Gibson Custom Shop's new Murphy Lab has one purpose: to take expert aging artist Tom Murphy's proprietary techniques to the next level. Here, Tom and his personally trained team of artists use cutting-edge technology and Tom's own processes, developed over years of careful testing, to produce perfect replicas of golden-age Gibsons, each dressed with Tom's brand of authentic, hand-applied playwear, and scientifically reverse-engineered nitrocellulose lacquer, identical to that which the brand used in the 1950s and 1960s. Each Murphy Lab model corresponds to one of four distinct aging levels and features extra-rolled fingerboard binding for a broken-in feel and true-to-life look.
The Historic Reissue ES-335 is back and better than ever, thanks to a year of studying, scanning, and listening to original examples. The expert craftspeople at Gibson Custom Shop have rendered every contour, profile, inlay, and color of the priceless vintage models in magnificent detail. The result is a playing and ownership experience that will keep you coming back for more. The 1959 ES Reissue models feature rounded cutaways, Medium C-shape neck proles scanned from originals, dot inlays, and vintage-replica parts. It also features Heavy Aging by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab. The Murphy Lab Light Aged finish treatment, paired with lightly aged hardware, simulates decades of natural play wear, giving it the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era.