# RGA7 Re-finish was yes?



## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 15, 2011)

Today marks the beginning of my christmas break (winter holiday?) project to re-finish my RGA7. I've done this twice with my strat, so I now know that the hardest part is sanding the inside of the horns 

But anyway, the plan is to have a painted top (Colour to be decided) with a stain on the sides and back. 

The problem lies in the following questions:

1) There are body chips. I've tried chipping off the paint bit by bit to save on sanding, but that just ended up causing more chips in the mahogany. I'll fill that in with putty or something, because it will be painted over anyways. But, what is the ideal sand paper grit to remove this paint? I used to use 800, because that was the first thing that I saw. What do y'alls use?

2) Will sanding remove the binding?

3) Sanding the inside of the horns, are there any tips I could recieve for a nominal fee of sexual favors? I've used a Dremel circular sanding bit in the past, but I ran through almost 20 of those on the strat, so maybe there's a better option?

4) This could actually end up taking a while, so I hope nobody ends up being mangry that I don't update much  It usually upsets me lol

So... yeah. Holiday project is yes?


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## DevinShidaker (Dec 15, 2011)

My best advice for the inside of the horns is to wrap your sandpaper around a wooden dowel, and do it all by hand. I would hand sand the top as well, because you can get a bit more control and keep the shape of the carved top. As for the back and sides, I would use a palm sander. As for grit, you'll want to change over the course of the sanding process. Start off with a lower grit to get the bulk of the paint off, and as your reach the wood, go up to higher, finer grits. The finer the grit, the smoother the sanded surface will be.

Sanding won't remove the binding if you aren't oversanding.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 15, 2011)

envenomedcky said:


> My best advice for the inside of the horns is to wrap your sandpaper around a wooden dowel, and do it all by hand. I would hand sand the top as well, because you can get a bit more control and keep the shape of the carved top. As for the back and sides, I would use a palm sander. As for grit, you'll want to change over the course of the sanding process. Start off with a lower grit to get the bulk of the paint off, and as your reach the wood, go up to higher, finer grits. The finer the grit, the smoother the sanded surface will be.
> 
> Sanding won't remove the binding if you aren't oversanding.


 
I'm actually a little embarassed to say I never thought of dowelling sandpaper 

Current progress:








And now:


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## sk3ks1s (Dec 15, 2011)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> 1) But, what is the ideal sand paper grit to remove this paint? I used to use 800,


 
If you use 800 grit to remove that laquer, paint, and sealer you will be sanding for decades. Use 60 until you've hit the sealer. 100 until you've hit wood. 


MapleLeaf97 said:


> 3) Sanding the inside of the horns, are there any tips I could recieve for a nominal fee of sexual favors? I've used a Dremel circular sanding bit in the past, but I ran through almost 20 of those on the strat, so maybe there's a better option?


 
Sanding drums on a drill are ideal for this. Most everyone has a drill and they're relatively cheap. Again, get 60 and 100.


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## Jake (Dec 16, 2011)

i used 50 to strip the paint off my 7, then once i got through the paint i went up to 100, then 120 i believe it was, I also second the drill idea, sanding by hand takes sooo long and its a pretty labor intensive process haha


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## MikeH (Dec 16, 2011)

The lower the number, the higher the grit. So 800 will take you probably 6 months and a serious case of tendinitis.


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## JStraitiff (Dec 16, 2011)

800? Are you stripping the finish or polishing frets? lol.


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## teleofseven (Dec 16, 2011)

HEAT GUN! always use a heat gun on poly. it's the absolute easiest way to strip the finish.

FB link, i hope it works. Stripping a Finish | Facebook


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

teleupyerass said:


> HEAT GUN! always use a heat gun on poly. it's the absolute easiest way to strip the finish.
> 
> FB link, i hope it works. Stripping a Finish | Facebook




I had considered a heat gun to save on carpal tunnel pain, but will the heat gun mes with the binding? It seems to me that anything that melts paint would also melt plastic


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## teleofseven (Dec 16, 2011)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> I had considered a heat gun to save on carpal tunnel pain, but will the heat gun mes with the binding? It seems to me that anything that melts paint would also melt plastic



you can always rebind it


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## Lianoroto (Dec 16, 2011)

Keep the pictures flowing!

Thinking of doing a refinish on mine someday. Would be nice to see someone else do it first


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

So I believe I've decided to heat strip the front and back and maybe the horns, and sand the sides. Good idea?


