This Ruined Gibson Murphy Lab Guitars for Me

[@Barry_Poe]

Most people already know how guitar relics are done. There are articles and videos on how to do it all over the internet. They didn't really let anything new out of the bag.

[@lowercase3635]

Yeah I don’t get how people are taken aback by it. It’s common knowledge.

[@TheRockinmac]

Yeah it's like chicken in the grocery store. It was once alive and to get on the shelf it had to be killed. How did you think they done it?

[@petermoss208]

@@TheRockinmacbrilliant

[@Utube-g3g]

@@TheRockinmacI won’t have it killed for me. I can no longer eat it. And I’m going to use my guitars. We are only here for a short time. Use your stuff and enjoy it. My dad was doing that with everything. His car, anything new and trying to keep things new looking. I think because he grew up poor. I started doing it and realized I’m not enjoying my car I’m not using things. I’m saving them. I made a change. I’m not going to go down that road. I treat my stuff well but I no longer drive myself crazy. Play your guitars and enjoy them.

[@American-Dragon]

How it looks gets your attention but how it sounds and plays matters most

[@jltrem]

I'm part of a disappearing breed who gets sick and has to go to bed for a few days when he puts a ding in one of his guitars.

[@hillelmusic]

This is why I’m into the relic thing. Not just for the look… it’s because for me it is an artistic way of eliminating my give-a-damn about dents dings and scratches. Less mental energy allotted being on guard against belts, pocket knives, kids,my EDC holster, pets, kids, 😅 more mental energy on playing. I have my “BBQ” guitars and then I have my players 👍🏽

[@jltrem]

@@hillelmusic I'm old. I can't change.

[@jasong546]

I totally understand

[@dustinscott5628]

​@@hillelmusicis a bbq guitar a nice one that comes out sometimes?

[@superglassbucks6356]

I have some super custom Warrior Guitars I traded for with a dealer. NOS 59 Isabella’s I am so afraid to play them unless I pull from the case and put them back immediately

[@steverushforth7009]

I worked for a company that produced high-end repro furniture, they could "distress" to match the customer's real antique furniture, the main distressing was done with hydrogen peroxide to simulate years of sun bleaching, and the surface was then heated with heat guns and liquid nitrogen spread on this gave the micro-cracking, hitting with chains, etc was for the cheaper manufactures. PS The actual French polishing and grain filling also "aged the finish"

[@mathmusicstructure]

Imagine having a full time job of scratching expensive guitars with keys and railroad spikes

[@m.d.4949]

No brainer!😂

[@ManchurianCounterweight]

It would feel so good.

[@namegoeshere2805]

It's an incredibly brilliant scam lol

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

@@namegoeshere2805 Only it's not a scam.

[@bootgrip6]

And I’m sure he’s compensated well for it to boot

[@leokimvideo]

Gibson have amazing videos of them explaining how it's their incredible hand painted and polished finishes that are much of the value to their product. Then you're told it's destroyed and banged up perfect product that's the most valuable. Yeah i'm struggling with that style of business model.

[@trev3971]

How did you think they did it before? When replicating wear that was caused by belt buckles, microphone stands, and stage doors, little bits of metal is the most authentic way to do it quickly.

[@CrazyLazyDave]

I think if they handed you the tools and you tried to do yourself, you'd feel differently about how much skill is involved in it turning out good and not ruining any guitars. I could be wrong of course 🤷‍♂️

[@juanvaldez5422]

Lol

[@SamHollidayV]

Spot on!

[@Kjm041]

You’re playing is immense! As someone that follows a bunch of KZbin guitarists, you’re playing really is top notch as is the tone. Feel free to share how you get that tone! I’d watch that all day

[@achill3usoverclocking874]

I found it cute you were thinking there is a random ding generator at the back of the muphy lab :) But honestly I have no problem with that how they are doing it, because the biggest take away for me are those authentic colors and painting you will have no other chance getting but buying a murphy lab. those golden poppy bursts are killer, no matter how bashed they are. but i get your point, ultra light aging is the most tasteful they are doing the best for most ppl i think.

[@JohnNathanCordyFactBot-br8is]

Much how the state of Virginia is named after Elizabeth the First, John Cordy inspired the naming of Chad, as well as Smallness, Rhode Island.

