THE TRUTH About Gibson Murphy Lab Guitars. 

Skynyrd on a Firebird is the greatest thing ever

Look at Robert with those Skynyrd licks! Made my day bro.

Man love that opening groove! Made me immediately pick up my guitar

The history of mini humbuckers is very interesting and also explains the tonal differences. Personally, I like the brighter sounding ones that were also installed in the LP deluxe better.

Just got a 1994 Firebird V in unplayed, no dings condition for $980, no case. I had never played one but wow it is special! The guy said it had come from a collector, weighs 7.7 lbs.

I'm not a very good player, started pretty late in life. But I have a blast learning, and playing a firebird would be so fun. I think yours has a brite tone that screams 70's Southern Rock.

The difference between the two is obvious. You're right in saying that neither sounds bad: they're just different. But I greatly prefer the older sound. Original 63-64 Firebird pickups were quite low output: typically 6.25-6.5K DCR. Because of this, even though they are dual coil pickups, they sound 'Strat-y'. I wouldn't be surprised if the Murphy Lab pickups are well in excess of that resistance. The vintage pickups were also unpotted, which meant that using them with higher gain was something of a seat-of-the-pants experience, but may have added to their character. The Murphys are almost certainly wax potted, in line with modern practice. The vintage pickups also included small steel 'reflector plates', which some builders feel are important to the original sound. I have no idea whether the Murphys include these: the tonal character of their pickups suggests they don't. The main criticism that was heard of the original Firebird pickups was that the neck pickup was great, but the bridge pickup relatively weak and thin. Johnny Winter, for example, is said to have used the neck pickup almost exclusively. It wasn't uncommon for the two pickups in a guitar to be very close in value - almost as though Gibson were trying to use the same pickup for both positions - whereas most modern Firebird sets follow the vintage spec for the neck pickup, but goose up the bridge pickup for a better balance. These Murphy Lab pickups sound good in themselves, but as though they've departed too far from the vintage specs, and killed some of the vibe in the process. I doubt whether the greater weight of the Murphy adds anything to the tone, either - the last time that anybody believed that 'heavier body = heavier tone' was in the late 70s, and the original Firebird was never a particularly weighty guitar. If I had the cash, I would take your old guitar in a heartbeat. You're a lucky man.

The Murphy Lab Firebird sounds a bit muffled to me. Don't think I could get that Johnny Winter sound on the ML... :)

I am on my 3rd reverse Firebird. They are my favourite guitars and I don't know why I let the other 2 go but this one is here to stay.

Original Firebird all the way, although i still wouldn't buy one even if i could 🙂 Vintage prices are going one way and that's up, so i'm glad that Murphy Lab exist. I personally don't like the heavy relic'd ones, like you mentioned it's done "over dramatic" however i like the "light aged" ones. One thing i've noticed in some Murphy Lab Gibsons is that the pickups are too hot sometimes, like it was the case here.

Gibson would certainly nail it if they used the Mojotone Johnny Winter Signature Firebird Pickups. I use them on my 2015 Firebird. It sounds like a ‘63/‘64.

The Murphy just sounded muddy to me. Not always a bad thing but not my preference. Your Firebird absolutely sounds better.

I'm surprised at the difference. The original is better for sure to my ears. That For Your Life was great btw

For Your Life sounded perfect on the Firebird, Skynard too, but don't you think the Murphy sounded too muddy and bassy. I don't think 50 years is gonna' help it. Rob so positive. "I don't wanna just dog it, the color is cool..."🤣

Pickups are way to hot in the Murphy!!

lower the pickups a bit on the murphy

The Murphy sounds great, but dark for a Firebird. I liked the ‘63 better on the first Skynrd riff.

I like “thumb bleeders”. I can see what number I’m on lol

The Vintage firebird sounds great but the ML is just too hot for me, pups are overwound to point where they are loosing the Firebird vibe!

Holy crap, I've never heard anyone play For Your Life in a guitar demo before. That's a deep cut.

That 63’ is THE TONE!!

I had to look up why Gibson made the “mini” humbucker…it seems they wanted to have a P90 sound without the hum…so there ya go👍

you will almost never feel real checking unless a guitar sustains moisture or heat/cold mistreatment after it has checked. Phony checking has been made USING TEMPERATURE and MOISTURE. this causes the cracked edges to push together and stick up. real checking is just lacquer shrink so no raised edges.

The key words are "you can't recreate a vintage guitar." Why keep trying to do so?

The weight really matters too for me. I had always thought that " Murphy Lab " referred to the finish and relicing hardware and body only....no? So....how would Murphy Lab add significant weight.

