My Response To A Closed Thread

[Abiatha]

If basswood sounds better, it IS better.
The only objection I have to the wood on the Bongo has nothing to do with the sound. All of the Bongos I have tried while shopping for my next bass sound very, very good. Even with active electronics, the wood HAS to be affecting the sound, and it works very well.
My objection is that basswood is soft, and easy to ding.
I have seen Bongos with HUUUUEUEUEUEGE chips in them, and presume that the softer wood depresses deeper under stress, and a larger chip pops out.
Plus, I love the transparent and burst finishes, and except for a one-off posted here somewhere, Bongos don't have 'em.
Get the Bongo, love the Bongo, just take it easy with the Bongo! HSC only!

 

[Hellboy]

I don´t care much about peoples reactions or opinions about musical equipment now adays. I try them out myself and make up my own opinion. I´ve come to notice that most people can´t say that something they´ve bought is no good until just before they are about to sell it and replace it with something else. Then, all of a suden, their new instrument is the best thing ever built. So lots of threads and posts on forums are about defending ones own investment rather than being objective and I´m rather sick and tired of that. To be honest. I´ve heard people saying so many strange thing through the years:

"MY studio sound console is the best thing ever made!" "Oh really? It looks like a regular beaten up Soundcraft SR200 live mixer from early 80´s to me". "Well I´ve rebuilt it myself so now it´s the best studio sound mixer on the planet"!

Same thing with basses. "My bass is the best and that one over there is ugly"!

//Jan

 

[Dr Stankface]

I like the Bongo.

I also like having 5 StingRay 5s.


Nobody is me but me, so only me gives a damn about what me thinks on basses.

 

[INMT]

Ya know, I'd be interested to see an "Ash Fanatic" do a a/b test not knowing which bass was Ash and which bass was basswood.
Andrew

As an "Ash Fanatic" for many many years my opinion is just what has been stated. If it sounds good and plays good (to me), then I dont care if it's made of taped together toilet paper rolls with a paperclip for a pickup and rubberbands for strings.
Being a fan of Geddy and Steve Harris my first choices were Ric and P bass I've had a few of both. Neither lasted long.
In the early/mid 90's I signed with a company that made (for me) the ultimate bass. Then going a step further they made it to my exact specs, one piece ash body included. I was happy for years and years.
I'll admit at one point in the early 90's I considered a MM (SR) bass but due to my own stupidity I though the thing was huge because of pics I have see of Flea holding one ( yes I know he's like 3'7" LOL) anyway, I honestly never though of EBMM basses until (this is where JM of DT earns props even before he offically signed onto MM) I had bought DT's Systematic Chaos cd with the bonus DVD. In watching the DVD I saw JM holding this weird ass looking bass. I had to have one. It was not that JM was playing it, not the sound, not the brand. Pure looks is what drives me to this bass. Since then being able to play a few (4's and 5's) I was very pleased with every aspect of the instrument and for the first time of my bass playing life (21 years) I never once thought to myself, "I wonder what this is made of".

I honestly don't get the whole "toilet seat" thing. It looks nothing like one to me.
I have always thought they looked more like a goldfish cracker myself. Oh Jack I stole your pic for the side by side pic, sorry

 

[MrMusashi]

the bongo must be tried.. either you will love it or you stink

i just love the way the bongo sounds with flats on it! boom boom!
and i rediscovered all the good stuff that came from motown.. hehe

might not be for everybody, but i make sure all bass players i know try my bass. some love it, others are polite.. at least they know why im so fired up

MrM

 

[Straight UP]

Hey guys..
As anyone here knows I own a Bongo (lol).
I've been playing bass since when "uh..senior moment" 1965 give or take a year.
Yes in all those years I have played just about any bass you can name.
I've been hunting for a certain tone that I heard in my head and expected from all the brands I tried over the years but never found..
To me it is so funny that all these years later I found it .. The sound I was looking for.. tonal bliss is what it is. And on the Bongo 5... It is eqquipped with the H, S & Piezo Bridge pickups and I use em all.
I have had more compliments of it's sound than I have on any of the other basses I have owned.

"I LOVE the Bongo with all it's tonal voices, And I will defend it to my death" ..
That's a strong statment from me.. But I mean it.



Great and wonderfull Job BP.. The best just the best...

 

[Frankie5Angels]

Apparently calling the Bongo, or any other bass for that matter ugly, will no longer be tolerated at "the other bass forum." We'll see how long that lasts.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Apparently calling the Bongo, or any other bass for that matter ugly, will no longer be tolerated at "the other bass forum." We'll see how long that lasts.

Apparently the Bongo is still fair game at that forum. I had a dig at the cosmetic appearance of the bass owned by someone who had called the Bongo ugly, and my post was deleted and I was sent an "infraction notice" by a moderator, yet the "Bongo is ugly" guy's post remained untouched for all the world to see. Double standard, for sure.

