• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan

Jeremy Sherman

New member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
1
Location
Berkeley, California, United States
I'd welcome a definitive answer from EB on this one:

Everywhere I've read, it seems there's no touch up paint available from my sapphire black Bongo 4. I even bought some sapphire black BMW paint thinking that it might work. Nope.

So is it really true that while we can put a man on the moon, there is no way to get a Bongo bass fixed? If there is a way, let me know please. If there isn't, please put me out let me know and might I add "sheesh, that's ridiculous."

Best,

Jeremy
 

HeavyDuty

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2004
Messages
307
Location
Suburban Chicago, IL
Try your local body shop - many can make very small quantities of paint from scanning your original. While-you-wait dent removal places do it around here.
 

Soulkeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
216
Location
Bergen, Norway
My car came with a small bottle of touch-up paint. It would be nice if basses came with the same, but I've never seen that.
 

pete bass

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2012
Messages
138
Location
La Vinuela, Malaga, Spain
The paint process that most manufacturers use consist of mainly water based paints that are cured by a process not available in touch up pots and probably would not be an accurate colour match anyway! Buying used instruments that are "Road Worn" is a chance you take, A new bass Stingray, Bongo etc is something you really need to take care of, "HeavyDuties" answer is a good solution....;) Peter.. ex Paint and colour technician
 
Last edited:

uOpt

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
377
Location
Boston, MA, USA
Can you be more specific about what doesn't work with the paint you bought?

I suspect the problem might be that the looks of the original paint depend to a large part on clear boats over the color base. If so then even if you used the original color base you still wouldn't match the instrument until you apply base and clear coats in the original layering.
 

Oldtoe

Intestinal Poltergeist
Joined
Sep 10, 2004
Messages
3,215
Location
Paris, TX
Basses get dings and scratches. It a fact of life if you're going to play them. If it's killing you, practice with a combination of colored and metallic Sharpies on a piece of wood until you get a shade that will at least de-emphasize the offending ding.
 

Mabongohogany

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
407
Location
Vegas, Baby.
I think-
If you attempt a touch-up, even with factory paint it will never match exactly- fading,etc.
Either do a complete refinish or get used to it. The first or only blemish is the worst; I feel your pain!
 

Big Poppa

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2005
Messages
18,598
Location
Coachella & SLO, California
TNT was that a jab?

There are 22 to 27 coats of finish on the bass....and it is a polyester. If we sold you something it would be no better than a sharpie fix or nail polish and would not hold up

questions posed like this one wont get a speedy answer....
 

drTStingray

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 25, 2007
Messages
1,833
Location
Kent, United Kingdom
Good advice from BP IMO.

Best bet - don't dent or ding the headstock on your Bongo! Mine is perfecto (and I'm ultra careful with it - drummer and cymbal bag = move aside quick!!!) - I've seen one which was badly dinged on the headstock - and the neck/headstock colour is slightly different from the body in any case (at least mine is - it's lava pearl).

People pay good money to have their 'other name of bass manufacturer' basses bashed up before they buy them, so I'll just put it down to experience if it happens.

Touring musicians don't seem to bother so much about this sort of thing - the band I play in supported a band on Friday whose bass player had one of the first Mike Lull P basses - quite seriously dinged and dented!!

If you do, nail polish seems the best bet (not sure about lava pearl though!!)
 
Last edited:

Golem

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Messages
2,273
Location
My Place
....... practice with a combination of colored and metallic
Sharpies on a piece of wood until you get a shade that will
at least de-emphasize the offending ding.

Eggzackterly. I don't get all anal about exact match. I use
nail polish, from the Musicians' Supply and Gift Emporium
[aka The Dollar Store] to apply an approximate color that
gets rid of any all-too-obvious wounds. Occasionally you
actually get an exact match, like with plain glossy black :)
There's also a silver sparkle I found thaz pretty good for
my silver sparkle ax, altho the flakes are bit smaller. Also,
clear gloss is a pretty reliable match ...
 
Last edited:

bovinehost

Administrator
Joined
Jan 16, 2003
Messages
18,190
Location
Dall-Ass, TX
I have been at this for - well, a long time, let's just leave it at that, and have never heard of an instrument manufacturer selling "touch-up" paint. And BP's answer is exactly why no one does it. "Hey, this isn't an EXACT MATCH" and further whining ensues.

I am, however, a big fan of using a Sharpie in a near-enough-color. Well, not really a "big fan" as I've only really done it on black basses. The rest of 'em, I just let it ride. It's a ding, no one is going to prison over it.
 

OldManMusic

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Messages
726
Location
Centennial, CO
Add more dings - call it mojo
SR5-1-1.jpg
 
Top Bottom