Ibanez GIO GRG121PAR - Evaluation & Recommendations

Fretboard & Frets

After straightening the neck over 2 days, 14 high frets were discovered. For easier identification, these frets have been colored black with a permanent marker. Due to the sheer number and wide spread of these high frets, Fret Dressing is absolutely necessary. We will also clean and condition the fretboard, but only after dealing with fretwork.

Pickups & Related Hardware

The two humbuckers are in working condition, while the pickup ring and height adjustment screws can be reused after servicing. The bridge plate, which is full of crud, gunk and grime, will be reused after servicing. 

Control Cavity Electronics

The five-way pickup selector switch is PCB-based. As such, the contacts are not mechanical but merely track-based. These contact points have worn down and the switch is currently noisy and unreliable. This switch needs to be replaced. The 2 mini pots for Volume and Tone are equally noisy and close to failing. We recommend that both be replaced with full-sized Alpha A500K pots. The output jack is clearly a PCB-mount 1/4-inch jack socket. Though we'd rather be looking at a proper barrel or open-frame jack, it's working fine right now, and we'll leave it at that.

Saddles & Related Hardware

The saddles on this guitar are coated black, as is the rest of the hardware. A glimpse inside the threaded intonation screw hole suggests that the saddle is brass. Although the black coating on the intonation screw, spring, and hex height adjustment screws has started to wear off, these components are still in acceptable condition and will be retained after servicing.

Time Stamps

00:00 Fretboard & Frets

01:22 Pickups & Related Hardware

02:12 Control Cavity Electronics

04:29 Saddles & Related Hardware

1983 MIJ Strat - The Story So Far

Preamble

To date, a few videos on this sunburst 1983 MIJ Strat have been posted to this blog and social media, some with detailed descriptions. We thought it'd be a good idea to summarize observations, conclusions, decisions, and progress made as of last night and early this morning, it being Friday (July 31) today.   

First Look and Initial Observations

Right off the bat, a few issues were staring us in the face. For one, the neck plate lacked a stamped serial number, reason being that the original had somehow been lost. Then there was tarnish and corrosion, which had taken hold of most of the hardware. As for the vintage-style tuners, they were really wonky, especially the High and Low Es. Making matters worse were the non-functioning electronics, no thanks to  damaged pots. The volume pot knob spun round and round freely, while the shaft of the second tone pot lifted right off with the knob.

Headstock Face

Wonky Vintage Tuners

Maple Neck

Pickguard and Pickups

Corroded Tremolo Bridge

Second Tone Knob

Free-Spinning Volume Pot

After taking this Strat apart, we noticed an unstamped neck pocket and a neck heel marked "Made in Japan," "9.2," and "9 - 1 83." We'll take the last one to mean date of manufacture (September 9, 1983). Flipping the pickguard over revealed three single-coils (probably Alnico) with cloth-covered leads, a Centralab (CRL) USA selector switch, three A250K mini pots, a poly cap, and skinny plastic-insulated wiring. Meanwhile, unscrewing the jack plate was a pleasant surprise, as the output jack was a genuine Switchcraft (to be retained after servicing). Other notable features include SSS pickup routing, a period-correct "worm route," and a "fat" tremolo block.

Unstamped Neck Pocket

"Made in Japan"

Production Date in Pencil

Underside of Middle Pickup

CRL Selector Switch

A250K Mini Pots

Switchcraft Output Jack

SSS Pickup Routing

"Worm Route"

"Fat" Tremolo Block

Further Observations and Recommendations

It's back to the headstock, then. The lone string tree is terribly rusty and will have to be replaced. As for the cruddy and wonky vintage-style tuners, they will no doubt be retired as well. Moving down, we have a great number of worn, pitted and/or flattened frets all along the fretboard. There's still enough height left in them for a fret dressing, so a full refret will not be necessary. 

Rusty String Tree

Tuners Are in Bad Shape

Worn Frets - Image 1

Worn Frets - Image 2

Worn Frets - Image 3

Worn Frets - Image 4

Worn Frets - Image 5

Meanwhile, the strap buttons, though tarnished, should clean up nicely. The same cannot be said for the corroded screws, which will be replaced. Now, about the tremolo bridge. There's widespread tarnish and corrosion. The worst hit are the saddle intonation and hex height adjustment screws, some of which have nearly rusted through. Prime candidates for replacement, methinks.  

