2.8k for a standard is crazy too. Can’t see me buying a brand new guitar again anytime soon.

I'm thrilled that Gibson is charging $10,500 for a LP. PRS can now be known as the working man's guitar :D

i refuse to pay that much for a guitar unless i can drive it to the gig.

In 1986, I paid $350 for my 1973 Deluxe Goldtop. In 1989, I paid $750 for my 1988 Tobacco Burst Standard. I'm all set.

I have owned many Les Pauls throughout the years and played at least 30 that were 58-60 models. I now own a 2018 limited edition Brazilian rosewood R9 which is lightly aged. It is an absolutely fantastic instrument and i will die with this one. I am sometimes tempted to buy another Les Paul in a different finish but then i think what is the point. It is worth it if the guitar brings you joy.

All Good but not worth $10500

Fantastic playing! Great video.

I'm not a fan of relicing, but it's brilliant from a manufacturing standpoint. No B stocks because of a scratch or ding. Normally, an accident during production would result in a markdown of the guitar. Purposely beat the hell out of it though, and folks willingly pay more for it. It's absurd!

Or buy a Maybach or Eastman and get custom shop quality for 80% of the standard

I picked up an Adam Jones Les Paul Standard as a retirement present to myself. I love it to bits, I got a price match and picked it up for £2299 as opposed to £3000.

Thanks for playing clean in the middle position... Rarely hear that, but the difference is what makes a good Les Paul.

It does sound stunning though mate, great playing and video as always. 🎸🔥

That intro & playing throughout... 🔥

I played one of those in a Guitar Center in Orlando, it was awesome!

Spend half of that and get a full custom made to your specifications which is hand tooled from Japan…. Not factory overrated, even the Heritage H150 blows the crap out anything from Gibson’s custom shop..

With such beautiful sound and tone and look, I say worth it. Great video!

I used to rip on people that bought them, thought it was hilariously stupid. Until I played a '59 at a local shop just messing around with a friend...and I was completely blown away by it. I absolutely fell in love with it immediately. And then a few days later my Dad passed away 2 weeks before his 50th bday. He had been saving up for many years to buy a truck and a 5th wheel camper, and he never got the chance to even buy it. After that I said screw it, you only have this one incredibly short life to live... go live it. You can always make more money. You cant always connect and fall in love with a guitar or any other hobby. So I bought it and I will never sell it. I couldnt care less how dumb I seem to others anymore.

I think i would rather have an EVH wolfgang special, Ibanez rg prestige, Gibson sg standard, Fender american professional ii telecaster, a Marshall JCM 800, a Vox ac30 and a Fender deluxe reverb all for the same money 🤣.

Just got my TONEX ONE delivered today, looking forward to trying my Japanese Tokai through your amps cos that sounded unbelievable mate

Loving your playing as always Paul.

Good job on the ToneX packs Paul, sounds great! I’m sure the pricey guitar doesn’t hurt.

Wow. That is one juicy guitar tone going on there. Beautiful intonation.

What an intro! Dang. All of your noodlin' is the bomb Paul. From tasteful and sublime, to balls out.

Wow....the effects sound great....I wonder what the guitar sounds like.

The pickups sound really balanced, great demo of them!

Thank god I've got my 2014 CS R8 VOS lemon burst - it's now worth more than I paid for it. And it's a keeper.

I played such a model in a shop nearby. The thing is - they are absolutely phenomenally good. And I am talking about the tone and the playing feel. I have no idea how they put out that many of these on that level of quality. I agree to some others here, Les Paul Cistom Shop models have been veeeery inconsistent in the past, but my observation is that changed with the 60‘s anniversary line in 2019, no idea how. At some point I read a comment that they are roasting the woods (pressure/heat drying process), but not sure. One thing on „the relic job costs 5k“: I would expect that they‘re selecting the woods for the premium lines, so not only a 5k expensive finish.

I also have an R9 Heavy aged LP Murphy and loved it so much I ultra light aged my CS 57 LP junior. It turned out really good. Used the can of duster to do the finish checking. I enjoyed the tone thru your Phil X, so I guess I will put that on my wish list. I’m 66 and don’t gig and will never age a guitar naturally so these work for me.

The harmonic overtones are astounding!

Lovely playing Paul.

Paul's playing/tone is top notch as per usual and Studio Rats ToneX pack tones are freaking awesome sounding.

The craziest thing IMO is the fact it's nearly impossible to go anywhere in person these days and try out a selection of such instruments before plunking down an outrageous amount of money. I've been buying/selling/trading guitars for 40+ years and never would have imagined how ridiculous the industry has become...

that was probably the most well intonated Les Paul ive ever heard. im always trying to get mine dialled in and always end up with a subtle compromise, For anyone reading in the future with the same issue - I HAVE found the Peterson sweetened tunings help!

