I Think I Want A New Bass

[mtrejo]

Here endeth the story. Or not "endeth" but at least I've come clean.

Jackie

Not so fast Mister. I'm glad you finally came clean Mr Jack. This is a very serious matter in which myself and my department (my two dogs) are looking into. I'm going to ask that you send this Bass in question to my personal residence for myself and my team to analyze.

That finish is even crazier than I imagined. Scottie is the man. On the guitar side, I've had a similar situation with Brian. How is it possible that Scottie, Brian and BP are all the Man!

 

[MadMatt]

Jack, you will Love it! I can't speak for any one else but I think you deserve a little Randy Jackson treatment! I can't wait for pictures!

 

[MattOfSweden]

Yay!!

 

[keko]

Here is the deal.



So that's the deal. Lamborghini Orange "Burst" HSS Reflex fiver.

This is going to ROCK. More than a robot programmed to rock. And one would have to assume a robot programmed to rock would rock pretty hard.


Jackie

Congrats Man!

I was pretty close, but this Lambo Orange Burst is something that no one could expect!

Can't wait to see the pictures!

And, ...yes, ...This is going to ROCK!!!

 

[Oldtoe]

I think I had forgotten what it was.

 

[jlepre]

So is the Lambo Orange a new color for the Reflex line?

 

[bovinehost]

So is the Lambo Orange a new color for the Reflex line?

I wouldn't say that, no.

 

[adouglas]

I'm shocked... shocked, I tell you... to find that my guess was so close.

Another one-off. Wow.

 

[JayDawg]

Here is the deal.

In all the years that I have been a moderator here and buddies with Sterling and the Ball family and the various peeps at the company, I have been very careful about asking for anything special. Which is not to say I've never been treated special - I have been. Way beyond what I deserved, to be sure, but it is not in me to ask for things. I'm sure you guys know what I mean.

So let's get beyond that because it makes me uncomfortable. Sterling and his family are friends of mine and you don't trade on that, you know? You just don't.

I have been thinking about a Reflex for a long time but was not in a position to swing one. When I ended up with the 25th HH fiver through trades and whatnot, the bug really bit me hard. Plus Keko's bass was just so damned SEXY. I've been thinking about a white HSS fiver with rosewood board for a long time now.

A few things happened and I ended up with some extra bass money, which is stuff I keep separate from regular household money. So I had an email exchange with the wise and powerful Dargin, who is a bassist's best friend whether or not you realize it.

There were some funny moments, like when we finally got down to details and he said, "What pickguard do you want?" I stared at that email a long time, thinking I may have missed something important along the way. Pickguard? I actually went to the official Reflex page to make sure I wasn't smoking the funny stuff. Pickguard? There were no pickguards on Reflexes, were there? I said, "Scotty, a pickguard on a Reflex?" He got back to me immediately and advised me that he was out of his mind and that I should delete the email ASAP. I said, "No way, man, this was EPIC." To his credit, my next email said this: "Hahahahaha."

Anyway, my "final details" email said, "White, HSS, rosewood, fiver." At the very end, I said, "But orange would be okay, too." I was just fooling around. And he said, "If you want orange, we'll do that for you."

Real casual, wasn't it? But I have to tell you, I was completely at a loss for words and had some difficulty breathing and had to pull my wallet out and check my ID and so on. After punching myself in the head a couple of times, I allowed that I would really like that a lot. Really? Yes, really.

And then a very special top secret dude named Tomas asked me if I'd like to add a little darker paint around the edges, sort of a Lamborghini Orange Burst arrangement, because, he said, "Then you'll really have your own one-off." If you were me, what would you say? You'd say, "I trust you."

I can't really picture this finish, but you guys have seen the finishes on these basses? Sure. So again, if you were me, wouldn't you say, "Okay, I think you know more than I do about how this will work"?

So that's the deal. Lamborghini Orange "Burst" HSS Reflex fiver. I am seriously excited about this bass in a way that I have not been for a long, long time. I was going to keep it a (relative) secret until I got it, which should be late January, but I also kind of think that you guys will be excited, too.

This is going to ROCK. More than a robot programmed to rock. And one would have to assume a robot programmed to rock would rock pretty hard.

Never fear! I will remain Lord Bongo, even though I took my Big Al 5H out to play tonight and it was pretty seriously bad-ass even though it's only got one pickup and so is obviously (according to internet truth) a one-trick pony. Hah.

