[Swirltop]

Thanks to 63Blazer for coming up with the name Anti-Jem for this swirl!

I spent all day yesterday finishing this project and set her up last night. Unfortunately there's no sun out here today in Upstate NY, but I took her outside for some pics anyway....

It started out as an RG570 and I did a little work on it along the way. Cut a monkey grip, dug out the lion's claw, swirled, cleared, redid the headstock logo, leveled/crowned/buffed the frets, reshaped the neck a little at the heel, stripped the neck and did an oil finish...

She plays effortlessly the action is so low, and it screams!!! My new favorite guitar :mrgreen:

Here's the project thread if anyone is interested http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f21/rg570-to-jem-project-125055.html

 

[IbanezDaemon]

Fine job man, great looking guitar. Well done!!!

 

[Demogorgos]

:mrgreen:

 

[6fingers]

Love it.
The only problem according to my tastes is that fugly rosewood fingerboard ibanez keep using, I hate it, all my guitars have it.
I love ebony(black) with white binding or maple(salmon and not yellow).
Besides fingerboard I love it.
What about some purple leds as inlays?
It'd look amazing at night, in the middle of snow with leds on!
Now you're part of Swirled Goddesses family

 

[jl2556]

Man, that's a nice swirl....I love it.
What do you got for pickups?

 

[ohaple]

Glad to see the final product. Those are some great photos. how does it play?

 

[63Blazer]

This may sound stupid, but quit your day job! That is completely gorgeous.

You can offer this swirl service to guitar players everywhere and do this of course for the right price.

But to do it in scale, it costs some to get all equipment plus takes time to set up studio but then you are golden. Advertise here and you will probably get some hits. Of course it won't be worth your money doing one or two, but with enough orders you can make a living or have it supplement your income.

My wife and I do custom art skateboards and have had individuals and businesses put in orders. We also got a couple of pros, too and if you have at least one high profile player, that could make a big difference. I think most luthiers started small like this and then it became a living. You know you have hit the peak of success if Ibanez themselves sends you a cease and desist order.

 

[Swirltop]

Thanks for the kind words everyone

Man, that's a nice swirl....I love it.
What do you got for pickups?

Thanks man... It has Guitarheads Hexbuckers, they are great pickups for metal and really scream. They are just as hot as an Evo, but a little less biting... I was going to put in a set of green Evos I have, but I really liked the look of the Hexbuckers a little more because they match the green in the swirl perfectly....

Glad to see the final product. Those are some great photos. how does it play?

Thanks! It's the best playing guitar I own at the moment. After the fret level and crown, oiled neck, and my setup it plays perfectly :mrgreen:

 

[Swirltop]

This may sound stupid, but quit your day job!

You can offer this swirl service to guitar players everywhere and do this of course for the right price.

I appreciate the compliment man! I'm not really interested in doing this as a job and taking orders though. I would maybe consider doing a few here and there for friends, but it's just a hobby for myself.

My back is too screwed up for me to be able to feel comfortable taking any orders. I really have no idea from one day to the next if I'm even going to be able to do more than sit up for awhile let alone keep up a decent schedule trying to get work done for customers in a reasonable amount of time. Hell it took me a month and a half just to finish up this one for myself

 

[63Blazer]

I appreciate the compliment man! I'm not really interested in doing this as a job and taking orders though. I would maybe consider doing a few here and there for friends, but it's just a hobby for myself.

My back is too screwed up for me to be able to feel comfortable taking any orders. I really have no idea from one day to the next if I'm even going to be able to do more than sit up for awhile let alone keep up a decent schedule trying to get work done for customers in a reasonable amount of time. Hell it took me a month and a half just to finish up this one for myself

I know what you mean. We are also not young.

The first skateboard we painted was a big and scary project but as we did it over and over it became much quicker and the body got used to it. There's a lot of physical work doing skateboards, too as we had to sand off screen printed art and couldn't use chemical strippers on maple laminated decks. I was a gardener for 20 years so I was kind of broken down.

Anyway, if you did it is there anybody young you can train to do the tedious part? You have a really great skill there that is totally marketable.

 

[Swirltop]

I know what you mean. We are also not young.

The first skateboard we painted was a big and scary project but as we did it over and over it became much quicker and the body got used to it. There's a lot of physical work doing skateboards, too as we had to sand off screen printed art and couldn't use chemical strippers on maple laminated decks. I was a gardener for 20 years so I was kind of broken down.

Anyway, if you did it is there anybody young you can train to do the tedious part? You have a really great skill there that is totally marketable.

LOL...My son is 13, but he has no interest in guitars...he's a drummer

 

[63Blazer]

LOL...My son is 13, but he has no interest in guitars...he's a drummer

You heard it here first, but you can swirl some drum shells!

 

[Swirltop]

You heard it here first, but you can swirl some drum shells!

Oh I know...lol

My son wants me to do his kit... I told him he'd have to do all the work sanding and buffing, not to mention building a huge tank for swirling the bass drum... he changed his mind...for now

 

[63Blazer]

Oh I know...lol

My son wants me to do his kit... I told him he'd have to do all the work sanding and buffing, not to mention building a huge tank for swirling the bass drum... he changed his mind...for now

One day somebody will swirl a Marshall 4x12 cabinet.

 

[Swirltop]

One day somebody will swirl a Marshall 4x12 cabinet.

Now that would be an interesting dunk to watch :lol:

 

[pink13]

i love it..awesome swirl congrats..question how do u like the pickups...

 

[Swirltop]

i love it..awesome swirl congrats..question how do u like the pickups...

I love the pickups, they sound great for metal which is basically all I ever play... I haven't messed around trying to get any jazz or blues tones so I can't really comment on their ability there

They are hot, loud, nicely balanced, and harmonically very active...

I had these in another RG at one point mounted with pickup rings and I did a review on them under my old name zr2009 http://www.jemsite.com/compare-guitar-pickups-parts/Hexbucker-Humbucker/reviews/ If I had reviewed them in this guitar, the neck pickup would have been raved about as well...

These are now direct mounted to the body and they seem to have a bit more definition especially the neck pickup. The neck pup has become a little more musical for lack of a better term and sounds excellent for leads

 

[ironfistx]

I like it all except the pink inlays, and the reason is because I'm one of those people who needs inlays to play, and those are too close to the color of the neck and it's hard for me to see them.

They look fine, it just wouldn't be functional for me personally.

The swirl is awesome, though.

 

[jl2556]

One day somebody will swirl a Marshall 4x12 cabinet.

I have seen some swirls on a few amp head cabs.....
Imagine a guitar, head & cab all swirled at the same time/dipping session.....that would be insane!!

 

[ohaple]

Would love to see a video of you playing it.