Tom Murphy

Origins and Career

Tom Murphy is an American luthier based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the historic birthplace of Gibson. Originally trained as an automotive painter, he developed a unique expertise in the artificial aging (aging/relic) of guitars during the 1990s.

Tom Murphy Aged at Gibson

Gibson recruited him for its Custom Shop, where he created the “Murphy Aged” process, now considered the ultimate benchmark for high-end relic work. His guitars faithfully reproduce the natural wear of decades of playing: finish checking, fret wear, and metal patina.

The Murphy Lab program, launched in 2020, standardized his approach into several levels of aging: Light Aged, Aged, and Ultra Heavy Aged.

Tom Murphy’s work is so precise that he can reproduce the exact checking patterns of a 50-year-old nitrocellulose finish, wear marks corresponding to a right- or left-handed player’s technique, and even the specific patina caused by perspiration. Each Murphy Aged instrument is unique and can require several days of meticulous craftsmanship.