confirmed--color is 100% burnt apple....ive owned a sr5 in burnt apple before and its def the same....nice little sparkles......man, this bass sounds great.....had a 4 hour gig last night, and it just rocked....im def impressed and now gassing for more musicmans....hmm....what should be next.....i have a 2 band ray and the sterling.....any suggestions
Don't worry about the neck question. There is paint, of course, but just like nearly any other neck, the back is clear-coated. This is why it drives me nuts when people talk about the paint somehow feeling sticky...or feeling like anything at all, because clearly they are NOT feeling the paint.
How could you? It's under the clear coat.
Which pickup configuration is another question. I've solved the issue in the only way I know how.
What Jack said about the neck is true. Plus I have had "sticky" buildup on my basses with naked necks too. It is all a matter of how you care for your bass. I was a huge fan of nakedness (neck-wise) but the Bongo's tone convinced me to give the painted neck a try... and I have never looked back (currently owning 3 of them - as I am still aspiring to Jack's level of Bongo greatness!)