Renovate an Ibanez RGA121

[Loicle]

Hello guys , i just bought an Ibanez RGA121 , and she's pretty amazing , but i really want to renovate her a little bit.
The back have a lot of scratches, and i really want to make like she's just comming from the store.(I'll post some pictures tomorrow). the guitar as a Mahogany body with Maple top

I'd like to know what kind of product i should use to give her a new beauty , but i don't know anything avec Luthiery and paint and stuff like that,so i'm just asking for some tips from you guys , it would be perfect!

I thank you already for the advices , and have a good night

 

[tssb]

product i should use to give her a new beauty

Sorry, normally i try to be helpful, but i just couldn't help myself this time.

On-topic, HNGD and I as well am curious what people might suggest.

 

[Loicle]

Here are some pics of the back , i don't know if there's anything to do , or if i should just let her that way , but it's Wring , i just want it to be perfect !

 

[Berserker]

Sand her down and use Tru Oil, mahogany looks awesome with Tru Oil.

 

[Loicle]

What kind of sandpaper should i use for a good effect ? i really don't want to make a mistake, i know those are really idiot questions , but i never did this before

 

[geewhyell]

You could always start with 220 grit, how much you sand really depends on how deep the scratches and dings are. I recently did this for a mate's 121NTF and coated it with about 3-4 light layers of tru oil. I only went up to 600 grit for it. I normally use Norton brand.

You're going to need a sanding block to keep the sanding level on the back and sides, especially with the belly contour. Take your time and good luck

 

[Loicle]

A big thanks for the answers guys , it's pretty cool , but this is amazing how i know nothing about this

So if i get the techniques that i saw on websites and forum, First of all , i need to sand the back and the contour down, but the thing is , i really don't want to sand the mapple top , so how do i do?

I begin with 220, until i can see the natural wood? or i start slowly with 220, then 240 and 280 etcetera?

And when the Mahogany is totaly sanded down, i start with the oil, but do i need to sand again between every lay of Tru oil , but with what kind of sandpaper ?

 

[alvaro89]

How is the top condition? if it is in good condition.. Have you though about leaving it this way only in the back? I like the way it is, it is natural relic..

 

[Loicle]

The top is just in perfect condition , no problem with it , it's only the back... But now that you'r telling me this , it's true ,it make it relic, just need to paint the knobs and bridge in black , and i think it wil be it. if in find the time , i'll try to train myself on a junk guitar (i got 2 of these home , they aren't playing anymore) to see how it goed , so i'll be ready if i really want to make this one

 

[tssb]

You could always start with 220 grit, I only went up to 600 grit for it.

Never really understood going up that high with grit. I've been told by furniture manufacturers they don't go above 320-400, as it ends up having adverse effects and causing problems : too fine a dust that fills the pores and grain. This means in later stages, oils and lacquers do not get absorbed properly and the sanding dust might even get dislocated, causing orange peel or even "bald" patches.

 

[tssb]

I begin with 220, until i can see the natural wood? or i start slowly with 220, then 240 and 280 etcetera?

120, 240, 320.

And when the Mahogany is totaly sanded down, i start with the oil, but do i need to sand again between every lay of Tru oil , but with what kind of sandpaper ?

Sand after 1st oil, then just wipe down/polish with a rag after subsequent oil layers.

 

[geewhyell]

You're right, 400 is fine due to the porous mahogany look, the 600 was just a quick pass more than anything. There won't be any negative effects if you clean/vacuum the dust like I do.

There are so many ways to coat the body with tru-oil - some people will sand between every coat with 0000 steel wool, I find it's okay to give it 1-2 coats between light sanding. You don't need to go thick with the oil either. Make sure after you have done a coat that you wipe off the excess oil or it gets gunky. I normally just let it sit for about five minutes before wiping.

 

[InCasinoOut]

small pic since I snagged it from instagram, but this guy refinished his 121 in tru oil. The good thing about the super thin finishes on the 121s is that it makes refinishing a little easier, compared to the ridiculous clear coat layer they usually do.

 

[geewhyell]

small pic since I snagged it from instagram, but this guy refinished his 121 in tru oil. The good thing about the super thin finishes on the 121s is that it makes refinishing a little easier, compared to the ridiculous clear coat layer they usually do.

Haha... That was the one I did for my friend.

 

[Loicle]

Wow this is a great job ... i talked with a freind of mine who is cabinet maker, and he will give me some advices , but i'll wait till the end of my exams to begin with it

 

[7stringDemon]

Please don't paint the bridge black. Or your tone knobs.

You can buy black knobs and tuners elsewhere but Ibanez never made that bridge in black. I would recommend finding somewhere that will do it for you because it will take very specific materials to get the desired effect and I don't know if that requires a bit of work or a ton of work.

 

[InCasinoOut]

Haha... That was the one I did for my friend.

It looks great man! Good to know it's totally doable. I figured if my VLF gets too scratched up some day, I'll just refinish it to NTF.