladder braced like an old Kalamazoo KG-14). So the new Gibson is not really an exact reissue. Same goes for your new LG2.

The Waterloos both capture that dry old mid range small body vintage Gibson. Sometimes the ladder braced sounds older than the real ones! It is a rare thing.....why though, I do not know. Design? Build? Bracing? Both Waterloos have ebony nuts, ebony bridge pins, ebony bridge but rosewood fretboard, flatback construction, wide spacing, very very light.....I’m about to play my ladder right now!

 

BluesKing777.

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by BluesKing777

[gibsonchiq]

I ended up ordering 3 of them and kept the best one. The variation between the 3 are crazy. One was super bassy, almost sounded like it had dead strings on from the factory. One was balanced but a bit muted and didn't responate as much. The one I kept was the one I thought sounded the best and resonates the most. But this one had tuners that didn't work well (the pegs spin freely before catching the gear) and we're installed not well. The one I kept had a saddle that sat flush in they bridge. The other two had crooked saddles. 

 

Maybe Gibson is doing this on purpose because the vintage guitars are all crazy like this as well lol. Personally I thought all the guitars would be perfect but just sound slightly different

I'm not a fan of the light ageing but wanted a custom shop l-00 and didn't like the rosewood one

Edited October 20, 2023 by gibsonchiq

[BluesKing777]

7 hours ago, gibsonchiq said:

I ended up ordering 3 of them and kept the best one. The variation between the 3 are crazy. One was super bassy, almost sounded like it had dead strings on from the factory. One was balanced but a bit muted and didn't responate as much. The one I kept was the one I thought sounded the best and resonates the most. But this one had tuners that didn't work well (the pegs spin freely before catching the gear) and we're installed not well. The one I kept had a saddle that sat flush in they bridge. The other two had crooked saddles. 

 

Maybe Gibson is doing this on purpose because the vintage guitars are all crazy like this as well lol. Personally I thought all the guitars would be perfect but just sound slightly different

I'm not a fan of the light ageing but wanted a custom shop l-00 and didn't like the rosewood one

 

Interesting but not unheard of approach - buy 3 and keep the best one!

Do you have to pay up front for all 3 or just the one ONE? I assume they were purchased online from 3 different shops as the shops I have viewed online only have one new L-00 each?

I semi happily buy anything BUT guitars online these days but I really should employ the buy 3 keep 1 approach to.......everything! QC for guitars bad enough but other stuff like clothes, shoes....well, let us say the sellers are doing their own thing!

Truth be told, any guitar I have bought has been the ONLY one the shop had, real shop or online.

Anyway, thanks for the update and I have lost interest in bad QC guitars- can’t believe the wobbly ones still go out the door.

P.S. nearly forgot - what is the L-00 Murph like to play?

 

BluesKing777.

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by BluesKing777

[gibsonchiq]

1 hour ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

Interesting but not unheard of approach - buy 3 and keep the best one!

Do you have to pay up front for all 3 or just the one ONE? I assume they were purchased online from 3 different shops as the shops I have viewed online only have one new L-00 each?

I semi happily buy anything BUT guitars online these days but I really should employ the buy 3 keep 1 approach to.......everything! QC for guitars bad enough but other stuff like clothes, shoes....well, let us say the sellers are doing their own thing!

Truth be told, any guitar I have bought has been the ONLY one the shop had, real shop or online.

Anyway, thanks for the update and I have lost interest in bad QC guitars- can’t believe the wobbly ones still go out the door.

P.S. nearly forgot - what is the L-00 Murph like to play?

 

BluesKing777.

 

There was a store that had 3. I paid for all three with my credit card. 

The v shape neck is very pronounced. Super hard V. It plays great. The one I got is 3 lbs 7 ounces so very light

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by gibsonchiq

[BluesKing777]

32 minutes ago, gibsonchiq said:

There was a store that had 3. I paid for all three with my credit card. 

