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Bongo cases

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stingray54

New member
Joined
May 10, 2004
Messages
3
Location
Lake Toxaway ,North Carolina
WHO MAKES THE BEST BONGO CASE? WHO MAKES THE BEST BONGO CASE?

I recently received my shiny new Lava Pearl Bongo in a cardboard box. After being told it didn't come with a case, I luckily had an old Gibson case that ends up fitting like a glove (after minor modification on the neck support) Is there anyone else who has had to find a case for these guitars? I know G&G makes one and TLK(?) but do they work? I would appreciate any help.
Peace, Stingray54
 
I use an InCase Dub Bag with my Bongo. I've never seen a nicer gig bag, and a hard case can't really provide more protection unless you plan on laying lots of other stuff on top of it, or plan on poking it with sharp sticks.

I'm planning on picking up one of the Slim Bags for the occassions when I'm too lazy to take two basses (and when taking time to change a string won't affect things). With the neck support, and the movable pillows, the Bongo has a nice snug fit.
 
stingray54 said:
WHO MAKES THE BEST BONGO CASE? WHO MAKES THE BEST BONGO CASE?

I recently received my shiny new Lava Pearl Bongo in a cardboard box. After being told it didn't come with a case, I luckily had an old Gibson case that ends up fitting like a glove (after minor modification on the neck support) Is there anyone else who has had to find a case for these guitars? I know G&G makes one and TLK(?) but do they work? I would appreciate any help.
Peace, Stingray54
Click to expand...

Mine is made by G&G Vintage Cases which I bought from Bass Central with my Candy Red fiver. Cool HSC that could be repaired by duct tape if needed (See my gear page). Perfect fit. I've been told that this is currently the ONLY HSC made that will fit a Bongo.

http://www.dodgenet.com/~partsbook/BassGear.html

BTW I am def old school on the case/gigbag thing. They didn't even have bags when I first started playing over 25 years ago so I can't even grasp the gigbag concept. Hmm... time for a poll.....:p
 
The G&G cases suck. It looks cool, and the it fits the Bongo like a glove, but it is extremely delicate. After a handfull of opens and closes, the latches fail to line up properly. After a few gigs, it started to look 30 years old. I'm bummed, and I don't use it anymore. I stole my guitarist's hardshell bass cass for his Samick bass, and it holds up good. The G&G is a definate waste of money that you could use to buy a better case for less.
 
easelkillya said:
The G&G cases suck. It looks cool, and the it fits the Bongo like a glove, but it is extremely delicate. After a handfull of opens and closes, the latches fail to line up properly. After a few gigs, it started to look 30 years old. I'm bummed, and I don't use it anymore. I stole my guitarist's hardshell bass cass for his Samick bass, and it holds up good. The G&G is a definate waste of money that you could use to buy a better case for less.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Jack has been less than thrilled with the G&G case for his Bongo, too. I'm really surprised to see that there are so many problems--I always thought G&G were very reputable.

Oh, well. I don't use hard cases anymore, anyway....
 
Yup, the Duct Tape Silver Bongo 5 case is definitely not my favorite. The above-mentioned problems are here, too.

Plus, WTF is the deal with that storage compartment? Could they have made it any smaller?
 
bovinehost said:
WTF is the deal with that storage compartment? Could they have made it any smaller?
Click to expand...

True. I hate having to store stuff at the top underneath the headstock. I always use straploks, keep a cord and a couple small tools in my case so I don't really like having metal in the same area as my bass. IS THERE any other HSC fitted for a Bongo 5 that anyone knows of?:confused:
 
The small compartment is something I could've dealt with, but all I carry in my case is my strap, some picks, and a polishing cloth. It's the perfect size for that, and that only.
 
Thanks for the advise. Sounds like I should hang on to my Gibson case for awhile yet. It works like a charm, fits like a glove, and cost me nothing. I'll never figure this one out. Why a company like EBMM built a guitar without a case. Blows my mind and they act like I should be happy to tote it around in a garbage bag. If they want everyone who sees my Bongo to first see Gibson, doesn't matter to me. I have owned probably 9 MusicMan basses since 1980. Actually I never owned anything else until a year or two ago when I got a 71 Les Paul.I own 4 MM at the present: '79 Blonde, '98 SR5,'00 SR5,and my new Bongo. I've owned a '78 sunburst, an 80's model Cutlass, '79 Black/maple and had a '90 first year sunburst 5-string stolen 4 years ago. But do you think they care. They won't even send a stinking T-shirt instead of a CASE!?! I did get a polish cloth to wipe down the dings from lack of a case. What has happened to customer appreciation? Unless you are a signed national, they don't give a rat's behind about you. Loyalty means nothing next to Ad-opportunity value. So just remember this when you are dolling out money for a new guitar or bass. Now that I can afford to choose, I may be quicker to try something else. A company should appreciate repeat customers. I feel like they could care less about grassroots players. We won't even start on Mesa Boogie and the as-of-now 8 month wait on a paid-in-full speaker cabinet. Stingray54
 
Stingray54, I understand your frustration about the lack of a HSC for the Bongo, and like you, can't understand why a company wouldn't have a suitable case available. However, I must disagree with your opinion regarding EB's customer service. I've found just the opposite. Prompt responses and done whatever they can to satisfy me.