Hiring a voodoo priestess to work in the extra magic into each Murphy Lab CS LP ‘59 ain’t cheap.

Sounds AMAZING!!!!

Crunch tone on the intro was great!

As long as they have collectors like Troglys guitar show channel, who are all jumping over one another to buy outrageously expensive Gibson guitars, why wouldn't they charge that much?

Hi Paul, lovely playing and tone as usual! To my ears every guitar you demo sounds sweet, even the Jet you demoed a few months ago! Off coarse every switched on guitarist knows that reliced guitars always sound better than "new" !!! 😂 Cheers, Stephen from Scotland

That is truly a Beautiful looking and sounding guitar.

the reason they can charge that much is illustrated in the first few seconds of this video. Somehow it makes your fingers go twice as fast as I've ever seen you play!! Worth it. (and you make better faces when you play it 😁

These products are primarily vanity projects. While they may appeal to some individuals, it is important to recognize that their value proposition is largely based on aesthetics rather than tangible improvements in performance or quality. When comparing these products to standard offerings, the price difference cannot be justified solely on the basis of superior craftsmanship, if any.

Paul, would you mind telling me what brand of strings you use and what gauge they are?

It looks cool. I have a Gibson USA Les Paul in that same color but it doesn’t nearly look as cool as that one. The cloudy nickel pickup covers look so much better than the shiny chrome ones

Great looking and sounding guitar. You can buy a Standard 50s for 2800 and you are good to go. I've tried several ML and I really dig them. Most of the time they are also really light. People spend tons of money on other stuff. If this one makes you happy, that's more than OK. And I think there are also real players out there who can afford the ML prices.

Do you have a video were you discuss your audio/recording set up? Me and my friends always talk about how your channel has the best audio recording ( how amps, modelers, etc. sound). Thank you!

So I just spent 10 grand (well, $10,199) for a Les Paul Custom (plus another $600 for Custombuckers and $150 for a bone nut)... but guess what? I didn't pay half of that money for them to ding it up and scratch it up.. mine comes brand sparkling new! 5A, 1 piece quilted maple top is why it was twice the normal price! I'm not giving Tom Murphy 5 grand to do what I plan to do over the next 30 years.

There yer go again Paul, I always get that deep feeling when I hear you play. Have you got any albums or tracks? Beautiful guitar, way out of my league pocket wise, I've got a LP finally a few years ago, I couldn't believe that it had those 'School Buss' frets, another way of saying 'We didn't crown them' so I had to do it myself after paying £2200, I was gob smacked. It's a nice guitar but I expected a lot better for the price. That's life, it's a shame that only bankers will be able to afford this one. Thanks as usual Paul, great playing.

Think the construction and neck glue used on Murphy labs are different. Possibly the custom buckets too ?

Can y'all please do a Kemper pack along with the Tonex ones?

Sounds absolutely fantastic. Incredible tone. Brilliant playing as always. However, at 4 times the price of a 50s Standard model, I don't believe its 4 times better. I've got a 50s Standard Les Paul, and its amazing. Definitely the best Les Paul I've played in 35 years of playing the guitar. Probably the best guitar I've ever, or will ever own....

I’m just off to immediately order 2!

Absolutely fantastic have a wonderful day also a fantastic weekend ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊

Could I ask, out of curiosity, how do you get these guitars you play on your channel? You buy them and after the review you send them back? Or you have a store that lends these guitars for your reviews? Thanks. Nice video.

Prefer your 594? Great channel, btw 👊

It for sure sounded good. I personally would go with a standard. Let my luthier dial it all in perfectly with the setup and put in the pickups and electronics I prefer and save a ton of money. Still though it sounded great and looked great none the less. Enjoyed it.

I will never be able to own an original '58, but i am fortunate to be able to afford a murphy lab. I consider it a piece of art that i can play and enjoy. The value lies in what it is worth to you personally. There is no dispute you can get a great guitar for much less, but to me, it is special.