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## teleofseven (Dec 16, 2011)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> So I believe I've decided to heat strip the front and back and maybe the horns, and sand the sides. Good idea?



the sides usually take forever to sand. but you can do it like that if you want to. 

but if it was me, i'd just heat strip the whole body and try being careful on the binding. but as i said, binding can be replaced and it's not too hard.

good luck.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

So I figured I may as well try the heat stripping:






It started well enough...












And then I got lazy and burnt most of it!







I figured I'd try my luck at melting the inner horns as well, but that just didn't work 






I never thought paint could caramelize! So, I may end up just gritting my teeth and sanding lol. Lesson learned, though.


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## Konfyouzd (Dec 16, 2011)

Wait... RGAs are mahogany? Whaaaaaaa? Maybe I should come out from under my rock more often.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

Konfyouzd said:


> Wait... RGAs are mahogany? Whaaaaaaa? Maybe I should come out from under my rock more often.



I was actually fairly sure they were basswood until yesterday lol


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

By the way, melted binding looks like marshmallow. But it really doesn't taste like it.


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## teleofseven (Dec 16, 2011)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> By the way, melted binding looks like marshmallow. But it really doesn't taste like it.



so is the binding fucked?


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

teleupyerass said:


> so is the binding fucked?


 
Nothing a little sanding can't fix


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## teleofseven (Dec 16, 2011)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> Nothing a little sanding can't fix



that's good news! saved a whole lot of time didn't it?


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

teleupyerass said:


> that's good news! saved a whole lot of time didn't it?


 
Indeed. I'm mostly worried about how badly I'm going to mess it up


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## DevinShidaker (Dec 16, 2011)

you should not have used that heat gun. That binding is wrecked.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

Well, I just figure that I can paint over it anyway, so a little putty and sanding should have it good as new, maybe?


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## Metal_Webb (Dec 16, 2011)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> By the way, melted binding looks like marshmallow. But it really doesn't taste like it.




This is so going in my forum sig. 

As for fixing it, just remove the rest of the binding and redo it. If you've torched the plastic, it'll be well beyond salvaging with sanding.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 16, 2011)

I do believe I'm just going to even out all the chips and things with wood putty, then prime over it. Still deciding on the final color 

...that should work, right?


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## Marv Attaxx (Dec 17, 2011)

The burning looks kinda cool. Clearcoat that mofo


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 21, 2011)

So I stripped the back today....







And I had to stop every couple of minutes because my eyes started burning. I was wearing a mask and goggles to make benefit of my health, but by the end of it, I just felt sick to my stomach. Silly fumes.

Also, I took another stab at melting the inside of the horns






I also took a sander to them a bit, but the aforementioned sickness ended up winning, so I gave up for the day.

I may not update for a while. I broke my wrist, and it's hard to manipulate a heat gun and a screwdriver at once with one hand. So, updates may be slow to come with that and the holidays in a couple of days.

So, you good people stay frosty out there


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## JaeSwift (Dec 21, 2011)

I'm pretty amazed at the wood right there. I recall an LTD strip and refinish that did not look nearly as good as this.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 21, 2011)

JaeSwift said:


> I'm pretty amazed at the wood right there. I recall an LTD strip and refinish that did not look nearly as good as this.


 

Yeah, I know I'm doing shite, but I figure that the solid paint should cover that lol


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## SammerX (Dec 21, 2011)

The inner horns can be a real pain in the ass but with a dowel and some persistence it shouldn't take you too long. In my case I didn't have any dowels on hand when I sanded my RG550, but I did have the end of a metal shower rod that worked real well. The trick I found is to just take it easy and let the sand paper do the work; don't hulk or on it or you will just exhaust yourself. 

It didn't take me too long once I got a good rhythm going with it and my guitar had about a 1/8th inch layer of glue on it (previous owner) so with just the paint it should be pretty quick. To keep it evenly sanded it helped me a lot to make as large a pass as possible on the horns and also periodically switch the side you are doing it from. 

Be REALLY careful if you try the drum sander on the drill... I found that using one of those would start chewing up the wood pretty fast. Wasn't worth using for me. 

Also, the sealer that Ibanez uses (from my experience) tends to be really rock solid, so you have to be pretty careful about getting it all off if you want to do any sort of natural finish. A lot of people miss it and then get a pretty splotchy looking natural or stained finish.

