Overlander's IB-5 - First kit build.

[stuzl873213]

So I have finally spent some time clearing a few other projects and am about to get stuck into this build.

I spent some time marking out the centre of the body today to get a few lines to help place the bridge.

I had previously read here somewhere about setting saddle positions at around mid travel and locating bridge with saddles at double the distance from nut to 12th fret......


But I also recall something about adjusting the G string saddle to more like 3/4 out and using the G string starting point. I haven't been able to find that again though.

Based on the 34" scale, the bridge is quite close to the pickup as shown in the pic below.


Any tips greatly appreciated.

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On my RC4 I found that I should have moved the bridge further back.

Was surprised that there was not as much difference between the A & G strings as I expected when I set the intonation using a meter.


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[Overlander]

On my RC4 I found that I should have moved the bridge further back.

Was surprised that there was not as much difference between the A & G strings as I expected when I set the intonation using a meter.


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Hi Stuzl, yeah I'm hoping that I have gone the right way. I guess time will tell, if I need to move it hopefully I can still cover or disguise any holes made.

Thanks for the tip!

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[Overlander]

Well I'm getting fairly excited...

Have had a few nice warm days and I got 3 coats of TO, a light sand and a 4th coat on so far and its coming along really well I think...



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[Overlander]

Well I think it's finally done!!

After another heap of coats of TO (about 20 in total on the body and 6 on the neck)

After all the coats, I just couldn't warm to the glossy shine on either the body or the back of the neck, so I have taken the gloss back to a nice satin finish using a very old and soft scotch pad. It's so silky now, I just love holding it in my hands

I got a sheet of 2mm carbon fibre and made a new cavity cover plate to suit the newly created rebate around the cavity, and continued the carbon theme onto a new truss rod cover plate of the same shape as the headstock.

I made up an IB5 logo at work and printed on the laser printer and made a DIY decal for the headstock. It has since been marked, so I need to make another one

I completed the shielding with copper tape, then bonded all the shielding together.

The wiring and pickups is all as per the PB IB5 diagram at the moment.

The neck didn't take a lot to get sitting fairly straight. I spent some time and knocked down a few high ones, then leveled the frets and re crowned them which I was really happy with.

It took some time to find a solution to not having a decent set of nut files, but in the end I used appropriately sized drill bits as files, held with a pin vice.... Seems to have worked a treat!

I strung it with the supplied strings and adjusted the truss rod. But wasn't able to get the bridge saddles down enough, so shimmed the neck which got it quite close.

Then when I was happy it was closeout finished, I loaded a fresh set of Slinky Cobalt Flatwounds on it.

So happy with the feel of the bass, not too heavy, and very playable.

I took her to practice the other night and managed to find a sound that was pleasing to my ear through the amp at the practice venue, will be keen to try it again through my own amp.

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[Overlander]

A few more pics...

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[Overlander]

Internal sheilding and wiring.....

It even worked perfectly first time

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[Overlander]

A few arty farty shots....

Love the sheen of the finish

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[WeirdBits]

They really are just a beautiful looking bass. Very nice.

[Overlander]

They really are just a beautiful looking bass. Very nice.

Thanks, yeah I'm fairly chuffed with it for my first build.

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[JohnH]

Looks great! Nice pics too