[@plecogod]

I can definitely see how an "aged neck" on a new guitar would be comfortable to play. I have two Squier Strats that are 25 and a 26 year old. The maple necks not only turned a dark amber color over time, but they feel smooth and amazing to play. These guitars also show why a poly finish is better (for me) than a nitro finish. Despite their age, other than normal play wear, there is no finish checking or chips in the finish. The idea of paying a premium for a guitar that already sells for a huge premium, just to make it look old and played in, is downright silly to me.

[@DeeTee79]

I agree with you. Spending 10k on a guitar that looks like a baby dropped some car keys on it is ridiculous.

[@chaos4316]

I specialise in making relic guitars out of a custom shop. That this ‘spoiled’ the mystique of relic designed guitars is odd. Depending on the level of wear you’re fabricating, there is every kind of tool/item used to create what I call controlled chaos. I’ve used scalpels, so many kinds of blades, files, the ground I’m standing on, keys, cigarettes, heat, cold, various metal objects, acid… it’s a long list. My most recent work was an EVH Frankie replica. That took a while with extreme attention to detail, level of wear between the 3 colours. It’s as era accurate as possible. It’s that magnified attention to detail that makes a good luthier. The dings, scratches, fades etc… it has to mimic the origin of how and when they happened on the real thing, and there is an art to it that took years to perfect.

[@chaos4316]

I’ll add, I think relic guitars are a love/hate thing. I’ve always loved them, but Gibson don’t impress me at all.

[@christopherem3108]

I currently own a Murphy Lab R8 that was lightly aged by the Murphy Lab, then Wildwood gave it to Danocaster and he did his thing on it. I'm ambivalent on relics; I'd never buy a guitar *because* it's reliced, but if it's a guitar that I like, I don't care whether it's reliced or not. I bought the R8 because I love the neck, and it sounds exceptional.

[@Sams911]

I’m sorry, but call me simple. I just spent $11,000 on a Gibson custom shop Les Paul, however I took delivery of it in perfect mint condition. I’ll spend the next 30 years naturally aging it. I don’t need to pay someone several thousand dollars in premium to do it themselves in a period of a week.

[@Vakilando]

What I alkways find super funny: When you sell a used regular Gibson Custom shop with wear which just happended it will lower the selling price, when it's "aged" you will be able to get a higher price. This is really a wild concept.

[@waitaminute7257]

Exactly! It's so freaking backwards it's ridiculous.

[@Rhythmicons]

The idea of deliberately damaging a guitar for cool factor ruined it for me.

[@TheWorldsFastestIndie]

I have a CT scan 23 Murphy lab, literally no aging on it just exact copy of a 59 les Paul even down to materials paint and tools used, its not aged but lab painted, its as close to me going into a shop in 1959 and buying an original back in time. The difference being i didnt spend £300k getting that guitar today, i spent £5500 and its a close as I'll ever get to owning that original 59 that I've seen all my heros play, I'm not keen on "relicing" i think it should turn into a relic with you naturally but each to their own. I watched that vid with tom and i already knew how they did it none of it was a surprise to me at all.

[@adamstrachn]

I never thought it was a secret guitar brands relic this way. As far as I know guitars with any relic are done this way, no matter the brand.

[@gravyblue]

It used to be that a reliced guitar was a a sign of an instrument that was unputdownable. Not any more.

[@stevest3v3]

........Yeh, Christmas hasn't been same for me since I was told there's no Santa Claus!

[@kengoodman7719]

The relicing does look cool - up to a point, anyway. But it seems ironic that for a brand new, unreliced, custom shop guitar they want $5k. But to then increase the aged look on the same guitar by throwing a bunch of screws at it and now charge a premium for that up to TWICE the amount - this seems like someone is being conned somewhere. Sorry. Merry Christmas! God Bless!

[@joetowers4804]

I can trash your guitar for only $200.

[@matthewhowe1098]

You guys are ignorant to this subject😅 it takes a lot of skill to replicate Decades of Road where and abused I guarantee you that if you tried it it would look like crap it's an art and it takes a special type of artist to reproduce it

[@SweetSpotSC]

If you talk to Chris at K-Line, he’ll tell you that with his guitars it’s more time-consuming and laborious to make a perfect NOS finish than his closet-classic or full relic guitars. They don’t all start out perfect and then receive relic. There are more steps of wet, sanding, and spraying and polishing to get things to lay flat and glossy on an NOS Guitar. I used to be a fan of relic guitars, and have owned several custom shop models. But something switched in me a few years ago, and I realized I was paying more for less. And I actually like the look of a perfectly finished guitar. I’m not opposed to an old guitar that has honest wear, but I’d like to put that wear on myself.

