Red Tort or Abalone Pickguard for My Black Bongo?

[JessRobinson]

Hey Folks,

I brought home my first Bongo this weekend and I LOVE this bass already. The Bongo’s praises have already been detailed here on this forum, so no use singing to the choir. Let’s cut to the chase…

My Bongo has a black finish and plain black pickguard, which looks quite nice, but I want to dress it up a bit. I’m thinking of replacing it with either a tortoise shell or abalone p/g. Has anyone seen a black Bongo with either of these? Any pix?

Also would you recommend that I go directly to EBMM for a replacement or to a third-party dealer such as Pickguards.us? (I hope this is a legit question for this forum.)

Thanks for your opinions.

Jess

 

[Mobay45]

I had a black ray with an abalone guard and I really like that look but almost everything I have has a tort guard on it now. So I guess I'm trying to say that I like both of them.

 

[Freddy-G.]

The Bongo’s praises have already been detailed here on this forum, so no use singing to the choir.

Welcome to the choir, Jess.

If I had to choose - abalone.

 

[bovinehost]

That's sapphire black with tort on the left.

 

[Freddy-G.]

That's sapphire black with tort on the left.

OK. I have to ask. What is that thing on the right?

 

[bovinehost]

Um, a Silvertone from the sixties.

 

[Freddy-G.]

right

 

[JessRobinson]

"That's a sapphire black with tort on the left"

Much yummy goodness.

I can't find an image of an abalone p/g on the black finish anywhere - even the EBMM "Build an instrument" page refuses to show me an abalone p/g.

Is the standard procedure to go back through EBMM to order a stock p/g?

Jess

 

[Mobay45]

OK, here's one of the black 'Ray that I sold a few months ago.

How's that?

 

[JessRobinson]

Nicey nice! I think it brightens up the black finish a bit more than the tort, although I love the tort too. Decisions, decisions.

Thanks for your help, guys.

Jess

 

[AnthonyD]

Another vote for Abalone on black...

 

[Moondog]

. .

My fav bass

 

[TSanders]

I love black /tort, but Larrys black/abalone pic, swayed me to cast my vote for abalone.

 

[Aussie Mark]

My policy is "If in doubt, go tort"

PS. Apologies for the interloper