# Rg2228 Refinish!



## Jexey (Aug 6, 2010)

So like most of you, i'm a lunatic when it comes to my guitars. They all have something special about them, besides one that I'm considering using for firewood. 

And then there's my Rg2228. And although I love this thing, it's quite possibly the ugliest looking finish I could imagine up for a 20 pound mahogany brick. I like to think that a board of Ibanez designers sat down and picked this color out because it would truly seperate the campfire hobbyist from the I-don't-give-a-fuck-about-anything-but-tone...ists. Who the hell wants a sparkly 8 string? Whatever...

Anyway, 

I've wanted to hook this thing up since day one. I was talking to Shitson about his RGA8 custom project and seriously looking into all sorts of veneer options and maybe one off bodies and unique finishes. I had to decide on something I could do myself since I'm about to send in a deposit for a very special Oni and that's about all my GAS money for a while, so I had to throw out the idea of sending the fiddle out. Then I contemplated veneering it, but realized that wasn't the best idea. (I'm not about to try that crap for the first time on a guitar this expensive!) 

So paint it is:
I checked out Misha's swirl 2228 and while I think it's cool, just not really my thing. I want something that's going to pop with all the black hardware, still have a clean appearance and since I want some what of a "  " appearance I'm deciding against white. 

So here's what the plan is, like it or not 

I live down the street from a ford dealership and they just finished painting a 09 mustang Candy Orange/Tangerine thing. The thing looks bad-ass and even sits on black rims, which matches the scheme I want for the guit-fiddle in question. They said I can basically have the leftover paint for next to nothing so thus begins, in about a week, the eloquent respray of the 2228. Here's the plan:

There's basically 4 distinguishable sections of the guitar I want to differentiate between when it comes to color. The body, fretboard, neck (to include the back and sides of the headstock, and headstock top. The only two things I plan on spraying are the body and truss rod cover on the headstock. I think covering up the pretty little ibanez logo is a no no, and blasting orange all over the headstock will be overbearing, this is already a very powerful color. I also believe the stock flamboyant sparkle black will mesh with the loud orange, and that spraying over the gorgeous (wenge?) stripes in the neck is sadistic. 

Since refinishing these things isn't as common as I thought I'll update this page with pictures and updates on the process, hopefully it can educate and motivate some of you other lunatics.  Cheers!


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 6, 2010)

eloquent refers to one's speech, fyi. i believe the word you were searching for was elegant. 

at any rate... i think this sounds marvelous. post many pics.


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## Jexey (Aug 6, 2010)

I may never get a grip on the English language =)


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## S-O (Aug 6, 2010)

Man, you have got a better hold on English than I do of German.

Back on topic, I can't wait!


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 6, 2010)

Jexey said:


> I may never get a grip on the English language =)


 
ehh... you're not alone.


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## Peteus (Aug 6, 2010)

The orange sounds a good idea. I'm presuming that you haven't refinished a guitar before and here's a suggestion.


Sand all the old paint off (pressume you already know that)
Spray it all orange including the headstock
Polish it with some micro mesh cloths til you get it "I can see my face in it shiny"
Then place a ibanez water slide transfer on to the headstock (very cheap off ebay and looks professional)



I would personally go for the headstock painted as well for it will contrast really well with the black machine heads. See the guys from after the burial guitars


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## glassmoon0fo (Aug 6, 2010)

i thought about this VERY same thing, except using burnt orange from the mitsubishi eclipse (hate the car, love the color). what threw me was the clash between the rosewood and the orange. i thought about dying the fretboard but i really like the grain on the board. just FYI. either way, great choice in color, i was a mustang freak for a few years and grabber orange is a fav color!


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## whisper (Aug 6, 2010)

racing stripes is an idea, like all orange, with racing stripes kinda inthe place of the dark dark wood of a 5 piece neck. probably look hot.


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## Winspear (Aug 7, 2010)

Peteus said:


> I would personally go for the headstock painted as well for it will contrast really well with the black machine heads. See the guys from after the burial guitars



Definately. I personally can't stand non matching headstocks but it's up to you!