[@TheTopring]

Furniture makers have been using these same distressing methods for 20 years. Locks, nails and spikes.

[@markyymarkXL]

You have to thank the demented people in the guitar community for normalizing the exploitation of the market. It's fucking preposterous to pay 13k for a "distressed/relic'ed" guitar. The demand for this gave Gibson and friends wiggle room to fuck you out of your money and some people are fine with that or deluded. I'm not against the murphy lab or the fender custom, what I'm against is people telling you it's okay to pay triple the price of a guitar that got clawed with keys and thrown into the snow by an "artisan".. 4k price magically becomes 13k..like wtf

[@rianadams4837]

I'm a fortunate owner of an old Gibson and a Murphy Lab that mirrors it. The Murphy Lab is a fantastic playing and sounding guitar; I rarely put it in a case. It's also a work of art, not simply wood with strings. I do understand where John is coming from, but I respectfully see it from a different perspective. Art is about the relationship the artist creates between themselves, their work, and the buyer--If the type of brushes the artist uses or the price their art commands are the main concerns, then you have to differentiate between being at an art gallery vs an art auction or sale.

[@bigknuckle9689]

I like the light aging. It’s just the “broke-in” feeling. Makes me feel like I want to use it instead of just stare at it. Not a fan of the heavy relic, just makes it look like nobody cares about that guitar, but we all love worn in boots and jeans.

[@jamesemerson4102]

100%. Same with people who like patina on a car. Some people simply like the feel/look of it. Makes it feel like an old trusty pair of boots. Many people just prefer that. To this day I still have no clue why so many people struggle to understand ageing, when it's been done for so many years on many vehicles, and even on clothing.

[@redbarchetta8782]

I'm now 14 years into relicing my R9. Starting to look like it's been used now. ;)

[@Funkybassuk]

I was horrified. “Don’t do that!”, I shouted at the screen at that point.

[@googo151]

I personally hate distressed guitars. I'd rather put the damage on myself, by way of gigging and travel.

[@imunchienandalusia]

i don't so much care for the relicing but how those guitars feel and sound. I was going to buy a VOS les paul one day, but picked up a heavy aged goldtop (which aesthetically i'm not that into) and it just sounded like an old guitar so i bought it on the spot. Maybe it was just that particular one but to me the Murphys are different. My benchmark, my brother has a 60s SG and i always wanted a les paul that feels and sounds like that one. This one was as close as i could get since i can't afford vintage. I'm not a rich guy so it the murphy was a significant purchase for me. Just my experience.

[@froblivion8284]

I personally think the whole Murphy Lab thing is just slick marketing of the kind of guitars Gibson should be putting out anyway. I’d be just as happy with a regular LP that has the X factor when when you play it. Play it enough & it will be better than Mr Murphy’s efforts for a lot less money. I’m not against relicing but price gouging is a problem for me & Gibson are masters at that imo. Hope you have a fantastic Christmas Nathan & a brilliant New Year. All the best 👍🎅🏿🤘

[@monahantp3767]

Agreed. However, I wonder if "price gouging" is the correct term; Gibson is working to keep up with demand for its high priced "relic" guitars-- despite many of us suffering sticker-shock at what they're charging. Only when people stop paying the high prices will they come down... which doesn't look likely anytime soon~

[@AC9ZR]

Nash has been doing it for decades, love mine and it's never been a mystery. All of them do it this way. Checking is usually down with a facto knife to start. It is what it is. I love my Nash and how chewed up it is

[@seancollins3106]

There's a reverb mini-doc with Dennis Fano going through the whole process at Novo. Fano showed basically the same stuff as they use in the Murphy Lab. I don't think the interview with Lee Anderton let any genie out of the bottle... Anybody who's been aware of relic'd guitars for awhile knows this already.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

I am having trouble fathoming why any of this would get to you or anyone.

