The B'z guitarist's latest signature Gibson looks the bee's knees, and has some Fort Knox vibes courtesy of the gold finish reprised on the back of the body, neck and headstock
Gibson has joined forces with Grammy award-winning electric guitar player Takahiro “Tak” Matsumoto for his latest signature guitar – a Murphy Lab Custom Shop 1955 Les Paul Goldtop.
Matsumoto – who is one half and primary songwriter of Japan’s best-selling band, B’z – is no stranger to a signature edition Gibson, but his latest looks to be arguably his most elegant and classically styled six-string to date.
Taking inspiration from a vintage ‘55 Les Paul, Matsumoto’s Goldtop is being released to celebrate B’z 35th anniversary, which takes place next year.
Build-wise, it features a one-piece mahogany body, two-piece plain maple top and an authentic ‘59 Medium C-profile mahogany neck, which is topped with a one-piece Indian rosewood fretboard that sports 22 historic medium-jumbo frets and cellulose nitrate trapezoid inlays.
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(Image credit: Gibson)
(Image credit: Gibson)
Other appointments include a nylon nut, 12” radius, Kluson Reissue tuners and a True Historic truss rod cover.
In an effort to capture that genuine ‘50s-era style, the guitar has been treated to some Murphy Lab custom ageing that looks very much like Ultra-Light Aged weathering, evidenced by the subtle lacquer checking on the body and neck.
What is really cool here is how the gold finish continues on the rear of the body, neck and headstock, with the Murphy Lab taking some of it off the neck to make it look like it has had decades of play. The all-gold paint job lends the Matsumoto Goldtop a Fort Knox-vibe, albeit it is more muted with the aged nickel hardware.
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Matsumoto swaps out the original’s P-90-style pickups for more contemporary BurstBucker Pro Alnico 5 humbuckers, presumably to support his high-gain riffing and meaty soloing style.
Other features include a wraparound bridge, Gold Speed with Dial Pointer control knobs – two each for volume and tone – a True Historic Amber switch tip and aged nickel hardware finish, as well as factory-fitted strap locks.
(Image credit: Gibson)
Matsumoto’s latest Gibson signature model follows his Modern Double Cut custom axe that arrived in 2012.
At the time, Matsumoto spoke to Guitar World about his relationship with the guitar brand, saying, “Gibson is the greatest guitar company, as everyone knows, they always try to create something new. I really respect them and am proud to be a signature artist.”
The new Matsumoto Murphy Lab 1955 Goldtop Les Paul is only available in Japan and Asia. For more details, head over to Gibson Japan.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
