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Good grief, that finish!
Nice! I have an XPT700 in red chameleon.
Hanging on the wall (its home) it mostly looks a rusty red colour, like the third photo. On a sunny afternoon it looks green.Wow! Thanks for that. They are pretty much identical...even with the colour shift!! Your's looks killer!
Since that photo was taken I've added an RG8520-SDE and an RG655-GKThat's a great line up of Ibby's....really cool Prestige models and yep I get you on the Green colour flip:
View attachment 92853
Since that photo was taken I've added an RG8520-SDE and an RG655-GK
The gold hardware goes nicely with the finish. My Xiphos was originally cosmo hardware, but the previous owner polished off the finish on the pickup mounts, tone/volume controls and bridge saddles (presumably because the finish had tarnished).That's a great line up of Ibby's....really cool Prestige models and yep I get you on the Green colour flip:
View attachment 92853
The gold hardware goes nicely with the finish. My Xiphos was originally cosmo hardware, but the previous owner polished off the finish on the pickup mounts, tone/volume controls and bridge saddles (presumably because the finish had tarnished).
Seems to be that way unfortunately - so obviously Ibanez uses that finish on 90% of its high-end guitars haha! All of mine have cosmo hardware, but only a couple have noticeable deterioration and that has been inflicted by previous owners (on the Xiphos and the Sabre). I always wash my hands before playing and don't gig with them - I know the Sabre was heavily gigged with before I got it.I've found that Cosmo finishes tarnish off like a mofo. There's an identical model to your's for sale in the UK atm. I'm sorely tempted but must resist...lol!
Seems to be that way unfortunately - so obviously Ibanez uses that finish on 90% of its high-end guitars haha! All of mine have cosmo hardware, but only a couple have noticeable deterioration and that has been inflicted by previous owners (on the Xiphos and the Sabre). I always wash my hands before playing and don't gig with them - I know the Sabre was heavily gigged with before I got it.
My XPT700 was my first Ibby. I fell in love with the finish from the moment I first saw a marketing photo. I still really like it, but I have to admit the playability doesn't hold up to a Prestige / J. Custom RG - mainly because of the neck (Wizard II profile with painted gloss finish).
I would be too scared to take sand paper to one of my guitars. It's a 5-piece maple & walnut neck-thru, so I'm sure it could be made to look good - if done by someone more competent than me.You should fire up a thread on that JC. Would love to see it! I've had a good few J Customs in my time...still do. Wizard II is a profile that I don't bond with that much. Ever thought about taking that gloss finish of the back of the neck? I've done it before. Some of them are real sticky.