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## Jexey (Aug 7, 2010)

Is there anyone out there that's a photoshop whiz that could do a 2228, in Candy orange, with and without the headstock painted?

If I paint the headstock the truss cover will be black and vice versa.


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## Jexey (Aug 7, 2010)

Oh and thanks for the pics Ethereal, his orange ibby looks killer =P


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## Winspear (Aug 7, 2010)

No problem!
I'll have a picture done for you in 22 hours when I'm home if nobody else has


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## Neil (Aug 7, 2010)

Jexey said:


> And then there's my Rg2228. And although I love this thing, it's quite possibly the ugliest looking finish I could imagine up for a 20 pound mahogany brick.


It's basswood


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## Jexey (Aug 7, 2010)

Eloquent Elegant Mahogany Basswood

... well shit


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## ncbrock (Aug 7, 2010)

I was just about to say do lime green like the guy from after the burial. Personally I would take it to a car body\paint shop and find the color your looking for in their books and have them base\clear it. I couldnt see it being more than $100 and it will look 100x better and last 100x longer


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## Jexey (Aug 8, 2010)

Girlfriend is trying to talk me into doing an all white body and headstock and putting the ibby logo back on with one of those water slide transfers and she's making a whole lot of damn sense.


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## -One- (Aug 8, 2010)

All white superstrats with black hardware and dark boards =


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## ncbrock (Aug 8, 2010)

Ill whip you one up in an orange. Im not that good but itll give you an idea.

edit, here you go, idk what happened to the arm contour. The headstock wasnt turning out good, ill try again later


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## Jexey (Aug 9, 2010)

Damn thanks man, that looks amazing.... I think it looks so good because the tone knobs are also orange. I wonder...

That might actually look a lot better then the white idea! I'm torn...


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## mhs (Aug 9, 2010)

I vote orangewith black head. Looks killer!
Especially with orange knobs as well


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## Customisbetter (Aug 9, 2010)

ORange body and Black hardware.


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## Jexey (Aug 10, 2010)

I'm tearing her down and taping her up tomorrow / thursday. I think i'll keep it a secret what color she'll be until I post pictures


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## simonXsludge (Aug 10, 2010)

cool, i'm excited!

now i want to get a 2228 and refinish it, hahaha!


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## Jexey (Aug 11, 2010)

Wont be as nice as your Rga dude =P I'll bring the 28 with me next time I go to Berlin.


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## ncbrock (Aug 11, 2010)

I whipped this up in 5 minutes for someone else with a matching headstock (as you can see the lazyness in the headstock)
I like the matching headstock


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## vhmetalx (Aug 11, 2010)

ncbrock said:


> I whipped this up in 5 minutes for someone else with a matching headstock (as you can see the lazyness in the headstock)
> I like the matching headstock



that was for me 
I really like it. I think imma do that to my rga8 when i get it. 
Cant wait to see what color the rg2228 is gunna be though!


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## simonXsludge (Aug 11, 2010)

Jexey said:


> I'll bring the 28 with me next time I go to Berlin.


worrrd!


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## KenAncients (Aug 11, 2010)

Can someone please mock this up in white. I'm thinking about getting mine painted. I really think Ibanez was just giving us the middle finger by making these guitars sparkle.


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## Jexey (Aug 12, 2010)

The blue looks quite bad ass!!

The build is still on. I'm leaving the tone knobs black because i'm kind of worried about the paint blobbing on the textured finish and the headstock black for now, for I can always go back and paint more later!!

Tomorrow is rip down day. I was thinking of sanding down some of the edges or putting a bevel on some shit because the body feels like a big sparkly brick but I think i'll hold off on that =)


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## Jexey (Aug 12, 2010)

Man I really do like that matching headstock tho. You're a dick for confusing me more


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## ncbrock (Aug 12, 2010)

definatly round all the edges, would look so clean, and poppy at the same time cuz the orange. I agree with leaving the headstock black on the orange one


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## Itsmychapel (Aug 16, 2010)

hey if anyone could do an rga8 in yellow i would realy appreciate it (yellow like on the rg350) with black hardware, ( and if they wouldnt mind the same but with a black outline on the outer edge, on another one) id really appreciate this as my rga8 comes in about three or four days, and i intend to bring it to a friend that does this kind of thing, the day of, or the day after i get it.


