*Almost* snagged a Bongo today.

[BenjaminStrange]

I was a bit early for my rehearsal with Prototype (myspace.com/weareprototype, so I wandered in to a local Guitar Center to kill some time. Lo and behold, they have a black Bongo on clearance for - get this- $650. Brand new.

I picked it up and played it for about 5 seconds - the neck was seriously bowed, the strings completely dead, and it was scratched to all hell. You know: a typical GC stock. I didn't even bother to plug it in. In spite of all that, I almost bought it... I know how to do a damn good setup, and I would feel comfortable gutting the preamp out of a bass I only paid $650 for. But... I just bought a new bass (another bass that would give BP nightmares), and am trying to be responsible with my money right now. Since moving to San Francisco from New Orleans last October, I've been essentially unemployed until about two months ago, and I'm just now starting to catch up on some bills. But, damn - seems like I can never find a good deal until I can't afford it.

I was close, guys. Sure, you would have been deeply offended about what I was planning to do to this Bongo, but at least I'm trying.

And no, I'm not going to tell you which GC it was - I just might change my mind and go snag it anyway.

 

[AtomicPunk]

You are not going to get a much better deal than that, ever. I would run, not walk, back to the GC as soon as they open. I mean it.

 

[DrGonzo5150]

Do it!
Great price!! Got to love floor stock.

 

[Basspro]

That is a great price, and it's ashame you didn't have the dough.If it's been their awhile
they might even knock a little more off the price,go back and get that BONGO!
Of course we wouldn't agree with you gutting the Bongo, but that's your call.

 

[phatduckk]

SF on Van Ness?

you're making progress i may have to drop by the shop w/ a couple guitars pretty soon.

 

[Randy]

Come back tommorrow and buy that BONGO!

 

[T-bone]

Right On BenjaminStrange.

You are definitely living up to your name.

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you're sticking around.

tbone

 

[Aussie Mark]

Unless that GC store is in some little one horse town in the mid west I'm betting that $650 Bongo will be gone tomorrow.

 

[strummer]

Sure, you would have been deeply offended about what I was planning to do to this Bongo, but at least I'm trying.

Offended no, not at all! As I said in the other thread, get one, gut it and be done with it!

 

[DTG]

tell you what ,
i have a bongo sitting in my house that i dont use much (just love my SR5 and my new sterling) i got from ebay and it had a few dents and stuff.....long story, anyway if you want tp try a bongo out,pay for the shipping and you can have it for as long as it takes for you to fall in love with MM and start your own collection.As i said its been through the wars so take (dont rip ) the pre amp out if you want,just put it back in before you send it back to me.

shipping should cost around 200 usd,and i really am in no hurry to get it back,i might be in san fran next year anyway so i could pick it up then.

Dave

 

[mmbassplayer]

GC has sold Bongos down to 599$ for new store stock. I know a few of us here picked them up at that price. JOSH

 

[Ole Man Blues]

Go back and grab that Bongo. I'm willing to bet that you are regretting not buying it right now.......OMB

 

[bovinehost]

I was half-ass reading a thread elsewhere about passive versus active basses. Some guy saying he had a Stingray and a Jazz. He'd plug the Stingray in and do nothing but fiddle with knobs, trying to get his tone and just couldn't seem to pull it off. Plug the Jazz in, whoa, there it is, no work at all.

And I said nothing, but I did think, "Play the Jazz, dude, this is a no-brainer."

But I have Jazz basses and Stingrays and can seem to get what I want out of both, at least to an extent, and anyone can tell you: I'm no genius. Of course, one will sound like a Jazz bass and the other will sound like a Stingray...single coils versus humbucker, etc etc.

I know for a fact (because it is my opinion) that passive basses don't sound inherently "organic" nor do active basses sounds inherently....whatever adjective it is that's popular this week. Sterile? Cold? I read a post where someone said they sound "overly active". I don't even know what that means. I surely don't believe that anyone could listen to my band and think my bass tone was cold or sterile (I can be accused of being overly active, but that's not the instrument's fault).

I always get a nice thick wide fat tone. As I've said, "I may suck, but my tone rules." I can seem to do this with active basses. In fact, active basses work better for me, as I have more on-hand control in order to correct for deficiencies/weirdness in room acoustics or half-drunk sound men.

