03 Brazilian Tom Murphy Aged Thread

[lpflametop]

Here is mine I know of a few others....

[Shane McCrae]

Stunning.

[vintage58]

Nice-looking guitar. ..Just out of curiosity, was the headstock ever re-silkscreened? The silkscreen position shown in the headstock photo looks like the 2006–2008 placement.
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[Plankspanker]

[quote=vintage58;2088863]Nice-looking guitar. ..Just out of curiosity, was the headstock ever re-silkscreened? The silkscreen position shown in the headstock photo looks like the 2006–2008 placement.
[color=Black].
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.My 2003 R9's silkscreen is in the same location.

[vintage58]

Originally Posted by Plankspanker

My 2003 R9's silkscreen is in the same location.

Huh, veddy interesting. I wonder if that particular placement on an '03 is unique to Murphy-aged guitars from that year; perhaps Murphy himself—rather than Gibson—applied the silkscreen to those guitars (i.e., during or after his aging process)? I've never seen a single non-aged (and unmodified) '03 that had the silkscreen placed even remotely in that position....
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[bugman4214]

nice and very rare , you have some cool gits, i want an murphy ultra aged

[delawaregold]

2003 Headstocks.







As stated, it appears to be placed much higher on the Murphy.

[Bluuzman]

Wonderful guitar.

[lpflametop]

I see the same thing... my non-aged Brazilian is the same as the ones pictured above
the D in the word model is inline with the G string post
and on the 03 Braz aged the M in model is lined up with the G string post
Calling Frank Pine....post a pic of your headstock please!

[Mark Kane]

Originally Posted by delawaregold

2003 Headstocks.







As stated, it appears to be placed much higher on the Murphy.

Those are all lower on the headstock, closer to the nut. That's what he's talking about

[delawaregold]

Originally Posted by Mark Kane

Those are all lower on the headstock, closer to the nut. That's what he's talking about

That's what I said.

[skyeking69]

My '03 Braz " Daliburst"...Murphy painted but not aged

[EFburst58]

wowh....unreal !!

[pinefd]

Originally Posted by lpflametop

I see the same thing... my non-aged Brazilian is the same as the ones pictured above
the D in the word model is inline with the G string post
and on the 03 Braz aged the M in model is lined up with the G string post
Calling Frank Pine....post a pic of your headstock please!

Rob, I don't have any pics of just the headstocks, so I'll try and take some later today.


Frank

[Hawk1]

My 03 R9 Murphy headstock

[M. Bartee]

My 03 R9 has the lower placement as well.

[lpflametop]

here is a 2009 aged signed pearly # 47 headstock
different yet...kinda between both...

[pinefd]

I just checked...both my '03 Murphy Brazilians (including a painted and aged one) have the lower placement.


Frank

[bigsby'd]

Is it conceivable, since the checks go UNDER the LP silkscreen, that the silkscreen is put on by Murphy, or somewhere other than the assembly line after distressing/aging?

[Zoomer]

Originally Posted by skyeking69

My '03 Braz " Daliburst"...Murphy painted but not aged

MINDBLOWING FIGURE OMG - take about Fire wow !!!

I was just wondering what happened to the STINGER website ??

Thanks

Zoom

[delawaregold]

Originally Posted by Zoomer

I was just wondering what happened to the STINGER website ??

Skyeking69 has gone over to the dark side, (Vintage)
and has mothballed the site for now, but he is still around.
Perhaps he will chime in.

[vintage58]

Originally Posted by bigsby'd

Is it conceivable, since the checks go UNDER the LP silkscreen, that the silkscreen is put on by Murphy, or somewhere other than the assembly line after distressing/aging?

Hmmm.... now why didn't *I* think of that? (See post #5 above.)
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[vintage58]

Originally Posted by lpflametop

here is a 2009 aged signed pearly # 47 headstock
different yet...kinda between both...