The v shape neck is very pronounced. Super hard V. It plays great. The one I got is 3 lbs 7 ounces so very light

 

 

 

So with your card, you initially pay for all 3 L-00s and get credited for the returned?

Speaking of the returned ones, you probably should have ripped the wobbly bridges off and tell the shop they fell off.........because my bet is on them sending to some other DORK next ...AS IS.

 May be wrong and they could be returned to Gibson Montana as faulty, but I have a lack of faith........could have been worth $20 each for a couple of Apple Airtags slipped into the guitars with a bit of gaffa tape! Track their progress!

Just a crying shame they are still letting duds fo out....thought they may have fixed that with the new factory.

I know they would not all be like it, but my Waterloos (L-00 shaped by Collings) are perfect in all quality respects and still cooking after 5 or 6 years....and I could almost/maybe/probably not buy one...gulp.....online. Collings also make a delightful version of the L-00 with their Collings C10-35......the one I played in a shop was stunningly perfect. But the Waterloos have a much drier old 30s sound, great for roots music....and the C10-35 (sounds like a camera!) was a more ‘pretty’ but versatile kind of thing.......and pretty expensive.

Previously, I would have recommended my Martin CEO7, another ode to the L-00 but more ....ha...Martin sounding......except my beautiful fave CEO7 has suffered from the famous Martin binding falling off issue.......pffft.

So no getting around it (for me).....I would buy a real vintage 1933 Gibson L-00 and get my luthier to fix anything needed. They have the SOUND! And drama free once set up. And cool!

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

 

 

[gibsonchiq]

19 minutes ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

So with your card, you initially pay for all 3 L-00s and get credited for the returned?

Speaking of the returned ones, you probably should have ripped the wobbly bridges off and tell the shop they fell off.........because my bet is on them sending to some other DORK next ...AS IS.

 May be wrong and they could be returned to Gibson Montana as faulty, but I have a lack of faith........could have been worth $20 each for a couple of Apple Airtags slipped into the guitars with a bit of gaffa tape! Track their progress!

Just a crying shame they are still letting duds fo out....thought they may have fixed that with the new factory.

I know they would not all be like it, but my Waterloos (L-00 shaped by Collings) are perfect in all quality respects and still cooking after 5 or 6 years....and I could almost/maybe/probably not buy one...gulp.....online. Collings also make a delightful version of the L-00 with their Collings C10-35......the one I played in a shop was stunningly perfect. But the Waterloos have a much drier old 30s sound, great for roots music....and the C10-35 (sounds like a camera!) was a more ‘pretty’ but versatile kind of thing.......and pretty expensive.

Previously, I would have recommended my Martin CEO7, another ode to the L-00 but more ....ha...Martin sounding......except my beautiful fave CEO7 has suffered from the famous Martin binding falling off issue.......pffft.

So no getting around it (for me).....I would buy a real vintage 1933 Gibson L-00 and get my luthier to fix anything needed. They have the SOUND! And drama free once set up. And cool!

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

,

 

 

Yup, so i paid something like 17k on the credit card, and when i returned the 2 of them they refunded my 11k or so . 

 

with respect to the saddle, i think it is an issue with the bridge. Because my banner 1942 reissue had it from the factory and when my luthier fitted and cut a new saddle for it to try to fix it, it still occurred. something about the slot in the bridge must be off. 

Edited October 21, 2023 by gibsonchiq

[BluesKing777]

The saddle issue is not a new thing - my 2002 Gibson J50 had a Leaning Tower style saddle - my luthier made a nice new fat bone saddle, slotted it in and that's all, she wrote. (New bone nut as well and setup, urgent!). Don't forget to get a nice setup on your new guitars, everyone...maybe leave it for a week or two before getting it done.

