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adouglas

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Seeing all those factory tour photos has me itching to get my hands on my new bass.

Maybe, just maybe, mine (Bongo 5 HH/p, Desert Gold) is one of those in the photos.

There's a shot of a rack that has four Desert Gold Bongo bodies on it, at least one of which is routed for a piezo bridge...so that just might be it.

There's another shot of a shelf full of Bongo bodies, another of a lot of Bongo bodies stacked on a table, and finally one of a body about to get milled to shape.

Basscentral says to expect word on mine by the end of this week.

So...how long does it take to build a Bongo, anyway? Could my bass be one of these?
 

Steve Dude Barr

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3 months....but if pushed the fastest would be 1 week if there weren't 80 a day in presold orders ahead of you...
 

adouglas

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The latter is what I meant... I know how long it takes to get a bass once it's been ordered. What I was asking is how long it actually takes to build it once work starts.

So, a week...that means that there's a fair chance that one of the DG Bongos in this photo is mine. The second one from the front is routed for a piezo bridge, and it's the right color...can't tell the pup configuration.

Given the relative rarity of the piezo bridge, the color and the timing, I wouldn't be surprised.

Thanks....
 

oddjob

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adouglas said:
The latter is what I meant... I know how long it takes to get a bass once it's been ordered. What I was asking is how long it actually takes to build it once work starts.
Once the work starts they said it is roughly 3 weeks... depending on how the lines are moving. They can crank them through in a week... but those are special cases. It is getting the work started that is the rough part and that can be several months since they "don't make inventory" (Be impressed that I actually remembered a BP quote even with the hangover I had Sat morning).
 

AnthonyD

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I spied a Buttercream HSp Bongo body in the final assembly area...

Seeing as how I expect my bass to be on the way to my dealer in a week or so, I thought "Hmmmmmmm"... :)
 

adouglas

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oddjob said:
Once the work starts they said it is roughly 3 weeks... depending on how the lines are moving.

So I wonder how long from paint to shipping....

I saw a photo over on the pit that has those bodies from a different angle. The one that's routed for piezos is an HH...getting to be just too much of a coincidence.
 

oddjob

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adouglas said:
So I wonder how long from paint to shipping....

I saw a photo over on the pit that has those bodies from a different angle. The one that's routed for piezos is an HH...getting to be just too much of a coincidence.
From where those bodies were, they have to go into the heat box (didn't catch how long), they get buffed (15 min once the machine gets her hans on it) and then hand buffing. They then move to assembly, set up, and shipping. It was my understanding that once they were out of the heat box the process could move fairly quick, provided that the line in front of it is moving. Also, don't forget your neck, which should be somewhere close (but not necessarily/ probably not in the same stage). But we were also told that at any stage the bass could go back to square one for QA reasons. If it was indeed one of those it shouldn't be too long before UPS comes knocking.
 

SteveB

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the time frame for building Music Man instruments varies, but it is never quick. Sometimes the various wood pieces need to be kiln-dried at EBMM, which takes a few days (although they also purchase wood that is already dried).

Then, there are drying times for wood basecoat sealers, paints, etc. etc., which can add up to a few days. (The basecoat sealer dries in one day.)

Then, there's an awful lot of sanding at many stages of production, which is done by hand by real human beings, which yields Music Man quality.

Then, things like matching headstocks add a little more time to get them just right.
Guitars with binding require some extra cleanup after painting (scraping the binding), which takes time.

Then, electronics are installed and hand-wired, also by real humans. In fact, there are an awful lot of really dedicated people doing completing many steps in making these instruments.

It's a wonder they can make them as fast as they do and maintain such great quality.
 

adouglas

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Randracula said:
You could always try to find what you want at the local EBMM dealer. I did :D

I tried. I even emailed EBMM and was told that no dealer, anywhere on the planet, had the exact bass I wanted...the only option was to order one. I might have settled for a different color, but I went through the inventory lists for every dealer within 100+ miles of NYC and didn't find one with the right pickup config.

I lucked out when I contacted Basscentral; turns out they had one in the pipeline, so I was able to cut a couple of months out of the wait time.
 

Steve Dude Barr

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Then, there's an awful lot of sanding at many stages of production, which is done by hand by real human beings, which yields Music Man quality.

I for one was very impressed but the amount of handwork and artistry involved at all stages of production.

BP took me on a private tour of the pickup and preamp manufacturing section Saturday afternoon after lunch...highlight of the weekend for me...
 
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Steve Dude Barr

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I was "very impressed" by the whole experience from the second I landed in SLO until I left as a matter of fact...
 
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