I don't think I'd be quite as successful if (a) I played stainless steel strings and (b) cranked the treble knob or (c) scooped all my mids out with the dreaded smiley-face EQ or (d) used an iAmp (hah, I did this once) or (e) played through a terribly "hi-fi" rig. I do what I do in order to get what I want out of my basses - which brings up a good point. I firmly believe everyone else should do the same.

If that means the rather minor sin of putting flats on a Bongo, good for you! If it means that Psychicpet removes his preamp (thus incurring the wrath of BP, if only in a humorous way), good for him! If an iAmp or a GK or a Markbass or a Peavey amp works for you, who's to say that it's wrong? It just can't be wrong, can it?

Dave LaRue on my Bongo: "Oh, it's got flats." Me: "It sure does!" Dave: "Oh...well, that works really well for your gig. Not so much for mine."

There is much wisdom in that.

Play what works for your gig. What works for mine may not work for yours at all.

Now, I can be slightly uppity about this whole active versus passive debate. I am Mister Old School Thumpy Bass Player, and I use active basses exclusively. (The Jazz sits in the closet, lonely and forlorn.) And, as I said, I'm no genius, so I think I can be forgiven for wondering, "If I can do it, if I understand how to make this work, what's the big deal?"

Jack

 

[Big Poppa]

Ben Do whatever you need to do but save the original parts...you never know you may fall and hit your head and want to try it agian active!

 

[five7]

DTG is offering you one to try out. What a nice guy!

 

[darkblack]

Although I'm quite fond of the sweep and tonal coloration of my Bongo's preamp it certainly would be interesting at some point to hear the natural characteristics of the instrument that it is enhancing, for comparative purposes.

...the rather minor sin of putting flats on a Bongo

Goodness, is that still an active debate here and thereabouts? ...as others have said (paraphrasing) 'Do what you have to do in order to get it done'. Make music, not rules.

 

[MingusBASS]

I think I remember the bassist from the Tragically Hip having an all passive Bongo.


Ah, here is the thread.

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/5128-tragically-hip.html#post45839

 

[JohnnyBoy]

Can't see why the debate against active controls is so deep - in the end what matters is the ability to get the sound that you want, and the active controls just help you to do it easily.

When I first tried a Bongo out @ Daveb's shop in Hitchin I was struck how good the tone was compared to other basses I tried out- I don't recall thinking at the time about whether the bass had active or passive tone circuits.

I'll reckon if you went and bought the bongo, you'll be keeping it (It's calling you, don't fight it, give in).



Re flats on a Bongo. I've just put a set of Group III 45-100 roundwound on my fretless Bongo. Seems to get the sound I want. Try double stopping and sliding @ the same time, great!

 

[maddog]

I was a bit early for my rehearsal with Prototype (myspace.com/weareprototype, so I wandered in to a local Guitar Center to kill some time. Lo and behold, they have a black Bongo on clearance for - get this- $650. Brand new.

I picked it up and played it for about 5 seconds - the neck was seriously bowed, the strings completely dead, and it was scratched to all hell. You know: a typical GC stock. I didn't even bother to plug it in. In spite of all that, I almost bought it... I know how to do a damn good setup, and I would feel comfortable gutting the preamp out of a bass I only paid $650 for. But... I just bought a new bass (another bass that would give BP nightmares), and am trying to be responsible with my money right now. Since moving to San Francisco from New Orleans last October, I've been essentially unemployed until about two months ago, and I'm just now starting to catch up on some bills. But, damn - seems like I can never find a good deal until I can't afford it.

I was close, guys. Sure, you would have been deeply offended about what I was planning to do to this Bongo, but at least I'm trying.

And no, I'm not going to tell you which GC it was - I just might change my mind and go snag it anyway.

tease.

 

[BenjaminStrange]

tell you what ,
i have a bongo sitting in my house that i dont use much (just love my SR5 and my new sterling) i got from ebay and it had a few dents and stuff.....long story, anyway if you want tp try a bongo out,pay for the shipping and you can have it for as long as it takes for you to fall in love with MM and start your own collection.As i said its been through the wars so take (dont rip ) the pre amp out if you want,just put it back in before you send it back to me.

shipping should cost around 200 usd,and i really am in no hurry to get it back,i might be in san fran next year anyway so i could pick it up then.

Dave

That's very nice of you, but $200 is a third of the price of just buying this thing. Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass for now.