# Are you ready? Ibanez RG7321 OVERHAUL!! picssssss



## Romeomeo (Jul 1, 2009)

I bought this guitar with the intention of modding. Sanded the neck down, and had all sorts of crazy finish ideas and mods in mind. 

With a little advice from SS.org, I began my venture.

STAWK PICs






Aw sick, gross!






Naked!





HELLO SUN






Farewell, paint






HELLO DISSAPOINTING BASSWOOD GRAIN






Whatever, it's time to finish you.
















Stooooked. Got a few coats of varathane or something on the back of the body and the neck. I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm hoping the clear coat I sprayed on it will dry super smooth. I hate a sticky neck. BTW I'm leaving the black paint on the edges, thus masking tape. 

Leaving it to dry until tomorrow.

I am going to leave the neck pickup out and wire it for just bridge pickup and volume pot. I think I'll just leave the neck pocket / pickup selector route / tone knob hole open because I don't care. Might wood filler it or something, any suggestions?

Will post more pics once more progress can be seen


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## Raoul Duke (Jul 1, 2009)

Did you use a paint stripper as well or just elbow grease and sandpaper?

Im buying a RG knock off basswood body to practice stripping it back before I dive into my RG 7321 project


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## Bungle (Jul 1, 2009)

I'd fill the holes if it was my guitar, but that's just me. What sort of finish were you looking at doing? Just the one colour? Perhaps a silver burst or something?

As for the bridge pickup, were you keeping the same one? If you're getting a new pickup, will it be black like the one you've already got, or will it be red or blue?

Another thread on here had a really good result using wallpaper too, so that'll probably just compound your choices and make your decision harder, but hey, that's why we're here. =D


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## Romeomeo (Jul 1, 2009)

I didn't use any paint stripper, just sand paper and an electric palm sander.

It took a good hour for each side, and I didn't do the sides. Seriously, take lots of breaks. I feel like I have carpal tunnel now.



Bungle said:


> I'd fill the holes if it was my guitar, but that's just me. What sort of finish were you looking at doing? Just the one colour? Perhaps a silver burst or something?
> 
> As for the bridge pickup, were you keeping the same one? If you're getting a new pickup, will it be black like the one you've already got, or will it be red or blue?
> 
> Another thread on here had a really good result using wallpaper too, so that'll probably just compound your choices and make your decision harder, but hey, that's why we're here. =D


 

I'm leaving it natural and putting clear coat on the bare wood. Left the edges black. 

Depending on how soon I finish this and my money situation.. I'll probably just put the stock pickup back in until I upgrade it.


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## Leuchty (Jul 1, 2009)

\

I would have left it like that and put some clear on.


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## Apophis (Jul 1, 2009)

looks really nice so far, update soon


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## MF_Kitten (Jul 1, 2009)

this'll be interesting 

i would've stained the wood red first. because that's what i did to my rg 

mine was black too, and once i was finished getting the paint off the top face of the guitar, i was like "fuck this!" and just left the rest of it black, while applying a red stain to any wood that was showing through 

i did sand the finish on the rest of it too though, so it's a weird sort of matte black with micro-scratches in it. it feels smooth, so it's awesome


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## jymellis (Jul 1, 2009)

i would have used tung oil instead of a spray on clearcoat, the tung would have really brought out any figuring in the basswood.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jul 1, 2009)

I don't think there's much figuring in basswood of such low quality anyways


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## DemiseJosh (Jul 1, 2009)

Cool project should come out sweet. Did you do anything to the neck? I'd get a prestige neck for it I love them!

What pickups you putting in of are you keeping the stock?

All in all sweet project man I wish I had the skill to do projects haha


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## jymellis (Jul 1, 2009)

Stealthtastic said:


> I don't think there's much figuring in basswood of such low quality anyways



i have seen a few 7321s in here that where oiled that looked awesome


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## Romeomeo (Jul 2, 2009)

Ok, cool. Sanded it, clear coated it, done. Put it all back together, attempted to wire it. I went by a schematic for 1 humbucker 1 volume. Followed it, think I got everything right. Only, I don't have any strings to test it with. But it's all together and wired. 

HELP.

I plugged it in for funsies. The volume pot functions, when I tap the pickup I don't hear the tapping noise through the amp. When I am touching the pickup, there is a loud hum. When I am not, there is a moderate hum. When I touch the bridge or the volume knob, the hum is gone. 

All the ground symbols on the schematic are going to the back of the volume pot. I have a ground wire running from there through the body to under the bridge. 

What is the problem?

(I'll have strings tomorrow)


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## Harry (Jul 2, 2009)

Looks good thus so far, will be waiting for more pics!


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## Konfyouzd (Jul 2, 2009)

there wasn't any filler on yours? mine had this weird layer of transparent plasticky something right under the paint.


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## synrgy (Jul 2, 2009)

Romeomeo said:


> What is the problem?
> 
> (I'll have strings tomorrow)


 
It's always good to have more than one grounded point. Without holding your guitar in my hands and looking at the wiring it's hard for me to say exactly, but if I had to guess I'd say the issue is that all your grounds are going to the same point.


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## Konfyouzd (Jul 2, 2009)

^ all the grounds going to the same point is a bad thing? 

i'm guessing this is the significance of the ground loop???


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## Romeomeo (Jul 2, 2009)

synrgy said:


> It's always good to have more than one grounded point. Without holding your guitar in my hands and looking at the wiring it's hard for me to say exactly, but if I had to guess I'd say the issue is that all your grounds are going to the same point.



Does that mean different spots on the back of the volume pot? Or am I missing something?

