Bent volume knob

[Big Poppa]

OK
I was just kidding around with the last post, but remember it is a high performance bass. The stingray is much more truck like.

 

[adouglas]

Hi

Im having a real problem with my high end electric bass. First off I set it face down on my kitchen table.. then I let it slip to the ground in between sets and then when taking pictures of it it fell over in the hard compacted soil.

any suggestions?

 

[shamus63]

OK
I was just kidding around with the last post, but remember it is a high performance bass. The stingray is much more truck like.

That's a fair analogy. I've always thought of the Ray as the older P-Basses slightly slicker (and tougher) brother.

I think the Bongo may have been a b*stard child...I admire that as well!

 

[tadawson]

OK
I was just kidding around with the last post, but remember it is a high performance bass. The stingray is much more truck like.

I think the point here is not that we expect to be able to use our Bongos as an alternative for a sledgehammer, but rather that there may be a design issue with the case that causes damage to the volume knob/pot under what would be considered normal handling. A lot of folks report getting their Bongos new with a bent pot - kinda hard to fault the end user on that one, isn't it? If the case does not totally protect the bass under "typical" transport/shipping conditions, high end bass or not, to me that is a potential case design defect . . . .

Just my .02 - don't get me wrong, I love my Bongo!

- Tim

 

[dougmoser]

I think the point here is not that we expect to be able to use our Bongos as an alternative for a sledgehammer, but rather that there may be a design issue with the case that causes damage to the volume knob/pot under what would be considered normal handling. A lot of folks report getting their Bongos new with a bent pot - kinda hard to fault the end user on that one, isn't it? If the case does not totally protect the bass under "typical" transport/shipping conditions, high end bass or not, to me that is a potential case design defect . . . .

Just my .02 - don't get me wrong, I love my Bongo!

- Tim

Agreed. I am in no way complaining about it but I do think the case problem should be further exaimined.

 

[midopa]

Looking at my EBMM case, I do notice the padding is awfully close to the volume knob, but the knob itself is fine. When moving the Bongo as far as it can go to simulate what some have reported, I found that the padding still doesn't touch the knob. So... It's fine for me!

I ordered this case new and separately from Doug (bassplyr) sometime after I had received my Bongo (this was before Bongos came with cases). Maybe along with the changes made on the case to fit five string Bongos were changes to fix that padding problem? *shrugs*

 

[Big Poppa]

Agreed. I am in no way complaining about it but I do think the case problem should be further exaimined.

Guys out of the THOUSANDS OF BONGOS we have made made available we have had virtually zero complaints regarding the volume pot. Keep in mind we just started selling bongo cases less than one year ago. Many pots have been bent by gig bags, creative photography resting the bass against the amp string side down and it sliding over, etc. A douglas thanks for taking my ribbing but you have admittedly initially handled your bass in such a way that made the pot bending unavoidable and probably have learned not to set on the dining room table strings down or not rest it on a tree only to have it fall over. I am willing to bet that you will never have a bent pot again. ;How about a little wager?


This is where internet urban legends just dont match up to the reality of what we see on a daily basis.

How about if we put this to rest now?....

 

[MingusBASS]

huh huh...huh huh...he said knob

For the love of God people-just play the damn things.

Andrew

 

[Jazzbassman23]

Guys out of the THOUSANDS OF BONGOS we have made made available we have had virtually zero complaints regarding the volume pot. Keep in mind we just started selling bongo cases less than one year ago. Many pots have been bent by gig bags, creative photography resting the bass against the amp string side down and it sliding over, etc. A douglas thanks for taking my ribbing but you have admittedly initially handled your bass in such a way that made the pot bending unavoidable and probably have learned not to set on the dining room table strings down or not rest it on a tree only to have it fall over. I am willing to bet that you will never have a bent pot again. ;How about a little wager?


This is where internet urban legends just dont match up to the reality of what we see on a daily basis.

How about if we put this to rest now?....