That mahogany is looking pretty cool so far. Always wondered what the RGAs look like under there.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 21, 2011)

^ In all honesty, sealer is of no concern to me. I've always sanded guitars bare then used primer. I kinda of love the look of the burnt wood back, though. Depending on how the sides go, I may leave the sides and bak and just stain/clear coat them...


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## JaeSwift (Dec 21, 2011)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> Yeah, I know I'm doing shite, but I figure that the solid paint should cover that lol



To re-emphasize what I meant; the refinish job on that specific LTD was actually really good, I meant that the wood itself was pretty ugly compared to this (it was like a 4 pc mahogany body or something). This looks much more uniform.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 21, 2011)

Oh.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 28, 2011)

Update!

I bought this today!






I also ordered the CL7, which is due to arrive in a few weeks.....


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 29, 2011)

Further updates!
The stripping is now done 















So, now I have to fill in the various imperfections in the binding WHICH DID NOT MELT! AND THEN THE Paintings can begin


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## teleofseven (Dec 29, 2011)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> binding WHICH DID NOT MELT!







and about the wrist -that's what you get when you masturbate too much.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 29, 2011)

teleupyerass said:


> and about the wrist -that's what you get when you masturbate too much.



Actually, it's a hockey thing lol


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## Fiction (Dec 29, 2011)

teleupyerass said:


> and about the wrist -that's what you get when you masturbate *too much*.





Good luck! The burns actually look kinda cool haha.


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## Augury (Dec 30, 2011)

looks good man

keep working


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## Randy (Dec 30, 2011)

Didn't see if you accounted for it or not but you will NOT be able to sand deep enough to get under those burns.


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## teleofseven (Dec 30, 2011)

Randy said:


> Didn't see if you accounted for it or not but you will NOT be able to sand deep enough to get under those burns.



burns can be bleached, BUT it's true that you can't get them off completely.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 30, 2011)

I don't mind the burns so much, might keep them. Still deciding on a color scheme


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## Mattmc74 (Dec 31, 2011)

Just to let everyone know this was the best tool I have used for the sides and inner horns of the guitar when I do a refinish. Well worth the cash if you sand down a lot of projects.

RIDGID Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander


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## MapleLeaf97 (Dec 31, 2011)

Mattmc74 said:


> Just to let everyone know this was the best tool I have used for the sides and inner horns of the guitar when I do a refinish. Well worth the cash if you sand down a lot of projects.
> 
> RIDGID Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander




Wish I knew that... I just ended up using sandpaper and my thumbs :B


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## Atomshipped (Dec 31, 2011)

How would burnt chrome pickup covers look in that?


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## BlackMastodon (Dec 31, 2011)

Mattmc74 said:


> Just to let everyone know this was the best tool I have used for the sides and inner horns of the guitar when I do a refinish. Well worth the cash if you sand down a lot of projects.
> 
> RIDGID Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander


Now I know what I'm getting with my income tax come spring time .


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## Randy (Jan 2, 2012)

I just bought one last week, actually. 

But I've done quite a few refinishes without it. If you're on a budget, the heat gun isn't a bad option as long as you're *really* careful how long you apply heat. I also refinished quite a few guitars using a piece of sand paper wrapped around a dowel and then a few using a cheap sanding drum (~$7.00) chucked into a drill or drill press.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 2, 2012)

Hey guise, this may be an intensely idiotic question, but is the 'Ibanez' logo in the head silver paint? Because if it's like a plastic inlay, I'd like to salvage it


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## Throat Hole (Jan 2, 2012)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> Hey guise, this may be an intensely idiotic question, but is the 'Ibanez' logo in the head silver paint? Because if it's like a plastic inlay, I'd like to salvage it



i'm not sure what yours is but on the RG 250 i stripped a long time ago it was infact painted on i wouldnt sweat it 

Ibanez Guitar Headstock Decals : Best-Decals.com, Your One-Stop Decal-Shop


you can get a decal from here to put on your headstock and just shoot some clear over it and you'll be fine


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 2, 2012)

Further updating! 

So here's the pockmarking on the binding (soon to be filled with JB Weld and painted):






The holes for the pickup screws were too close together, so we (meaning, my dad) plugged the holes with toothpicks:






Tomorrow night I'ma snip them, sand it all flat then drill new pickup holes. YAY PROGRESS.

Also, sanded the head:






By the way, the logo was plastic. Big thanks to the bro above this post who link'd me to the buyable logos!