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## glassmoon0fo (Aug 16, 2010)

not exactly an rga8 but this is my rg7620 in that yellow youre talking about (its called "desert yellow") with black binding. should give you at least an idea of what youre looking at.


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## Itsmychapel (Aug 16, 2010)

yeah thats exactly what i was trying to see, thanks  i can get a picture of it, ill probably do the desert yellow with the black bindings, thanks for the name of the color as well


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## Jontain (Aug 17, 2010)

For me it would have to be orange / black combo (100% NOT neon though)


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## TreWatson (Aug 17, 2010)

I can't afford a 2228, and even if i could, I wouldnl't have the balls to mess with the paint for fear of ruining it. haha


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## Jexey (Aug 19, 2010)

Wow that desert yellow looks awesome. 

I'm starting tests this week on other guitars, like TreKita said I don't want to go mad scientist on the 2228 just yet. 

I will post pictures of the other guitars. I'm trying a natural finish on an old Agile Septor, and just fkn around with an old ibanez 22 fret POS!!


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## Jexey (Aug 28, 2010)

So here are the results so far:

Hand sanding is entirely tiresome and taxing, especially around horns. The other guitars are coming slowly.

Make sure to shake the can of primer before you try spraying it.
(lol)


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## Jexey (Nov 16, 2010)

So this is back to the top, after the little break I took while futzing with other stuff. Do you guys think I can pull off the repaint without sanding it down? The paint is going on it in the next couple weeks and after completing sanding down the sevenstring project I have going on I do NOT want to do it to this guitar 

I'm finishing the headstock as well, but leaving all the natural areas of the guitar untouched. (Back of neck, headstock etc.)


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## Dark_Matter (Nov 16, 2010)

Jexey said:


> I may never get a grip on the English language =)



You speak English than some people who speak English as a native language.


don't worry about it.


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## chris9 (Nov 17, 2010)

here is my Wylde 8


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## Fred the Shred (Nov 17, 2010)

^ Want!


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## Jexey (Nov 18, 2010)

That's AWESOME!!

Right now we're thinking all white and throwing black binding around the body and the headstock, it's going to take some balls to hit my Rg2228 with a router though so i'm still thinking of other ideas.


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## Jexey (Nov 18, 2010)

That's AWESOME!!

Right now we're thinking all white and throwing black binding around the body and the headstock, it's going to take some balls to hit my Rg2228 with a router though so i'm still thinking of other ideas.


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## ROAR (Nov 18, 2010)

Those neon finished make me wanna repaint my guitars.... 
ATB have some sick guitars.


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## jeremyb (Nov 18, 2010)

glassmoon0fo said:


> not exactly an rga8 but this is my rg7620 in that yellow youre talking about (its called "desert yellow") with black binding. should give you at least an idea of what youre looking at.




Thats magnificent!!! Very cool.


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## glassmoon0fo (Nov 18, 2010)

Jexey said:


> That's AWESOME!!
> 
> Right now we're thinking all white and throwing black binding around the body and the headstock, it's going to take some balls to hit my Rg2228 with a router though so i'm still thinking of other ideas.


 
faux binding! the binding in mine is black automotive pinstriping. applied it about 6 months ago and it hasnt budged, plus its cheap and you can remove it any time you want. though i'd understand if thats too cheap of an option to throw on a prestiege ibby.

and to jeremyb, thanks mayng


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## Mattmc74 (Nov 18, 2010)

ncbrock said:


> Ill whip you one up in an orange. Im not that good but itll give you an idea.
> 
> edit, here you go, idk what happened to the arm contour. The headstock wasnt turning out good, ill try again later


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## asher (Nov 19, 2010)

I was really close to doing this kind of thing to my 7421 - orange body (though when I actually got it from eBay, previous owner had done a horrible refinish on it, pictures looked okay though) with either stripes on the face or black trim, or a black back/sides and an orange stripe around the sides set in a bit from the face, and an ebonized board. I then found out my body had quite a nice looking veneer, so I went with tung-oil, but I still think the idea would look stellar. Go for it


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