Well, here below is a nice new video about the Gibson Acoustic Murphy Lab series - after watching it on my TV, I tell you, a person who won some Lotto or a rich person could easily think: "Hmmm, I think I will buy the whole set!" (Video has no mention of leaning saddles or loose tuners!😝)

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

 

[BluesKing777]

On 10/21/2023 at 11:33 AM, gibsonchiq said:

Yup, so i paid something like 17k on the credit card, and when i returned the 2 of them they refunded my 11k or so . 

 

with respect to the saddle, i think it is an issue with the bridge. Because my banner 1942 reissue had it from the factory and when my luthier fitted and cut a new saddle for it to try to fix it, it still occurred. something about the slot in the bridge must be off. 

 

When you have a minute, could you get out your measuring tape/ruler and measure the bridge pin spacing (officially measured from the middle of the thick E to the middle of the thin E string).......I am mainly interested in the new L-00 but curious of the LG2......so do both!

I am hoping, personally that Gibson made the spacing like the early 30s L-00 models with a very generous for fingerpicking 2 3/8” but I guess the LG2 would be standard modern Gibson 2 3/16”.

So far they are all a big secret. Not on the specs.

Thanks in advance!

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

[PrairieDog]

So we took a day trip down the river to a big store on Saturday to pick up a nice, well-mannered 1930s National Duolian for my spouse’s birthday. 

While we were there, I got to try a bunch of Gibsons, including a ML Hummingbird.  Wow, that was quite a bit of a let down. The sound to my ears (which are admittedly damaged) was just “meh” and I was pre-hyped to love it before I picked it up.  Also, I now know I’m not a fan of “relic-ing.”  If that is what this was.  

I wish I had thought to take a picture, but the finish had this weird orange peel texture to it, and the back had big, strange “swoopy/swirly” finish crazes  in it.  Not the regular checking you would expect from old wood fibers expanding and contracting in a logical pattern. This was like somebody took a razor cutter and dragged it around like a tiny ice skater on the back of the guitar.  Or maybe they were trying to make it look like it was used to play “spin the bottle” on a tilt-a-whirl.  

It all made zero sense in the physics of how wood ages or even as faux patina.  

So, a long day, but at least I have confirmed apparently I like my old looking stuff to come by it honestly.   Or like others have said, I want to beat it up myself, so I only have myself to blame and the memories of good times.  

So there, one more build option to cross off to help narrow the way too wide field.   

Edited October 24, 2023 by PrairieDog

[gibsonchiq]

4 hours ago, PrairieDog said:

So we took a day trip down the river to a big store on Saturday to pick up a nice, well-mannered 1930s National Duolian for my spouse’s birthday. 

While we were there, I got to try a bunch of Gibsons, including a ML Hummingbird.  Wow, that was quite a bit of a let down. The sound to my ears (which are admittedly damaged) was just “meh” and I was pre-hyped to love it before I picked it up.  Also, I now know I’m not a fan of “relic-ing.”  If that is what this was.  

I wish I had thought to take a picture, but the finish had this weird orange peel texture to it, and the back had big, strange “swoopy/swirly” finish crazes  in it.  Not the regular checking you would expect from old wood fibers expanding and contracting in a logical pattern. This was like somebody took a razor cutter and dragged it around like a tiny ice skater on the back of the guitar.  Or maybe they were trying to make it look like it was used to play “spin the bottle” on a tilt-a-whirl.  

It all made zero sense in the physics of how wood ages or even as faux patina.  

So, a long day, but at least I have confirmed apparently I like my old looking stuff to come by it honestly.   Or like others have said, I want to beat it up myself, so I only have myself to blame and the memories of good times.  

So there, one more build option to cross off to help narrow the way too wide field.   

When I first saw it. I thought that the finish checking just looked like it was paint dripping. I googled vintage guitars and to my surprise some checking does kind of look like that.

I'm not big on reliced guitars but there wasn't an l-00 equivalent that wasn't aged. Im completely neutral

[PrairieDog]

5 hours ago, gibsonchiq said:

When I first saw it. I thought that the finish checking just looked like it was paint dripping. I googled vintage guitars and to my surprise some checking does kind of look like that.