 

[Frankie5Angels]

Obviously, it didn't last that long. The moderation over there defies logic sometimes.

 

[high mileage]

Some people don't get the Bongo. That's fine, and I'm sure (from reading, wasn't around for it) that the '51 P-bass was fairly divisive at that time. Not everyone gets me, either.

As far as the basswood vs. anything else, I'm trying out the whole package - the finished bass. I've never built a bass or even had two identical other than body woods, so I'm going to trust the designers on this one. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't still be playing one as my #1 after a year (reminds me to do the picture thing for that thread...). I brought up my theory about this once on that other forum. Most of 'em thought I was nuts. And maybe I am, but it works for me.

 

[bovinehost]

I don't recall all this weirdness back in the late 60s, early 70s, as far as body woods go.

There was a fair amount of other weirdness going on, though, which may have distracted me somewhat.

I had boatloads of Ps and Js and a Ric or two, some early Stingrays, some things I don't want to remember, and I just don't remember standing around with other bassists, debating the merits of alder or ash.

Must be the internet.

I just really don't care what it is if it sounds good. If I were more taken with fancy tops, maybe it would be an issue, but Bongos aren't generally known for fancy tops anyway.

Jack

 

[Oldtoe]

Stupid internet.

 

[Colin]

Stupid internet.

internet? is that thing still around?

 

[Big Poppa]

Jack it amazes me that this is the argument that is left to hang their hat on......PUt a gun to their heads and see if they can spot the basswood in the factory..


The real Irony is that the EVH and the Axis have always been basswood and there is never an issue of it getting knocked because its basswood.16 years later zero and I mean zero quality or durability issues....hmm the most upsetting is this time the guitarist is right.

 

[Colin]

the most upsetting is this time the guitarist is right.

and we have been behaving ourselves too...

 

[koogie2k]

My new quote...."My ugly bongo can kick your boo-teak basses a$$!"

What I love is....people who "hate" the bongo are talking about it. That is nothing but good press for the bongo. Let them drivel on the appearance of the bongo...it still kicks a$$ and they know it.

Basswood....it is the PREFERRED wood of the top talent in the world! I could list the artists who have said this, but it would take all day.

BP, Dudley and crew have been designing basses/guitars for many years....they are all awesome instruments and innovative. What have the nay-sayers done or designed? Talk is cheap....show me something!!

All that talk....how about, shut up and practice. Play what ever bass you want and like and be done with it. I am a "fanboy" and I have the shirt to prove it! I also play my bongos live and EVERY show I am told how it kicks a$$!

 

[WillPlay4Food]

I jammed with a couple buds last Saturday. Brought the Bongo out cuz that's what I've been playin' the last couple of weeks. Anyway during a break in the jam, the guy asks me what kinda bass I'm playing. He figures it's gotta be custom because of the crazy body styling. Point out who it is and he says, y'know, that body looks like it was designed to go fast like a sports car. I laughed and told him it was designed by BMW. Told him lots a people think it looks like a toilet seat and held it vertical and the guy said he never would've saw it if I hadn't mentioned it.

Anyway, as I've found in the few years I've owned the Bongo, it seems only bassists are concerned over looks / construction of the Bongo. Every guitarist, drummer, etc., haven't considered it ugly and most have like the sound coming out of it.

As an aside on moderating at that other forum, there are issues of post volume. Here a moderator could quite easily read every single post made in a day on the bass forum with plenty of time to spare. On that 'other forum' the post volume is so much higher most mods won't notice something unless it's reported by another member.

Basically if you see a post that's out of line then report it. It's not like the mods 'over there' are being selective, it's just that no one has the time to read through all the posts. Reported posts are taken care of with the quickness.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Since I've been paying attention to bass guitars for the last few years I've found several basses that are just plain ugly. The Bongo to me is very attractive, of course none of that really matters, it's the tone stupid...

 

[high mileage]

I don't recall all this weirdness back in the late 60s, early 70s, as far as body woods go.

Actually I meant comparing the '51P to an upright, as an analogy to the different shape of the Bongo compared to everything else. I've had literally a couple of conversations about the differences with Leo's creations over the years with other gearheads, but each one of these points really only goes out of control on the internet.

Those differences included alder vs. ash, but also quite a few other minor points - and all in agreement that the player makes more of a difference than the instrument (for better or worse ).

 

[simonbass]

Anyway, as I've found in the few years I've owned the Bongo, it seems only bassists are concerned over looks / construction of the Bongo. Every guitarist, drummer, etc., haven't considered it ugly and most have like the sound coming out of it.

This has been my experience EXACTLY. Every, and I mean every, non-bassist who saw the Bongo has complimented me for how it looks. Also non-musicians (like girlfriend and parents) all just love the looks of the Bongo. I guess bassists are just 3vil