Guitar finish peeling off - anything I can do?

[AwakenTheSkies]

I have this guitar, Ibanez ART300. I must have got it in 2012, it's cheaper low end guitar. Maybe 300€ new? So for a while now there has been a layer of plastic peeling off, I assume because of the humidity where I live. It looks messed up. Is there any way to fix it?
This guitar has some sentimental value for me.

 

[c7spheres]

I don't know about how to save it. Looks like it's got skin cancer. Maybe accept it and let it be. It looks cool like that because it's natural. I'd probably start picking at it like scabs until nothing else peels off and let it be what it is. I don't think there's anything other than a refinish to make it stop. What I see when I look at it is a guitar that's been loved and a guitar that loves you too.

 

[Gtan7]

you could email Ibanez a picture, they might offer you a replacement cause obviously whoever mixed the poly screwed up but they're not going to pay for refin or anything like that

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

you could email Ibanez a picture, they might offer you a replacement cause obviously whoever mixed the poly screwed up but they're not going to pay for refin or anything like that

The guitar was discontinued like 10 years ago, but I'll send them an email. Could be worth a try, free new guitar . I don't know if I'd agree to send this one back though, it has custom nut, tuners, pickups and it has sentimental value for me too.

 

[NickK-UK]

Could be refinished - sand back and reapply but I suspect the cost of a guitar tech doing it will outweigh the cost of the guitar by quite a margin.

 

[bracky]

Think of it as relicing. People pay good money for that.

 

[Das Gitarrenwiesel]

Wow that's the most extreme paint peel I've seen on a modern guitar ... I see a lot of vintage ones that are in this ballpark ... but 12 years old and this borked ... respect!
Personally I like the look as is ... but a total refinish is about all you can do. You could use good quality nitro 'rattle cans' for a re finish ... but it's a lot of work! It can be very rewarding though.

 

[lost_horizon]

Has the look of the early 90s Yamaha/Ibanez where the colour is peeling away from the surface.

As this is a textured top you would have to have the top blasted, not with sand but something like walnuts etc.

At least it is real maple, most of the peel offs I have seen are on veneer jobby's.....

 

[Hollowway]

I hate fake relic stuff, but this is legitimately a relic. I think it looks cool and unique, and with the sentimental value, I wouldn't do a damn thing. It actually has a super unique look to it. Not the typical (let's take the paint off the forearm contour" type of relic look. This just looks like good old fashioned aging. (even if it is only a decade-ish old.)

 

[JimF]

You could spray some clear lacquer over the finish to stop it peeling any further...