Yes, this is the same silkscreen placement found on all 2009's (i.e., aged or non-aged)—a thing of beauty, as far as I'm concerned. ..Indeed, the 2009's are one of perhaps only three years of Historic Collection production in which the "Les Paul MODEL" silkscreen actually appears in a position that is roughly historically correct for a 'burst. The only other years of production for which this holds moderately true with any degree of consistency, would be 1995 and 2005. Some 1994's were close, but in 2009 Gibson has gotten it about as correct as I've yet seen.

The silkscreen placement on your Murphy-aged '03, on the other hand, is very much like that found on the 2007's and 2008's, which was way too "high" on the headstock. The 2006's were already heading in that direction, but the 2007's and most 2008's really had the silkscreen probably the highest that it's ever been. (There were, however, a few late-2008 guitars with six-digit serial numbers, that had the silkscreen in the more correct 2009 position.)

I again think that the most plausible explanation concerning the silkscreen placement on your '03, would be that Murphy himself (as opposed to Gibson) applied it. I can't imagine that Gibson would reset the jig that they use, for only a handful of particular guitars within a given production year. Although I did once see a non-aged 2003 R-0 with Brazilian rosewood, that had the silkscreen approximately 1/32" lower than the 2009 position—that is, it looked "right"—so maybe Gibson does actually periodically reset the jig for individual guitars.... who knows?
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[Mark Kane]

Here's a '95 R9...

[vintage58]

Originally Posted by Mark Kane

Here's a '95 R9...

Yes, and as you can see, the silkscreen placement on that guitar is roughly correct (although not perfect). Probably the best way I can think of to describe historically "correct" silkscreen placement, would be that the "O" in "MODEL" should be cut in half by the imaginary line formed by the center points of the D and G strings' tuner posts. Obviously there were minute variations from vintage 'burst to vintage 'burst, but from what I've been able to discern with my own eyes, most 'bursts seem to have had the silkscreen with the "O" roughly centered/bisected as described, give or take a thirty-second of an inch.
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[solsurfr]

Originally Posted by lpflametop

Here is mine I know of a few others....

Beautiful. I was thinking of pulling the trigger on this one when I saw it for sale recently. It got away but I'm happy for ya...

[skyeking69]

Originally Posted by delawaregold

Skyeking69 has gone over to the dark side, (Vintage)
and has mothballed the site for now, but he is still around.
Perhaps he will chime in.

darkside ?? haha good one Artie
The Stinger site is down due to time to maintain it and it was getting very few hits.
Mark Bishop ( Mark's guitar loft) sent me many photos of Stingers he has sold, but I didn't have time to post them....
I might put the site up again if there is enough interest...

[delawaregold]

Originally Posted by skyeking69

darkside ?? haha good one Artie
The Stinger site is down due to time to maintain it and it was getting very few hits.
Mark Bishop ( Mark's guitar loft) sent me many photos of Stingers he has sold,
but I didn't have time to post them....
I might put the site up again if there is enough interest...

Craig, The continued interest in the Stinger Website speaks
volumes about your sites credibility, and impact it had on
those of us that follow the modern era Brazilian Les Pauls.
The Stinger Website was extremely well presented, and a
wealth of information, and a tremendously valuable resource.
As I'm sure you know, but what may not be known to everyone
is that Gibson's use of Brazilian Rosewood, first in 2001 and
2002 in a very limited way, and then dedicating it to the
entire Historic Line, allowed the Stinger Series guitars to
become reality. It was a tremendous effort by a few people
who were dedicated to historical accuracy, and saw this as
one more step towards recreating the Les Paul Standard.
These guitars still generate interest today, and this is why
people still look for your website as an authoritative
reference about some of the most interesting guitars made
since 1960. While I understand your decision, and can
appreciate the demands on your time, loosing that website
leaves a void that can not easily be replaced by any other
website available today. I must thank you again for being
so kind to answer all of my questions, and I hope you will
continue to make yourself available to all of us in the future.
Happy Holidays, my friend and ALL THE BEST!
Artie

[solsurfr]

Originally Posted by pinefd

I just checked...both my '03 Murphy Brazilians (including a painted and aged one) have the lower placement.


Frank

Frank--- is it plausible to you that lpflametop's murphy R9 braz was manually silkscreened? I'm a bit puzzled as to why the position of the silkscreen seems a bit different from year to year??