"You can't manufacture an old guitar." Period.

That OG firebird might be the first one I've heard that I LIKE. Awesome!

So right on Robert! Great comparison between a Murphy Lab which is rapidly and rabidly becoming the new holy grail. Great individual vintage guitars will for some intangible reason usually win out over really great newer guitars. Old wood can’t be fabricated. That’s a good thing imho. ✌️❤️

I was si happy to hear you play things goin on at the beginning. Murphy no Murphy if you grab a firebird and play skynyrd Allen Collins is listening

I know you have amp settings to dial in what you might want on the Murphy, but it seems you set up the vintage Firebird in its sweet spot, but comparing those.. the Murphy's too bloomed out fat sounding to me.. but you covered that reason all too well. The vintage Firebird is just too awesome.. lovin' that Skynyrd today 🤩

Sounds the same to me

I used to see alot of Seymour Duncan Firebird pickups in Guitars, maybe those Pickups have the Vintage tone. Or his Antiquities. Yeah the original Firebird pickup was designed to be a Noiseless, single coil sound, they were competing with FENDER. You might have to go down a Pickup Rabbit HOLE. Listen to old Johnny Winters, they have THAT sound. I have seen guys use a multimeter plugged into the Jack and measure pickups, tons of guys on youtube, Guitarista, Dare I say Trogly, he does that too.

The Murphy Lab sounds very dull in comparison to your vintage one. One would hope that a simple pickup swap could fix the issue.

I got one of those Murphy Labs, I don´t care about the aging at all, but man, just take the time to set the height of those pickups and you'll be amazed on how close they got them. Factory pickup setup is no good for that quacky tone. I tell you, lower those pups and find their sweet spot and you'll be amazed. @5:27 your pickups are way to high! Also, lower the bass side a bit more than treble. You should be good to go.

BTW I loved your choices of the South's Greatest band :-) Johnny Winters had that sound like your sunburst one.

You should see the checking on my Murphy Shaw Sunrise it's a 10 footer 😆 needs some electrical refurbishment was getting scratchy on the pots and now no signal. Time to bust it open and start Fluke'n around one of these days no idea of replacement parts Pat and Jim have been closed up sice the 80's i believe

Lol I'll definitely try a Murphy Lab out....That is, if my Local Mom & Pop shop has one I can play 😁😂😆😆 That's as close as I'd get to one of those... Price tag(s) on one of those are....well let's just say you really have to be committed 😁

I love pelham blue. I do agree that those pickups sound muddy in comparison. Personally i still want to get my hands on a vintage explorer.

Yeah, I agree. The pickups sound too warm on the newer guitar. Try some Mojotone Johnny Winter pickups in there.

Perhaps pickups modelled on a P90, a mini P90, would have been a better option?

How much does your original Firebird III weigh? Great demo!

Nice Page tones. I just switched from 12's to 10's because I've been playing alot of a certain Zeppelin song and the bends were killing me with 12's but ive pretty much always played 12's and the 10's are just way too easy to bend now. But anyway, always enjoy your videos.

Woolly, that's the word for that sound.

and how about the epiphone firebird from 2020?

I always thought that a heavier bodied guitar added more sustain . i.e. the Les Paul will out sustain the strat by a mile. NO ?

That telecaster input jack on your '63 is there because of damage to the original, correct? It's brilliant and should be standard equipment on Firebirds, SGs, and all front input jack guitars. Very functional and it actually looks cooler.

The Tom Murphy model sounds like it's buried in mud... thinking you're right about the pups being a bit hot as there is definitely some distortion at play which is what could be killing the twang. The one you got from Larry sounds clear & spanky. Rock on!

i wonder if there are any aftermarket options for that neck pickup that would match closer to the vintage

I LOVE the way you did this review. Very thoughtful and honest. ✌️😌🎸

Cheers..hi Gabby !! Nice work y'all

Your vintage FB has a flat Vibrola arm on it (like a Bigsby arm), is that an aftermarket mod, or was that an actual Vibrola model? "...I waant that."

The bridge on the your original '63 is different to the one on your reissue. The bridge can make a difference to the sound of a guitar.

I got to try a Murphy Lab 335. Incredible but $9k? Nope. I played a used Epiphone Firebird the other day. I was impressed. Never played a Gibson to compare it with.

Totally different sound. I like the vintage sound. the other one sounds great, but not like a classic Bird.

Loved the Skynyrd intros

I heard that if you piss on your guitar the finish will check..

I’ve never played one but I don’t get the fascination. Well I’m a bass player so what do I know

The Murphy lab bridge pickup sounds like a neck pickup, way too dark. Firebirds to me at least sound like a great bridge between Fender and Gibson.

