# 7321 Body mod, Bevels & Cooley scoop



## Michael T (Aug 1, 2011)

I'd been looking for a project guitar, something that was already trashed and i didn't feel bad about screwing it up or be out too much money if things didn't work out as planed.
I ran up of a Ibanez 7321 for a fairly cheap trade for some rack gear that had been sitting in the closet for way too long.
Cosmetically it was rough but mechanically shes solid as can be.

In the Beginning....

I planned on doing some RGD style bevels along with a Cooley style scoop, so i took out the silver Sharpie and marked off my initial design.
























ok, got the rough idea now soooooo

Time to bust out the tools, just basic hand tools at that.  The 95+ degree temperature in Kentucky wasn't any help either. Let the fun Begin 
The Tools





The work Bench,lol gotta love living in an Apartment.





The mess.





Now for the semiFinished body 






























So that's basically it for now, The Cooley scoop is sweet. Perfect fret access, with the neck attached I could easily reach the 30th fret if it had one  
Next is to get it ready for paint, A bright Canary Yellow paired with Black hardware and a black with chrome poles/rail Crunch Lab & Liquifire set I have extra. Also considering replacing the dot inlays with Yellow dots.
I'm still debating on doing a EBMM JP7 style forearm scoop. I loved how it places your hand and arm in the perfect position on my JP. 
For my first attempt at something like this I'm pleased, think it turned out pretty cool.


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## 74n4LL0 (Aug 1, 2011)

It came out nice 


Michael T said:


> I'm still debating on doing a EBMM JP7 style forearm scoop. I loved how it places your hand and arm in the perfect position on my JP.


Go for it


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## dantel666 (Aug 1, 2011)

Dude that looks awesome!


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## Quitty (Aug 1, 2011)

Looks awesome indeed.
...And you did all that with that knife?.. Seems like it's a whole lot of work with a huge fuck-up potential with wood chipping and breaking, unless i'm missing something?..

I'm dying to do something like that to my 1527, but i just don't have the cojones


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## TwitTheShred (Aug 1, 2011)

looking great =D


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## Floppystrings (Aug 1, 2011)

Nice wood shaping, looks great.


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## Nimgoble (Aug 1, 2011)

Well done. That actually looks pretty cool as-is...


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## jymellis (Aug 1, 2011)

fookin sik!


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## Michael T (Aug 1, 2011)

Quitty said:


> Looks awesome indeed.
> ...And you did all that with that knife?.. Seems like it's a whole lot of work with a huge fuck-up potential with wood chipping and breaking, unless i'm missing something.



Negative on the knife, I did the front bevels mainly with a wood rasp (cheap piece of crap one, but it worked.) then fine tuned them with a couple different files. final touches and smoothed out with the sandpaper.
Now the Cooley scoop was mainly done with the Utility knife, too much wood to remove to use that cheap ass rasp. I scored the outline with the blade to prevent paint chipping, then little by little I started removing the wood. The Basswood body was super easy to carve, a new blade cut thru it like butter with zero wood chipping or splitting. Then I smoothed out the Scoop and angles where it merges with the neck joint with a round file. Then like the rest evened everything out with sandpaper.

As for the "Huge Fuck-up Potential" thats why I chose to do this on a 7321 body first just to see if it could be done with what limited tools I had.

Thanks everyone for the compliments.


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## BlackMastodon (Aug 1, 2011)

Damn that looks awesome! I actually really like the contrast between the basswood and black paint.


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## Purelojik (Aug 2, 2011)

so are you gonna color the wood the same black as before? or try something else?

Edit: sorry jsut saw the canary yellow... my bad


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## Anonymous (Aug 2, 2011)




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## CD1221 (Aug 2, 2011)

great work, looks awesome so far.


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## sk3ks1s (Aug 2, 2011)

Very nice work, man.
Clean lines.


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## synrgy (Aug 2, 2011)

Awesome!

Don't forget to post pics when it's all finished.


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## Sepultorture (Aug 2, 2011)

so you are RGD-ing your guitar 

nice


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## Drowner (Aug 2, 2011)

Awesome work so far, I have a couple project guitars that I fear I'll never get to.


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## Floppystrings (Aug 2, 2011)

This thread inspired me to sand my neck joint down a bit, I only removed about 3mm of wood at the most, trying not to remove too much, it definitely feels better now.


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## jordanky (Aug 2, 2011)

That's killer dude... If I ever want to do this to any of my guitars, I'll bring my guitar to Richmond!


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## skeels (Aug 3, 2011)

Excellent man! Gotta love someone who is unafraid to tool up a guitar - have at 'em! Out of curiosity - how would you plan to pop the old dots for replacement?


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## BigBaldIan (Aug 3, 2011)

Just goes to show what can be done with limited tools, space and a modicum of patience.


