Murphy Labs finish defects

HandwrittenHero · June 2021

So threads appearing on other forums, looks like there’s a substantial issue with the finishing on some of the Gibson Murphy Labs with paint flaking:

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/murphy-lab-finish-falling-off.456499/

seen someone suggest it could be a quarter of all the ML guitars, someone say it was just cherry ones and due to pore filler, another saying the different nitro had issue and going to be fixed. Messy.

Any way, heads up just in case anyone does have an instrument from this line. I do remember finishes aren’t generally covered by the Gibson warranty but I don’t think it’ll be a good look if they just shrug it off either.

WezV · June 2021

Looks like they are rushing the new checking process.

Queue lots of posts about paying extra for flaking examples

Brize · June 2021

Time was that a Murphy-aged Historic was a genuine rarity. When these new 'Murphy Lab' guitars dropped, the sheer number of them devalued the concept for me.

One thing's for sure: the replacement of Henry J hasn't been a magic bullet for Gibson.

Deadman · June 2021

Too much lacquer too soon by the looks of it. Rushed.

monquixote · June 2021

I just can't be arsed with Gibson.

I hear far too many stories like that to touch one with a big stick.

Musicman20 · June 2021

Absolute joke. Funny that Fender made decent Road Worn guitars under £1k and skipped these issues.

TrentGuitars · June 2021

Play authentic

ICBM · June 2021

You pay thousands of dollars extra for a guitar to look like it's sixty years old and the finish is falling off. Then it does!

Excuse me while I roll around on the floor laughing...

(I see Wez got there first

.)

Whitecat · June 2021

Copying PRS now, sigh. We’ve come full circle.

HandwrittenHero · June 2021

Musicman20 said:

Absolute joke. Funny that Fender made decent Road Worn guitars under £1k and skipped these issues.

They’re a bit too stark to me, but the journeyman relics at custom shop would be a fair argument in addition to various aftermarket finishers (including some on this forum)

WezV · June 2021

I just got mine.

JezWynd · June 2021

ICBM said:

You pay thousands of dollars extra for a guitar to look like it's sixty years old and the finish is falling off. Then it does!

Excuse me while I roll around on the floor laughing...

(I see Wez got there first .)

At least they have the comfort of knowing that it was Master Builders wot done it.

Lebarque · June 2021

Mine's flaking a bit, but it sounds so good with the free pack of strings I managed to sweeten the deal with. Best £8k I've ever spent.

Seziertisch · June 2021

Lebarque said:

Mine's flaking a bit, but it sounds so good with the free pack of strings I managed to sweeten the deal with. Best £8k I've ever spent

The free pack of strings I got with mine came with an extra high e string. Score!

guitars4you · June 2021

Brize said:

Time was that a Murphy-aged Historic was a genuine rarity. When these new 'Murphy Lab' guitars dropped, the sheer number of them devalued the concept for me.

One thing's for sure: the replacement of Henry J hasn't been a magic bullet for Gibson.

That is my thought - Far less of an exclusive item than I'd have expected - Look on the appropriate UK sites and you might expect to see a few very tasty examples, but such sites are flooded with them - And as you say 10/20 years ago a TM LP was quite rare and if you had 1 or 2 in stock it was 'major event' - Similar story with Master Built Fenders say 10/15 years ago, especially Todd Krauss and J Cruz who had 2/3 year delivery dates on the guitars

Ref the new regime under JC - I think they have steadied the ship and moved something arounds - No silly dumping of last years model before the year is up - No Amazon - And a few nice models in the catalogue - I think there has been some improvements overall

Lebarque · June 2021

If I'd paid £8k for a guitar and the finish started falling off, I'd be telling Mark Agnesi to stick it in his garage.

Musicman20 · June 2021

Absolutely agree on the rarity factor. There are loads for sale now.

Rob1742 · June 2021

My worry would be if I had one and the finish wasn’t flaking off. I doubt they would take it back as there isn’t any fault. Yet there you have a ticking time bomb on your hands

euan · June 2021

There is a guy in that thread that had bought 16 ML guitars. Oooft.

HandwrittenHero · June 2021

Rob1742 said:

My worry would be if I had one and the finish wasn’t flaking off. I doubt they would take it back as there isn’t any fault. Yet there you have a ticking time bomb on your hands

Or the next person along does if you ever sell it used and there's the worry that Gibson will hide behind the warranty only being good to original buyer etc.

TTBZ · June 2021

Isn't this the whole point of a Murphy Labs Gibson?

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