Gibson Custom Shop LE 1957 Les Paul Reissue, Ultra Heavy Aged - Refin Burst

The Interstellar Tone Traveler has carried Murphy Lab instruments before — but there is a distinction between Heavy Aged and Ultra Heavy Aged that matters, and this 1957 Les Paul Reissue makes that distinction impossible to miss. Ultra Heavy Aged is Tom Murphy's most extreme expression of the aging artisan's craft: deeper lacquer checking, more dramatically softened edges, more finish worn through at all the points where decades of playing leave their marks, every line and accent applied entirely by hand to ensure that no two guitars from this Limited Edition Collection emerge from Nashville looking the same. The "Refin Burst" finish concept goes further still — it captures the complex, layered visual character of a vintage guitar that has been through time, hands, and history, simulating the look of a finish that has aged and evolved rather than remained pristine, with a burst that reads as lived-in, expressive, and irreplaceable. This is a guitar that arrives already carrying a story, and the story belongs to whoever plays it next.

The 1957 specification is historically loaded: the year Gibson introduced humbuckers to the Les Paul platform, replacing the beloved P-90s with the early PAF-era pickups that would define the sound of electric guitar for generations. These Custombucker Alnico 3 humbuckers with Double Classic White bobbins — no covers, completely open — echo that original tonal character with airy top-end clarity, sweet midrange bloom, and the dynamic responsiveness that made early PAF humbuckers the most imitated pickups in history. The 1-piece lightweight mahogany body with 2-piece maple top joined with hide glue, the 50's Chunky "D" neck profile via Long Tenon Hide Glue fit, the Authentic 1950s No-Tube truss rod, and the Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid inlays on the Indian Rosewood fingerboard are all period-correct to the build. Narrow Tall frets provide articulate, precise response across the 12" radius board, the No-Wire ABR-1 with Nickel-Plated Brass Saddles and Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar anchor the intonation, and Kluson Single Line, Single Ring tuners complete the vintage hardware complement — all finished in Nickel, Murphy Lab Aged to match the guitar's aesthetic. The aged Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch Case arrives as weathered as the guitar itself. At 8lbs 7oz, it is a substantial instrument — and every ounce of it sounds like 1957 filtered through everything that happened since.

Model: Limited Edition 1957 Les Paul Reissue  
Body Construction: Solid
Body: 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany
Body Top: 2-Piece Maple, Hide Glue Fit 
Body Finish: Ultra Heavy Aged Nitro
Body Binding: Single-Ply Royalite
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay: Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid
Nut: Nylon, 1.69"" 
Neck Profile: 50's Chunky "D"
Neck Joint: Long Tenon, Hide Glue Fit 
Frets: Narrow Tall 
Truss Rod: Authentic 1950s No-Tube
Radius: 12"
Fingerboard Binding: Cream, Single Ply Royalite
Scale Length: 24.75"
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker Alnico 3
Neck Pickup: Custombucker Alnico 3
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil Capacitors
Pickup Selector: 3-Way Switchcraft
Output Jack: 1/4" Switchcraft
Bridge: No-Wire ABR-1 (Nickel-Plated Brass Saddles)
Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
Hardware Color: Nickel, Murphy Lab Aged 
Pickup Covers:  Open (Double Classic White) 
Strap Buttons: Aluminum
Switchwasher: Silkscreened Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Pickguard: Laminated Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Truss Rod Cover: Authentic Stepped 2-Ply 
Switch Tip: Amber Catalin 
Tuning Machines: Kluson Single Line, Single Ring 
Mounting Rings:  M69 Cellulose Acetate Butyrate 
Control Covers: Black Royalite 
Case: Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch Case - Aged 
String Gauge: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Accessories: COA, Historic Reissue Hang Tags, Gibson Custom Switchplate Medallion w/Historic Black Plastic Cover in Case) 
Weight: 8lbs 7oz.