Murphy's Law
When you search "Tom Murphy" on Google, nary a single guitar-related thread comes up. Every page is about another fellow named Tom Murphy who plays catcher for the Seattle Mariners. When you dig deeper and search "Tom Murphy guitar" you might find a profile from his hometown paper in Marion, Illinois that traces his story arc from his origins as a guitar-obsessed teen to his time as a Nashville sideman to his tenure at Gibson Guitars, where he was a project manager in charge of reissuing a little-known obscurity from Gibson's history: the 1959 Les Paul. Go further down the rabbit hole and you'll find a list of clients that will make your jaw drop: Jimmy Page, Dickey Betts, Joe Perry, Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, and Gary Rossington. Why do so many rock stars seek out Tom?
The Murphy Magic
The answer is simple: the man is a certifiable wizard. Facetiousness aside, consider this example: after Peter Frampton's famous Les Paul Custom rested in pieces in the debris of a crashed cargo plane for thirty years, Tom was able to bring it back to life and make it sing again. Some might chalk that up to magic, but it's much simpler than that. He's just a master craftsman who has honed his skills for decades.
As a professional player, Tom gained the sort of intimate knowledge of guitars that can only come when you're struggling to make a repair during a set break during a four-hour gig. He also saw untold thousands of real-life roadworn guitars, which gave him an excellent sense of what an aged reissue should look like. Finally, as a finish specialist for Gibson, he absorbed as much knowledge as he could from his peers. Because of his training and real-world experiences, his guitars look as authentic as can be. His aged finishes are as authentic as can be, which makes sense; after all, he probably aged quite a few guitars by wearing them down out on the road!
Site: https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/89575/wildwood-spec-1958-mahogany-explorer-2/
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/11aLDN5
Amp: The Greg Koch Signature Combo from Koch Amps
Serial Number: 89575
Brand Gibson Custom Shop
Model Wildwood Spec 1958 Mahogany Explorer
Finish Color Natural, Aged by Tom Murphy
Weight 8.37 lbs.
Body Wood Mahogany
Neck Wood Mahogany
Neck Shape Chunky '58 C-Shape
Neck Dimensions .930 1st - 1.030 12th
Fingerboard Rosewood
Frets 22 Vintage-Style Banjo
Inlays Dots
Scale Length 24 3/4"
Nut Material Nylon
Width at Nut 1 11/16"
Pickups 2 Wildwood Spec Custom 'Buckers
Controls 2 Volume, 1 Tone, 3-Way Switch
Hardware Gold
Tuners Kluson
Bridge Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece Stopbar
Case Gibson Black Hardshell Case
COA Yes