• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan
StingRay 2026 Collection

Dream Bongo, just for fun

Just a curious question, is the bongo bodyshape patented or registered as a trademark? I've been thinking about just building a new Body for my Bongo and at least try the 3Bucker + Singlecoil. But i obviously don't wanna start to mill large Pickup cavities into my orignal Bongo.
Would be a cool Project if you could get a cheap used Bongo, but even new ones are fairly rare in europe...
 
Just for testing and, my favorite phrase, just for fun I don’t think it matters. As long as you don’t try to sell it that way...but even then it’s not new. I should have been a lawyer. Hahaha
 
i won't ever sell my bongo. i just wanna make a prototype and find out how it sounds
 
Do it! All of us would love to see/hear it. What would you use as your "triblebucker"?
 
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Samoht said:
Do it! All of us would love to see/hear it. What would you use as your "triblebucker"?
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that's what i've been thinking about the whole day :D i don't know.
Bongo Pickups aren't available to just buy, like any other pickup. guess i'll still have to get a used bongo 5hh and mod it
 
Have you ever made any instruments before? Or bodies? I wanted to build a SR5 body to replace my heavy stock body, but it sounds so good now I gave up on that venture. I would think that producing a Bongo body would be very difficult.

The pickup venture seems even harder...even with unlimited funds. Maybe I’m over complicating. I’m pulling for you though, Dave.
 
Samoht said:
Have you ever made any instruments before? Or bodies? I wanted to build a SR5 body to replace my heavy stock body, but it sounds so good now I gave up on that venture. I would think that producing a Bongo body would be very difficult.

The pickup venture seems even harder...even with unlimited funds. Maybe I’m over complicating. I’m pulling for you though, Dave.
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I've built 7 Guitars and 2 Basses so far. Two of the Guitars were even Neck Thru's. So i got all the Tools and stuff i need for that. The only way i see for the electronics is to either get a used bongo (preferably one with an unfinished neck) and mod it with a new body, or try to get custom wound pickups, which might get quite expensive aswell, especially getting them to the right specs :D
 
I have a giu who custom builds basses and guitars Area 51 guitars. Worked for Peavy for 10 yrs helped design the EVH Wolfgang guitar. Worked on zack wild axe. Many others legit does in kentucky! He can put all them.bells and whistles on for you
 
6 string on 5 string neck like John Myung’s custom basses; Arctic Dream finish; stealth hardware; single H configuration with 4-band EQ and push-push volume knob to switch series/parallel.
 
dave1812 said:
I've built 7 Guitars and 2 Basses so far. Two of the Guitars were even Neck Thru's. So i got all the Tools and stuff i need for that. The only way i see for the electronics is to either get a used bongo (preferably one with an unfinished neck) and mod it with a new body, or try to get custom wound pickups, which might get quite expensive aswell, especially getting them to the right specs :D
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If you are handy enough to build a through neck (no easy task) build one from scratch. Unless you’re lucky enough to come across random original parts for sale used consider after market?
 
i had to sell my beloved tangerine bongo 4HH to get it, but it's my dream bongo. hell, it's my dream bass :)

bongo.jpg
 
My dream bongo will be very simple, I will really like the blue bongo 4HH that Dave Larue have to be available...love that color. That, and/or a black one matching headstock with roasted maple neck and fingerboard (chrome hardware) some thing similar to the Myung bass...in looks
 
Since we're talking dream Bongos...

That two-tone fingerboard on the John Myung model looks pretty wild. So, an unlined fretless version of that, please! And in either Starry Night or Dargie Delight II.

(Though i'm curious about the proportions of woods there -- it's not quite half-and-half. It's like rosewood under the first 4 strings and maple under the last 2. Maybe because that looks approximately equal when you're looking down on it from playing position?)
 
Lots of interesting ideas so far... I think I would just like to see a Bongo with a figured maple top. Maybe in that cherry burst the JP’s came in with the black pinstripe line between the top and the body. Let’s say a 5HH just because that is probably the most popular. JOSH..
 
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