Blazer Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 (edited) Hey all, I'm Wouter Jaegers from the Netherlands and I'm a professional guitar builder and repairman. And I discovered this site and seeing so much cool stuff going down here I decided to join in on the fun. A couple of weeks ago I attended a vintage guitar fair where I bought a rather unfortunate victim of eighties "let's make it look metal" ethic. Believe it or not but this WAS an early seventies Ibanez Les Paul Custom copy with the lawsuit "open book" headstock. It has three dimarzio pickups and again was fitted with "Everything-and-the-kitchen-sink-is-also-included" switching options. But for 75 Euro's I didn't consider it a bad deal, there's a lot of usable parts on this one. http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/guit...91/100_1004.jpg Well I removed that Junk from the Ibanez' top revealing THIS. As you can see it had a couple of home applied (rattle can) re-finishes which also covered the body bindings. Also, as I suspected, the middle pickup is not original and the hole is rather crudely made. Here's pictures I took when I started the stripping. http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/guit...91/100_1010.jpg You guys wouldn't believe me if I tell you that I came across four colors, note also that there's no Mahogany anywhere to be found... There's some of the original finish still left within the cutaway, the previous owner apparently couldn't remove it from that spot. http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/guit...91/100_1011.jpg The previous owner glued in the neck using two component resin, the same stuff used to restore cars with, as a result it sat way too high in the pocket, but chopping away that junk rectified that. Nice snug join, just as intended. Edited April 21, 2009 by Blazer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer Posted April 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 And here's what the guitar looks like today. I routed out the space between the pickups and filled it with a solid piece of maple that I carved to match the carving of the body, I then routed the whole thing for two humbuckers. I know, it doesn't look like much but when the humbuckers are in you don't see the mismatching pickup routs. And I also filled the holes where the mini switches sat. and sanded the whole thing smooth, you won't see the things after the guitar is finished in black. And here's a little preview on what it will look like finished. I already shipped the body to the guy who will do the refinishing job for me, I already spoke with him about the vintage tint I wanted it to have, a 1976 guitar shouldn't look brand new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I already spoke with him about the vintage tint I wanted it to have, a 1976 guitar shouldn't look brand new. thats cool i was thinking as i was going through the pics this would be cool with a lite relic (and i mean just enought on the finish to make it match the hardware. btw you might want to post this in the "in progress and finished work" section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Welcome Blazer! Cool project indeed. -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer Posted April 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Well with the body being painted there was not really much I could do on this project, so I started to look around for replacement tuners, seeing as how the guitar came with a mish-mash of Schallers which didn't exactly made the guitar look good. So I went to my local store and was scouting their pile of spare parts when all of a sudden a box caught my eye... Okay, new old stock thirty year old Ibanez Tuners, and I need tuners for a 33 year old Ibanez, it didn't take me long to put two and two together. And when I opened the box my smile got even wider. They were in the color I was looking for, how perfect do you want destiny to become? I still have to do some repairs on chipping and flaking of the finish of the headstock but the tuners make a perfect fit here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 Almost makes ya think it's fate sometimes..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dude Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 The guitar gods smile upon you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylanwad Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 It's cool when things work out like that. Welcome dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 Blazer, when you get done ,you should really give that thing to someone.......ME .Way cool guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer Posted April 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 Blazer, when you get done ,you should really give that thing to someone.......ME .Way cool guitar. It will gonna set you back around 800 Euro's considering the work I put into it and the value of a vintage Ibanez. Anyway, I got on the phone with the guy who's doing the finish for me and he told me that he already applied the first layers of transparent coating, if all goes well the first layers of black will follow soon afterward, later this week I hope to have pictures of the body during the finishing process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTU 7's. Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 That will look realy nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer Posted May 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Well I got a phone call today telling me that the painting of the body is done, and I'll retrieve it later this week. (My schedule is a bit tedious here) In the meantime, I did some work on the neck, I filled up the chips and dings in the finish with Black shellac and buffed the thing to a shine and then I installed the tuners, it makes for a very classy look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Those tuners are great, score! Are you going to replace the stop bar? it's the only piece of hardware that has lost its plating. Also the witches hat knobs, are you going to replace those with see thru resin knobs? looking forward to see how it looks with the respray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guernica Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 really cool restoration, Im looking forward to seeing this myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer Posted May 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 Well here's the body in black, the white residue you see is from the wet sanding. And from another angle, all whats needs to be done is spray it with a yellow tint lacquer to give it that vintage tint. And then I have to wet sand it again and polish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 Looking great! Look forward to see it all together. I know it's a restoral and the yellow tint is all part of the look but I reckon it'd look great in a gleaming black as new gloss! Also is it just the pictures or is there green tinge to that black? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer Posted May 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Well I got the body back home, buffed it to a shine and started assembling it. All I need to do now is install the pots, wire it all up, install a pickguard and I'm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ae3 Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Looks great! That bridge is really 80's looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazer Posted May 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 It's done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xDrugFreeJonnyx Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 great restoration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Yep - great work, and I think a fitting GOTM. After all, a "project guitar" doesn't necessarily mean it has to be a built-from-scratch instrument! Any chance of some sharper naturally lit photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 That thing came out beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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