Cool review. Well I’m a “blues psychologist” I guess ha. I don’t make lawyer money but I do okay for myself and I actually play and don’t hang guitars on walls for ornaments. I am a long time LP player (have a 1990 LP classic I have had since 91 and two other more recent standards). I actually sold a couple of nice guitars to put toward a custom shop Murphy lab “light aged” which retails for 8200 in the US. I was able to get mine for 6500 with no sales tax so relatively speaking a “good deal”. Up until my custom shop experience I had never had a bad LP but the first Murphy I got from one dealer arrived and it did not play well. I even had it set up by my local tech and I ultimately ended up returning for full refund minus shipping. I later got another from a different dealer and it was much better but still has had some issues (was not intonated well, string buzzing, action too high. I actually contacted Gibson and have sent it to them to review and determine what the issues might be. I’m hoping it’s a set up issue but we shall see. What I do love about the guitar is that it’s beautiful and looks way better than my standards and the aging looks legit (not heavy aged), looks and feels like a vintage instrument. The neck feel (including the aging aspect) and profile is perfect and the pickups are really special (lots of honk and bite and clarity). But I have been disappointed overall as compared to my experience with all the standards I have had (5 in total over the years). 6500 was kind of insane for me to spend but I justified by selling some redundant standards I had had for a long time which basically covered most of the price. In summary, if you’re gonna buy one of these it’s most ideal if you can play it before purchase and if you can’t make sure these is a generous return policy.

sounds lovely and beautifully played mate. £10k is out out reach for most...I've bough cars for less money! I love a relic'd guitar, like you say takes the worry out of scratching it....doesn't take the worry of having it stolen at a gig and let's face it you are not going to gig that one....I certainly wouldn't.

You are an awesome guitarist

Am I right in thinking you can buy these pickups ? So I could slam a set in a prs s2 594 ?

Nice guitar.wish I had one.

It sounds great

I just want to know what you are playing through. The pair sounds simply stunning together!

Wow , I saw that video title and thought, No way. They are defo becoming a guitar for those who earn a lot of money. For me, I will have to stick to a mid budget single cut with a pro setup (fret dress if needed) and get some decent pickups in it.

I'm a sub $500 guitar guy, totally happy w my awesome inexpensive guitars. If I'm happy paying what I pay for a guitar that inspires me, I won't criticize someone else who pays 10.5. My buddy just paid 12 grand for rims and rubber for his new Bronco, he has the money, and he's happy. I paid $1,200 for my tires and I'm good. Great looking and dounding guitar, no denying it.

Never would I pay for some one to relic my guitar... That's part of the guitars history, it's soul... Besides that I'm old school, I love my guitars to look pristine. No matter how old they are...

Beautiful playing, you probably make anything sound fabulous but that guitar sounds above and beyond delicious. Im sold but like many, too poor to even consider.

I would love to have a high end Gibson Les Paul but I don’t like the idea of relic work. I’d rather have a secondhand VOS Custom Shop if I had that kind of money. I have been lucky enough to play a few high end relic Les Pauls and those were wonderful guitars - but the idea of paying extra for rusty screws does my head in. That guitar looks and sounds superb - but I couldn’t afford the Murphy Lab or Custom Shop guitars anyway.

Sounds awesome, and beautiful guitar. But, I didn’t hear anything that I can’t get out of my 20-year old LP Studio and my Mesa.

I mean, the tone you are getting out of that thing is amazing. You can get a PRS Private Stock for 10K as well. Those are beautiful, clean, brand new guitars. And yet, I would pay this for the Gibson because the tone is amazing and the look has character, like a friend who has been by your side forever. If money were no object, yes, I would buy.

Got my 2014 used R8 for £3100. Seems like a steal now!

What kind of pickups ???

Will stick with my DGT

Play a guitar often enough it will relic itself in time. No need to pay an extra 5 to 6 grand to have it artificially done for you. I would want my own story written into my guitar not someone elses interpretation of it.

Amazing guitar & sounds incredible even with KZfaq compression and own many guitars over the decades and custom shop but not for the asking price. I could get 2 customs decked out and still save money depending and I love music and my collection but Gibson… what are you doing? I will stick with my 60s standard. Thanks for the video🤘🎸🤘

Beautiful guitar. I Bought a 60th Anniversary 1960 V1 neck (More or less the same as the 59) at first I thought “ohhh what have I done this is nuts” A year latter I do not regret it one bit. As the year has passed I’ve only got to know the guitar more and more.The custombucker pickups are just so so beautiful that if affords complete joy plugging straight into the amp within any pedals. I borrowed the money to buy mine and will be paying the money back for the next 4 years. I don’t care it was always my burning desire to have a custom shop burst. To anyone who is buying a USA standard line,I had one and they are beautiful. If you can afford to invest In a set of custombuckers please to so. They are amazing pups

I always suggest to put next to the price label the estimated amount of money which went in to production and the estimated amount the company will earn from your purchase. I think this is fair.

ive got an old heritage h150 thats not scared of that murphy lab les paul,although that gibson is undeniabley a great guitar...i would love to have one..after i rewired my heritage and put new picups in im happy with my heritage though! to each thier own,i always say...

