The Gibson Custom Shop Made 2 Measure Murphy Lab ’59 Les Paul Standard, presented in the Murphy Painted Ultra Heavy Aged Abilene Sunset Burst, is a masterful celebration of vintage craftsmanship, tonal excellence, and aesthetic artistry. This instrument embodies the meticulous attention to detail, historic accuracy, and visual depth that have made the Murphy Lab finish one of the most revered in the world of collectible guitars. Significantly, this guitar is one of the last Gibson instruments personally painted by Tom Murphy, adding extraordinary historical and collectible value, as Murphy himself is no longer painting instruments. The Abilene Sunset Burst finish captures the warm, fading hues of a sun-soaked vintage Burst, enhanced by the Ultra Heavy Aged treatment that evokes decades of real-world play.

Construction adheres faithfully to the legendary 1959 Les Paul formula. The guitar features a lightweight solid mahogany body paired with a handpicked two-piece figured maple top, each joint assembled with traditional hide-glue fit for superior resonance and tonal integrity. The nitrocellulose lacquer finish, expertly aged in the Murphy Lab Ultra Heavy Aged style, showcases realistic lacquer checking, worn edges, and subtle patina, reproducing the look of a guitar that has seen decades of passionate playing while preserving the natural vibrancy and depth of the maple top.

The neck is crafted from solid mahogany and fitted with a long neck tenon, ensuring excellent sustain and vintage-correct structural stability. Its Carmelita Fine Carve profile, specified “Do Not Roll”, measures precisely to deliver the historic feel of a late-’50s Les Paul. A solid rosewood fingerboard, hide-glue fitted, complements the neck, providing a smooth yet responsive playing surface, while the classic 24.75" (62.865 cm) scale length enhances the characteristic warmth and note definition.

Tonally, this Made 2 Measure Les Paul is voiced with unpotted Custombucker pickups in both the neck and bridge positions, offering the dynamic sensitivity, harmonic richness, and blooming sustain of original late-’50s PAFs. The electronics remain fully vintage-accurate, with two 500K CTS volume pots, two 500K CTS tone pots, a hand-wired harness with Bumblebee capacitors, and a Switchcraft toggle switch, delivering authentic tone shaping and reliable performance.

The hardware is period-correct, featuring a nickel-finished ABR-1 bridge and lightweight aluminum tailpiece, which contribute to the guitar’s resonance, sustain, and classic feel. The guitar ships strung with Gibson’s traditional .010–.046 set, ready for immediate play with a familiar vintage setup.

This exceptional instrument is housed in a Brown/Pink Reissue case, faithful to the vintage Lifton-style cases of the original era, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity, confirming its Custom Shop Made 2 Measure provenance. With its meticulously crafted construction, striking Abilene Sunset Burst, Murphy Lab Ultra Heavy Aged finish, and the rare distinction of being among the final guitars personally painted by Tom Murphy, this ’59 Les Paul Standard stands as a remarkable fusion of tone, history, and artistry—an heirloom-quality instrument for collectors and players alike.