My First Build the IB-4 Bass

[Whizgig]

Hi all I have just brought all of my stuff needed and the bass kit for the IB-4 bass guitar, now the wait for it to arrive .

I have decided to do it in a DingoTone sunburst of Black, Tobacco and COOLANGATTA GOLD for the highlights so the front and back and neck/stock will be in the gold blended into a warm Tobacco into the black on the edges only trying to keep as much on the grain as possible. I am also thinking of converting it to fretless as well, I have an old PB base that I have had for years so I might set that up and convert it first to see how i go with that.
The bass will be finished in oil and wax not in clear coat to get the natural look of the wood to punch through the dye's
So this is my First build of many to come I do do all of my own setups for my basses so building one is the next step.

I might do the IB-5 and the 6 as well after this one trying to catch up to my wife's collection of instruments lol.
that will take a long time as she is a bit of a collector of guitars, keybords etc.

Eugene.

[Cliff Rogers]

Watching. 👍.

[WeirdBits]

And all looking forward to making many careful with that axe comments...

[Whizgig]

I went to bunnings today and got a few thing to get started just got the email to say that the kit has been sent so fingers crossed it will be here Monday or Tuesday, the wife is building a guitar as well so it will be a joint venture.
I will be doing the PB bass neck first I tried to get some vernier but bunnings don't stock it so looks like I might have to use filler to fill in the frets, if so I will also cover the fretbord in polyurethane to protect it from the strings which reminds me I have to get some flat wound strings as well.

[Whizgig]

Managed to find some maple veneer on eBay for $20 delivered so when that comes I will start on defretting the old legend PB Bass and see how I go, the new kit is in Perth so by Thursday week it should be here.

[Whizgig]

Hi All,
Just a quick update the kit arrived on Tuesday and I have started setting it up I have done the electrics and drilled all of the holes etc. I am now working on the dyeing in a tobacco sunburst, I first done the entire body in DingoTone Coolingatta Gold followed by Coulor Tone Tobacco and then Black fethered out to the edges on both the front and back I will send some pics shortly.

[Whizgig]

I have done some pics.

The electronics done 2 Volume and 2 Tone pots.



First coat of Coolangatta Gold front and back.





First coats of Tobacco and Black.



Next coats blended.





Now to let it dry for a few days then hit it with intecsifiyer and then final coat.

[Whizgig]

Today I fixed up my mic stand to accomidate the bass stick properly with a large bolt that slips into the stand pipe, done the intencerfing coats today.

[Whizgig]

Now started on the neck removed nut and frets sanded and filled in frets sanded and levelled fret board dyed neck and head stock in Tobacco and Black with highlights of Coolangatta Gold.

















And final coat of Intencifyer on the body.

[Whizgig]

I had a big problem the laquer I used had a bad reaction with the dingotone and it cracked up in areas so I had to sand back to the wood and start again

I ended up restaining it in about 10 min gave it 2 hrs to dry and then done 4 coats of Crystl Clear acrilic by White Knight and all went well.

While that was drying I ca coated the fretboard with 5 coats and sanded it smooth, then cut and pilished the body and set up the electrics etc.

I had to shim the neck with 2 plates of Maple Verneer to bring the neck forward towards the strings, then done the action 0.02mm at the nut 0.05mm relief and 0.05mm at fret 24. This gave it a nice low action and set the bridge saddles at 1/2 turn each.
I then set the internation, then hit another broblem the jack was faulty so I replaced it with a new one which I drilled into the back plate and then the bass was finaly finnished apart fron the hole for the old jack wich I will fill up with Liquid nails and wood filler.

So apart from the problems I had I found thr build to be of very good quality, easy to put together and alot of good fun. I will next do the Jaz Bass I thnk or the Hoffner.


Will upload pics soon.