[pinefd]

Originally Posted by solsurfr

Frank--- is it plausible to you that lpflametop's murphy R9 braz was manually silkscreened? I'm a bit puzzled as to why the position of the silkscreen seems a bit different from year to year??

Check out 3:26 into this video and you'll see how it's done (at the Custom Shop, at least): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkPJ5...eature=channel

And BTW, I double checked my Murphys, and it does appear that the silkscreen was applied after the ageing was done.


Frank

[solsurfr]

Whats the consensus on the top? Eastern or Maple?

[solsurfr]

Originally Posted by pinefd

Check out 3:26 into this video and you'll see how it's done (at the Custom Shop, at least): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkPJ5...eature=channel

And BTW, I double checked my Murphys, and it does appear that the silkscreen was applied after the ageing was done.


Frank

Thanks, Frank. So it is hand-set it seems.

[cryptozoo]

I thought they were all hand-screened.

[delawaregold]

Originally Posted by solsurfr

Whats the consensus on the top? Eastern or Maple?

As called out in many sources, unless ordered with Western Maple,
such as a Quilt Top, it is Eastern Maple.

[skyeking69]

Originally Posted by delawaregold

Craig, The continued interest in the Stinger Website speaks
volumes about your sites credibility, and impact it had on
those of us that follow the modern era Brazilian Les Pauls.
The Stinger Website was extremely well presented, and a
wealth of information, and a tremendously valuable resource.
As I'm sure you know, but what may not be known to everyone
is that Gibson's use of Brazilian Rosewood, first in 2001 and
2002 in a very limited way, and then dedicating it to the
entire Historic Line, allowed the Stinger Series guitars to
become reality. It was a tremendous effort by a few people
who were dedicated to historical accuracy, and saw this as
one more step towards recreating the Les Paul Standard.
These guitars still generate interest today, and this is why
people still look for your website as an authoritative
reference about some of the most interesting guitars made
since 1960. While I understand your decision, and can
appreciate the demands on your time, loosing that website
leaves a void that can not easily be replaced by any other
website available today. I must thank you again for being
so kind to answer all of my questions, and I hope you will
continue to make yourself available to all of us in the future.
Happy Holidays, my friend and ALL THE BEST!
Artie

Wow thanks Artie!
Glad you and others appreciated the Stinger page.
I'll talk to a web master friend of mine and see if he can help me
maintaining the page.......Maybe it will be up again in Jan.
Thanks again and cheers!

[solsurfr]

Originally Posted by delawaregold

As called out in many sources, unless ordered with Western Maple,
such as a Quilt Top, it is Eastern Maple.

Thanks, Artie... hope you are giving your nice guitars some love during this crazy snow storm!

[delawaregold]

Originally Posted by solsurfr

Thanks, Artie... hope you are giving your nice guitars some love
during this crazy snow storm!

'Twas five days before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a harddrive was stirring, not even my mouse;

The Brazilians were stacked by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The Brazzy's were nestled all snug in their case,

While visions of guitar show danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the internet there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the computer I flew like a flash,

Tore open the fire wall and deleted my cache.

Happy Holidays!!

[solsurfr]

Originally Posted by delawaregold

'Twas five days before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a harddrive was stirring, not even my mouse;

The Brazilians were stacked by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The Brazzy's were nestled all snug in their case,

While visions of guitar show danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the internet there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the computer I flew like a flash,

Tore open the fire wall and deleted my cache.

Happy Holidays!!

[2404noah]

Hi
Just got one question.. Does all Murphy aged Les Paul 59's from 2003 = Brazilian board??
Thanks

[Zoomer]

Originally Posted by skyeking69

Wow thanks Artie!
Glad you and others appreciated the Stinger page.
I'll talk to a web master friend of mine and see if he can help me
maintaining the page.......Maybe it will be up again in Jan.
Thanks again and cheers!

Sorry I am late to the party on this one but I LOVED the stinger site and was very sad it went down. I think it is a great bounty of info and agree with everything Artie said. So I vote to bring it back as well !!

Thanks

Zoomer