Question Bongo with new lightweight tuners?

[keko]

Hi there SLO folks,

I'm just curious when can we expect Bongos with new designed EBMM lightweight tuners?

I'm also interested in possible new color chart?
For the end I must ask is there any chance in the near future to order fretted models (non Stealth) with ebony fret board?

I'm really having a GAS for fancy colored Bongo 5 Hp with ebony fb and black, or black pearloid pg and new modern lightweight tuners already shown at this forum!

 

[Movielife]

Id love to know about the tuners! It may be my next bass.

 

[Ray Salamon]

Once the new tuners go into production (assuming they actually are), I'll be ordering my Bongo 6.

 

[keko]

Once the new tuners go into production (assuming they actually are), I'll be ordering my Bongo 6.

Yeah, ...just visited Thread from our forum friend Freddels and realized that Bongo 5 Hp in Tangerine pearl color with black PG and new LW tuners could be my next order?

Until than, ...check these:

 

[five7]

Light weight tuners on a bongo would sure help! The neck heaviness gets old.

 

[Ray Salamon]

Yeah, ...just visited Thread from our forum friend Freddels and realized that Bongo 5 Hp in Tangerine pearl color with black PG and new LW tuners could be my next order?

Until than, ...check these:

Music Man Bongo Overview & Demo - The Perfect Bass - YouTube

Hehe, I don't need a review, I have my own Bongo already . Just need a 6er now, and am waiting on the fence to see if these go into production (of course, while saving money for the order ).

 

[strummer]

Light weight tuners on a bongo would sure help! The neck heaviness gets old.

While I agree the new lightweight tuners will be great, i don't understand the comment on neck heaviness? Ok, so I've only had avbout 7 bongos in total, but not one of them were neck heavy

 

[five7]

While I agree the new lightweight tuners will be great, i don't understand the comment on neck heaviness? Ok, so I've only had avbout 7 bongos in total, but not one of them were neck heavy

I only have one and it is, you are lucky to have seven and none were that way. Only MM that I have owned that was neck heavy, out of 15.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Yeah, none of the Bongos I've owned (6) were the least bit neck heavy, either. And, none of the other 20-30 I've played were neck heavy, either. Hell, that's one of the selling points for the design for me.

I'm curious--how high do you wear your bass on a strap?

 

[Golem]

I only have one and it is [neck heavy], you are lucky to have
seven and none were that way. Only MM that I have owned
that was neck heavy, out of 15.

Similar story here. Both my 4's are/were OK, but the 5 had
a mild case of weighty neck, until I installed a strap button
on the face of the body, near the bridge [exactly symetrical
to the bass/treble stack knobs].

Realize that "defacing" my ax is not a drastic move to cure
a severe problem. I seldom hesitate to drill holes in a bass
[once I'm sure I'll be keeping it a while].

------------------------

I figger the "defacing" prolly knocks $100+ offa the resale
value. OTOH 5 new tuners would cost about the same and
I'd hafta instal them. For the same dollars, and less work,
the problem is solved, in the Sinatra manner [Myyyy way].

 

[five7]

Yeah, none of the Bongos I've owned (6) were the least bit neck heavy, either. And, none of the other 20-30 I've played were neck heavy, either. Hell, that's one of the selling points for the design for me.

I'm curious--how high do you wear your bass on a strap?

Another lucky bongo owner. I wear it down around my waist, can't stand a bass up high.

Golem, great idea but I couldn't drill any holes in my baby.

Bring on the lighter tuners!

 

[Ian Perge]

I've always thought that for the Bass that is certainly the most radical, futuristic design by a major manufacture the Bongo deserved "sleeker" tuners than the Cloverleaf design from the '50s it's sported since coming out (and have ever made some rough digital versions with Hipshot "Y"-keys replacing them.) Now that the Reflex is also a production model, I say pass them onto the Bongo as well and let it reach its full potential!

...and given that the parts are made for the "Stealth" models, a "Black Hardware" package would be an option that would push me over the edge into BongoLand... a 5HSp, to be exact! Make it an upcharge, I understand the extra time in deviating from "The Norm" in production time. But imagine a Sterling Silver, Candy Red or Tangerine Pearl Bongo with "Y"-type tuners shapes & Black Hardware... you'd get a fretted & fretless out of me then.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Another lucky bongo owner.