Just picked up a 2018 SG special with the weird specs of satin finish (mines natural, there’s also cherry), 24 frets and 2 Firebird pickups. Not neck through so there is a tone difference compared to my old 2015 Firebird, but it’s got the middle quack going on. Came in those soft cases that remind me of a punching bag from a boxing gym.

I've ashtrays loved fire birds but I always thought they seemed to big on me.

It sounds pretty good to me, but I never played an original Firebird.

Interesting .. A Firebird has been on the wish list for a long time .. I just watched some mid-2000's Kiss Videos where Paul is playing a couple of Ice-man-ified 'Birds .. I actually thought they were meant to be heavier/muddier sounding .. Would you say your vintage Firebird is more indicative of the model in general ..? I love both tones, but curious

But considering everything you just said, wouldn't you prefer selling it and buying like a player grade Non-reverse Firebird from the sixties?

for the price... I think I'd grab a strat to get the strat sound :D

You’re giving me the Firebird bug man!😅

Something going on. Ronnie said it best.😮

Hey Robert did you ever change the pick ups or did you sell it? I’m thinking of swapping the PU’s on mine.

I like the thumb bleeders... I guess I'm a glutton for punishment lol.

Man there’s thangs goin on round here 🔥

Gotta bleed to succeed :) Love the Murphy, Love, LOVE the F3.

Does the Murphy Lab have alnico 3 magnets in the pickups? I know for the full size custom buckers, the custom shop is using alnico 3 instead of the traditional alnico 2 magnets. And the full size humbuckers also sound a bit beefier to me than real PAFs. I wonder if it's the magnets that is making the pickups sound different. If they're alnico 3's, you might want to experiment with swapping the magnets.

I weighed my vibrola it weighs 1 pound they are heavier than you think

I want to hear Gabby play.

“The bodies are in the water”

My top five each have their own names. Number five is "Phoenix" so naturally it's a telecaster.

So if you don't know what I mean Stand Up and Scream because there's things going on that you don't know. God I love Skynyrd. And yes sir I've been through to get to

Is that a Tele input jack cup?

Especially the Led Zeppelin sounds more like the album with the vintage bird. Perhaps the lab grown one is better for large arena situations, something I will never be able to test in the field.

Holy thumbnail changes, Batman

i tried to get trogly to do this - make a pickup cover that blocks the magnets so the strings are not effected. get that single pickup vibe and tone with magnet covers. a cool tool and i would buy a set for humbuckers and single poles. even the lipstick style on the tele. this idea is cheap, easy and hot for someone with an audience. be well.

I like thumb bleeders!

Tone down on the ML would sound better.

Hey we want to see your partner behind the camera Robert. Great looking reliced bird. Ya just can't copy vintage

not much of a contest in almost all areas if you ask me. who cares about nice color and checking when the OG sounds sooo much better!

The real 63 sounds much better than the Murphy Labs. I've yet to see or hear a Murphy lab guitar that I think is worth anywhere near the price they ask for them, but I just don't get the whole relic thing in general.

For all the suing Gibson did, they seem to have no qualms ripping off Fender Jazzmaster design.

Hey GABBY!!!! stay out of the light!!.😂 keep up the great work you do for Bobby boy🤘

My ‘66 Jaguar has pretty nice checking, and just like your firebird, you can’t really feel it either

Just goes to show expensive isn't necessarily better. Murphy Lab pickups sound muddy.

Not Gabby telling your secrets to the world 😂😂😂

The Murphy Lab sounds very muddy especially the chords.

Sad to admit it, but never played a Firebird in my 45 year musical career.😢

Nice licks ,, love your playing , u sound great …the vintage is sweet ! Thanks for posting interesting content ..

What the rundown at 3:01 from?

The custom shop sounds muddy and not as nice as the original which is clean

The real deal the 63 for the win... Sorry but not a fan of the whole Murphy Lab thing, I'll be nice. That 63 is da bomb all day long.

Can't beat the original in my opinion.

On a Skynyrd kick today, Robert? Lol

The Murphy Lab is nicer to look at, but your sounds amazing in comparison!

I built a firebird 1 and it kicked a gibson cs version down the road. Your murphy sounds awful to me, how's it sound unplugged if it's dark to start with you’ve got problems straight away. You definitely can make a guitar that's pretty much bang on to a vintage one but it's not coming from mass made, I made my version of a 54 goldtop that was pretty much spot on to an original and mine was lighter and more comfortable, I've got a little you tube clip up of the tones.