2010 Ibanez GRX70DX | Part 2

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 

All Systems Go

I'm glad to report that the truss rod on this 2010 Ibanez GRX70DX is working, and I've been able to straighten the neck. Concerning the frets, the first eight do show obvious signs of wear. It doesn't look good, I know. However, further checks with a fret rocker tell me that the frets are still level along the whole length of the fretboard. Time for a judgement call, and I believe this fretboard will be useable after a light sanding, cleaning, conditioning and fret polishing. 

Fretboard Sans Strings

I've conveyed the good news to the owner, followed by a proposal; and he's given me the green light. Yes, folks, it's all systems go! Now we're really going to take this guitar apart for some deep cleaning and servicing. The control cavity you've seen already, but not the trem cavity. Here it is then, in all its dusty glory. The cover can't be popped off completely as the screw in the top left corner is frozen. However, as the other five screws can be removed, I'm able to swivel it around and access the trem cavity.

Trem Claw, Springs and Block

Here's the FAT-6 bridge all disassembled. Note that the trem block bears the Ibanez stamp, another one of those little things that inspire confidence in a product. I did mention a missing trem arm in the previous post, didn't I? Well, that statement wasn't 100% accurate. Today, it's obvious that the upper part of the arm snapped off some time in the past, leaving the threaded portion firmly screwed into the mounting hole. As the owner does not intend to use the trem, there's no need to remove it. This is a huge relief, I tell you. Meanwhile, the saddles, intonation screws, springs and hex screws are enjoying a good long soak in MultiLube.

FAT-6 Bridge Disassembled

Saddles Soaking in MultiLube

Here's some of the hardware after disassembly. We will not be reusing the wonky trapezoid tuners, black plastic nut, or lone rusty string retainer. What we will be keeping are the Ibanez neck plate, neck screws, strap buttons, and strap button screws. They'll all be serviced accordingly, of course.

Trapezoid Tuners and Assorted Hardware

Let's focus for awhile on the headstock and fretboard. What new components will be installed here? I'm glad you asked that question, for I've already lined up replacements. We'll start with the tuners, then. A new set of Korean chrome #0986 tuners is on the cards, but they're too large to fit into the existing tuner holes. I'll have to ream these holes and widen them slightly. Moving on, the lone rusty string retainer will be replaced with pair of generic chrome "butterfly" string trees. 

Korean #0986 Tuners

Generic Butterfly String Trees

Next, we'll shift our attention to the existing black plastic nut, which I believe is not factory issue. You can see that it's way too short on the high E side, thereby wasting valuable fretboard real estate and narrowing string spacing unnecessarily. Here's the solution, a new white plastic nut that's 43mm wide and matches fretboard width exactly. But wait, we need strings too, right? Indeed we do, sir. Folks, I'll be using PRS strings for the time being as it's extremely difficult to find genuine Ernie Balls or D'Addarios. This PRS Classic 09-42 set was sourced from Swee Lee, which is as good a guarantee of authenticity as any.

Existing Black Plastic Nut

New 43mm White Plastic Nut

PRS Classic 09-42 Strings

Now it's time for some down-and-dirty business, with emphasis on the "dirty" part. I've started scrubbing and cleaning grime-encrusted areas of the body; as well as hardware such as nuts, washers, screws, springs, and knobs. While I'm at it, electronic components will also be serviced with electrical contact cleaner. It's quite a daunting task, to be sure; but one that cannot be avoided.

Cleaning in Progress

Cleaning/Servicing Aids

In order to service the pickups and related hardware, I'll have to unscrew the pickup rings to gain access to the pickup cavities and what lies within. The bonus here is that I finally get to identify the pickups. Looking at their base plates, both the neck and bridge humbuckers feature a sticker reading "GRX-70DX" and "IVC112-BK." The only distinguishing feature is an engraved circled alphabet, namely, an "N" on the neck humbucker; and a "B" on the bridge. As for the middle single-coil, it remains unidentified, no thanks to the strip of black foam glued to the base.

Neck Humbucker Base Plate

Bridge Humbucker Base Plate

I'll have to call it a day, then. The wind is getting stronger, and will soon blow rain into my work area. I've managed to clean the body, service all related hardware and electronics, and reinstall most of the FAT-6 tremolo bridge. The saddles, intonation screws, springs and hex screws are still soaking in MultiLube; hopefully they'll be ready for a good scrub come tomorrow. Thanks for dropping by, and have a nice day.

All in a Day’s Work