[@ehmmmjay9907]

Unfortunately, the Murphy Lab has become to the Custom Shop what the CS was to Gibson USA - ie, they get first dibs on the woods before the CS and Gibson USA.

[@gregorylumpkin2128]

Man that is a tune right out of the heart and soul of people who struggle to move forward, to take care of family and friends, and to overcome tyranny.

[@darwinsaye]

I don’t get how people consider “aging” and damage to be the same. I think they should just use nickel plated hardware on the guitar and finish it with the thinnest possible acrylic finish - thin enough that you can still feel the grain through it, the way nice furniture is finished. Then when you just use the guitar normally, you will have a nice vintage-aged looking instrument in less than a year.

[@espertempo]

For those of us that always saw relicing as a tacky fake aging, the Murphy lab video didn’t come as a surprise.

[@ksharpe10]

Historic Makeovers is around the corner from where I live, Ironically I do not know the Guys that work there. They have been redoing regular Gibsons into 50's replicas, for at least 10 years now.

[@joybuzzer]

I watched the whole interview with Tom Murphy and didn't think about it too much then, but then today when you said "seeing how the sausage is made", I think I totally agree with the points you're making in this video.

[@tonystartup3817]

I don't need to pay someone to bash up my guitars. I seem perfectly capable of doing that myself for free whether intentional or not

[@alexgarnett5373]

It’s much the same process we use in film props .. many different things are used to distress and age things. The key is to use research of real aging and use lots of different tools to create it. The trickiest thing to do is to keep it random looking and create layers. I quite like some relics but Saying that I saw a Murphy lab 335 heavy relic that looked absolutely terrible, it looked like someone had tried it for the first time and spilt tippex on the top.

[@marziograva]

The best ´mojo´or smooth feel when playing a guitar is achieved by your own playing throughout the years, or by buying a very used instrument. An instrument that vibrated enough to have its wood settled, and a neck that was played enough to smoothing out naturally through playing motion. I can´t think of anything better - and this is my experienced opinion regarding heavy relic guitars from all big brands. We all may feel different about it, and that´s OK. We are all free to go and find what suits us best. :) Great video.

[@christopherem3108]

I had a '54 Les Paul Custom re-issue that Tom Murphy "reliced" using a razor blade. The re-sale value increased dramatically because it represented an early example of TM's relic-ing work. Beast of a guitar, too!

[@NFMorley]

Im not a huge relic fan (although a little neck/body wear can feel nice when playing), but in fairness to Gibson, I think everyone else uses the same methods for aging 'Vintage' Custom Shop models. The methods are well enough known, they're just the ones who have let customers, as you said, see how the sausage is made (which is a good analogy here, as knowledge of it may put off customers). Also I truly hate the feeling of that first scrape or ding on something, but after that the blemishes just become irrelevant to me. Take care of things sure, but instruments are things meant to be played and used and have their own character imo, not ornaments.

[@alecfraser1928]

I think the heavy relic stuff misses the point. What we want is a guitar that plays as well as those made in the late 50s / early 60s and looks how they were in their prime in the late 60s - mid 70s. They were only 10-15 years old at the time and looked pretty clean for the most part unless they had been stripped or refinished. The only heavily worn guitar I remember from the time was Rory Gallagher's Strat. It wasn't till the late 80s / early 90s that you would see a lot of 50s finishes cracking and flaking badly.

[@JamesJLaRue]

This here is one of those sweaters that vaguely suggests chainmail armor and gives the wearer the presence of a knight.

[@fossilmatic]

Early on in the introduction of relicing there were videos of people dropping keys on finishes. A funny parody video even showed a Strat being pulled along the ground behind a car on a rope😊. My suspicion has always been that installing a door on a room in the Gibson factory and putting “Murphy Lab” on it is an excuse to charge more for the same process that has been around for awhile. Perhaps the door at the other end of the room connects to the main factory and has a sign saying “B stock” on the other side of it?😅

[@ferna182]

Similarly, an old gibson factory tour video they themselves submitted absolutely ruined gibson guitars for me. All I saw was uninterested workers throwing pieces of wood into a machine until a guitar was dumped on the other end. The money shot at the end, a MASSIVE warehouse PACKED with guitars destroyed the whole thing for me. What I got from the video was that Gibson nailed production so much that they didn't even need real luthiers or motivated workers anymore. EVERYTHING was being made with machines and the only human interaction was replacing the pieces of wood going into and out of the machines. That's it. So if that's the case... Then WHY the hell are they charging multiple thousands of dollars for a guitar??? I have 0, ZERO, issues with machines building guitars, but god dammit, I expect to pay like a machine built the guitar: LOW PRICES. They replaced human labor for machines, increased production by 50 fold and expect me to pay the same amount? screw that. If I'm paying that much, I expect a human being to build my instrument and pocket the money, not a bunch of executives that probably can't even play the damn thing in the first place.

