Gibson Appoints Villanueva as Head of Custom Shop, Launches the Murphy Lab, Assigns Murphy Master Artisan

Gibson Brands is taking Gibson Custom Shop to new highs with a renewed focused on paying tribute to its iconic past while leading the path into the future.

Gibson is pleased to announce the appointment of Sergio Villanueva  as Head of the Custom Shop .  Sergio spent the last five years at Taylor Guitars as the Plant Manager of its new Tecate, Mexico facility. Prior to Taylor, Sergio spent 25 years at Fender Musical Instruments , where he worked his way from managing strings production to eventually becoming Sr. Vice-President of Global Manufacturing .

“I am excited to bring Sergio into the Custom Shop for this leadership position at such a pivotal stage for Gibson,” says James Curleigh, Chief Executive Officer of Gibson. “Sergio is a respected Luthier who will bring a renewed sense of artistry and operational excellence to the Custom Shop . He is the perfect fit to lead our Custom Shop team into the future.”

“I’m thrilled to join the team and take the Custom Shop to the next level,” adds Sergio Villanueva, Head of Custom Shop, Gibson.

Gibson is also pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Murphy as Master Artisanof the newly created Murphy Lab at the Gibson Custom Shop . In his new role, Tom will take responsibility for re-imagining and implementing new ways of delivering the Gibson Custom Shop historic experience to our extended fan base of guitar enthusiasts. Tom will bring his expertise, authentic style and his passion for building historically accurate guitars to Custom Shop to shape the future of the Murphy Lab and cement his legacy.

“The Gibson Custom Shop is the pinnacle of craftsmanship, quality and sound excellence. Each instrument celebrates Gibson’s legacy through accuracy, authenticity and attention to detail,” says Cesar Gueikian, Chief Merchant Officer of Gibson. “As we celebrate the 60 ^th anniversary of the 1959 Les Paul Standard , I can’t think of a more exciting time to launch the Murphy Lab under the leadership of Tom, who was instrumental in the inception of the Gibson Custom Shop and developed the process of aging.”