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Murphy Lab brittle finish (2022 ML R9)

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,897
What did people think the they buy a new guitar looking like it's 63 years old within days of being painted !

Lots of complaints with the finish that did not crack , then complained about razor jobs .

This Finish is not formulated for longevity !!!!!!!!!!!
 

charliechitlins

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
1,351
This is a guitar that was aged 25 years in 2 hours.
And had a finish applied that was designed to age another 25 years in the following handful of years.
There's no formula for these things.
If the guy plays sitting down, this will happen in this amount of time...
If he plays standing up...if he wears a belt...if he lives in a dry climate...if there are long winters...if he's a lawyer and has no calluses on his hands...
Nobody has a crystal ball.
Well...actually...I have a crystal ball and it's no bargain.
I put it in a South facing window and it burned holes in my couch.
 

Tommy Tourbus

Active member
Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Messages
880
Man, imagine paying DOUBLE the price of a standard historic for that! I wouldn't buy one at half the price
 

John550

Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2012
Messages
142
Man, imagine paying DOUBLE the price of a standard historic for that! I wouldn't buy one at half the price
Double would be for a ulta heavy aged , those I dont think are having the problem . The back color on the heavy aged is brown . I thought the problem with the early dark cherry back was the pour filler and finish .
 
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Wizard1183

Guest
Double would be for a ulta heavy aged , those I dont think are having the problem . The back color on the heavy aged is brown . I thought the problem with the early dark cherry back was the pour filler and finish .
Pore filler and analine dye should be staying on the guitar and fading. Flaking off with the lacquer means before it’s even dried or soaked into the wood it’s being painted and before the paint even dries they’re lacquering it. So it flakes off and EVERYTHING falls off at once. That’s pathetic. However it doesn’t matter perhaps in that area? But on the back near the strap lock it flakes? I’d be pretty pissed.

For old Tom to have paint for years? This is mediocre paint prepping at best. Paying for a name. Getting cheap shit. The corporate way
 

southernsouthbound

New member
Joined
Sep 1, 2024
Messages
7
My 2022 darkback R7 has been having paint flaking off for no reason the past two years, and I've kept documented proof via photos. I sent them to the dealer I bought it through, and Gibson, and they came back and told me that same bs about the finish being brittle, etc. I feel so damned stupid for paying a premium just to have it fall apart. And for those who will ask: It isn't on a stand or a hanger and literally sleeps in its case 23 1/2 hours of the day, if I even play it at all. Every single time I do a restring now, I take before and after pictures because it's getting ridiculous. Mine is "light" aged also, and the entire back looks like a shattered sheet of glass. Never again.
 

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CS Murphy 'R9

Active member
Joined
Jan 2, 2023
Messages
188
My 2023 is a heavy aged and has the brown back and is not showing any signs of flaking. it just has the relicing area's done by ML.
To be honest I wanted "Light aged" but a really good deal came my way on this one.
 

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southernsouthbound

New member
Joined
Sep 1, 2024
Messages
7
MY 2023 is a heavy aged and had the brown back and is not showing any signs of flaking. it just has the relicing area's done by ML. To be honest I wanted "Light aged"
but a really good deal came my way on this one.
That is a beautiful guitar! Honestly I don't think they want to admit that they had problems with the darker finishes. I know people said early on that they did, and I saw some white finishes flake almost immediately, but my friend owns a few R9s and doesn't have any issues like mine at all. He was horrified when he saw mine, knowing that I don't gig or even play it that much. Well from now on, I'm going to play it until it completely wears off just to prove a point. I really would love to know if anyone else has a Goldtop Darkback Murphy Lab from 21-22 that's having similar issues.
 

