Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1964 SG Standard Reissue With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged Electric Guitar Faded Cherry

The Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1964 SG Standard is a reissue that looks like the real thing—a vintage instrument made in the same year the U.S. met the Beatles. Of course, George Harrison famously played a ’64 SG Standard, as did Eric Clapton, but it’s also been the weapon of choice for Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, U2’s the Edge and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. Built in the Custom Shop with stunning attention to detail, this SG then headed to the Murphy Lab for an Ultra Heavy aging. It emerged with the scars of five decades of extreme wear and abuse. Loaded with dual CustomBuckers and a Maestro Vibrola, you’ll be able to coax great sound from the get-go. If you’ve been looking for an absolutely authentic SG Standard, congratulations—Guitar Center has you covered with this Gibson.

’64 SG Standard Reissue Main Features

• 1-piece lightweight mahogany body
• Mahogany neck with medium C-shape, Indian rosewood fretboard
• Dual alnico III CustomBuckers (unpotted), 3-way switch
• ABR-1 tune-o-matic bridge, Maestro Vibrola, vintage-style tuners
• Ultra Heavy aged finish

Lightweight Construction

One of the benefits of a ’60s SG is the way it feels on your shoulders. It doesn’t have the same heft as a Les Paul from the same era. The Custom Shop fashioned this instrument from one piece of lightweight mahogany. It’s also roughly 1″ thinner than a Les Paul, and with edge bevels, more comfortable.

Period-Correct Chunky Neck

When the SG Standard was first released in 1961, Gibson said it had the “fastest neck in the world.” It was very thin, but as a result, was also prone to breaking. By 1964, the SG had a beefier neck; this Murphy Lab model shares that same profile, a medium C-shape. It attaches to the body with a long tenon and is set with historically-accurate hide glue. The fretboard is Indian rosewood with extra rolled fingerboard binding and cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays.

Blast Off With CustomBuckers

The Murphy Lab SG is loaded with a set of hand-wound CustomBuckers. Unpotted and made with alnico III magnets, they capture the magic of original PAF pickups—thick, warm, muscular—but still transparent. They’re wired with Black Beauty capacitors and CTS 500K pots.

Historic Hardware

This Gibson is spec’d with a Maestro Vibrola and engraved lyre cover plate, along with an ABR-1 tune-o-matic bridge and Kluson tuners. All of the hardware has a vintage patina courtesy of the Murphy Lab.

Ultra Heavy Aging

This ’64 SG reissue gets an Ultra Heavy aging from the Murphy Lab, led by Gibson Master Artisan Tom Murphy. You’ll see 50-plus years of hard playing on the finish, with major buckle rash, extreme arm and pick wear, plus exposed areas of raw wood. It’s easy to imagine this Les Paul Standard falling more than once from the band van.

The Gibson Custom Murphy Lab ’64 SG Standard Reissue with Maestro Vibrola comes with a certificate of authenticity and a brown and pink reissue 5-latch hardshell case.