Bluestreak

I put a straight edge on it and cleaned up the frets a little. There was a tiny hump in the fretboard near the 5th fret, but the tiniest bit of filing cleared up the problem from frets about 2 through 7. From 7 through 15, it buzzes all over the place unless the action is set uncomfortably high, and then it totally hoses the usability of the upper fret registers. You need a scaffold to get high enough to put up with the action above the 15th fret with the action set high enough to eliminate the buzz. I have it strung with 9's and I just actually took the truss rod nut off and stuck it in a box so I wouldn't lose it because it was so loose. I was thinking the same thing, though... maybe if I string it up with a heavier gauge and leave the truss rod 100% loose, maybe it'll come around in a few months. It's been like this for two months now since I got the guitar, but it was only the last couple of days I loosened the rod all the way. I have seen no real change since letting the rod out all the way a couple of days ago. It may just take more time. It's a pain in the butt and uncharacteristic for a high-end Ibanez. Please, if anyone else has any suggestions, I'm all ears... Thanks. -R

Hey guys, I searched but couldn't find a good answer. I have a brand new Ibanez RG2770 that I imported from Japan. Because I imported the guitar outside its intended region, the warranty is void, so I'm S.O.L. in getting help directly from Ibanez. My guitar won't come into enough relief - I seem to have a bit of a fret buzz that's driving me crazy. With the truss rod nut completely loose (to the point where it could literally be spun off the shaft with your finger) the neck is almost dead straight - it won't bow at all. I need some options, ideas, whatever... of how I might be able to fix this problem. I've never dealt with a guitar that wouldn't come into enough relief - I've always had the opposite problem. Many thanks for your input. -Roger

I'll definitely be by there. Considering I live in Orlando, it'd be a crime if I didn't! -Roger

First off - I would do a search - but the forum keeps giving me a database error when I try to run a search. My apologies as I'm certainly going to rehash some things with this thread. I've acquired and Ibanez RG7421 and plan to strip its black finish to bare wood, then apply a quilted maple veneer and refinish the guitar in a "blue sunburst" type finish. I will also veneer the headstock and finish it similarly. Question One: What's the best way/chemical to strip a black-finished body to bare wood? Question Two: Once the body is stripped, is there any wood-preparation necessary to prepare the guitar to be refinished? I.e., removing any residue from stripping, etc. Question Three: I want the "sunburst blue" to be a very bright, slightly darker blue on the outside and fade to a turquoise on the inside, and I'd like it to be as transparent as possible. This is the effect I'm going for: Rob Balducci's LA Custom Shop Ibanez What stains would be best suited to mimic the clarity of the finish to show off the quilted maple top? Final Question: Where can I acquire a high-quality quilted veneer? I looked through the suppliers on the list, but very few carry much more than some nice flamed maple pieces. I'd like a very high-quality (4A, even a piece of 5A) quilted top for this refinish. Thanks for your answers. Again, my apologies for not performing a search to do this research, but the forum wasn't cooperating. -Roger