10 years ago or more Gibson CS, Fender CS, Suhr etc were still 2 to 3k in GuitarGuitar Epsom so Murphy Lab would have been in the 5k range at a guess had it existed!

I played a CC#24 Les Paul once. This guitar was sooo good and even more expensive than this Murphy Lab. Did I had the money? No not at this time. I never had spend more than 3K for a guitar. Would I spend the money now? Yes.

Way back.. in 1999, I ordered a Tom Murphy painted and aged 1959 reissue LPR9FA ( figured top aged reissue) 40th Anniversary … phew!! ( and it was a lefty) This was the Vintage World RI ( Ronn David shop) The list on this was stupid money…. I got a “ deal” at $8500, luckily the £/$ was favourable and it cost me about £5300. So even then… Gibson charged top dollar. But mine is a Murphy… not a laboratory experiment !! 😀

For a guitar in this price range I find the color of the rosewood fretboard too light. Makes it look somewhat cheap.

I would suggest trying out the Heritage Les Pauls made in the original Gibson factory using the original equipment and employees in Kalamazoo MI. They cost about the same as an LP standard, but I am sure you can get a deal on a used one. The Gibson name tag isn't worth the extra cost.

I would like to know for sure if the only difference is finishing or Murphy Lab can freely pick the best sounding ones in the shop to apply their cosmetic job, because it seems like every single Murphy wins when compared to a non Murphy. The more I want to find a standard or even a custom shop that beats the Murphy, sadly can't find yet.

In my avatar pic to the left. I have a mint 89 Les Paul that is amazing. I paid £1350 for it. Then I have a Hamer Sunburst mint 78, ex Jethro Tull. I won't say what I paid, but it was less than the Les Paul. Both better than a Custom shop.

Guitar sounds amazing. Personally, I wouldn't, even if I could afford it spend that amount of money on a guitar I wouldn't even consider taking something like that to a gig. I have a 2000 Les Paul Standard which I have had for years now and that will do for me. Wonderful playing as always by the way :)

They wouldn't do stuff like this unless there was a market. Its nuts but I suspect they will sell enough to do it again.

I'm not a fan of the relics, but I understand that some people love it. I own a Gibson CS R8 and its gloss finish is shiny and still new-looking. I am careful with my guitars, not even a dent or scratch and I play it every day. The bleeding on the binding naturally came about but I'm okay with that. I wonder if the Murphy Lab Custombuckers are different than the regular custom shops. Every guitar is going to sound different. I think your R9 Murphy Lab is a fantastic-sounding guitar. I can't argue whether it's worth it or not the real ones sell for over 250k on a bad day lol. I can't afford either one but I'm more than happy with my #1 and I paid $4800 brand new. I can ding it up myself but not my baby lol. I look at it this way, it's an investment, and if you don't dig the Murphy Lab just by a regular CS and play it. No right or wrong here, you have to make the decision on what comes out of your pocket.

I’m here for the Phil X amp 💛

I think that is crazy pricing. I have an original 1960 ES355TDSV that my father bought for $600 and the pickup is straight with the neck.

My Orville by Gibson Les Paul made in Japan in 1990 with Bill Lawrence pickups will do me just nicely thanks and the price....approx 1,000 British Pounds.

I played this weekend for the first time in a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop. It was priced on €5.890,00. I play a Fender Stratocaster USA with a lot of improvements. This guitar was the best guitar I have ever played. By far. This is the same sort of setting. Where I’m interested in are the specs. What material is the bridge? the ABR1? what electronics are inside the guitar?etc. Does it have a long neck tennant? This is what I miss in the video. The Stratocaster CS I played last Saturday, I heard while playing that Fender did something special with the pickups. They say Texas Special. They were not standard!

It would have been nice to have a comparison with a standard 59 custom shop.

If you think that one is not be worth $10500, you should try the $20000 one with brazilian Rosewood Fretboard. I'm sure it will be worth the money!

Hi Paul, is this guitar on loan from a store? If so which store for anyone interested in trying it out? Cheers

i don't know anyone that would buy a LP after '96 or even 2000. especially a 10k one. SO many custom builders picked up their slack over 20 years ago.

Does the Murphy Lab get first choice of the custom shop runs?

I liked your 6/8 opener lick it made me wanna go get on the drums and get to kicking.

That sounds utterly awesome! But I think you would be a bit daft to pay an EXTRA £5,000 or more for a slightly beat up finish and rubbish parts fit. Wicked playing from Paul..that guy would make a chair leg with a string and a pickup sound great.

The entire video you talk about how expensive it is and how you're not sure about it being worth the money, but then you play it and it sounds absolutely incredible and clearly many steps above most other guitars. You can drive a Civic too, but it won't be as much fun as a Challenger.