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## stevemcqueen (Aug 3, 2011)

Wow. Amazing work, dude! That looks immaculate, and I think you could leave it as is with A gloss coat and it would look great.


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## BangandBreach (Aug 4, 2011)

One of these days I'm going to buy a beater 7321 and send it around to the guys here and just have them do their thing with it.

One big DIY gangbang. Or something.


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## Floppystrings (Aug 4, 2011)

BangandBreach said:


> One of these days I'm going to buy a beater 7321 and send it around to the guys here and just have them do their thing with it.
> 
> One big DIY gangbang. Or something.



lol


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## Dead Undead (Aug 4, 2011)

Market that shit. I'd buy one. Looks sooooo nice.


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## BangandBreach (Aug 5, 2011)

Floppystrings said:


> lol



I'm not even kidding. I sent off my 7621 a while to another forum member here, and the dude is working his awesome magic on it.

MT's work looks -great-, and I would love to put cash in a fellow forum member's pockets!


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## jordanky (Aug 10, 2011)

Keep us posted! I just nabbed a trashed but structurally stable RG1527 on the cheap from Craigslist and I need inspiration!


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## Lucas_061287 (Aug 10, 2011)

Looks amazing man. I'm not even gonna lie- I'm copying this whenever possible LOL!!!


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## KDR (Aug 10, 2011)

thats awesome!

i think if i did something that well i would be more than pleased. i would have a shit eating grin and saying "look what i can do!".

looking forward to what you do next.


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## Neogospel (Aug 11, 2011)

Awesome! post pics with the guitar fully assembled!


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## Lucas_061287 (Aug 12, 2011)

^This!!!


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## TheBloodstained (Aug 12, 2011)

I can't stop wondering if I could do something like that to my RG2228! 

...I just can't get myself to do anything to it (other than playing it), given that it is a prestige; read - F***ING EXPENSIVE (at least with my economy)!


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## Lucas_061287 (Aug 12, 2011)

^Of course you could do it. Wood is wood, mate. It can all be carved.


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## Saber_777 (Aug 15, 2011)

Looks like a job well done man! Its been hotter than 95 lately....


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## TheBloodstained (Aug 25, 2011)

sorry for bumping, but I just wanted to know when you expect this to be done? 

I've begun to consider doing it to my 8string, so I'm kind of excited to see the finish result!


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## Michael T (Aug 25, 2011)

Sorry guys, been super busy lately & a little under the weather to boot. Decided against doing the petrucci scoop on the front. I'll be final sanding tomorrow hopefully if I'm feeling better, then she is going to get painted this weekend. Waiting on the hipshot locking tuners to get here, already have the Liquifire pup for the neck, still debating on which pup to get for the bridge. 

Pictures will be posted ASAP after paint.


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## SilenceIsACrime (Aug 25, 2011)

I would just like to say it is because of this cursed thread that, instead of selling off my extra set of BKP AM/CS pups, I am considering snagging an older RGA7 and modding with slick new bevels and said pickups.

Darn you, sir. Darn you to Heck.


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## Metal_Maniac (Nov 19, 2011)

Updates?


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## theo (Nov 19, 2011)

Yeah, I've been waiting too...


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## Swyse (Nov 19, 2011)

Metal_Maniac said:


> Updates?


http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/sevenstring-guitars/174553-n-rfd-gd-7321-ber-mod-bevels-cooley-scoop-yeller-son.html


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## All_¥our_Bass (Nov 20, 2011)

Looks ace!!


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## Michael T (Nov 20, 2011)

Metal_Maniac said:


> Updates?




Oops, figured everyone had seen the NGD of this. 
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/se...1-ber-mod-bevels-cooley-scoop-yeller-son.html

Anyways here is a teaser for those too lazy to click. Lol


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## Kamin (Nov 20, 2011)

I probably commented on the NGD, but I have to say again: this turned out ridiculously well. That yellow is perfect.


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## Wretched (Nov 21, 2011)

Wonderful result! Looks like you sanded all the bevels nice and cleanly, no lumps or bumps.


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## All_¥our_Bass (Nov 22, 2011)

Finished axe is sexy as hell!


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## Purelojik (Nov 22, 2011)

HOLY CRAP ITS SO SEXY. its like what the transformer bumblebee would have turned into if he wasnt a car....


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## AngelVivaldi (Nov 22, 2011)

At first, I was afraid for the 7321 based on the noodles in the first post :lol. But I have to say that the contours didnt come out bad at all! Great job!

It actually looked it's best with the black on top and the sides sanded haha. Should've done a sick color combo!


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## KDR (Nov 22, 2011)

Holy F Word!

That came out awesome!


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## Zerox8610 (Nov 23, 2011)

That Ibanez..... looks beautiful.... WOW!


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## MED (Dec 10, 2011)

The Bevels and the Cooley cutaway look amazing!


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