# GMD-Guitar Mod Day



## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

today was Guitar Mod Day for me.

i started with my Gibson Murphy R8 50th anniversary LP which is a pretty awesome guitar to begin with.
but after two years of playing this thing there were a few little things that i felt could be improved.
i know this probably sounds silly, but the snot-green tuning keys have always bugged me. i don't know why, but they just don't look right with the rest of the 'aged' look of the guitar.
besides that, i noticed the tone controls didn't seem to do much between mud and full. 

well i found a fellow on the MLP forum who sold me a set of Uncle Lou's aged Kluson style tuner tips for $20. 
and today i managed to install them. 
i took the tuners off the guitar and used a propane torch to heat the metal arm just enough to slide the old tip off and then slide the new one on. worked like a charm. 

not long ago, i had bought a used set of Wolfetone Legend humbuckers intending to try them out. but then i was offered a set of Tim White's Timbuckers at a decent price. well, if you follow this stuff, you know that Tim White's PAF repros are considered just about the best there are. in fact a lot of his customers were willing to wait up to two years for him to wind them a set. so i figured i better not let the opportunity pass me by. 

so after a frustrating start with my soldering iron dying on me 10 minutes into the job- and then a quick trip over to CanTire to get a new iron- i finally got the TimBuckers into the guitar.

and thanks to a little help from forum member Are Nine, i ordered a new set of pots and caps from RS Guitar Works.
i'm glad i chose to get the pre-wired set from RS and so didn't have too much trouble getting those installed at the same time.

i've only had the guitar all back together and tuned up for an hour or two, but i have to say....
*SWEET MOTHER OF GOD!*
it sounds fantastic. i'll admit i was a bit skeptical about the RS pots and caps, but they have made a difference. there is a distinctive taper on both the volume and the tone that the originals just didn't have.
but man oh man, those Timbuckers....its like lifting your head out of water.
the sound is so clear and crisp and has a chime that rings like a freaking bell.
i have a few other guitars with humbuckers by folks like Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan and Jason Lollar and others.
i won't say those aren't great too, but i do think Tim White was definitely doing something right.
i'll try and get a few photos up later.
but right now, i gotta go play some more guitar.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Good to hear it all worked out for you! I've been planning on modding my Standard for a while now. I want to drop some JS Moore Humbuckers in there and an RS Guitarworks kit, but I just haven't gotten around to it.


----------



## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

well thanks. and i would recommend taking the plunge.


----------

