Buttercream Bongos - Don't fret! Let me help!

[AnthonyD]

Okay Guys ('n Gals) - thought I'd give this a shot...

"Hi, my name is Anthony and I can't really play fretless!"

There - I feel better now...

It's definitely been fun to noodle with and maybe I'll have more time to spend developing my fretless technique in the future, but for now I just do not see my Bongo getting much "live" time. A few recordings of last year's performances cured me of any ideas I previously had re: my fretless abilities.

Here's the rub - I LOVE the tone of this bass - the HSp is killer. And the Band - and my wife - love everything about THIS bass. I have considered selling it but it was "kind of" a 40th B-Day gift that my wife would prefer I keep.

Hey, it could be worse - I could be stuck with a F@nder re-issue!

The way I see it, I have a few options...

Option 1 - Neck swap - Long-shot, to be sure, but there are enough Buttercream Bongos out there to make it worth an ask. Anyone interested, please let me know. The side dots really do help (just not helping me!).

Option 2 - Purchase additional Buttercream Bongo, regardless of pup-config and interchange necks. Newly aquired Bongo "parts" go under my bed for a rainy day...

Option 3 - Trade or sell to buy replacement Bongo HSp. This option may not really be an option for me...

For now I am focused on option 1... Any takers?

 

[tiffles]

option 2.

 

[mbgreene]

Anthony,

I may be speaking a bit out of ignorance, but can a fretless neck be re-fit with frets?

If there are no logistical issues, it would be cheaper than options 2 and you would still have 100% your bass tone, sentimental value and all.

 

[AnthonyD]

Yep - option 2 looms large... Would be a total score, though, if I could find someone lloking for a trade and create a "win-win"...

I could go for a fret job, but the side markers would be in the wrong place - would likely need a bit of work I suspect the $$$ would push me toward option 2...

 

[adouglas]

Option 3.

It's your bass and all, do what you want...

But if it were me I'd NOT disassemble it. It screws up the provenance for one thing (you never know, someday that might prove important).

I'd get over the absolute need for buttercream and find yourself a nice used HSp. If you can't get rid of your fretless for sentimental reasons, keep it and stick with your pursuit of fretless skill. It can only make you a better musician.

PS: Good luck finding a nice used HSp. Piezos are rare.

You could always order one new.

Look, you're going to get, what, like $1100 for that bass, right? It can't take THAT long to save up that much.

Here's a good way to raise money like that: Tell your entire family and all of your friends that all you want for the next x number of birthdays, anniversaries and Christmases is contributions to your Bongo fund. Any amount welcome. Lets them off the hook trying to figure out what to buy for you and it gets you your new bass a lot faster.

 

[Caca de Kick]

Seems kinda pointless to part out another perfectly good bass to make this one playable for the moment. I would just keep working on the fretless technique, it would help you more to be an overall better player.

But if toothless is simply too difficult, I'd have it fretted, it really doesn't cost that much. Does the fretboard have lines? Maybe at the very least you can have fretline inlays put on the board to make playing easier.