*edit* NEVERMIND! 

Got it strung up, no more hum, sounds wicked. This is a whole new instrument. Still got the stock pickup but I swear it sounds better. Maybe its because it's just pickup -> volume -> output. Might replace the pickup later, but all in all I am very happy for just two days work!!

DONE

pics


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## Bleak (Jul 3, 2009)

It's looking good!


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## Johnology (Jul 3, 2009)

CYBERSYN said:


> \
> 
> I would have left it like that and put some clear on.



YUK it would look like that horrible paint job Hetfield has on his ESP sigs these days.


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## Despised_0515 (Jul 3, 2009)

Romeomeo said:


> Does that mean different spots on the back of the volume pot? Or am I missing something?
> 
> *edit* NEVERMIND!
> 
> ...



Came out GREAT looking dude, congrats!


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## leftyguitarjoe (Jul 3, 2009)

I approve of that finish


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## Marv Attaxx (Jul 4, 2009)

Romeomeo said:


> Does that mean different spots on the back of the volume pot? Or am I missing something?
> 
> *edit* NEVERMIND!
> 
> ...



That's some badass looking basswood 
Really nice!!


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## richcastle66 (Jul 4, 2009)

you shouldve put an awesome veneer on top of it. still looks great tho!


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## Wi77iam (Jul 6, 2009)

I agree, veneer it, you can cover up those holes of yours. looks pretty plain at the moment.


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## Bygde (Jul 6, 2009)

Johnology said:


> YUK it would look like that horrible paint job Hetfield has on his ESP sigs these days.


+1

I hate the paint on the Hetfield sigs


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## synrgy (Jul 6, 2009)

Trim your strings, man!! 



Konfyouzd said:


> ^ all the grounds going to the same point is a bad thing?
> 
> i'm guessing this is the significance of the ground loop???


 
I didn't explain myself well, and upon further review I think I was wrong anyway. 

What I didn't explain well was that of course, there are 2 points to any wire, right? While you want things grounded to a single point (like the back of a volume pot) I was referencing more the other end of said wires. Like, my Jackson had these little bits of metal screwed into the body in the pickup cavities. A wire was connected to those, and then to the ground point, in addition to the wire going to the bridge, etc.

Brief explanation to sum up that my previous post was basically wrong: Alexplorer's Axe Hacks: All About Grounding

to the OP -- I think the guitar looks awesome. I may do something similar to my 7420. I would do the 7321, but I already spent a fair bit of $$ on the custom pickguard/etc that I've got on it.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Jul 6, 2009)

have you ever put lipstick on a pig? its kinda like this


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## synrgy (Jul 6, 2009)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> have you ever put lipstick on a pig? its kinda like this


 





I'm failing to see the resemblance.


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## pirateparty (Jul 6, 2009)

Romeomeo said:


>



*HOLY FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK *


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## littlemurph7976 (Jul 6, 2009)

Holy Sheet, is that very subtle flaming near the volume pot? 

Looking very nice BTW.


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## Hollowway (Jul 6, 2009)

That looks really nice with the black edges and the black hardware. I def think you should get a sheet of venner (spalted FTW!) and put it on, then clear that. But props for the idea of black edges - that's killer!


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## Collapse (Jul 6, 2009)

looks great, I would strip the head stock also and put on a black Ibanez logo


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## Mattmc74 (Jul 6, 2009)

At first I didn't think i was going to like the way it was going to look with the black edges but now my mind has been changed! It looks pretty sick! I like it.


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## BrainArt (Jul 7, 2009)

Collapse said:


> looks great, I would strip the head stock also and put on a black Ibanez logo



It's hard to strip a headstock without screwing it up somehow, I think it looks cool with the black headstock.


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## Wi77iam (Jul 7, 2009)

IbanezShredderB said:


> It's hard to strip a headstock without screwing it up somehow, I think it looks cool with the black headstock.



Why is it hard to strip a headstock without screwing it up?


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## BrainArt (Jul 7, 2009)

Wi77iam said:


> Why is it hard to strip a headstock without screwing it up?



It's a thin piece of wood. Sure, it can and has to handle the tension from the strings, but the tension is differentiated throughout the neck. One little slip of the hand and the headstock could be broken or sanded down improperly. I would just advise against doing it yourself, unless if you're a highly trained luthier or something, lol.

Plus, I like the look of non-matching headstocks on some guitars.


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## ledzep4eva (Jul 7, 2009)

Dude, nice job! Now buy a flamed maple laminate, cut a hole for the bridge pup and affix it to the front. Gorgeous flamed maple single-hum 7321. 

DO IT.


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## Prostheta (Jul 8, 2009)

Actually, using a scraper and a bit of patience to sand a headstock isn't that much work. The issue is that the headstock isn't basswood so it'll look different to the body.

Now who would make a basswood headstock? ;-D


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## Deadfall (Jul 8, 2009)

Think it looks good just the way it is.Best I've seen IMO man.I would just put the controls and neck PU back in as dummies..ent gonna hurt nothin .Good job methinks.


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## MF_Kitten (Jul 8, 2009)

littlemurph7976 said:


> Holy Sheet, is that very subtle flaming near the volume pot?
> 
> Looking very nice BTW.



that looks quite typical for basswood actually, and my RG has a bunch of interesting stuff in the wood grain:


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## richcastle66 (Jul 8, 2009)

ledzep4eva said:


> Dude, nice job! Now buy a flamed maple laminate, cut a hole for the bridge pup and affix it to the front. Gorgeous flamed maple single-hum 7321.
> 
> DO IT.


 
+1. Flamed maple is always a good choice


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