Gibson Custom Shop 1963 Dove – Murphy Lab Light Aged

The Gibson Dove was first introduced to the world in 1962 at the dawn of one of the most revolutionary and impactful decades in popular music history. It was the second Gibson square shoulder acoustic model, following the Hummingbird, which was first released two years earlier, in 1960. Over sixty years after its introduction, the Dove remains one of the world’s most popular, instantly recognizable, and iconic acoustic guitars. The Dove has been seen in the hands of some of the biggest names in music, including Tom Petty, Elvis, Alex Lifeson, John Mellencamp, and Frank Hannon, just to name a few.

Now, Gibson Custom is very proud to introduce the 1963 Dove Light Aged, a faithful recreation of the early Dove models, masterfully aged by the artisans of the Murphy Lab to give it the look and feel of a well-loved vintage example.

The 1963 Dove Light Aged has a thermally aged Sitka spruce top with traditional scalloped X-bracing to help give it the tone of a well-seasoned vintage guitar and beautifully flamed maple back and sides that are finished in Cherry. The mahogany neck has a comfortable Round profile and is topped with an Indian rosewood fretboard that is equipped with 20 standard frets and adorned with mother-of-pearl parallelogram inlays. The longer scale length of 25.5”, coupled with the maple body, gives the Dove a distinctive tone that is somewhat louder and a bit brighter and fuller than the Hummingbird’s more midrange-focused tone.

The Dove’s headstock has the Gibson logo and crown inlays in mother-of-pearl and is equipped with high-quality nickel Kluson Waffleback tuners and a black-bordered white truss rod cover with DOVE lettering. The nut is bone, as are the saddle and bridge pins. The saddle is fitted into an iconic Dove rosewood bridge plate that is fitted with two mother-of-pearl dove inlays. The instantly identifiable Dove pickguard is decorated with stamped vines and flowers and a mother-of-pearl dove. The 1963 Dove Light Aged features Light Aging by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab. The Murphy Lab Light Aged finish treatment, paired with lightly aged hardware, simulates decades of light playwear, giving it the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era. It comes packed in a vintage-style black hardshell case to complete an authentic vintage playing and ownership experience that only Gibson Custom and the Murphy Lab can provide.