Strap Buttons

Bridge Plate

Corroded Saddle, Spring and Screws

On a brighter note, we're happy to report that all three pickups are in working order. However, all six height adjustment screws are rusty. The half-dozen latex spacers fare no better, as the years have turned them into crumbly, sticky and compressed "doughnuts," for want of a better term. Yes, you guessed it right. They'll all be put out to pasture.

Testing the Neck Pickup

Rusty Screws / Unusable Latex Spacers

Now, remember those A250K mini pots? Well, the owner wants them replaced with full-sized CTS 250K pots, a wise choice indeed. There's a catch, though. Far East (metric) pots have shafts with 18 splines, as do the knobs. Conversely, CTS (imperial) pots have shafts and knobs with 24 splines. So, the current 18-spline knobs will not fit the CTS pots, and shall be replaced with 24-splined ones. Also note that the current CRL selector switch will be replaced with an Oak Grigsby.

CTS & Alpha Pot Shafts - Comparing Splines

Close-Up of the Splines

Alpha Shaft Splines Match the Current Pots

CTS Shaft Splines Do Not Match

Metric & Imperial Knobs - Internal Splines

Close-Up of Internal Splines

Oak Grigsby Selector Switch

Hardware Servicing Commences

All this happened last night and into the wee hours of the morning. Having separated the hardware that would be retained from that which would be replaced, we were able to move on to the first phase of servicing, a 20-minute bath in a Digital Ultrasonic Cleaner set to 50 degrees Celsius. This helpful device literally "shakes" off quite a lot of crud, turning the "bath water" murky. The single-ply white pickguard, meanwhile, was given a gentle scrubbing with plain old dish soap and water, and hung up to dry. It looks a little whiter now, don't you agree?  

Plastic and Metal Hardware Disassembled

Hardware Undergoing Ultrasonic Cleaning

Phase One of Servicing Completed

Pickguard Hung to Dry After Scrubbing

  

1983 MIJ Strat Needs Some Help

Video Description

In this video, the owner first talks about his convictions concerning the origins and authenticity of this Strat. We then discuss the poor condition of the tuners, corroded hardware, as well as playability issues. Of particular concern are the volume and second tone pots, which are damaged and need to be replaced.

Upon disassembling the Strat, we notice a penciled date on the neck heel. This indicates that the neck was manufactured on September 1, 1983. We also examine the hardware and electronics, which largely conform to US specifications. The only exception are the A250K mini pots, commonly found on Asian guitars. As for the body, it appears to conform to vintage specifications, such as the "worm route" leading from the bridge pickup cavity into the control cavity. The owner also shows me an image of the original neck plate (and serial number), which has somehow been lost. Finally, we take a closer look at the body, which appears to be a two-piece.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction

00:30 Condition of Tuners

01:20 Playability Issues 

02:44 Pickups and Bridge - First Look 

03:15 Damaged Pots

04:37 Failed Pickup Tap Test  

05:50 Strat Taken Apart 

06:08 Neck Pocket

06:15 Neck Heel 

07:09 Control Cavity Electronics

08:39 Output Jack  

09:35 Body Cavities  

10:27 Discussion on Body Wood 

11:06 Large Tremolo Block

11:19 Where's the Original Neck Plate? 

Ultrasonic Cleaner in Use

Using a Digital Ultrasonic Cleaner on a Strat's metal hardware. Recorded at 10:36 PM on July 30, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

Is This Single-Coil Still Working?

This video demonstrates the method I use to check if a pickup (in this example, a neck single-coil) is still working. The two tools utilized are a modified analog multimeter and adjustable spanner. "Modified" relates to the needle, which has been adjusted to read 15 DCV when at rest, allowing it room to either kick right or left when in use. The selector knob has been set to 0.1 DCV, though 50uA will work just as well. 

The test begins with the meter's positive (red) probe connected to the pickup's hot lead (white), and the negative (black) probe to the pickup's ground lead (black). Next, we gently tap on the pickup with the adjustable spanner. If the pickup is working, the needle will momentarily kick right or left. On the other hand, if nothing happens, we are most certainly looking at a dead pickup. In this demo, the needle kicks left, indicating that this particular pickup is working.

This video was recorded at 7:59 PM on July 30, 2026. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.