I'm not big on reliced guitars but there wasn't an l-00 equivalent that wasn't aged. Im completely neutral

So by paint dripping are you referring to the “orange peel” texture? The one I tried felt bumpy all over and you had to tilt it in the light just right to see the waviness.

What disappoints me is that generally is a finish defect that happens when you don’t wait long enough for the lacquer to dry between coats and don’t sand between layers, so it’s really a rush-build issue, unrelated to what happens as a guitar ages. I’m guessing any actual vintage ones that have it came new from the factory like that.  It doesn’t go away.  

Of course, if anyone here has a guitar they bought new decades ago that developed it later on (not counting Larsongs’ brother’s ex-wife throwing it in the pool) I will stand humbly corrected. 

Edited October 24, 2023 by PrairieDog

[Larsongs]

1 hour ago, PrairieDog said:

So by paint dripping are you referring to the “orange peel” texture? The one I tried felt bumpy all over and you had to tilt it in the light just right to see the waviness.

What disappoints me is that generally is a finish defect that happens when you don’t wait long enough for the lacquer to dry between coats and don’t sand between layers, so it’s really a rush-build issue, unrelated to what happens as a guitar ages. I’m guessing any actual vintage ones that have it came new from the factory like that.  It doesn’t go away.  

Of course, if anyone here has a guitar they bought new decades ago that developed it later on (not counting Larsongs’ brother’s ex-wife throwing it in the pool) I will stand humbly corrected. 

I have to ask my brother what he did with that Guitar? The neck was so bowed he could shoot Arrows! It was an expensive Ovation which sounded great! I wasn’t a fan of Ovation but he was.. I think he dropped it in the Dumpster on the way out of the Parking lot by our friends Condo..

[gibsonchiq]

On 10/21/2023 at 11:37 PM, BluesKing777 said:

 

When you have a minute, could you get out your measuring tape/ruler and measure the bridge pin spacing (officially measured from the middle of the thick E to the middle of the thin E string).......I am mainly interested in the new L-00 but curious of the LG2......so do both!

I am hoping, personally that Gibson made the spacing like the early 30s L-00 models with a very generous for fingerpicking 2 3/8” but I guess the LG2 would be standard modern Gibson 2 3/16”.

So far they are all a big secret. Not on the specs.

Thanks in advance!

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

6mm l-00

5.5mm lg-2

[gibsonchiq]

4 hours ago, PrairieDog said:

So by paint dripping are you referring to the “orange peel” texture? The one I tried felt bumpy all over and you had to tilt it in the light just right to see the waviness.

What disappoints me is that generally is a finish defect that happens when you don’t wait long enough for the lacquer to dry between coats and don’t sand between layers, so it’s really a rush-build issue, unrelated to what happens as a guitar ages. I’m guessing any actual vintage ones that have it came new from the factory like that.  It doesn’t go away.  

Of course, if anyone here has a guitar they bought new decades ago that developed it later on (not counting Larsongs’ brother’s ex-wife throwing it in the pool) I will stand humbly corrected. 

https://imgur.com/a/1r3XZky

 

This stuff, kind of spider webby. It runs west/east of the guitar and sometime in swirls in all 3 l-00s I ordered and I thought it was weird. But if you Google vintage guitars, they've got them as well. 

I don't care too much about relic and how good or authentic they are. Im just here for the guitar and sounds 

[BluesKing777]

6 hours ago, gibsonchiq said:

6mm l-00

5.5mm lg-2

Thanks for measuring those bridges - I assume you mean cm instead of mm....

So, the new L-00 Murph is 60 mm bridge spacing and the LG2 Historic Banner is 55mm...

That L-00 is getting close to the string spread of the famous early Gibson L-00s - Hooray for Gibson Acoustic at last! ( A whisker less than my Waterloo WL-14s!).

My older 2007 Blues King L-00 is around 55mm, like your LG2....like most modern day Gibson acoustics.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by BluesKing777