If anything, I'd say you're an unlucky Bongo owner. No neck dive is the norm, not the other way around.

 

[five7]

If anything, I'd say you're an unlucky Bongo owner. No neck dive is the norm, not the other way around.

I'm not unlucky, I own a bongo!
Back to the OP, when and where are the light weight tuners we heard about last year. Does anyone know of any aftermarket ones that will retrofit?

 

[Golem]

.........
Golem, great idea but I couldn't drill any holes in my baby.

Bring on the lighter tuners!

I realize that those who cannot "violate" their ax cannot
be convinced otherwise, so I'm not gonna try .... I'm just
gonna point out that when you alter the total mass of the
headstock, you're messing with the tonal juju of your ax.

If balance bugs you, and you can't/won't drill, baby, drill,
then there is another option that works for basses with
NSND [non-severe neck dive]. A 1/2" or 3/4" extension of
the top horn strap pin [a longer screw plus a spacer] will
alter NSND to ZTXM [zero to xtremely minor neck dive].

This requires minor ingenuity and no new holes. My used
Bongo4 1H came with such contrivance already in place,
altho the Bongo4 HH that I bought brand new needed no
such corrective measure. I left the previous owner's pin
extender on the 1H anywaze.

 

[five7]

Thanks golem, I will give that a try!
I tried but I would need a spacer 1 1/2" long to help and that sticks out too far.
Back to the idea of lighter tuners.

 

[Old_Guy]

Neck heavy? What where huh? No issues with the 5-er being neck heavy. Curious, but not in the slightest bit dissatisfied with the current tuners. Now if I could keep from dinging the pointy end of the headstock..

 

[kamakazee]

As soon as the new tuners roll out, I'll be getting a Bongo in Tangerine pearl with them!

 

[Golem]

Thanks golem, I will give that a try!
I tried but I would need a spacer 1 1/2"
long to help and that sticks out too far.
Back to the idea of lighter tuners.

An inch and a half ? I've never needed
such length of extension on any ax with
a top horn. Some "classic shape" bodies
with no top horn I have used just over
an inch ...

A really long extension interferes with
the zipper on a gig bag, and requires a
serious hack job in a hard shell case.

The thing is a 3/4" extension not only
"shortens the neck" by 3/4" but it also
moves the rear strap pin back by 3/4"
which is counterproductive to balance.
It gives a bit of leverage advantage to
the back end of your strap, in terms of
supporting weight ... IOW more "lift"
at the rear ... which is kinda like more
dive at the neck end of the lever ... if
you consider the top horn pin to be the
fulcrum of the lever. Thaz why I move
the rear pin away from the rear of the
body ... to avoid this leveraged "lift"
of the body.

Over time, I've managed to minimize
both the "shock and awe" effect on any
squeemish types who notice my mods,
which also helps maintain a closer to
normal resale value. My current mod
is to put symetrical dual strap buttons
on the butt of the ax. When the neck is
held at a typical slightly raised playing
angle, the lower rear button is actually
shifted forward, AWAY from the rear
of the bass. Thus the ENTIRE bass is
now shifted more to my right relative
to the pair of strap anchor points. The
hole that once held the central [OEM]
strap pin is fitted with a discrete little
rubber 'foot' or bumper, so I can rest
the butt end on floor when I clean the
strings or whatever. Anywho, the dual
rear pin "look" is not radical, as some
basses are built that way so it's really
not the "defacement" of my very early
"devil-may-care" approach.

On a bass that needs no improvement
to its balance, I'll still drill those same
two holes in the butt edge. I leave the
pin in its original central location, but I
mount larger rubber bumpers via that
pair of holes, so my ax will lean against
a wall, or an amp, without falling over.
Only if I'm parting with such a bass will
I remove the two bumpers and replace
them with dual pins ... cuz buyers will
not wince at dual pins the way they do
at dual rubber baby buggy bumpers.

 

[five7]

any pictures?