Need Help on my guitar finish

Discussion in 'Guitar Gear Talk Forum' started by Anik8, Jun 7, 2007.

  1. Anik8

    Anik8 -Starforsaken-

    Hey guys,
    i have an ibanez rg5ex1 with this matt sort of finish (unpolished)
    I just realised a couple of days back, that the spot right below my middle pickup, where i keep my pinky while playing, has become all polished like, or the matt finish layer has come off or whatever, it looks really ugly now ) ive attached a picture) this has also happened under my volume pot...

    anyone know if there is anyway i can fix this ? if i can get it back to the original form ? because it looks really ugly, and either get it back into unpolished , or i polish my entire guitar, because this is happening in other spots too, but not as much...

    help!
     

    Attached Files:

  2. saurabhrocks

    saurabhrocks New Member

    polish the entire guitar, it may be possible to get the matt finish back, but again it wiill give u the same prob, so better polish it entirely
     
  3. sDEVs

    sDEVs Inventor

    Hi Anik8, when was that you purchased this guitar?
     
  4. baadshah

    baadshah New Member

    How much did you pay for your Ibanez? and is the finish flaking off or something? even no finish has a finish
     
  5. alpha1

    alpha1 I BLUES!

    Sandblasting?
    LOL

    Ofcourse the matt finish will become smooth if you keep rubbing something on it.
     
  6. Anik8

    Anik8 -Starforsaken-

    i bought it almost 3 months back for around 17,000. from the USA..

    yeah i know the matte finish becomes smooth if you keep rubbing on it...but is there any way to undo it or redo the matte finish ?
     
  7. saurabhrocks

    saurabhrocks New Member

    well there may be, a method to redo the finish,
    but if its a small spot, just let it be, what matters more is the sound of the guitar
     
  8. thehundredthone

    thehundredthone Well-Known Member

    Well it won't necessarily absolutely match the rest of the guitar, generally patch-ups can't achieve that sort of perfection, but technically you can redo that part.
     
  9. umangu

    umangu New Member

    Sand it very VERY fine grit sandpaper, atleast 1500. Guaranteed to do the trick.
     
  10. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    I'm guessing Ctrl+Z didn't do the trick then... ;)

    It seems from the picture as though your sweat is abnormally high in acidic content. (..Drink more water...lots more...) and its eaten into the clear coat on your guitar body. Considering the cost of the guitar you can expect no more than one or two coats anyways.

    This is common among quite a few guitarists I know, but given the extent and nature of the damage I think you should get the whole guitar refinished by a pro.
    A more cost effective and probably more sensible option in your case would be to leave the spot as is and simply install a pickguard to prevent any further damage. Be particularly watchful of the neck because if you kill the clearcoat there your neck could warp pretty bad...

    Or just put a sticker over it...

    cheers

    and oh... sanding a guitar that blemishes that easily will probably show you bare wood with very little effort. Don't sand unless you plan to refinish
     
    thehundredthone likes this.
  11. umangu

    umangu New Member


    While that's true, I had only recommended sanding with really high grits. These papers are smooth as - they'll only scuff up the surface without really taking any of the finish off. And if the finish really is too thin, I'm sure this chap will use his prudence and know where to get off.
     
  12. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    you're probably right, not quite sure what paper that thin feels like, I think the finish has already been penetrated
     
  13. umangu

    umangu New Member

    Going by the photo provided, I would think there are atleast 5 coats of black lacquer on there.

    The way polishing works is:
    1. Put all the required coats of lacquer - depending on colour depth and how much you think you'll need to sand.
    2. Sand with coarse sandpaper to get everything smooth
    3. Sand with fine paper to make the surface perfectly smooth and scratch free. At this point the guitar will be matt finish.
    4. Use a polishing compound (paste) and give the guitar a gloss.

    By rubbing his sweaty finger on the same spot, this guy has effectively carried out step 4! He should take a shot at step 3 to reverse this effect.

    Though why bother I'd say. If this was my guitar (not that I would ever be caught playing an Ibanez!) I'd like this natural wear. Makes the guitar look played and gives it character!

    By the way, take a look at the painting/ploishing job I did on the guitar I made myself...
     

    Attached Files:

  14. Life_Sans_Death

    Life_Sans_Death Acronym!

    ^How is the playability on the instrument?
     
  15. thehundredthone

    thehundredthone Well-Known Member

    @umangu: What the - ? LOL
    You forgot the chakra in the centre :p:
    And how often do you use the Bigsby? Does it keep in tune?
     
  16. umangu

    umangu New Member

    Playability is good. I find it as easy to play as my Les Paul. It's better to play rhythm on than lead. Mainly because the frets are big and high and the neck is chunky - and that's how I wanted it. My hands don't get tired playing barre chords anymore. Lead isn't a problem though; just not as easy as rhythm.

    The Bigsby is pretty cool. Not really a whammy, I use it for gentle trem effects, usually at the end or during a pause while soloing. It's really good for playing chords too. I find it a lot more effective than the Strat trem.

    Yes, if I fiddle around too much, it does go out of tune. Only Floyd Roses consistently stay in tune. But I've notched the nut and bridge really smooth, so I only need to recheck tuning every 10-15 minutes when jamming. When playing alone it doesnt bother me.

    Yeah, I know, I left the chakra out but it would've looked silly, half cut out. Was planning to put it on the headstock, but put my name there instead!

    I'm working on a little site on my guitar, and will post a link here once I'm through with that.
     
  17. umangu

    umangu New Member

    Some video to whet your appetite!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKNUTroxRXU
     
  18. Nouman011

    Nouman011 New Member

    How'd you do the inlay? It says 'Saare jahan se achcha, Hindustan hamara' right?
     
  19. umangu

    umangu New Member

    You're right, that's what it says! Chalo, koi to urdu padh sakta hai. I wondered Delhi ki road signs mein itni urdu likhne ka kya fayeda!

    I cut the pearl by hand. I used a Dremel (mini router) to etch away the wood and glued with superglue.

    See my website. You'll be the first, I completed it 1 minute back!

    https://users.tpg.com.au/umangu
     
  20. Nouman011

    Nouman011 New Member

    awesome. I wish i could work that well with my hands.
     

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