headstock protection ideas

[nicolasd]

ok. other than suggesting to me to "not be a clumsy oaf," does anyone have any ideas as to how to protect the headstock of a bongo?

i'm more of a function-over-form kind of guy. i'd put some sort of cap or covering on it to protect it from dings and chips.

sacrilege you say? yeah perhaps in the looks department but all in the name of preserving the instrument.

-n.

 

[BOOST]

perhaps a puppet sock?

 

[Fuzzy Dustmite]

a roll of toilet paper??

 

[bovinehost]

 

[BOOST]

an extra large condom?

perhaps lubricated for those extra tight....cases?

 

[todd4ta]

FLOAM

 

[shamus63]

ok. other than suggesting to me to "not be a clumsy oaf," does anyone have any ideas as to how to protect the headstock of a bongo?

i'm more of a function-over-form kind of guy. i'd put some sort of cap or covering on it to protect it from dings and chips.

sacrilege you say? yeah perhaps in the looks department but all in the name of preserving the instrument.

-n.

Am I the only one reading irony into this?

 

[nicolasd]

i understand the irony. i guess i'm thinking of preserving the possible resale value.

i know it's unconventional. but ipods are award-winningly designed and there's a booming business in cases for them.

 

[Figjam]

Hah yea. Honestly id rather have a ding on my bass than floam.


Solution, dont sell your bass!

 

[4metta]

FLOAM!!! lol


The only way of not getting dings on the headstock is not playing the bass and that's not an option to me.


I should mention that basswood is definitely more prone to dings than harder woods. I have an old basswood electric guitar and it looks like hell but I don't care. You will notice more dings. I doubt the neck is basswood so it's more an observation of the body material. But the luxury of having a lighter instrument is worth it. The first ding is really the only one that hurts. The rest add character. I wish Sterlings came in basswood. Probably not enough mass to them to have good resonance in basswood.

 

[tiffles]

i understand the irony. i guess i'm thinking of preserving the possible resale value.

i know it's unconventional. but ipods are award-winningly designed and there's a booming business in cases for them.

true true. and they make them chunkier. i see people on the train with nanos that look like minis cause of the leather case. i need a silocone one for my video.

i know this is phenomonally pathetic but when i first got my bongo i thought about putting bubble wrap on the headstock just for kicks...oh and all the awful stories id heard.

for my own pride i didnt and i got a ding from the singer waving his mic around. but its my first and only ding/scratch and its the size of a pin head so im still breathing.

 

[Colin]

I'm not going to Floam my headstock, but I may Floam something else and surprise the wife....

 

[bovinehost]

I haven't noticed the Bongo bodies being any more prone to dents and dings than anything else I own. In fact, I've banged 'em pretty good on occasion and no harm, no foul.

That finish is very durable.

Remember that the headstocks/necks are not basswood. What makes the headstock dangerous is that out-beyond-the-edge-of-the-universe point on the end. Whatever is in range, I'll strike it with that headstock.

They're very LONG basses.

 

[nicolasd]

true true. and they make them chunkier. i see people on the train with nanos that look like minis cause of the leather case. i need a silocone one for my video.

i know this is phenomonally pathetic but when i first got my bongo i thought about putting bubble wrap on the headstock just for kicks...oh and all the awful stories id heard.

for my own pride i didnt and i got a ding from the singer waving his mic around. but its my first and only ding/scratch and its the size of a pin head so im still breathing.

ah see. you understand.

effing singers!


but seriously, i know that eventually EVERY bass that gets used will get dings. mine certainly do. and by the way, i think it's kind of a failure of imagination to think that a solution would necessarily be ugly. it's that inspired kind of form PLUS function thinking that birthed the bongo in the first place. cars have protective, replaceable panels... the ipod... there's lots of precedent.

i would love a nicely fitting silicone cap for a bass' headstock. not covering the whole thing, just a bit.

and i don't plan on selling a MM when i get one... but who says i'll be alive when it sells in 2040?

 

[4metta]

I haven't noticed the Bongo bodies being any more prone to dents and dings than anything else I own. In fact, I've banged 'em pretty good on occasion and no harm, no foul.

That finish is very durable...

That's a credit to the quality of finish Musicman offers, but rest assured the wood itself is very soft compared to something like ash. But I have to agree that Bongos are a splendid work of craftsmanship. The finish is extraordinary on them.

 

[MingusBASS]

They used basswood because it sounded the best with the Bongo electronics and also because it was lighter. If Bongos had a problem with the finish on the body because of basswood I might actually give a crap how soft it is under the finish. I've learned to not care about the headstock getting dinged.

 

[ExLurker]

I cut a slot in a squash ball and then put that on the tip of my headstock.

Yes, really

 

[midopa]

Do whatever, man. ExLurker's idea is not so bad, really. There are quite a few dings on the headstock of my Bongo. I really don't mind, though. Perhaps a long sock or two or something? It'd make tuning awkward tho.

 

[RitchieDarling]

HEY! My old band was called "Sock Monkey".

Ritchie

 

[tkarter]

Anyone know what I can put on my Porsche to protect the fenders from running into Chevy Trucks?



tk