NGD (sort of): RG7421 complete overhaul

[Gudbrand]

Years ago I bought a guitar labelled as an RG7620 with the Vampire Kiss finish on Guitar Center's website. It arrived with a fixed bridge, so I figured it was a 7621. The finish looked nothing like I expected, but I put it down to age. It had dings and chips all over the body. It was a decent price and it played well, so I kept it as a beater.

I've learned more about Ibanez models since then. It was actually a 7421 with the Cherry Fudge finish. It might have been a cool finish when it was new, but mine was in terrible shape. Since I know the luthier at Eclipse Guitars in Pittsburgh, I decided to send it to him to refinish and completely overhaul all the hardware and electronics: Ratio tuners, Hipshot bridge, D Activator pickups, new pots/cap/switch, the works.

It arrived back to me this weekend. I'm completely blown away. I tried to get some good pictures of it, but the metallic magenta finish looks even better in person. For my tastes, there's the perfect amount of gold in the hardware, which works perfectly with the black elements in the hardware and headstock. Jerr turned it into a work of art. He even carved an awesome design into the new ox horn nut.

The improvements in usability and playability are just as incredible. It's like owning a completely new guitar. The new tuners are so smooth and accurate. The tuning stability is greatly improved. The new pickups fix everything I didn't like about the old ones: they're much tighter and clearer.

Basically this is now my favorite guitar.

 

[aWoodenShip]

Yesssssss seeing these guitars modded is my reason for living.

 

[S4M4R1N]

Not a fan on pink body, but part colors are matched quite tastefully.

 

[Gudbrand]

Not a fan on pink body, but part colors are matched quite tastefully.

Thanks! That's what I was going for, but I didn't know how it would turn out until it was done.

 

[SeventyFour]

Partial gold is such a classy look. This looks great, congrats!

 

[Emperoff]

Looks fantastic!

I'm glad more people are realizing that black/gold bridges look great. Replacing just the saddles is a more cost-effective way to liven up an all black guitar, for example.

 

[odibrom]

Cool, I've got an RG7421 as well, also deeply modded. Mine is a good rocker but is a bit different in the electronics and pickups and paint and general hardware.

 

[TheBloodstained]

That black/gold combo against the flashy body color works so damn well beautiful guitar

 

[Shawn]

Very nice.

 

[Surveyor 777]

Looks great! Good combination of the black and gold.

 

[Kwert]

that looks awesome! I just picked up a really clean Cherry Fudge 7421 which I promptly proceeded to ding moments after removing it from the case. The finish is pretty fragile! I really like the look of it but this is a badass overhaul and is now making me consider a refin…

 

[Emperoff]

Cool, I've got an RG7421 as well, also deeply modded. Mine is a good rocker but is a bit different in the electronics and pickups and paint and general hardware.

So... Basically different in everything?

 

[Gudbrand]

that looks awesome! I just picked up a really clean Cherry Fudge 7421 which I promptly proceeded to ding moments after removing it from the case. The finish is pretty fragile! I really like the look of it but this is a badass overhaul and is now making me consider a refin…

It can be a cool finish. I believe it was a Guitar Center exclusive. I bet some flashier hardware would have made it pop. The state of mine, plus the expectation of getting a cool red color and instead getting brownish purple, made the refinish more enticing. Now I’m so happy I did it.

They do seem to ding and chip if you breathe on them wrong. Normally I wouldn’t mind if it wears and shows the wood underneath. This just didn’t look good, though. I should have taken a before picture. I have a cheap Epiphone that I’ve dropped, thrown in the back of my car without a case, and it’s never looked abused like this one did.

 

[aesthyrian]

Sad to see Cherry Fudge refinish, but nice to see it refinished in what looks like Magenta Crush.

And yeah, those late 90's early 2000's Ibanez finishes are fucking trash, at least they are on the RG7620/7621. I literally removed most of the finish off of an old Vampire Kiss body with my finger nails, once it starts it peels like an orange hahah

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[Gudbrand]

Sad to see Cherry Fudge refinish, but nice to see it refinished in what looks like Magenta Crush.

Magenta Crush was the inspiration. It's one of my favorite Ibanez finishes. We didn't try to match it exactly, just get it in the ballpark. With the added benefit of being much more durable.

 

[gh0styboi]

Dude, that's dope. Absolutely love the finish, and the gold/black hardware looks killer with it. Well done.

 

[Zhysick]

Wow. That's perfect.

 

[JSKrev]

My 7421 is all stock, but I'd like to update the electronics and tuners. I do like the V87 bridge, though. The Wizard II neck profile rules.

 

[odibrom]

So... Basically different in everything?

Obviously...

 

[Tom odd 7]

Nice work !