Should I buy this guitar and can it be fixed?

Doodlegame

Hellooo, hope you're all havin a good day.

I've just been in a local pawn shop and saw a Korean HSH Ibanez RG (not a gio) for £49.  Pretty good condition, Floyd rose patented bridge, wizard neck, etc etc.

My first thought was to buy it, stick some good pups in it, possibly strip the paint and make it glittery purple and it would shred (cos it's purple) but I then noticed that the bridge seems to be in a bad way...

The post on the left of the bridge (when looking at the guitar upright front on) seems to have sunk.  When raising the bridge, it will hardly move and divebombing it causes the bridge to almost fall of the post.  Is this something fixable and within a reasonable price?

Here are some pics so you can see what I mean:

https://ibb.co/CvLDZwz

https://ibb.co/yWPJRtd

https://ibb.co/xspF6jp

https://ibb.co/JvS9VWd

Here is the link to the wiki page of the guitar:  https://ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/RG270_(1998%E2%80%932002,_Korea)

joetele

Does the fault seem to be just with the bridge itself? You could always replace that. It's still quite a bargain for that guitar. 

Doodlegame

joetele said:

Does the fault seem to be just with the bridge itself? You could always replace that. It's still quite a bargain for that guitar. 

Here is a badly drawn image of what is wrong with the bridge as far as I know:
https://ibb.co/VNjZt08

It's possible the post has broken the trem cavity wood, I'd have to take the back off before I brought it

Marshall_stax

The posts don't look like a matched set to me. Suggests one of the posts have been replaced at some point. 
Is one screwed in much further that the other? The one on the trem arm side looks like it's been chewed to hell. 

Any more pics? 

As joetele says though, all these elements can be replaced and it may we be worth taking the punt at that price. 

Doodlegame

Marshall_stax said:

The posts don't look like a matched set to me. Suggests one of the posts have been replaced at some point. 
Is one screwed in much further that the other? The one on the trem arm side looks like it's been chewed to hell. 

Any more pics? 

As joetele says though, all these elements can be replaced and it may we be worth taking the punt at that price. 

Got an album with all the photos I took:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TMaoUyspzwVWNxds7

Yeah, the posts looked mangled and the rear of the bridge where you put the strings through is also a bit beaten up....

Would it be the case of a new bridge?  I'd have to measure it but if I brought this (https://www.northwestguitars.co.uk/floyd-rose-licensed-double-locking-tremolo-chrome/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwwb3rBRDrARIsALR3XeaFllHSFOCezjFpe3hyP-cn-k4J1ke_J8tL3Vy3yNT-zbkgF787GfsaAsFGEALw_wcB) then I'd already be at £100...

Possibly one of the posts was screwed in more or replaced v badly, but it's if it's broken through the cavity...  If not I guess a bit of dowel and replace it would in theory work..    Still halfway through a super strat I'm doing at the minute waiting on a pickguard lol

I'm 16 and got enough nice guitars, so I kinda wanna say if I don't know for sure it's fixable, I ain't buying it but the other side of my brain is imprinted with the image of a glittery purple RG....

SteveRobinson

I'd replace the bridge. The one that is on isn't even a locking one, and not original to the guitar I think.

Two things to watch out for though are that (i) the inserts that the posts screw into have the same thread at those with the new bridge and (ii) the insert threads are not ruined. Replacing them is a tricky job but not impossible.

Doodlegame

SteveRobinson said:

I'd replace the bridge. The one that is on isn't even a locking one, and not original to the guitar I think.

Two things to watch out for though are that (i) the inserts that the posts screw into have the same thread at those with the new bridge and (ii) the insert threads are not ruined. Replacing them is a tricky job but not impossible.

@SteveRobinson How would I know what bridge to get as a replacement (preferably as cheap as I can get ahah)?  I suppose if the inserts are dead I can always buy some new ones, plug the current holes and new ones in....?  Would it be easy enough to do (fairly good with guitar work) or alternatively how much would you charge for the installation of I supplied parts?

Funkfingers

IMO, that Ibanez offers an excellent learning opportunity. Probably, several learning opportunities. 

mbe

Buy it and get this for £13.99 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Floyd-Rose-Tremolo-Bridge-Double-Locking-for-6-String-Electric-Guitar-Part-Black/273641814068?epid=27027676156&hash=item3fb652b834:g:rMMAAOSwQBBcMW3A

Doodlegame

Funkfingers said:

IMO, that Ibanez offers an excellent learning opportunity. Probably, several learning opportunities. 