BP,

I'll certainly put this to rest, but I can state unequivocally that my Bongo 4 w/OHSC has never been dropped, knocked over, or even jostled. I was there when my sales guy broke the seal on the shipping carton. Had I not been a member of this forum, I would have continued to assume that the volume knob was supposed to be at an angle. I don't doubt for a second that you have received zero complaints regarding bent volume knobs, but isn't it possible that the majority of Bongo owners don't frequent this forum, and therefore, like me, just assumed that's how it is supposed to be? It doesn't bother me, and I'm not going to bend it straight. In my old age I've learned sometimes it's just better to leave well enough alone since it operates as it should. I will now return to playing my Bongo and patiently wait for the completion of my Sterling HH.

 

[muggsy]

BP,

I'll certainly put this to rest, but I can state unequivocally that my Bongo 4 w/OHSC has never been dropped, knocked over, or even jostled. I was there when my sales guy broke the seal on the shipping carton. Had I not been a member of this forum, I would have continued to assume that the volume knob was supposed to be at an angle. I don't doubt for a second that you have received zero complaints regarding bent volume knobs, but isn't it possible that the majority of Bongo owners don't frequent this forum, and therefore, like me, just assumed that's how it is supposed to be? It doesn't bother me, and I'm not going to bend it straight. In my old age I've learned sometimes it's just better to leave well enough alone since it operates as it should. I will now return to playing my Bongo and patiently wait for the completion of my Sterling HH.

Mine too. Never been dropped, bent, or even leaned against anything in a way that could affect the volume knob. And I noticed the knob was bent about two hours after I opened the box from Bass Central, when I was taking pics of the stealth Bongo to post here. It's not a big deal, I just bent it back straight, but it definitely happened, and it wasn't anything I did. I saw no reason to complain about it, and I still don't, but when this thread popped up I thought I'd add my experience to let people know they weren't the only ones. I will now return to playing my Bongo, with pleasure.

 

[adouglas]

I saw no reason to complain about it, and I still don't,

+1.

I think that if you go back and read both this thread and the one I started when I first noticed mine, you'll find that not a single person who received a brand-new bass with a bent knob is actually complaining about it.

So I'm not really surprised that EBMM isn't hearing many complaints...my first inclination was to blame myself, but then I saw photographic evidence that it came that way.

Here's what it comes down to IMHO:

Some people are receiving EBMM products that are less than pristine (I won't say "damaged") right out of the box. This is established fact, not an urban legend. I have photographs. I would have assumed that it was a random thing that happened only to me, but we have three or four people on this forum who have had the exact same thing happen to them.

But everybody is shrugging it off. So, no big deal. But consider this:

If you bought a $1500 watch, opened the box and found the crown bent, would you consider that a problem?

If you bought a $1500 bicycle and it came with a bent brake lever, would you consider that a problem?

IMHO most of us would. But those of us who have had this happen to them aren't.

I think it's safe to say that we Bongoloids have shown that we're a very tolerant lot, more than willing to accept this sort of thing as a minor inconvenience. Remember, none of us are complaining, and all of us are very happy with the product. Even the guys who BROKE their volume pot bending the thing back aren't upset. We're just noting that the damage happened, that's all.

The bottom-line question is, why is this happening? The case foam thing seems the most plausible explanation to me. Does it warrant action by the factory to prevent it from happening in the future? BP says that it's not something that people are complaining about in general, so I guess the answer from EBMM's point of view is a resounding "no...now shut up and go play your bass." Fair enough...but SOMETHING made those knobs bend before they reached the owners.

I guess that bent controls don't qualify as a real issue for some reason. Would the same apply if tuners arrived bent? The bridge?

I'm off to the driving range. I think the volume knob on my Bongo would make a dandy golf tee.... Oh, wait, first I think I'll run over it with my truck to see what happens....

 

[82Daion]

Certainly hope that this doesn't happen to mine.

BP, Beth, Dargin, Jon-any orders for a Radiance Red Bongo 4 HH come your way lately?

 

[Big Poppa]

guys please give it a rest....second request. thanks and hope your monday is better than most.