[@SamHollidayV]

I have had my 345 for about a month and a half down here in the Florida heat, often playing shirtless. While it was a shiny nitro gloss black finish without a hint of relic…. Well now I’d say it has “light aging” I will see if I can flip this for and grand over what I paid. Hold my beer.

[@pietervanmoorter9602]

I Don't get the aversion. How do some of you think they were doing it?

[@DGAB955]

For me, it is the ridiculous prices they are asking for the relicing. Got a heavy reluced custom build strat for half of what they ask for their heavy reliced guitars, and I still think it was a ridiculous price for what basically is, someone damaging your guitar.

[@jackprice7828]

Merry Christmas John! Interesting video. I personally don't get intentionally aging or stressing a guitar. Using original woods and laquers, sure, But they got to do some serious justifications that stressing a guitar really helps the tone. Otherwise if it has no purpose in making the tone better, I say leave it alone.

[@kevinp_25]

All I need to know is what tone you were using at the beginning. Glorious tone!

[@paulsimmons5726]

I’ve played a few Murphy Lab guitars and they’re pretty cool, whatever the distress level, but the cost factor is insane! Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@barefootnblues]

First time here. Nice playing in the beginning- really tasteful stuff. As far as relicing goes to each their own and I agree with you. Gibson relicing process would have been better off a mystery. How we got to the point of a beat up guitar carrying a premium price is beyond me. The whole idea is beyond me. It reminds me when doctors, lawyers buy a Harley, bike and all the apparel, etc. and go out riding as a bike gang. They just need to remember to take off their Rolex. Go figure. For perspective, the Telecaster and I are the same age. Thanks for a great post.

[@serkanonf]

Idea behind relic guitar is bringing it home without hassle and say "I bought this old guitar with a great deal." 😂

[@paulborg9239]

So how do you think the damage and distressing was caused? If not by someone applying some 'considered' abuse using abrasive materials. . and how would you have preferred tne process to have been implemented? For what it's worth, I have a 2-month old ultra light aged LP, and was surprised how easily the paint and laquer comes off - I only have to look at it and another blemish appears 😂. However, I'm of a certain age and I don't have time to wait 40 years for a new guitar to look like ones I bought back in the 80s and 90s. I thought about the VOS, but they look and feel like a TV prop to me and remind me of those vintage pianos that get re lacquered, rather than French polished. So I guess it's really an individual choice and Gibson are trying to cover all bases. However, I think they need to make it really explicit that the ultra light and light aged models will continue to age rapidly. This fact is only ever mentioned in passing in interview etc... but should be advertised, as I suspect there must be a lot of people out there wondering if they accidentally keep dinging their new toy.

[@sroelit]

I dig the relic stuff. But I wear faded blue jeans and a distressed leather jacket. I watched Jackson Pollock create one of his paintings. It looked like a guy splattering paint on a canvas. Still thought it was genius.

[@westwoods4067]

Own a Les Paul VOS R57, R58, etc. with a nice consistent dark rosewood fretboard? Then it's worth keeping and it will sound even better after a year of using W.E. Hill & Sons "Varnish Cleaner". Absolutely no other commercial polishing concoctions. A year of carefully, dare I say lovingly, rubbing W.E. Hill & Sons "Varnish Cleaner" into the VOS finish on top, back, and back of the neck only using an old white 100% cotton T-shirt patch will remove an outer layer of crap on your VOS model that leaves a genuine light skin of beautifully textured nitro finish so thin that the wood begins to resonate noticeably more subtle when played dry. It's not a lot of work, however, in my experience takes about a year before your VOS reveals itself as your own Collectors Choice. W.E. Hill & Sons "Varnish Cleaner" is made in England. The music shop here in Munich where I find it sells the product for about 12 Euros per bottle.