Anyways, here's where I stand now:






I bought the future paint for the guitar today... but patience is key


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## Throat Hole (Jan 2, 2012)

nice! cant wait to see the finished product!


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## BlackMastodon (Jan 2, 2012)

Omg that's amazing! Are those Lindor chocolates?!?





All joking aside you cleaned that up really nice from the burns it looks like. Excited to see this refinished!


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 2, 2012)

Lindts for lyfe wut wut


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## Mattmc74 (Jan 3, 2012)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> Wish I knew that... I just ended up using sandpaper and my thumbs :B



Thats how I started out doing them as well and then went to the dremil. But with the dremil and other hand held tools sometimes it will slip causing dips or gouges in thr wood that then has to be repaired. A stationary spindal sander is the way to go.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 3, 2012)

Mattmc74 said:


> Thats how I started out doing them as well and then went to the dremil. But with the dremil and other hand held tools sometimes it will slip causing dips or gouges in thr wood that then has to be repaired. A stationary spindal sander is the way to go.



Ended up just wearing them down with sandpaper. Hard to do with a bum wrist lol


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 6, 2012)

So I decided to use these things to fix the binding (fill in the pock marks, then paint over it):






This is after the initial filling of the holes:





And then after some painting:





And the finished binding salvage :O






And so tomorrow, the coloring begins :O


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## Danukenator (Jan 7, 2012)

It's looking good so far. The slight marks from the burns will look awesome with a stain over them.


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 7, 2012)

Danukenator said:


> It's looking good so far. The slight marks from the burns will look awesome with a stain over them.


 
That is the hope


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 7, 2012)

Big update time! Taped off the bindings, and stained the geetar 


















And now, the 24-hour drying time


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## Alex_IBZ (Jan 7, 2012)

To be honest, I first thought this is going to be a disaster but seeing your last post made me think differently. 

What I meant to say is: nice job, man! 
How are you going to seal it?


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 7, 2012)

Alex_IBZ said:


> To be honest, I first thought this is going to be a disaster but seeing your last post made me think differently.
> 
> What I meant to say is: nice job, man!
> How are you going to seal it?


 
Why thankyuh. I do believe the stain has some sort of built-inbred sealing stuff. If not, a thin coat of clear paint


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 8, 2012)

Last update before finish!







It isn't so terrible lol. Now, the question remains.... when I get the pickups in, do I post it as an NGD? :O


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## teleofseven (Jan 8, 2012)

MapleLeaf97 said:


> Last update before finish!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




omg... this makes me wanna stain the maple on my new tele... this just looks so perfect! the best combination with a rosewood fretboard i've ever seen.


post it as a NGD when it's done man! awesome.


so perfect.




















gas....


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 8, 2012)

Oh! Well, thank you mister


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## Spaceman_Spiff (Jan 9, 2012)

The binding looks damn nice against the stain.

Killer job man!


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 9, 2012)

It seems that, 30 hours later, the guitar is leaking stain from the pores.... is this normal? Or is the guitar bleeding :'( (loljk, wood cant bleed, the veins are much too thin)

But yeah. Normal problem?


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 9, 2012)

That looks pretty wicked man, I think you may have just overapplied the stain. By the way when you sanded how deep did you go? To the sealer or past it?


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 9, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> That looks pretty wicked man, I think you may have just overapplied the stain. By the way when you sanded how deep did you go? To the sealer or past it?


 
To the bare wood, and then some (I had to try to buff out a couple of dents I put in the guitar)


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## Throat Hole (Jan 9, 2012)

that looks amazing!  i really like the way that came out man!


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## DiegusMaximus32 (Jan 9, 2012)

I'm currently doing a winter guitar refinish as well and I gotta say, this gave me a lot of ideas! Well done man, no offense, but at first I didn't think it was going to turn out as well as it did. Props!


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## Mattmc74 (Jan 12, 2012)

Looks good man. Nice job. The finish looks close to a RG7321 i did a while back.


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## stevemcqueen (Jan 13, 2012)

Guitar looks great! After seeing all the burns I was a bit skeptical on how it would turn out but the final product crushed those doubts. So yes, re-finish WAS yes!


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## MapleLeaf97 (Jan 15, 2012)

Well, gentlemen, this re-finish is now complete. I now venture to the NGD thread I will post in relation to this project. Thanks all for the help!


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## Augury (Jan 16, 2012)

Holy shit this looks awesome. Well done dude.


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