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Hey guys!
Earlier this year I acquired a 1983 MIJ Ibanez Stagemaster AM-50. I payed a good price for it, and seriously, I immediatelly fell in love with this guitar. It has become my favorite guitar to play. Great tones, confortable, neck is amazing.
But what I wanted to ask your opinion, is because I'm somewhat obsessive with the condition of the guitars.
What do you think about restoring vintage guitars? Polishing chromes and restoring some paint cracks? Do you guys think it is worth doing or maybe I'll just lose value on it? I really don't see myself selling this guitar, but you neve know.
What I would do: polish the metal parts (pickup covers), bridge and tuners and the pickup selector. Maybe change the input jack? And the wood cracks, mainly in the headstock and in the neck.
Thanks you all, follow some pictures!
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11-04-2022 05:44 PM
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What I did with the rusty hardware on my Ibanez '175' style was to replace it all, but the parts are not exact match. Now, 20 years later I want it back to original. I polished the chrome but the corrosion is permanent. Like your stop piece is showing. ' Your bridge looks better than the bridge on my Ibanez '175' style.
I was having an automobile grill re-chromed and did not even think to ask him about doing my Ibanez hardware due the the high cost. So, I'm leaving the chrome on my Ibanez as it is.
You can replace the rusty screws, but it will be hard to find exact matches.
Chrome plating these grill pieces cost $250 for each smaller piece and $650 for the larger piece.
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The chips on the guitar finish will be hard to repair because polyurethane does not blend well. Nothing like nitrocellulose finish.
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Clean it up, polish it and play and enjoy it. Don't spend money fixing up the dings and paint chips. It isn't worth it.
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In the guitar gearhead world "vintage" usually means, "1960s or earlier." That's different from the wine world, or the antique world, or Guitar Center (which says, "25+ years old"). And some people in that world do crazy things, like adding maple tops to 1950s Les Paul Jrs in an effort to 'convert' them to pseudo 1959 Les Pauls. It's nuts, man.
Originally Posted by mcrombaldi
That's your guitar. Do what makes you happy. Maybe you won't get all the money back when you go to sell, but if it makes you happy to fill the holes with nail polish and paint a giant rainbow on it with spray cans, do that. If people don't like that they're welcome to buy a different one from somebody else.
As for me, I've been able to enjoy a bunch of vintage guitars by buying them in vintage-undesirable condition.
I've actually sold guitars because their case-queen-liness made it hard for me to enjoy playing them.
To each their own.
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Once a guitar is made and is all new and goes out to a player it is all downhill. It will only get worse even if never played. I am not sure of the guitar you mention but just play it and don't obsess over it. From what I can tell this not a Lloyd Lore L5 of something worth more than your and mine yearly salary. Clean and keep it respectable. Really minor things I say in the pictures but frankly they did not help me all that much.
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Good vintage, they were in their heyday at that time. Fix it up so you're proud of it, so it feels good for you to play, and maintain it reasonably but play it like preserving it is the least priority. Don't fall into the Museum Piece mentality trap. The guitars of Ibanez made their reputation from the guitars that were made then. They were known as superb players. Do it justice by getting out of it what it was intended for: Making music.
It takes a lot of use to really break an instrument in. Looks like that guitar has been blessed. Take care of it, play it and consider yourself very fortunate.
Find the joy.
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I recently dusted off and tuned up my early 60s Jazzmaster, and brought it to a jam session. It honestly looks like someone played hockey with it before I got it, but sounds great. I never thought of restoring it. I’ve got other vintage guitars and like their well-worn look and feel.
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You can have it restored to pristine condition, then have it expertly relic'ed or you can save yourself that expense and just tell people it's a relic.
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It's not a highly valuable collectable guitar. You won't lower the value by cleaning it up and making it play better, and covering the bare wood in the chips might help it last a little longer. The finish isn't easily restored, but the dings could be filled by a number of things. UV resin comes to mind, but I admit I haven't used it for that. It's yous, so do whatever you like to it. It's not a holy museum relic, it's just wood and metal. Play it in good health.
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I would definitely take care of the finish chips (and I did on a couple of my poly-finished guitars). There are products on the market such as Glueboost that will give you a reasonably good results. Yes, perfectly matching the color of the sunburst is virtually impossible, but with some patience it will look good and you won’t stumble upon the chipped paint while playing. But this is my preference, others might disagree
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keep her clean, polishing is optional. As long as you fight off corrosion , let the finish speak for its time here.
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I've always been a player but never a collector. All of my current instruments show "play wear" but not to the extent of your guitar which ,for me, shows some unintended(?) abuse. And, someone else said it's not a collector model so, if it were mine, I would take it to a competent luthier and fix everything you have shown us in your above pix. I inherited by brothers '66 Gibson ES125TDC that was neglected badly but still in good structural shape. I've taken it apart, tested/cleaned all the pots/pickups, replaced pickup covers, knobs, pickguard, tailpiece, cleaned/polished the body/neck, etc. When it's finished, it will be my "working" guitar since I would not use my original '66 Gibson Cherry Sunburst ES125TC on a gig anymore. It is very close to mint ,despite its past usage, and has great sentimental value to me as a gift from a long past family member. Enjoy your guitar and feel proud to play it.
Marinero
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One point not yet made is that damage or deterioration anywhere a string touches a hard surface can cause string breakage. So bridge saddles and tailpieces that contact the strings should be intact and pristine. I was breaking E1s on my Tele 7 at the bridge/TP and found a rough spot in the baseplate metal where the string runs against it coming out of the body. There were 2 other holes developing the same problem, so I put a Hipshot on and haven’t broken a string there since.
It may be worth swapping in new aftermarket saddles and a tailpiece. With so many available, there’s probably a set for you.
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Or if they're problematic, have them refiled or polished. That tailpiece/bridge assembly was proprietary and had a number of really nice innovations that were not standard. Nice bridges, non standard saddles that locked down. Work with them, an all out replacement may prove to be a challenge. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Ibanez guitars of that era were exceptional guitars from bottom to top. They put a lot of thought into their designs at every step. That guitar, of all guitars out there, has many gems hidden within. Cherish and keep them.
Just sayin'
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It's personal taste.
I've had some dings filled on the back of necks on nice guitars, but that's because feeling them while playing bothered me.
No problem with cleaning them and polishing what can be polished.
I'm not bothered by signs of age, but I don't care for obvious damage. So, for example, I think finish checking on a vintage guitar adds character. Divots in the top with the bare wood showing would bother me.
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That’s a great find! The 1983 MIJ Ibanez Stagemaster AM-50 is a fantastic guitar, and it’s understandable that you’d want to keep it in great shape. When it comes to vintage instruments, small touch-ups like polishing chrome parts or replacing a worn input jack can help maintain playability without affecting the guitar’s vintage charm. However, be careful with the paint cracks and any structural repairs. Restoring the wood, especially around the headstock and neck, can be tricky—it’s often best to preserve the original finish unless the cracks pose a structural risk. If you’re unsure, taking it to a shop with experience in vintage instruments could be worth it to make sure you don’t lose any of that vintage vibe.
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