Here endeth the story. Or not "endeth" but at least I've come clean.

Jackie

Very nice Jack. I'm happy for you! I can't wait to see the pictures of the bass when you do finally get it.

 

[jlepre]

I wonder how much I can get one for?

 

[midopa]

daaaaaaaang
cool 'grats

 

[strummer]

Bah, wait a year or two and I'll buy it off Jack, dontchaknowit...

 

[KevinM]

That sounds like a pretty good set-up, Jack.

Leave it to EBMM to take care of their friends.

Here is the deal.
If you were me, what would you say? You'd say, "I trust you."
So again, if you were me, wouldn't you say, "Okay, I think you know more than I do about how this will work"?
Jackie

Yes, I would. These guys know what they’re doing and do great work.

I have nothing but love and respect for them and their work.

Here endeth the story. Or not "endeth" but at least I've come clean.
Jackie

Or maybe just beginning.

 

[nurnay]

The Reflex look still hasn't grown on me, but that sounds pretty awesome. Can't wait to see pics.

 

[adouglas]

Bah, wait a year or two and I'll buy it off Jack, dontchaknowit...

Doubtful. This is one of THOSE basses that aren't going a-n-y-w-h-e-r-e.

Of course we could all get together and storm his place, but I don't think any of us would survive. Jack probably knows some scary people, given his mysterious and still-classified past.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Doubtful. This is one of THOSE basses that aren't going a-n-y-w-h-e-r-e.

Of course we could all get together and storm his place, but I don't think any of us would survive. Jack probably knows some scary people, given his mysterious and still-classified past.

Yeah, but strummer is a Swede named Magnus. So, there is that...

 

[Big Poppa]

Jackie we are happy to do this for you>!

 

[bovinehost]

Jackie we are happy to do this for you!

I'm serious when I said that when Dargin said, "Yeah, orange? We'll do that for you" - I sat and stared for a long time, breathing shallowly and then pinching myself hard, three or four times. This is really too cool of you guys and let me address the question of who will eventually buy it/trade for it:

"Nobody."

I have just a few basses that have never been and will never be negotiable.

1. The Flaming Biff Bongo. Come to my house and you can play it. But don't look at it for too long, that makes me uncomfortable. (BP came by my house one day, played it for a few minutes and said, "You know, this is really a pretty good bass." Master of the understatment? Oh yes.)

2. The Big Poppa 4H Bongo. The bass that almost all of us played at the SLO Open House, it was BP's go-to bass for a long time there and I even put Slinkys back on it because it seemed like the right thing to do. Ask anyone who played it at the Open House - it's GOOD. Would BP make it his gigging bass if it weren't? I ask you.

3. The Candy Red Bongo 5H. I think of this one as "The Bass Dargin Built" even though I'm pretty sure he wasn't on the shop floor with chisels - but he suggested the color and the pickguard and it is THE BONGO amongst some damned good Bongos. When I need a bass to take out and play, this is the one I look for.

4. 20th Anniversary Stingray 5H. I've never seen one that wasn't pretty, but mine - I think extra care was taken with the selection of mine. This bass is why I can live without Heinz. I've been lucky enough to have some good SR5s and Heinz is, never doubt it, right up there, but this baby delivers.

And this one will be number five. Have I mentioned how excited I really am?

Two thoughts occur to me:

1. I'm not Randy Jackson. (We have shared hairstyles, however.) I most likely will not be playing with Mary J Blige on TV anytime soon. I'm not worthy! But....

2. I'm smart enough to shut up and say, "Yes, thank you very much, YES."

So thanks again, Sterling and Scotty. I will surely be flogging this one all over the internetz!

Jackie

 

[drTStingray]

I will surely be flogging this one all over the internetz!

In this country, this translates as 'I'll be selling this one all over the internet'

Let's hope not! Anyway I can't wait to see the pics - orangeburst sounds very cool indeed - I also can't wait to hear how you get on with 3 pick ups - I had thought one pu was the holy grail but this will surely be a very spicy bass concoction.

I even changed my Bongo's pg to abalone in honour of your candy red 5 er which sure looks good - I could never understand why it didn't quite look as good - colour aside - it has 1 too many pick ups of course - not enough abalone showing.

 

[keko]

So thanks again, Sterling and Scotty. I will surely be flogging this one all over the internetz!Jackie

Oh yeah!

Don't forget to show off her at the TB reflex & 25th Club, ...agent #005!