[@a_low_note]

I've found greater satisfaction with Heritage guitars than Gibsons in general...

[@dkijc]

Well.. One of my guitar heros (Lincoln Brewster) once showed us how he relic'd his own guitar... It was with keys. Hahaha. So I'm actually not surprised and but surprised at the fact that one of the biggest guitar brand does it the same way. lol

[@KenLasaine]

How else would one do it?

[@bootgrip6]

I don’t mind so much that they perform the relicing, but it does raise questions to me that they charge so much more for a reliced instrument. Literally damaging it and charging you extra… yet if I boyght the same custom shop and it had natural wear and tear and didn’t have the murphy lab moniker it would resale at a reduced rate due to “used imperfections”. Soo go on reverb and find a mint condition murphy lab and then look at a used gibson in similar condition that can only be devalued at “good” condition pricing.

[@autodidacticprofessor869]

I don't know what you think they were doing to put dings, scratches and marks on these things. I just laughed while I watched it because I knew it was going to trigger guys who either spent a fortune on these things or were considering it. The use of random metal objects, doesn't mean they are just randomly banging on the guitar. If you actually watched the video, he explains that there is a meticulous and artistic process to getting a realistic "old heavily gig'ed" appearance. So if watching that video put you off from buying a fake relic guitar and spending ungawdly amounts of money on something like that, all the better. To me, the worst part of the video was the snake oil nonsense about finish being some major "tone" factor. It's not an acoustic. You're hugging the thing against your body so this idea that "thin nitro" magically "opens up" a guitar is some goofy stuff. But that kind of snake oil crap is how they can squeeze crazy money from people who buy into it.

[@colinrobinson9674]

What model of LP are u holding in this video?

[@ksharpe10]

He has a 2002, Regular, I believe.

[@geet77777]

@@ksharpe10 fuckin "regular"?

[@ksharpe10]

@@geet77777 Well not a Custom Shop or Murphy lab. John's is a 60 Standard Gibson.

[@davidfellows6250]

What did you think ,they were dragged behind a truck? I have no need for a beat up guitar that i havent beat up when buying new whith i prefure to not.

[@jayartz8562]

Ive got an amazing relic'd Strat, it only took me 35 years to get the finish almost right, still working on it.

[@mariodriessen9740]

The aging process has been over the top from the very beginning when they started doing it at the Fender Custom Shop. I don’t mind per se, but it seems like most guitar players are being drawn towards the heavier aged relic jobs. Now I have worked in the vintage guitar industry for a little while and I’ve seen and played hundreds of authentic old instruments. And I can tell you that most of them would have been called ‘lightly aged’ if they were actually new and purposefully reliced. You would never see large chunks of paint missing. Or Sonic Blue over Sunburst. I know there are examples of guitars where it did happen, but those were exceptional and you could only tell when they started to wear off heavily. Anyway, I don’t care. Apparently there are lots of people who love them. HOWEVER, what I do wonder is how will these (heavily) aged Custom Shop guitars sell in the future. I’m talking about resale value. Because there’s no way that a potential buyer can know how the guitar came out of the factory. If you buy a new guitar, no relic job done on it, and you use it for a number of years, the guitar will show some signs of wear. Example: if I can buy two completely original Fender Stratocasters, both made in 1964, both in a Burgundy Mist finish. One of the two is completely beaten up and the other still looks like a brand new guitar. When it comes to value, it’s easy, because no matter how good and cool the beaten up Strat may be, the other one will be literally thousands of pounds/dollars/euro more expensive. But how can you tell a pristine heavy relic guitar from one that’s beaten up in 20 years from now? I’m just curious. 😅

[@bluzzjazz]

My guitars have aged from playing them. I have some higher end guitars that I try and keep very clean. The one Novo I ordered a few years ago, was one of the last you get with no distress. Ice metallic blue and it's gorgeous still. I would just never pay an upcharge for distressing.

[@hackdog69]

how did you think they did it?

[@creationinspired200]

Relicing is best left to the owners while they play that first ding stings but you realize if you dont play it you wont enjoy it on a side note murphy lab has made dinging your guitar on accident a hell of a lot more bearable lol

[@eoinc_Ire]

My kids do a good job of distressing my guitars! No neck breaks yet though! Just leave the guitar on a stand in the back room, and over the weeks of them picking it up and dropping it, it looks pretty banged up! All natural, and random!

