Tom Murphy is a luthier who is famous for his aged finishes, creating new guitars that look and feel like they’ve been played for 60 years. He is head of aging at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville. He is the equivalent of a Fender Custom Shop ‘Master Builder’ who work at a large manufacturer but are famous in their own right.

Should I buy a Gibson Murphy lab or a Custom Shop?

The Gibson Murphy Lab is a subset of the Gibson Custom Shop that deals exclusively with distressing finishes to give them an old, played-in look and feel. Whether you decide between a Murphy Lab guitar or a Standard Custom Shop is just down to whether or not you prefer an aged finish.