1981 Ibanez Blazer BL-400: Part One

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Preamble
Here's a lovely red MIJ Ibanez Blazer Series BL-400. According to Guitar Insite, this guitar was manufactured in June 1981 at the Dyna Gakki factory in Nagano. I don't believe the body sports the original finish; as red is not one of the finish options listed in the 1981 Ibanez Electric Guitars Catalog. The only available finishes at the time were BK (Black), BS (Brown Sunburst); and TV (Traditional Violin).

Specifications
Body: Solid Ash
Neck: One Piece Rock Maple
Tuners: Smooth Tuner II
Fretboard: 25.5" Scale/9.5" Radius/21 Frets
Pickups: Super 6
Controls: Master Volume/Master Tone/Five-Way Pickup Selector/Phase Switch
Bridge: Accu-Cast
Control Knobs: Solid Brass
Hardware: Nichrome

This BL-400 was refretted about three years ago, and I assume that was the last time it received a proper set up. Oh yes, the stock nut has been upgraded to one of bone. The nut's a little short of the fretboard edge on the high E-string side; and the strings are sitting way too deep in their slots. On the whole, this instrument has not been properly cared for nor maintained adequately. As such, it's caked in dust, grime, crud and rust; and hardly makes a sound when plugged into an amp. Yes folks, it's time for an overhaul!

1983 Ibanez AR30 Restoration | Part One

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

Preamble

This restoration is still in progress, so in this post; I’ll detail the work done so far. However, before we get into that, let’s peruse some information concerning this beat-up black “Crafted in Japan” guitar. For starters, The Guitar Dater Project has confirmed that it was made in May 1983 at the “Terada Plant.” Next, concerning background information and specs; I’ve found the Ibanez Wiki to be a wellspring of knowledge. Let’s get right into it, then. It seems that the AR30 was a “spot model” that never featured in any Ibanez catalog. Only produced between September 1982 and August 1983, it was offered in two finish options: Black (BK) or Brown Sunburst (BS).

Factory Specs

Body: Laminated wood center block with Japanese Ash (Sen) “wings”
Neck: Three-piece Maple (set-in joint)
Fretboard: Rosewood/24.75” scale/12” radius/22 medium frets/acrylic dot inlays/bone nut
Hardware: Fixed bridge/Quik Change tailpiece/Smooth Tuner II tuners/Sure Grip II knobs
Pickups: Two Super 70 humbuckers
Electronics: Two volume pots/master tone pot/three-way toggle/mini-DPDT master phase switch/mini-DPDT master coil split switch

Work Done and Comments

Right off the bat I noticed that the guitar had recently been refretted with jumbo frets and the original knobs replaced with generic black “speed knobs.” A previous owner had also added foil shielding to the pickup and control cavities, which was beginning to crumble in places. I made a mental note to remove the existing shielding and use shielding paint instead. The pickups needed to be replaced, as did the stock electronics and wiring. After several discussions with the owner, it was decided that we replace all the components and ditch the two mini-DPDT switches. In short, we’d be going with a straightforward volume/volume/tone configuration.

The black finish was in terrible shape; and the body sported numerous dings, scratches, gouges and bare wood spots. It was no surprise then, that the owner wanted the body and neck stripped and refinished as a sunburst. I decided to go for a dark crimson burst violin-style hand-rubbed finish using suitable shades of StewMac ColorTone Liquid Stain and Tru-Oil. I’d also be sealing the two existing holes for the mini-DPDT switches as they wouldn’t be part of the new wiring scheme.

To date, I’ve completed about 90% of the refinish job. Once this part of the restoration is complete, we should be able to move on to rewiring and hardware installation. But that’s a story for another post.