Gibson Custom Murphy Lab tour—every hand-aged detail explained

Join us on the Gibson Custom Murphy Lab tour, where we discover new processes, including hand-aging on all metal parts—this is a first for Gibson Custom

▶ Shop all Gibson Custom Murphy Lab guitars HERE: https://bit.ly/4aKFhv0
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Gibson Gear Guide host Dinesh Lekhraj goes behind the scenes at Gibson Custom and takes us on an exclusive tour deep inside the Gibson Custom Shop, getting exclusive access to a place we rarely show anyone—the Murphy Lab. Here, Dinesh gets the inside scoop on the painstaking processes that make the latest Gibson Custom guitars with Murphy Lab aging the best ever.

Dinesh speaks to the artisans who age your guitars including Tom Murphy himself, and craftspeople like Karen Jenkins, discovering how paying attention to every tiny detail on vintage instruments—from how wood discolors when it oxidizes to verdigris giving gold knobs a green hue—all comes together to turn a brand new guitar into an instrument that looks like it’s been a musical companion for decades.

See how the Murphy Lab team takes the time to roll the edges of the fingerboard and soften the exposed edges of the wood for a broken-in feel that makes your guitar extremely comfortable to play, echoing decades of wear. Meanwhile, subtle yet important additions like emulations of buckle rash and pickguard strikes ensure every single guitar tells its own story, adding an unprecedented layer of authenticity and individuality.

So what’s changed for 2026? Previously, aged plastics would only appear in very special runs, but now the Murphy Lab offers the complete aging package. Every single component gets aged by hand, from the yellowing of tuner buttons to the subtle warping of pickguards, and hand-aging on all metal parts—this is a first for Gibson Custom.

And if that’s not enough, in this video you’ll even get a sneak preview of what’s coming down the line, such as new finishes, and how the whole ethos of the Murphy Lab is still evolving under the watchful eye of master craftspeople. This is the next level of guitar aging—enjoy the Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab factory tour.

0:00 Behind the scenes at the Gibson Custom Murphy Lab
1:49 Inside the Murphy Lab with Karen Jenkins
2:35 Light Aging on a Gibson Custom guitar
3:55 Secret tools used for the Murphy Lab aging process
9:05 Aging the neck of your guitar
11:43 How the Murphy Lab aging process affects the sound of a guitar
12:27 A super-secret guitar
12:46 Meet Tom Murphy
15:00 The new Murphy Lab hardware aging process
29:47 Making your guitar comfortable to play
31:07 Exclusive colors
32:27 Mat Koehler explains the Gibson Custom Murphy Lab ethos
34:00 A sneak peek at upcoming guitars for 2026
36:41 How every guitar gets its own story


📼 Related Videos To Watch Next:
▶ What is Gibson Murphy Lab Heavy Aging?    • What is Gibson Murphy Lab Heavy Aging?  
▶ Complete Gibson Murphy Lab Acoustic comparison:    • Gibson Custom acoustic comparison ft. Tom ...  
▶ Official Gibson Murphy Lab Les Paul Buyers Guide:    • Official Gibson Murphy Lab Les Paul Buyers...  

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