Dave
 
EBMM Customer Service is nothing short of stellar, ESPECIALLY for the little guys (like us). And remember that we are here on their dime, which means that they're interested in what guys like us think about their basses.

I understand there is also a guit@r forum, but I try to not think about that much.

The fact that they're not (yet?) building a case for the Bongo doesn't translate to not giving a damn, does it? I never thought of it in those terms.
 
I agree that I may be a bit harsh with my judgement of EBMM. But I have bought quite a few instruments in my 41 years. None came in a box. If the only option were a gigbag, why didn't they send one. Why didn't they bother to include the fact that there was no case in the literature MY dealer had when I ordered and paid for it? An omission? A typo?
No explanation, no apology, just this is it.
I personally am not on EBMM's payroll, I get nothing for playing thier instruments, no break on strings, T-shirts, anything. You may call it sour grapes, I call it forgetting who has kept the company going through the lean years. Music Man hasn't always been the popular choice of basses. Remember that endorsed artists get thier stuff either free or extremely cheap. And most likely, with priority. It seems that the only ones who get recognition for playing the brand are the ones who don't need it.
As for customer service, how often have you sent a bass back? In the first year? Hopefully not too many times. I don't want to seem like a total A@*. I like my guitars, but this last deal has given me a bad taste in the mouth.
I have proven MY loyalty. It's thier turn to step up to the plate.
Peace, Stingray54
 
I don't know who you bought the bass from, but it was made abundantly clear to me, when I bought my Bongos, that no case was available from EB.

I didn't expect the company to tell me that - it's the dealer's responsibility to fill you in on what is and isn't included.
 
you know what?! stingray's right!

ON that same note, I've been shopping at safeway for 18 years at least! I think it's absurd that I have spent 10's of thousands of dollars on their products, and they don't have the goldarn common courtesy to give me a.....free pizza!

(note the sarcasm..)

ok seriously

dude, Just because you've owned several instruments from this company, does not mean they owe you anything at all.

They make a quality product, with consistency unseen in almost any other manufacturer. They produce these fine instruments for your consumption. They sell them at a competetive price and make them readily available for you. Compare the price of a MM to most other high end bolt on basses, the MM price is significantly lower than the others.


I personally think it's an insult to the folks who work hard, day in and day out at ernie ball (in any stage of production), for you to insinuate that they are in anyway trying to screw you out of anything.
If they chose not to make a case for the bongo at this time, they have their reasons, if your dealer had his head too far up his ass to tell you that, then take it up with them. If he told you it comes with a case, hold them to it and make them find a freaking case.

Just don't for one second assume that because you've bought and sold several MM basses (many used?), that you can claim rights to free stuff galore. There are those of us who appreciate the folks at EBMM for reasons beyond free stuff (which they do give out, free strings just for registering!).


my rant/opinion
joel D.
 
My two cents on this subject...

I don't know a heck of a lot about Music Man's customer appreciation values, but I would guess they do care about their supporters. That's why I was, and am, so shocked to find out their new state-of-the-art bass didn't inclue a hardshell case, let alone a gig bag. Did that piss me off? Hell yeah, it did! But I have no beef with the company because they still supplied me with a quality product that no other company could deliver. If the Bongo continues to sell as well as I hear it does, they'll reconsider the whole case issue. I have a feeling they already have.
 
easelkillya said:
My two cents on this subject...

I don't know a heck of a lot about Music Man's customer appreciation values, but I would guess they do care about their supporters. That's why I was, and am, so shocked to find out their new state-of-the-art bass didn't inclue a hardshell case, let alone a gig bag. Did that piss me off? Hell yeah, it did! But I have no beef with the company because they still supplied me with a quality product that no other company could deliver. If the Bongo continues to sell as well as I hear it does, they'll reconsider the whole case issue. I have a feeling they already have.
Click to expand...

I do believe that MM cares for their customers, but I don't think it's their responsibility to provide an HSC with every bass sold. I do believe that they should offer it as an add-on product though!
 
The Bongo 4 bangers will fit in a number of different cases, although not all, to be sure.

I have one right now in a Fender Jazz case, no probs.

It's the five string that will drive you up the wall!
 
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