[@NJSonye]

I’ve played a $7000 Murphy Labs a LP. I thought the regular custom shop was fine. If a thin coats of lacquer were used it wouldn’t take long for weather checking especially in Northern US. I really don’t want a guitar with “fake memories!” I know all about why the finish has worn off of my 12 yr old Heritage! 12 years of lotsa my playing rhythm and no scratch plate!

[@wizdeas6064]

Seasons greetings John. The whole ageing thing does nothing to improve a guitar. If it has some dings and scratches from being played live then so be it. but to purposely beat it up and then charge extra is just BS. But as a friend of mine once said "no-one ever lost money underestimating the public"...Have a good holiday break with your family.

[@michaelgriffin5304]

I have an original 68 Mustang with a lot of natural wear, looks so cool. I have a LP that I checked the back on for fun since it is already kind of beat up. Looks neat, especially since if you actually make it check, you can only see it when the light hits it a certain way. I completely agree with the interview, took some of the magic away for sure! I never understood the relic thing until very recently - it's a style/look. Some like it, some don't.

[@richardleonardhill]

I've worked in the wood / furniture industry for 40 years, and what the Murphy lab are doing is not really new at all, and personally I like the light aged guitars. I'm not sure what "magic" you may have thought they're doing in there, but dents are only caused by something being hit, and checking by a sudden temperature change where the wood shrinks or expands at a different speed to the lacquer, and these are age old practices. You made reference to sausages a couple of times, and my view here is that if the sausage tastes good then just enjoy it!!

[@petersmith143]

Ive got a slightly relic'd 1985 Original Kramer Baretta. Years of playing it is the trick. Throwing keys at a guitar just makes it look artificially beaten up....

[@larsheuker]

I mean you know its not machine done, how else would they do this?

[@stevest3v3]

Was Tom using the key to the front or back door?

[@Impractical_Engineer]

I felt the same way while watching that interview. I enjoy relic guitars but after that interview I saw the Murphy Lab guitars as not really something I desired anymore.

[@kevinkimball152]

I have a 2002 Les Paul Standard that has aged nicely on it's own. I have 2 Fender Custom Shop Strats that are lightly reliced and they are so nice to play... like wearing an old pair of shoes... I don't really care how they relic the guitars as long as they look and feel like a real used guitar. If a pro can use a set of keys and make the guitar look like it's been played for 50 years... more power to them

[@warmitag]

How else do you think it'd be done?

[@mouloudo]

I loved reliced isntruments, but when it's genuine. I almost only buy used gear and my favourite strat is 40 years old and the checking is authentic. Why buy a 5k artificialy aged guitar when for half the price you can find a used one which will feel authentic and sound as good if not better.

[@markinthemix6055]

It’s simple. I fully agree with you. I appreciate The big G conducting and working with Anderton’s on this video. Truth be known, Anderton’s more than likely literally bought a few million dollars worth of equipment and that led up to this thorough of an interview and tour of the factory. I’m betting we’ll never see that much in the future.

[@tomnelson5815]

I was horrified when I first encountered the relic idea and processes about two decades ago. I can understand taking gloss off the back f the neck for feel and have done so myself. It's just not something I can regard as a higher form of craft than just making a flawless instrument with a meticulously applied finish, and I certainly wouldn't pay the premium for it.

[@ChuckRiosGuitar]

Its not about just jamming it and banging it, it takes massive skill and artistry to get it right. If you can do it better, go ahead. I bang up all my own guitars by playing them everyday, thats a great way to do it.

[@herrjordan23]

I really don't get it. I don't get the light bulb moment in this. I'm not into relicing (apart from the cracked spider web look of the nitro finish - that's awesome), but where's the mystery behind how a guitar is getting its dings? Well, by hitting it with stuff.

[@plefevre]

I don't get the issue John. While I agree, it was probably not a good idea to give away specifics of the methods used for this process, what was discussed was exactly what I expected they did, use various hard objects to apply wear to the body. I mean, how else are they going to do it? As for the notion that this process is 'unskilled', I would definitely disagree with that. I think the medium and heavy aged guitars look natural and I'm sure that the people doing this take a great deal of care in getting it right, despite the flippant tone Tom used when describing it. I seriously doubt Murphy Labs have got the staff's kids out the back throwing keys randomly at guitars. In the end, you see the guitar online or in a store and you buy it. What does it matter what objects were used in creating the wear?