That's one way of looking at it

Doodlegame

mbe said:

Buy it and get this for £13.99 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Floyd-Rose-Tremolo-Bridge-Double-Locking-for-6-String-Electric-Guitar-Part-Black/273641814068?epid=27027676156&hash=item3fb652b834:g:rMMAAOSwQBBcMW3A

Ya reckon it's worth bothering with that or is it a 'buy shite pay twice' kinda thing where I'll end up with an FR in it 2 months later...?

mbe

Doodlegame said:

mbe said:

Buy it and get this for £13.99 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Floyd-Rose-Tremolo-Bridge-Double-Locking-for-6-String-Electric-Guitar-Part-Black/273641814068?epid=27027676156&hash=item3fb652b834:g:rMMAAOSwQBBcMW3A

Ya reckon it's worth bothering with that or is it a 'buy shite pay twice' kinda thing where I'll end up with an FR in it 2 months later...?

I doubt if it would be any worse than what's already in it. Would get the guitar up and running to see if it's worth investing any more time/money. 

hollywoodrox

I leave stuff like that to experts like MDP. You’ve got to know what you’re doing 

Doodlegame

mbe said:

Doodlegame said:

mbe said:

Buy it and get this for £13.99 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Floyd-Rose-Tremolo-Bridge-Double-Locking-for-6-String-Electric-Guitar-Part-Black/273641814068?epid=27027676156&hash=item3fb652b834:g:rMMAAOSwQBBcMW3A

Ya reckon it's worth bothering with that or is it a 'buy shite pay twice' kinda thing where I'll end up with an FR in it 2 months later...?

I doubt if it would be any worse than what's already in it. Would get the guitar up and running to see if it's worth investing any more time/money. 

So you'd say a cheap eBay bridge, try to get the guitar working and then invest in a better bridge if it's worth it?

breakstuff

If you can wait until tomorrow, I've got a Floyd that I bought from Axesrus that I never got round to using. Need to dig it out but I'm happy to send it to you for the price of the postage. I've got no use for it now.

Doodlegame

breakstuff said:

If you can wait until tomorrow, I've got a Floyd that I bought from Axesrus that I never got round to using. Need to dig it out but I'm happy to send it to you for the price of the postage. I've got no use for it now.

If you'd be so so kind to do that it would be amazing, I'll send ya a PM

Maynehead

The only worry is if the bridge post anchors are loose or the wood around them is split. If the wood is sound then at most you will need some new bridge posts and perhaps a new bridge, but I think the existing bridge will still be fine.

SteveRobinson

Doodlegame said:

SteveRobinson said:

I'd replace the bridge. The one that is on isn't even a locking one, and not original to the guitar I think.

@SteveRobinson How would I know what bridge to get as a replacement (preferably as cheap as I can get ahah)?  I suppose if the inserts are dead I can always buy some new ones, plug the current holes and new ones in....?  Would it be easy enough to do (fairly good with guitar work) or alternatively how much would you charge for the installation of I supplied parts?

Ah it seems that the early ones did have a "single-locking" (i.e. not locking) bridge https://ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/RG270_(1998%E2%80%932002,_Korea)

You'd need to check the spacing but I think that an OFR replica would fit.

Best do the work yourself though or the guitar is suddenly less of a bargain.

Doodlegame

SteveRobinson said:

Doodlegame said:

SteveRobinson said:

I'd replace the bridge. The one that is on isn't even a locking one, and not original to the guitar I think.

@SteveRobinson How would I know what bridge to get as a replacement (preferably as cheap as I can get ahah)?  I suppose if the inserts are dead I can always buy some new ones, plug the current holes and new ones in....?  Would it be easy enough to do (fairly good with guitar work) or alternatively how much would you charge for the installation of I supplied parts?

Ah it seems that the early ones did have a "single-locking" (i.e. not locking) bridge https://ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/RG270_(1998%E2%80%932002,_Korea)

You'd need to check the spacing but I think that an OFR replica would fit.

Best do the work yourself though or the guitar is suddenly less of a bargain.

Alright man I'll look at doing that, thanks!