Hi everyone. Here's my first build diary. I've already done a lot of work on my kit so this will be a long first post.
How I got here: I'm a bedroom bass player and I've been perfectly happy with one instrument for years, but earlier this year I came down with a bad case of GAS. I couldn't resist it. I gave in and bought a fretless, but that only made things worse.
While browsing basses for sale I came across one of these kits and I knew I had to get one. Not only is it a more affordable way to acquire new gear, but the idea of putting it together with my own hands is very appealing. I sit in front of a computer all day for work so making something real is a nice change of pace.
I chose the TB-4 because I've always liked the look of Thunderbirds. Other pluses were the precut headstock and predrilled holes for the bridge posts, since I don't have much woodworking experience or tools.
The kit arrived quickly and everything looked good when I unpacked it. The only adjustment it needed was in the neck pocket. It was slightly too narrow. A little sanding solved that.
mock build
checking the alignment
It seemed like the action was going to be really high, and I've read complaints about the TB-4 bridges, so I got a replacement bridge from Hipshot. It barely makes a difference even with the saddles all the way down, so I may need a neck shim. No regrets though, it's a better bridge in other ways.
I also bought a new set of pickups, figuring the ones in the kit would be lousy. They came with pots that have larger diameter stems than the stems of the original pots, so I had to enlarge the holes in the body and buy new knobs.
I think I did a pretty good job on the frets, but we'll see what happens once everything is put together. I'd never done any fret work before.
I decided to go for a natural look on the neck. I used an oil-based wipe-on satin poly. It was very easy to use and I think it turned out well, though I put on more coats than I expected. I had a few "last coats" that caught a speck of lint or dirt or an air bubble. But it's finally done and it's nice and smooth.
I found someone on Etsy selling custom vinyl headstock decals in the Gibson font. I tried to think of something amusing and went with "Bigson". Just switch two letters around. It's also a nod to my kid who's 6'5" (195 cm).
I put the decal on after the first coat of poly so it had a nice smooth surface to stick to. With the rest of the poly on top, it's barely higher than the wood around it.
OK, now on to painting... To keep things simple I'm doing a solid color and using rattle cans. Primer, top coat, and clear coat are all Rustoleum enamel.
The body (it's basswood, so very soft) has a couple of very small dings that I wish I filled before I started painting. I thought they might be filled by the paint and primer, but that hasn't happened. They're not bad, most people may not even notice, but I see them. Lesson learned.
priming the body
I'm almost done with the top coats. They've gone a lot like the poly on the neck: mostly very good but I often manage to catch a bit of something from the air, like a piece of lint or a tiny flying insect.
I came up with a solution a few days ago: I have a wardrobe moving box that I can use as a spray booth. It has a metal bar across the top meant for coat hangers. A body or neck can be hung from it. Also, there are handle holes in the sides which I can pass a dowel through, then mount the body on the dowel. The other end of the dowel is clamped to my work table. I can rotate it as needed.
wardrobe box spray booth
This shade of green may not be everyone's favorite color but I wanted something a little unusual. I think it's going to look great with the all-black hardware and white pickguard.
My latest problem is the weather. I've been doing this work outside, and lately most days have been too humid for painting (I'm in the southeastern US). The temps are getting near the upper limit too. I'll try to be patient.
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