Sanding down a RGAIX6FM? (Question)

Morbid

Morbid

Inspired
Hey gang, quick question.

I've been looking at purchasing an Ibanez RGAIX6FM in the future, in the Frosted White finish. I love the factory images of the guitar, but all of the ones I've seen face to face, the grain is a lot more subtle than the factory images display. So much so, that in the right lighting, the guitar almost just looks...well, white!

I can only assume this is an over application of the white dye, leading me to wonder; could I sand some of it away and reveal more of the natural grain without completely getting rid of the transparent white finish?

I've got NO experience in this, which is why I'm posting on the forum to ask. Also, I'm under the impression that the flamed top is actually just a veneer, as the flaming doesn't extend into the bevel of the horns at all from the guitars I've seen. So what are the odds you think that there's not even enough of a veneer to get past some of the white and into the natural grain?

Edit: For the sake of visual comparison-
 
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Most likely the grain is not as figured. Only real way to do it would be go down to bare wood, do some grain enhancements, like dying black and sanding back, then redoing the white. It’s really involved and you will,probably ruin it if it’s your first time. Maybe look around for another one with better figure?
 
Most tops are just veneers. Rarely are they more than 1/8" thick on mass production gear. High-midrange and upper end gear will get thicker slabs as tops. Since they finish that one, it's likely Ibanez just doesn't use a well figured piece of wood... they save that for the natural finishes, bursts, etc.
dpeterson basically hit the nail on the head, but, if you haven't done any kind of refinishing, it's easy to mess up. If you have a pro do it, it'll be at least $300, so your $900 is now $1200, and you'll *never* recoup that refin cost if you sell down the line.

You can shop around and see if one has better grain, but with the way those are finished, there should'nt be too much difference. It'll look different in photos than in real life too.
 
What they said. Once you get through the clear coat, there's no way to control how much of the finish you'll take off. You'd have to take it down to bare wood without going through the veneer. Then you'd have to refinish it, and you might discover that there's just not that much figuring in the first place.

All of these things take experience to do them well. The only way to get good at it is to screw it up a few times. eBay is (or at least used to be) full of guitars that had been stripped by first-timers who didn't realize they were in over their heads until it was too late.
 
I do stuff like that for a living. I've refinished tons of guitars over the years, and you couldn't pay me to attempt that. The veneer is paper thin (construction paper) and the finish is poly. It's next to impossible to do what you want.
 
While it's a little disappointing to hear all that, I'm glad I posted and asked before making a purchase! Thanks fellas, I do appreciate the insight :)
Maybe one day I'll find one with a nice top!
 
Morbid said:
While it's a little disappointing to hear all that, I'm glad I posted and asked before making a purchase! Thanks fellas, I do appreciate the insight :)
Maybe one day I'll find one with a nice top!
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Good luck! Patience is rewarded in guitar hunting.
 
Not sure where you're located but if you can purchase from Sweetwater checkout https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RGAIX6FMWFF

They sometimes list the actual guitar you're buying and will have a few to choose from. You can call them too and they'll usually go out of their way to help you.

I had a similar issue with an Agile Hawker blue flamed top guitar that looked nice in the pics but when I received it, it almost looks black. The only way to make it look like the pics is to shine a couple spot lights on it or bring it outside around noon on a very sunny day. Luckily I got it used for a good price and the pickups were upgraded and it came with a hard case.

Here's a pic of what it's supposed to look like. If I took a pic of mine you wouldn't see any of the woodgrain and it'd look black.

hawkerblueflame1.jpg
 
GotMetalBoy said:
Not sure where you're located but if you can purchase from Sweetwater checkout https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RGAIX6FMWFF

They sometimes list the actual guitar you're buying and will have a few to choose from. You can call them too and they'll usually go out of their way to help you.

I had a similar issue with an Agile Hawker blue flamed top guitar that looked nice in the pics but when I received it, it almost looks black. The only way to make it look like the pics is to shine a couple spot lights on it or bring it outside around noon on a very sunny day. Luckily I got it used for a good price and the pickups were upgraded and it came with a hard case.
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I'm located in Florida. That's a great idea! Hopefully when I'm ready to pull the trigger, the guitars are still being produced (They seem to discontinue certain models rather abruptly occasionally, lol). Either that or I"ll just have to wait to find the right deal on a used one (which has never bothered me anyway).

Sorry to hear about the similar issue with your Agile. At least there were a couple of positives though (like the pickups). I suppose if you enjoy the way the guitar feels and sounds anyway, the looks are secondary.
 
A lot of manufacturers seem to have problems with transparent blue finishes. I have an Austin Tour Pro that has a beautiful quilt when it's lit just right. Otherwise, it's black with just a hint of blue.
 
They might be using a polarizing filter on the camera to make the grain pop more. Product photos are no stranger to Photoshop either.
 
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