Ibanez RG7321 OVERHAUL

[Romeomeo]

I've got an Ibanez RG7321 I bought used awhile back. Didn't really play it much, pickups and neck weren't my thing, bought it for the intention of modding. I sanded the back of the neck down, rounded the shoulders and made it thinner, I'm still planning on refinishing it.

ANYWAYS.

I want to refinish the body and headstock. I'm thinking Dino Cazares style. I'm going to sand the body down and if the grain looks nice I may just stain and finish it as is. Otherwise, I want to fill in the neck pickup route as well as the pickup selector and tone knob routes, and paint it white or gun metal grey (haven't decided yet).

I need advice. Sanding tips? Processes? What sandpaper? What paint? How much paint? How many coats? Do I sand between coats? How to I make the finish look professional? What tools / supplies do I need? How do I finish a neck?

Any tips, advice, resources, links, whatever would be SUPER useful.

THANKS

 

[synrgy]

Start here:

Project Guitar.com :: Guitar Project.com



The hardware store makes it pretty easy for you. Get a decent sanding block (I prefer the heavy rubber ones, but you have to be careful to not let the raw rubber rub against the wood) and right near it in the same section should be sand paper. Start with 80 grit (3M makes a type that actually says 'paint stripping' on the package) and work your way up from there.

Read through the tutorials on the link I posted. Slightly different techniques depending on whether you decide to paint it or go natural.

 

[Konfyouzd]

i stripped mine using gel stripper. it took me a couple of days to get it done. then when i had gotten the paint off i sanded it with some 320 grit sand paper and i only went up to 600 grit because i burned mine. someone else may have some suggestions as to what you can do if you plan on doing a real finish on it.

 

[Romeomeo]

Awesome, thanks.

On the back of the body, the holes where the strings go through have little metal rings, I don't know the right word for it. Do I take these out? How?

 

[Konfyouzd]

i didn't.

 

[Romeomeo]

Sweet. ANOTHER QUESTION. What do I do with the ground wire coming out where the bridge is while I'm sanding? Where does it go?

 

[Konfyouzd]

just keep it. w/ all the screws and everything else you take off of it. you know where it goes when you put everything back together, no?

 

[synrgy]

Awesome, thanks.

On the back of the body, the holes where the strings go through have little metal rings, I don't know the right word for it. Do I take these out? How?

They're called ferrules, ('string ferrules' in this case) if I'm not mistaken.

I'd say taking them out or not depends on what you want the final product to look like. If you don't mind them being scratched from the sanding process, do whatever makes you happy. If you do mind, look into removing them first. Unfortunately, I have no experience doing this so I couldn't tell you how. I would imagine any type of long, narrow screwdriver type of thing that would fit in those ferrule routes would work if you pushed it through the top of the guitar, forcing the ferrules out through the bottom.

 

[Romeomeo]

Well it's coming out of the body under where the bridge was. Is it attached to anything is what I was trying to ask or can I just take it out (the ground wire)

 

[synrgy]

Sweet. ANOTHER QUESTION. What do I do with the ground wire coming out where the bridge is while I'm sanding? Where does it go?

You'll want to remove *all* of the electronics. If you're brave enough to tackle sanding and refinishing, replacing the electronics should be no big deal.

Just remember how it's all wired up. Draw yourself a diagram you can understand to help you when it's time to put it all back together. Any connections you can save while removing the pots/pickups/output, do so. No sense in disconnecting things that will pull right out without doing so. That way, you're saving time on reconnecting them later.

*edit* just saw your other post. The other end of that ground wire is likely connected to something in your electronics cavity -- one of your pots or something.

 

[Konfyouzd]

^ yup. the end that you find underneath the bridge goes right back there when you're done. you simply press it between the bridge and the body of the guitar and then you solder the other end to a pot in the control cavity or whatever else you choose to use as your grounding point.

 

[Romeomeo]

They're called ferrules, ('string ferrules' in this case) if I'm not mistaken.

I'd say taking them out or not depends on what you want the final product to look like. If you don't mind them being scratched from the sanding process, do whatever makes you happy. If you do mind, look into removing them first. Unfortunately, I have no experience doing this so I couldn't tell you how. I would imagine any type of long, narrow screwdriver type of thing that would fit in those ferrule routes would work if you pushed it through the top of the guitar, forcing the ferrules out through the bottom.

Ah, thanks. I don't mind them getting scratched up, but are they going to get in the way of the sanding if I don't take them out?

You'll want to remove *all* of the electronics. If you're brave enough to tackle sanding and refinishing, replacing the electronics should be no big deal.

Just remember how it's all wired up. Draw yourself a diagram you can understand to help you when it's time to put it all back together. Any connections you can save while removing the pots/pickups/output, do so. No sense in disconnecting things that will pull right out without doing so. That way, you're saving time on reconnecting them later.

*edit* just saw your other post. The other end of that ground wire is likely connected to something in your electronics cavity -- one of your pots or something.

^ yup. the end that you find underneath the bridge goes right back there when you're done. you simply press it between the bridge and the body of the guitar and then you solder the other end to a pot in the control cavity or whatever else you choose to use as your grounding point.

Okay, cool. Thanks! I'm not very educated about guitar electronics so I'll definitely draw a diagram and keep what I can connected. However, if I replace the pickups, would I have to use a different schematic and/or different pots?

 

[Konfyouzd]

Ah, thanks. I don't mind them getting scratched up, but are they going to get in the way of the sanding if I don't take them out?



Okay, cool. I'm not very educated about guitar electronics so I'll definitely draw a diagram and keep what I can connected. However, if I replace the pickups, would I have to use a different schematic and/or different pots?

not really. when i was removing my paint it was difficult w/ the paint stripper to get it off simply beause i could not run the putty knife in the grooves between them easily to scrape the paint out, but i was able to sand the excess away no problem

However, if I replace the pickups, would I have to use a different schematic and/or different pots?

yes, but whatever brand they are, you should be able to find a diagram on their website. also, i found a good site for wiring diagrams... give me a second and i'll find it.

this site is AWESOME:

GuitarElectronics.com Guitar & Bass Guitar Wiring Diagrams & Repair Resources

it has diagrams for several types of configurations and it will also provide a color code for different manufacturers.

 

[jymellis]

Ibanez :: Electric Guitars

heres the actual diagram for the wiring of your guitar!

search 2002 then rg7321

 

[Romeomeo]

Ok, cool. Sanded it, clear coated it, done. Put it all back together, attempted to wire it. I went by the 1 humbucker 1 volume schematic on the site that one of you posted. The good wiring one. Yeah. Followed it, think I got everything right. Only, I don't have any strings to test it with. But it's all together and wired.

HELP.

I plugged it in for funsies. The volume pot functions, when I tap the pickup I don't hear the tapping noise through the amp. When I am touching the pickup, there is a loud hum. When I am not, there is a moderate hum. When I touch the bridge or the volume knob, the hum is gone.

All the ground symbols on the schematic are going to the back of the volume pot. I have a ground wire running from there through the body to under the bridge.

What is the problem?

(I'll have strings tomorrow)