CS Murphy 'R9

Active member
Joined
Jan 2, 2023
Messages
188
That is a beautiful guitar! Honestly I don't think they want to admit that they had problems with the darker finishes. I know people said early on that they did, and I saw some white finishes flake almost immediately, but my friend owns a few R9s and doesn't have any issues like mine at all. He was horrified when he saw mine, knowing that I don't gig or even play it that much. Well from now on, I'm going to play it until it completely wears off just to prove a point. I really would love to know if anyone else has a Goldtop Darkback Murphy Lab from 21-22 that's having similar issues.
Thank you and I really feel bad that this happened to you and others that own a ML. After seeing those pics you posted and others I have seen I cannot believe Gibson is not taking care of the issue?
It would be nothing for them to re -finish the R7 "IF" you really love the tone and neck on that particular one or just replace it with another R7.
 

southernsouthbound

New member
Joined
Sep 1, 2024
Messages
7
Thank you and I really feel bad that this happened to you and others that own a ML. After seeing those pics you posted and others I have seen I cannot believe Gibson is not taking care of the issue?
It would be nothing for them to re -finish the R7 "IF" you really love the tone and neck on that particular one or just replace it with another R7.
This is the answer I got after they escalated the issue to the custom shop/murphy division:

"The team at the Custom Shop has evaluated the photos of your R7. It was determined that this would not be considered a finish defect. Considering the age of the guitar, this would be classified as acceptable wear and tear. The proprietary Nitro lacquer used exclusively on all Murphy Lab instruments is formulated to generate weather checking “cracks”. It is harder and more brittle than our standard finish, making it more susceptible to showing normal wear and tear. These instruments continue to wear as they are played, as the aging level is simply the starting point of the natural aging of the guitar."

It's that kind of response that will keep me from ever buying another one.
 

charliechitlins

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
1,351
My 2022 darkback R7 has been having paint flaking off for no reason the past two years, and I've kept documented proof via photos. I sent them to the dealer I bought it through, and Gibson, and they came back and told me that same bs about the finish being brittle, etc. I feel so damned stupid for paying a premium just to have it fall apart. And for those who will ask: It isn't on a stand or a hanger and literally sleeps in its case 23 1/2 hours of the day, if I even play it at all. Every single time I do a restring now, I take before and after pictures because it's getting ridiculous. Mine is "light" aged also, and the entire back looks like a shattered sheet of glass. Never again.
Bummer.
My Lester had been played heavily for 53 years and doesn't look that bad.
But you have what "we" want.
Everybody seems to want their guitar to look like they played the crap out of it for 50 years...even if it's 2 years old and kept in a case.
 

Any Name You Wish

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 15, 2021
Messages
619
This is the answer I got after they escalated the issue to the custom shop/murphy division:

"The team at the Custom Shop has evaluated the photos of your R7. It was determined that this would not be considered a finish defect. Considering the age of the guitar, this would be classified as acceptable wear and tear. The proprietary Nitro lacquer used exclusively on all Murphy Lab instruments is formulated to generate weather checking “cracks”. It is harder and more brittle than our standard finish, making it more susceptible to showing normal wear and tear. These instruments continue to wear as they are played, as the aging level is simply the starting point of the natural aging of the guitar."

It's that kind of response that will keep me from ever buying another one.
Oooo boy, there may be a lot of ML finished LP owners with a bad day in their future. Let's hope not. Is flaking off "normal wear and tear"?
 

CS Murphy 'R9

Active member
Joined
Jan 2, 2023
Messages
188
This is the answer I got after they escalated the issue to the custom shop/murphy division:

"The team at the Custom Shop has evaluated the photos of your R7. It was determined that this would not be considered a finish defect. Considering the age of the guitar, this would be classified as acceptable wear and tear. The proprietary Nitro lacquer used exclusively on all Murphy Lab instruments is formulated to generate weather checking “cracks”. It is harder and more brittle than our standard finish, making it more susceptible to showing normal wear and tear. These instruments continue to wear as they are played, as the aging level is simply the starting point of the natural aging of the guitar."

It's that kind of response that will keep me from ever buying another one.
I agree
 
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CS Murphy 'R9

Active member
Joined
Jan 2, 2023
Messages
188
Oooo boy, there may be a lot of ML finished LP owners with a bad day in their future. Let's hope not. Is flaking off "normal wear and tear"?
There is not a single gibson guitar from the 50's I have ever seen where the finish fell off in square pieces? No that is NOT normal wear tear at all it is a faulty finish formula!
The finish did not adhere to the wood like it should have. Like a jigsaw puzzle the pieces just fall off!
 
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