The first thing that was done to the GS121 was a body top treatment, specifically, it's a re-finish. The original top was satin black which had a few scratches in some areas that scratch removers could not handle. That's right folks, you simply can't use liquid scratch removers (plenty available at petrol kiosks) on satin surfaces. Not quite apparent but the new finish is a flip-flop blue / green / purple. I only did two layers this time & allowed drying to take place overnight. I also placed it in direct sunlight to help the curing process & applied polish cream. If this step is omitted, chances are, the finished top would be sticky & would stick to your bag surface. My make-shift spray 'booth', as you can see above, are merely used boxes conveniently salvaged from the recycling bin downstairs.
The default fixed bridge (left) had dead saddles; they were mouldy & the action adjustment screws were rusty & impossible to turn. I ordered a replacement unit but the screw holes were all misaligned & were smaller (right). The default bridge was given a good clean up & the saddles from the replacement units were transferred over. Apparently, the replacement unit was meant for Standard Ibanez models, not the GIO ones.
I took the opportunity to re-finish the headstock as well, to match the body. The original decal was easily removed as it was a screened transfer. The surface was sanded & sprayed over, again, only two layers were done. The replacement decal you see here is the adhesive type. I prefer this over the water transfer version as it is more resistant to lacquer & devoid of that Fender-ish ghostly outline. After proper drying, the headstock was given a layer of lacquer finish to seal the decal onto the surface. As you've noticed, I removed the nut to facilitate this process. It was easily re-glued once everything was done. I hope the pics above give you an idea of what a flip flop finish is; notice the colour shift from purple (top) to green (bottom).
Beez did the final touches for me; a pair of Artec pickups together with a 3-way pickup selector. The default pots were left alone as they were still in excellent condition.
That's it folks, a make over coverage of an unglam guitar. We cannot rule out the fact that something great can happen to something uncelebrated if the right things are done to it. I'm showing you that you don't need a luthier level know-how (myself especially) to actually execute a simple tinkering. Be prepared to accept the fact that some spares might not conform to your needs because replacement units are often not produced by the original manufacturer & measurements could be off. Wishing you all a great weekend & a successful mod adventure if you're at it.
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