[@RobbSutherland]

I think it’s got its place. It’s not for me. My Les Paul has dents in it from when I’ve knocked it about on stage. At the time it was Billy gibbons custom model that was big. I bought a custom shop gold top and said “I want it to look like my guitar. I’ll be playing it until I’m dead. May as well go out with a Robb sutherland aged guitar”.

[@sixtyaffairs]

I am a bit confused about this discussion , I think it is all been said the last 20 Years. Some like the new beaten up Guitars , some like old Guitars that were beaten up over the time. And some don't like that at all and polish theit Instrument every day. I personally have both. There is a 62 Custom Shop Strat that is very light reliced. And there is a Gibson SG that is reliced from a French Artist what I like very much. A Edwards Les Paul Jimmy Page that is heavy reliced , done by CNC Machines in China. And a Epiphone ES 335 that is brand new and I like it very much.

[@Newnodrogbob]

I don’t like relic’s guitars, but really? You know they haven’t been kicking around in bars for 30 years. You have to have known that they were damaging them on purpose with some kind of tools. I don’t know why this is a problem. Fake beat up guitars are fake beat up guitars.

[@tjlazr]

I like the honesty, it’s faking wear, there’s a lot of precision to it as Tom showed, so it’s fair to charge more but yes 100% behind lightly aged being the better choice 😊

[@DanIvyOffical]

It’s the same way they do it at the fender custom shop so I don’t really see what’s so alarming about it. If you’ve ever tried to relic a guitar you would know that it’s quite difficult to make it look realistic.

[@Robert_Bubba_Baker]

I did watch that interview. I personally found it very disappointing on how they relic their guitars. I guess it shows how gullible we are. 😢

[@CR0SSJ]

Relic'ing a guitar is always a bit of controversial point, so it's understandable where you're coming from. But for me I don't really felt like a ruined experience because of the interview. If you want anything heavy/medium relic there's no two ways to go about other than sanding/bashing the guitar. The point Tom also talking about "how did that get there" was a good point they're not just throwing the guitar into a beach-side and rolling it around, but trying to replicate what a played guitar would've done overtime rather than a brainless bashing. I personally am more in favour of a light relic finish now (I've seen them in shops and looked really really good), but the younger me would've relished to get something of a medium relic; because I'm not in an environment where I can naturally wear out the guitar. I'm kinda over the super relic'd look guitar now, so it's just a perspective change that came along too.

[@davidrees1840]

I guess it's a good interview if you like relic'ed guitars, and it explains the upcharge which would not be reasonable if you just cycled a guitar through hot/cold. I mean holy crap, they double in price from Custom Shop $7k to $10-15k for Murphy Lab. I want to know what the hell Murphy Labs does to make a guitar feel and play better (reportedly -never had the opportunity to touch either myself) than a Custom Shop?!?, and why the fuck CS isn't doing all that already, since it already doubles the price from std Les Pauls? Gibson quality = you can get a hit-or-miss Les Paul for $2700, but if you want a good one, it's $7000, and a great one will run you $10-15k. Same guitar, just a bit better each time. Why don't they just do CS as their baseline and let Epi replace the regular line? Does any other musical instrument do this bullshit? Even guitars?

[@jimsalman7257]

And even if you can spring for a Murphy Lab LP, you still might be unhappy with the way the electronics sound and perform. Those Gibson Custom buckers, from what I've heard, don't do well in comparison to most offerings from the usual boutique pickup winders. Also, the braided wire they use is not true to vintage spec. So a lot of owners wind up completely replacing everything - pickups, pots, caps, wire. Seems like a ripoff

[@johnmac8084]

Beautiful playing. I like me new guitars to look new. I didn't imagine the distressing was a pretty business, so not much changed for me.

[@ptg2662]

You were really surprised that they use keys and stuff for the relic job? There was a video few years ago, from Fender Custom shop, they showed the place where they relic guitars, also nails and stuff all over the table. Now I want a NOS strat, will age her myself %) Need a Gibson CS also, damn)