Toshi's first build: PBA-4

Simon, thanks for msg. I've been well, just didnt get nice update for a month. hope i can update with completed body and neck soon.

Stan, thank you. hope body will be finishe nicely. pineapple kingdom, just joking but pineapple here is excellent and cheap so much, that i named it.

finally neck has been done, except string guide. Bushing rings were very tight to push in the hole that I was afraid of crack around the hole. fortunately there was no crack though, I wonder I should have widen the hole a bit more before i started installing them... it was really fearful experience every stroke i hammered bushings into the headstock. Actually i made one small dent on backside, i didnt realize there was small debris behind the headstock. so many thing need to be paid attention... so many wonders i have in all steps. How thankful i receive advice and instructions from Mentors here!

After placed the tuners and carefully marked the center of holes, then drilled out them for screws.

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to finish neck part, i polished fret with cloth polisher. I think this one easier and less mess than using polishing compound. But i feel compound has stronger effectiveness.

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good work Toshi the neck and tuners look great. If you do another build and the tuner bushings are tight you should have got a round file and filed it out a bit, all good they are in. Make sure the cloth/towel you work on is free of debris. I have laid the body on a ball of solder and put dents in it. It is very easy to do !
Thanks for the compliment on my red jazz bass

Thank you for advice, Wok as always. I have learned many things to build guitar as first step. Surely I am looking forward to the next project once current one is done.hope it will improve as i progress.

good stuff Toshi, glad you have learnt alot with this build. Sure your next one will be better, as long as the minister approves another kit haha tell your other half you can build her a lovely bass or guitar !

I will still vote you as sander of the year (SOTY) if we ever get a chance to vote for the award haha

I often use a liquid metal polish on my frets for the final polish after using the micromesh on them. It's not usually noticeable on the fretboard, though I normally do wipe the board down with lemon oil again afterwards, which normally removes any white residue left by the polish in small gaps in the wood. The cloth polisher you have is probably an even finer grade of polish than the liquid polish, so great for an even shinier final polish.

Hi Wok, I have told my wife for next project and had already approval :) looking at IB-5 or MMB-4 so far, since dont have 5 strings bass and MM type. so excited.　and SOTY, hahaha, hope there be. This time, i seemed to miss out some convex on front and back body. and this caused "Burn through" on them, when i wet-sanded. so maybe i do not deserve SOTY. however i have learned how critically important to sand out body and neck completely before moving forward.


Hi Simon, thank you for suggestion. I have liquid metal polisher too, but as you mentioned, I was afraid of white residue remained on fret. so good to know lemon oil is the solution to clear out them all, i will try next time.
Yes, cloth polisher seems finer than liquid one, as the result i felt not effective enough to remove some scratches on fret. I may go for Liquid first then cloth, finally cleaning with Lemon Oil before final assembly of kit.

good stuff Toshi, I have built a IB-5 and IB-6S, next bass on my list is an MMB-4 and convert to 3+1 tuner config and put 2 humbuckers in it.

Oooh I look forward to that one. Anyone brave enough to make a MM5 out of a JB5?????