My first pitbull, IB-5 five string bass.

[Tim]

Hi Tindrrel,
Great looking bass. The ib-5 is a great kit (I am still building mine)
I would take the time to recess the rear cover plate, makes the world of difference.
The jack output was tight on mine as well, but didn't take long with a round rough file to make it a nice fit,
or use the dremel bits as Stan suggested . Just take your time and enjoy the build.
Maybe not as long as me.

[adam]

Amazed guitar is amazed!

Haha, glad someone else saw this.

[Tindrrel]

I think because of the curvature of the edge of the body, by the time I've recessed two "sides" of the circular rim of the jack (the are in line with the edge of the body) the other two sides (facing front and back of the body) will be flush. I think it's almost as simple filing straight across the body.

[Tindrrel]

Haha, glad someone else saw this.

The area where I sanded the lump from the ground wire hole looked like a flame with eyes and mouth after drilling for the bridge, but it didn't show with the camera so I taped around it.

I was happy to get the bridge drilled and it seemed the bass was too. I felt I deserved a little flippancy.

[Tindrrel]

Here's what I'm thinking as far as recessing the jack goes.


If I file the marked area, because of the curve of the body it isn't necessary to recess a circular area for at least the first depth because there is no wood there to remove (it curves away).

Hopefully getting something like:

(artists impression)

and further recessing might still only need filing across the body as the sides of the recessed area fall away with the curve of the body.

Feel free to point out any flaws in this plan.

[Tindrrel]

(of course that only works, if it does at all, up until the point where the curve of the body is as wide as the rim of the jack. after that it would need actual circular recessing.)

[Tindrrel]

Or... I use a conical dremel bit to sand/grind the opening to the size of the jack rim, then a cylindrical sanding bit to level the recess edges so that they're parallel to the hole.

[Tim]

I know on mine the jack output is completely recessed in as hopefully the below picture shows.
Not sure about everyone else that has done a ib-5

[Tindrrel]

I know on mine the jack output is completely recessed in as hopefully the below picture shows.

I think I'm aiming for something like that. Inside the wood, though perhaps not quite so far as I like to use a right angle plug.

My earlier posts were just trying to work through how to achieve it.

[Tindrrel]

So the jack recess is done.

I started using a hole bore drill bit, handheld. Didn't really trust that thing running at high speed without a centre guide.



Then using the dremel to level out the recessed area, sandpaper to round the corners, I ended up with a recessed jack I'm fairly happy with.



View from the front of the body: