Fixing a volume pot on a Bongo

**SirCanealot** · 07-31-2008, 07:57 AM

Hi guys.

Whoops! So yeah, sometimes the volume knob on my Bongo gets a bit bent, and earlier I was bending it back straight slightly, and SNAP! Off it went.

Opps! No volume control! The worst thing is I'd just slid it to 0% since I was done playing.

I've took a look inside and around the knob, but I can't figure out how to fix it in a hurry! The knob is attacted directly to the control board, and the board is held in pretty tight, so I can't even get that off to have a look.

http://www.williams1.homechoice.co.uk/Picture%2022.jpg

Craptastic picture (webcam is the only thing I can figure out how to work right now), but the gold bit in the middle of the control knob is the bit that snapped. If I could take the metal bit off around the actual turning bit, I could at least turn the bloody thing.

But what do I do with this to get it fixed properly? Is it into the workshop?

But I at least wanted to get a temporary fix for band practice this Saturday!1 :/

Any ideas? Thanks, all!

**adouglas** · 07-31-2008, 09:58 AM

I wouldn't know because my knobs aren't bent, except for this one:

(That's an inside joke that you won't be familiar with, because you're new.)

Anyway...

First thing you should do is call EBMM customer service. Obviously I can't speak for them, but chances are they'll hook you up with a new volume pot.

Do what EBMM customer service tells you to do. What follows below is information that does not come from EBMM and should therefore be viewed with suspicion. It's provided for your edification and amusement only. If you screw up your bass because you used this information, don't say I didn't warn you.

The Bongo's pots are unlike those in other basses. I hesitate to say "unique" because I don't actually know that, but they are different from what you usually see. I've never seen anything quite like them. Your local guitar tech may not have seen these either. The point is that you need the correct part, and it may not be readily available locally. You cannot use an equivalent...has to be the real deal.

Once you've got the pot, the next task is installing it.

One thing you should know about the Bongo is that unlike every other instrument I've ever seen, nothing is actually attached to the top of the body. So all you need to do is lift out the chassis to which everything except the input jack is attached. Take out all the screws holding it in and it should come out easily. I did this once out of curiosity, and while I don't remember the exact procedure I do recall that it was very simple to do.

From there, it's a soldering job. Since the pot is mounted directly to the circuit board, there are no wires to deal with.

Good luck!

**strummer** · 07-31-2008, 11:40 AM

I agree on the customer service, of course. They rule, and getting a pot to you should be quick and painless.

But since you asked, and supposing you know what you are doing, here is the quick and dirty:

1 remove the preamp assembly. there is a bunch of screws holding it to your bongo.
2 Remove the balance pot.
3 remove nuts and washers from balance and volume pot shafts.
4 remove the solder on the volume pot pins.
4b remove the volume pot.
5 Connect the two marked holes with a tiny piece of wire.
6 put it all back together again.

Now, this is a lot of work and you'll need to to it again when replacing the pot, so I really think you should maybe borrow a bass for your rehearsals tomorrow.