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. 

1956 was the only full year in which the Les Paul™ model featured the powerful P-90 pickups and the adjustable ABR-1 bridge setup, a combination that allowed the Les Paul model to intonate, sustain, and thrill like never before. This Gibson Custom Shop '56 Reissue captures the look, feel, and searing sound of an original 1956 Les Paul Goldtop in exhaustive detail. Featuring all solid woods, vintage-accurate gold paint, authentic replica parts, Historic narrow/tall frets, and hot hide glue construction. It also features Ultra Light Aging by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab. The Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged finish treatment, paired with lightly aged hardware, simulates decades of light play wear, giving it the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era.

Body Shape: Les Paul
Back: 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany
Top: 2-Piece Plain Maple, Hide Glue Fit
Weight Relief: None
Binding: 1-Ply Royalite
Neck: Solid Mahogany
Profile: Chunky C-Shape
Nut width: 1.687" / 42.85mm
Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood, Hide Glue Fit
Scale length: 24.75" / 628.65mm
Number of frets: 22
Nut: Nylon
Inlay: Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid
Bridge: No-Wire ABR-1
Tailpiece: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar
Knobs: Butyrate Gold Top Hats
Tuners: Kluson Single Line, Single Ring
Plating: Nickel; Murphy Lab Light Aged
Neck pickup: Custom Soapbar P-90
Bridge pickup: Custom Soapbar P-90
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil Capacitors
Case: Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch