Gibson Flying V Adam Jones Murphy Lab Aged Limited Edition

Biography of Tom Murphy

Behind the founding fathers Les Paul and Leo Fender stand equally essential craftsmen whose contributions shaped the guitar world. Among them is Tom Murphy. Far from the spotlight and distant from the stage, he is the man who forged a vital part of the sound and myth of modern Gibson. A master artisan, pioneer of relic finishes, and founding figure of the Gibson Custom Shop, he redefined the relationship between instrument, time, and emotion — turning the guitar into not just a new object, but a fragment of history.

Tom Murphy is not a performing musician. His craft, as a master builder, lies in the memory of wood and lacquer. Where the industry sought clinical perfection, he understood that the most beloved guitars were those that told a story: natural wear, lacquer checking, the patina of time. At a time when these marks were considered flaws, Murphy recognized them as aesthetic and emotional truth.

At Gibson, he became one of the first to faithfully recreate the sunburst finishes of the 1950s, especially those of the legendary Les Paul ’58, ’59, and ’60. His hand-applied and hand-checked nitrocellulose lacquer aging gave birth to what would become known as Murphy Aging — an absolute benchmark in the world of high-end guitars. Each instrument is unique, marked by micro-details impossible to industrialize.

But Tom Murphy’s genius goes far beyond appearance. His approach is holistic: balance, resonance, feel. The relic work is never cosmetic; it is designed to serve the player, to free vibration, and to deliver the immediate sensation of a well-lived instrument. A Tom Murphy guitar feels as though it has already lived decades of music.

His influence extends far beyond Gibson. By opening the door to emotional luthiery, he changed the very perception of the modern instrument. Collectors, artists, and guitar heroes recognized something deeply authentic and almost intimate in his work. Tom Murphy proved that a guitar can be brand new and still be filled with soul.

Tom Murphy is one of the great invisible craftsmen of the modern guitar. By restoring time to its rightful place in creation, he transformed relic work into art and the instrument into a testimony. A silent builder, whose guitars whisper a story even before the first note is played.