Explanation For Finish Peeling on Murphy Lab LPs

[framos]

the finish cracks are very light

Indeed.

The back color in your guitar looks quite light too, mine is (looks?) much darker.

 

[Pageburst]

That color!!......yuck

View attachment 558958

i like it, looks a bit like Pagey #2.

 

[mudface]

i like it, looks a bit like Pagey #2.

Exactly..... yuck!

 

[calieng]

I was lucky with mine (a heavy aged one made in 2020; no flake finish at all anywhere on it ! the back and side have a more light cherry colored than yours though. I have this Les Paul since March 30th and I play with it every day ! View attachment 559103 View attachment 559104
the finish cracks are very light.
I took many pictures when I got it five months ago, no peeling or flaking finish on it ! And today, it has the same "heavy aged" work done on it and nothing more as when I got it.

That does not look like any of the colors on any of the ML I have owned. They may have been trying some different dyes back then. But definitely the lighter the back color the less likely to have issues.

 

[Pageburst]

Exactly..... yuck!

Lol.

 

[none2low]

Saw a heavy aged cherry ML '61 ES-335 at GC today. It was obviously a customer return marked down as a "scratch and dent"

IMO the aging looked awful and the finish was already starting to chip off in a couple of places.

This brings up an interesting question.

If the root cause of the finish flaking on the LP is the mahogany pore filler, why is an ES-335 flaking?

It seems to me there is either an undisclosed problem with the lacquer formula itself, or there is something happening in the aging process that's causing this.

 

[calieng]

Saw a heavy aged cherry ML '61 ES-335 at GC today. It was obviously a customer return marked down as a "scratch and dent"

IMO the aging looked awful and the finish was already starting to chip off in a couple of places.

This brings up an interesting question.

If the root cause of the finish flaking on the LP is the mahogany pore filler, why is an ES-335 flaking?

It seems to me there is either an undisclosed problem with the lacquer formula itself, or there is something happening in the aging process that's causing this.

It has been mentioned by a number of owners around the internet that they feel the finish may be too thin and too brittle in addition to the issues with the pore filler. I believe that likely is true. At least in some cases. And the process of freezing to crack the finish or some volatile additive to crack the finish as it cures may also be a factor.

 

[KStopper65]

simpleton me, doesnt get it

People paying extra to get a battered looking guitar
they get a battered looking guitar
now complaining its a battered guitar..

These posts are becoming harder and harder to ignore.....

 

[framos]

Saw a heavy aged cherry ML '61 ES-335 at GC today. It was obviously a customer return marked down as a "scratch and dent"

IMO the aging looked awful and the finish was already starting to chip off in a couple of places.

This brings up an interesting question.

If the root cause of the finish flaking on the LP is the mahogany pore filler, why is an ES-335 flaking?

It seems to me there is either an undisclosed problem with the lacquer formula itself, or there is something happening in the aging process that's causing this.

Agree. My UL aged just got a little chip... on the top... so definitely not only the pore filler.

 

[Torshalla]

Wow man this is insane… i actually like the top of the replacement guitar a lot (matter of taste), however:
- such terrible customer service… when a customer returns a premium product, communication is key. They have to send you updates on the process and they should really show you pics of replacements before sending… this level of customer service is what i would expect from a low level brand.
- how can they send you another guitar with the same problems? They either don t give a shit or they have no clue what the problem’s root cause actually is… either way it is not reassuring
I will not get any ML guitar until this shitshow is fixed properly, and people will only believe it is fixed when Gibson comes clean and explains what the problem is and how they fixed it….

 

[calieng]

Agree. My UL aged just got a little chip... on the top... so definitely not only the pore filler.

Some small additional chips might be reasonably be expected on an aged guitar as normal flaws in workmanship due to some minor dust on the wood or other reason during the finish application. But given all the problems with these the guitars the question becomes what will they be like in 3 or 5 years. Should not a guitar that costs $9k last a lifetime? We should not have to deal with on-going finish loss over time.

Historic Makeovers shoots nitro straight from the can with no additives. And they apply the finish thicker than Gibson. They learned from trial and error over the years. I would have thought Tom Murphy knew all this stuff already???

Good luck and enjoy your guitar all the same.

 

[calieng]

Wow man this is insane… i actually like the top of the replacement guitar a lot (matter of taste), however:
- such terrible customer service… when a customer returns a premium product, communication is key. They have to send you updates on the process and they should really show you pics of replacements before sending… this level of customer service is what i would expect from a low level brand.
- how can they send you another guitar with the same problems? They either don t give a shit or they have no clue what the problem’s root cause actually is… either way it is not reassuring
I will not get any ML guitar until this shitshow is fixed properly, and people will only believe it is fixed when Gibson comes clean and explains what the problem is and how they fixed it….

The guitar also only weighs 7lbs 11oz. If you want it - it can be yours for only $9k. No finish garantee to the second owner though.

Seriously the grey residue under the finish and the build date only means this guitar will be sawed in two at some point in the near future....too bad very sad.

 

[Brek]

i like it, looks a bit like Pagey #2.

i agree it does.

 

[Brek]

simpleton me, doesnt get it

People paying extra to get a battered looking guitar
they get a battered looking guitar
now complaining its a battered guitar..

really? thats your interpretation of what Calieng has been posting, about a finish fault? too funny.

 

[Subterfuge]

agreed, did you read the entire thread from the beginning ?

 

[calieng]

agreed, did you read the entire thread from the beginning ?

Some people want to contribute anything they can think of just to be part of the conversation...it's ok. We need more discussions on here. It gets a little slow some days. But it certainly is appreciated when they post pictures or facts they have found from research out there rather than just quips of nonsense.

Cheers.

 

[framos]

...But given all the problems with these the guitars the question becomes what will they be like in 3 or 5 years. Should not a guitar that costs $9k last a lifetime? We should not have to deal with on-going finish loss over time.

Completely agree.

 

[VictorB]

simpleton me, doesnt get it

People paying extra to get a battered looking guitar
they get a battered looking guitar
now complaining its a battered guitar..

An aged guitar and one with the finish unintentionally falling off are two different things. Get it now?

 

[KStopper65]

We need more discussions on here. It gets a little slow some days.

I'm waiting for Gibson's reply to your mail.
I wanna see how this goes down. I am new to such scenarios, and it would be a learning opportunity and a warning for many of us here

 

[calieng]

I'm waiting for Gibson's reply to your mail.
I wanna see how this goes down. I am new to such scenarios, and it would be a learning opportunity and a warning for many of us here

At the moment Willcutt's have a pending chargeback from Paypal for almost $9k for this original guitar purchase so I imagine they may give Gibson a call on Tuesday. I messaged them the RMA number and Customer Service person involved.

...and I am just getting started....one day this may turn into a class action lawsuit.