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  • Refinishing ideas needed

    I recently brought home my old guitar that I left behind at my parents house many years ago. It's an Ibanez NDM1 from 2003: the duct tape guitar.



    Despite years of sitting unused, the finish isn't aging well. The tape is starting to lift in several spots, which doesn't feel nice to play.

    This will be my beater guitar to bring to jams/bars so I can keep the nicer guitars at home. But I'd like to refinish it so it's more comfortable and looks less like a punk/teenager guitar.

    I can't imagine there's much of a used market for this guitar, so I doubt I'm ruining the resale value. It's also one of the most comfortable neck profiles I've played, so I don't mind keeping it.

    Anyone have a fun/easy/interesting idea for refinishing it?

    How hard is it to make a custom pickguard? I think this shape looks better with a pickguard, but the control layout is different from other Talman models.

    Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

  • #2
    Re: Refinishing ideas needed

    Have fun getting the tape off....
    aka Chris Pile, formerly of Six String Fever

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    • #3
      Re: Refinishing ideas needed

      Since you are planning on refinishing it, wouldnt sonething Goof Off help remove the tape residue? As for a finish, my vote is a purple burst of some form or fashion
      1994 Ibanez IC500 Iceman reissue
      Jackson Soloist 7 string
      ESP LTD M-400
      Original Marshall Silver Jubilee 2553

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      • #4
        Re: Refinishing ideas needed

        I removed the tape under the bridge years ago, thinking it would sound better with the bridge coupled more directly to the body. It was easy from what I remember - carefully outlined the bridge with a knife, then peeled the tape up.

        So I'm not worried about removing the tape, especially as it's already lifting on its own.

        Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

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        • #5
          Re: Refinishing ideas needed

          Easy option is re-tape it. Maybe do a little spray seal with some sort of poly.

          Next option - untapped and go for random sanding and stickers!
          Originally posted by Bad City
          He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...

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          • #6
            Re: Refinishing ideas needed

            Making a pick guard is not too terribly difficult if you are patient and have access to a band saw with a thin blade or a coping saw, as long as you don't mind imperfection. It's near impossible to get the bevel right without a router.

            As for the finish, maybe flat black or some satin color because I suspect it might be hard to get the body smooth and straight enough for a gloss finish? I assume Ibanez didn't put too much time into perfecting the body before slapping tape all over it. With a flashy pickguard (pearl or tortoise) it won't look too punk/teen.

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            • #7
              Re: Refinishing ideas needed

              You can sand it down to plain wood and make it a natural finish with some sort of darker tone or burst and a nice pickguard.

              For the pickguard I think you can have it done at pro quality by a local shop / service where they work plastic sheets with routing cnc machines (not sure this is the proper English term).
              Last edited by maup; 01-01-2020, 04:12 PM.

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              • #8
                Re: Refinishing ideas needed

                Neon pink, with black pickguard.
                Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

                Originally posted by Douglas Adams
                This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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                • #9
                  Re: Refinishing ideas needed

                  After peeling off the tape, use mineral spirits/paint thinner/naphtha to remove any residue. Maybe that's all it needs. What color is it under the tape?
                  Originally Posted by IanBallard
                  Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Refinishing ideas needed

                    Originally posted by GuitarDoc View Post
                    After peeling off the tape, use mineral spirits/paint thinner/naphtha to remove any residue. Maybe that's all it needs. What color is it under the tape?
                    It's bare wood under the tape. Basswood. It'll need some sort of solid finish. But good point about using something to remove the tape residue.

                    Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

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                    • #11
                      Re: Refinishing ideas needed

                      Originally posted by GuitarDoc View Post
                      After peeling off the tape, use mineral spirits/paint thinner/naphtha to remove any residue. Maybe that's all it needs. What color is it under the tape?
                      Would that stuff soak into such soft wood? I don't know, I've never tried it on basswood.
                      Administrator of the SDUGF

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                      • #12
                        Re: Refinishing ideas needed

                        Originally posted by Mincer View Post
                        Would that stuff soak into such soft wood? I don't know, I've never tried it on basswood.
                        I would bet there is a sealer coat. Ibanez usually does.

                        I would suggest a solid nonmetallic color if you are thinking of this as a DIY project.

                        This YouTube channel has some great help on DIY painting

                        Hey guys! I’m Brad, and I make how-to videos. I do custom painting projects, guitar kits and guitar painting, airbrushing, spray can painting, wood working, and a variety of other finishing work, tutorials, and project vlogs. Please subscribe and check out my channel for videos on these topics. If you have questions, I'm here to help.
                        -Chris

                        Originally posted by John Suhr
                        “Practice cures most tone issues”

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                        • #13
                          Re: Refinishing ideas needed

                          Originally posted by Mincer View Post
                          Would that stuff soak into such soft wood? I don't know, I've never tried it on basswood.
                          If the wood is bare and not sealed, yes it will soak into the wood, as would any liquid. But it will not raise the grain and it will completely evaporate out and leave no residue.
                          Originally Posted by IanBallard
                          Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Refinishing ideas needed

                            If you have a table mount router with a beveled router bit, it would be just a matter of cutting out a template out of some plywood. once you have your template made, use some double sided mounting tape on some pick guard material to zip it out on the table mount router.

                            When you have your pick guard material taped to your template, cut out the shape close to the template so you don't load up on your router. or worse yet get a snag and have it go flying across the shop. above all go slowly and carefully it's so easy to mess up on a router.

                            For a color suggestion. I've been a fan of a Daphne blue or seafoam green with offset guitars. maybe even a black with white pick guard combo would look nice..

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                            • #15
                              Re: Refinishing ideas needed

                              You don't even need a table router. I do all of mine with a hand-held router...works perfectly.
                              Originally Posted by IanBallard
                              Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

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