An Ibanez Roadstar II came in cutting out and due for 10s in place of 8s. The pots, switch and jack were corroded and dusty and were cleaned out; the tremolo springs, truss rod, saddles, intonation and pickups were reset for the heavier strings. An hour and ten.
- Instrument
- Ibanez Roadstar II
- Tech
- Dave Eastwood
- Customer complaint
- Setup, cutting out, changing strings from 8s to 10s
- String gauge
- 8s to 10s
- Diagnosis
- Pots, switch and jack corroded and dusty; tremolo springs, truss rod, saddle height, intonation and pickup height needed adjusting for 10s
- Work performed
- Pickguard removed and electronics cleaned out; restrung with 10s; tremolo springs, truss rod, saddle height and intonation adjusted; pickup height set
- Parts
- None
- Bench time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Outcome
- Big change from 8s to 10s; sounded great with everything cleaned up
What Came In
An Ibanez Roadstar II. It was cutting out, and the owner wanted it set up and moved from 8s to 10s.
What We Found
The pots, switch and jack were all corroded and dusty and needed cleaning. Going from 8s to 10s meant the tremolo springs, truss rod, saddle height and intonation all needed adjusting, and the pickups with them.
What We Did
Pulled the pickguard to clean out the electronics. Restrung with 10s and adjusted the tremolo springs to match, then set the truss rod, saddle height and intonation for the new strings. Finished by setting the pickup height. About an hour and ten minutes on the bench.
Result
A big change from 8s to 10s, and it sounded great with everything cleaned up.
Can corroded electronics be cleaned rather than replaced?
Often, yes. On this Roadstar the cutting out was dust and corrosion on the pots, switch and jack, and a proper cleaning brought them back. The two-step gauge jump was the other half of the job: on a floating tremolo the springs have to come up to meet the heavier strings before anything else is set.
Related
- The Repair Vault
- Guitar Repair at Paul's Guitar Hideout
- When to Change Your Guitar Strings, and How to Know
- How to Clean Your Guitar Without Damaging It
- Godin: Scratchy Electronics and a Setup for 10s
Bring It In
Cutting out and ready for heavier strings? One drop-off covers both. Guitar repair at the Hideout.
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com