Refinishing an EBMM...

[Ray Salamon]

So, question for the EBMM types out there. I just (regrettably) sold my Sterling 5 HH in Orange Firemist. I *loved* this bass, but life has thrown a pretty significant curve ball at me. Regardless... eventually, I know I'll want either a Sterling or a Bongo in this same color and with hopefully the same pickguard. Since it is a discontinued color, and it seems not very many were made at all (and to my knowledge no Bongos were done in this color), I don't know that I'll have the luck of finding it again. So that leads me to the refinish option. Obviously I can send it to Mr. Bell to get the refin done, but what about the headstock logo? Would EBMM be so kind as to put another on if I shipped the bass to them after the refin? And how would I get the color match done... I know I could send pictures and probably be close, but I'd want it exact hah.
I'm a few years away most likely before this happens, but I'm in panic mode before I end up shipping it out.

 

[kamakazee]

If it helps, I've personally seen Bongos in Orange Firemist. That is what attracted me to the Bongo. Sometimes you'll find 5HH's in Firemist on craigslist and Ebay.

 

[Golem]

`


Oyez, hold out for a factory finish.

Refins on thick poly finishes are a humongous labor
on a typical bass ... on a Boingo it would be worser:
No flat surfaces on the top of it and a finished neck
and headstock. Be verrrrry afeared !


`

 

[bassmonkeee]

I had a Bongo refinished and there was no problem or upcharge related to humongous labor or lack of flat surfaces. It is a fairly standard job for anyone with any amount of skill in refinishing. Neither the shape of the bass nor the type of finish even came up in conversation.

If I were in your position, I'd take a black Bongo and have the body refinished in some manner of metallic orange and leave the neck black. There is no way that Musicman will reapply the silkscreen logo to the bass if you have it refinished, and there aren't any decals they can, or would, supply. The main reason I had my neck refinished was because I swapped the necks on my Bongos. I made my own headstock logos and sent them off with the bass.

I was so pleased with the job, I plan to send off my other Bongo neck to have it refinished, too.


Assuming you go to someone who knows what they are doing, a refinish is a fairly painless process and there is nothing to be afraid of, really.

 

[Ray Salamon]

I had a Bongo refinished and there was no problem or upcharge related to humongous labor or lack of flat surfaces. It is a fairly standard job for anyone with any amount of skill in refinishing. Neither the shape of the bass nor the type of finish even came up in conversation.

If I were in your position, I'd take a black Bongo and have the body refinished in some manner of metallic orange and leave the neck black. There is no way that Musicman will reapply the silkscreen logo to the bass if you have it refinished, and there aren't any decals they can, or would, supply. The main reason I had my neck refinished was because I swapped the necks on my Bongos. I made my own headstock logos and sent them off with the bass.

I was so pleased with the job, I plan to send off my other Bongo neck to have it refinished, too.


Assuming you go to someone who knows what they are doing, a refinish is a fairly painless process and there is nothing to be afraid of, really.

That's the kind of a reply I was looking for. Thank you for that . Hopefully I'll catch my own Sterling again if the guy buying it sells it down the line so I don't need to go through the trouble of it all.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Well, apart from the bass being away for about six weeks, the "trouble" consisted of sending off a bass that was one color, and receiving a package with a bass that was a different color.


At some point, I hope to catch a 4 or 6 string Bongo in black and have the body sent to Marty Bell for a ridiculous metalflake paintjob. But, it's not happening anytime soon...

 

[kamakazee]

So can this guy make the bass look as good as the factory? Do you think he could do necks as well?

 

[bassmonkeee]

Pat Wilkins does the OEM paintwork for quite a few of the better known "high end" lines of instruments. He did both my bass body and neck.

 

[fly]

wow........damn fine job

 

[theroan]

Ya man, very cool.

 

[MrMusashi]

a bfr bongo with the all rosewood neck would be a nice candidate for a refinish paint job. no need to refinish that neck

MrM