Ibanez GIO Rehab | Part 1

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Evaluation and Recommendations

This post is the first of three on the rehabilitation of a made-in-China Ibanez GIO HSH bearing the serial number S03030832. I'm calling this a "rehabilitation" and not an "overhaul" because besides parts replacement, I do not foresee any major repairs on the horizon. Right, then. Let us take a closer look at this GIO, identify areas of concern, and decide on the next course of action.

Headstock and Fretboard

The first thing that strikes you about this gloss black headstock is the sheer amount of dust, grime and corrosion present. This is rather surprising because the guitar came in a very nice gig bag. I guess it's another case of not wiping down a guitar after playing and leaving it on a stand, exposed to the moist and salty east coast air. Corrosion notwithstanding, a little hardware servicing, followed by a good clean and polish, should set things right again.

Tuners Need Servicing

Corroded Tuner Screws

Embedded Dust and Grime

String Retainer/Locking Nut Disassembled

Grimy Fretboard/Tarnished Frets

Pickups and Selector Switch

Being an HSH, we have a single-coil flanked by two humbuckers, all plagued by corroded mounting and pickup ring screws, tarnished springs, and embedded grime. Moist fortunately, all three pickups are still in working order. Here, I strongly recommend a thorough clean and polish, followed by screw and spring replacement. Meanwhile, although the selector switch is still useable and just needs a spritz or two of contact cleaner, those two rusty screws definitely need to be replaced.

Corroded Pickup Screws

Grimy Middle Pickup Cover

Bridge Humbucker - Grime and Corrosion

Rusty Selector Switch Screws

Double Locking Tremolo

The double locking tremolo on this GIO features the Ibanez logo on its base plate, but no other distinguishing marks. I've taken a couple of close-ups so you can see just how much crud, grime, and tarnish we'll be dealing with. Will we be able to reuse this tremolo, then? Oh yes, I believe so. On the cards is a full disassembly, an ultrasonic bath, a good scrub, and lots of lube.

Saddles/Saddle Lock Bolts

Close-Up of Saddle Lock Bolts

String Lock/Fine Tuning Bolts

String Lock Bolts/Fine Tuner Tension Plate

Tremolo Arm Socket/Housing

Underside of Base Plate

Tremolo Block

Tremolo Recess/EVA Foam Lining

Tremolo Mounting Studs

Output Jack and Jack Plate

The mono output jack installed in this GIO is mounted on an oval metal jack plate. Unfastening the jack plate reveals a tarnished jack socket with dull solder connections. Here, I recommend retaining the jack plate after cleaning and polishing. The jack socket and jack plate screws, however, need to be replaced.

Output Jack Plate/Mounting Screws

Output Jack Socket

Strap Buttons

The two black "mushroom" strap buttons and felt washers, despite the obvious wear and tear, are quite useable and should be retained after cleaning. The same cannot be said for the strap button screws, however. Both screw heads have lost their finish due to corrosion, while the shanks and threads are coated in a powdery substance. As such, these screws should be replaced.

Strap Buttons

Neck Mounting Screws and Ferrules

The maple neck on this GIO is attached to body via four black neck mounting screws and ferrules embedded in the contoured heel. Both the screws and ferrules, although grimy and tarnished, should be useable after ultrasonic cleaning and a good scrubbing.

Contoured Heel - Screws/Ferrules Removed

Neck Mounting Screws/Ferrules

Control and Tremolo Cavity Covers

Both these covers are black plastic, and fastened to the body with generic black pickguard screws. While the covers themselves only require cleaning and polishing, the screws show signs of corrosion, and need to be replaced.

Control/Tremolo Cavity Cover Screws

Screws Show Signs of Corrosion

Tremolo Cavity Hardware

Unscrewing the tremolo cavity cover exposes to view the tremolo claw, tremolo claw screws, four springs, and the underside of the tremolo block. Although most of the hardware is tarnished, the tremolo claw itself appears to be in fine shape. As such, I recommend retaining all components after adequate servicing.

Tremolo Cavity Hardware

Close-Up of Tremolo Claw Screws

Control Cavity Electronics 

The control cavity appears to be shielded, and houses a PCB-based pickup selector switch wired to two control pots. The wiring seems to be original and is neatly bundled with a visible cable tie. The volume and tone pots are not of the same size, and this suggests that one of them is a replacement. All said and done, the electronics function adequately, and should only require servicing.

Control Cavity Electronics