Ibanez RGR321EX project

[lewis]

Picked this up a while ago. Thought i had a thread on it but cant find it.

Anyway.
Fitted the pickguard myself. Didnt like the pickups or the rosewood fretboard (despite staining it)
Starting point:

Mods done since:
- Locking tuners
- Neck swap for Maple fretboard
- Graphtech Tusq XL nut fitted
- Fishman Fluence Moderns in brushed steel

Hipshot bridge replacement still to be done

At some point this will be sent to Richard Fay for a swirl too after my Xiphos is done.
Previous owner took a nice chunk out the side of it etc so might aswell get a nice refinish.

 

[lewis]

Updated Pics.
Done a clean and a fret Polish.
Restring and a setup is tomorrow







Ive since changed the Knob to a black and white strat knob and ive ordered the Ibanez truss rod cover.

 

[lewis]

Need to take the nut off and do more sanding. Still a touch too high. Im going to go back to my usual Elixir set too. (Strings on it are Ernie Ball Baritones - went on Saturday and already completely dead. BS)
Truss rod cover arrived. Added some glow tape for side markers

Cant wait to get the Hipshot bridge.
This old thing is horrible. Chunky, uncomfy and Rusty haha.

 

[lewis]

Bumping this too!

With my Xiphos now about a month from swirl completion and back in my hands,
My attention will turn to getting this RG also swirled from Richard once I can use my Xiphos as my primary axe in this RG's place.
Keeping it 25.5 scale (unlike my xiphos which was a neck swap to 26.5 conversion)

so with that being said, heres what Im going to do:

- Sand off the black finish on the headstock back to natural maple
- Upgrade to black Hipshot locking tuners with white pearloid buttons
- keep the neck at home whilst the body gets sent to be swirled, and install blue luminlay side dots
- upgrade the Gibraltar bridge to the black Hipshot replacement
- New pickups (Going to be EMG 57/66 brushed stainless steel + RPC knob in all likelihood)
- New clear pickguard to show off the new swirl
- probably a new graphtech nut again but this time buy proper files and do it better

These are the colours and theme Im wanting for it and Richard has confirmed he can tape off to create a faux binding during the swirl (so white all the way around the body)



And using Halo's guitar builder, heres a mockup -



(obviously the headstock will be the normal 6 in line Ibanez shape)

 

[Albake21]

Bumping this too!

With my Xiphos now about a month from swirl completion and back in my hands,
My attention will turn to getting this RG also swirled from Richard once I can use my Xiphos as my primary axe in this RG's place.
Keeping it 25.5 scale (unlike my xiphos which was a neck swap to 26.5 conversion)

so with that being said, heres what Im going to do:

- Sand off the black finish on the headstock back to natural maple
- Upgrade to black Hipshot locking tuners with white pearloid buttons
- keep the neck at home whilst the body gets sent to be swirled, and install blue luminlay side dots
- upgrade the Gibraltar bridge to the black Hipshot replacement
- New pickups (Going to be EMG 57/66 brushed stainless steel + RPC knob in all likelihood)
- New clear pickguard to show off the new swirl
- probably a new graphtech nut again but this time buy proper files and do it better

These are the colours and theme Im wanting for it and Richard has confirmed he can tape off to create a faux binding during the swirl (so white all the way around the body)

View attachment 72969

And using Halo's guitar builder, heres a mockup -

View attachment 72970

(obviously the headstock will be the normal 6 in line Ibanez shape)

I honestly don't like swirls that much, but that.... that I would happily get!

 

[lewis]

I honestly don't like swirls that much, but that.... that I would happily get!

Looks boss right?
Im hoping Richard can get something really close.
Looks like its going to need a good 5 colours in there haha
But funnily enough I will still probably be charged less for this than my Xiphos's cost because Im not getting the headstock done on this