Sterling with 2 pickups!!!

[bovinehost]

Doubtful on the trouble question. People have all kinds of ideas and concepts and views on how Ernie Ball should do business or what kinds of basses they should issue, but I've learned here that most of those ideas, concepts and views are just wrong.

Not that they aren't fabulous ideas from a personal standpoint, because I'm sure that the particular person is sincere and well-meaning in most cases, but those ideas have to hold water from a financial standpoint as well.

Sterling really makes sense when he tells you the why and why not of a particular concept. It isn't what he likes or what the engineers like or even what I personally would like...it's what will work in the market.

See any thread about the sparkle finishes to see what I mean.

 

[mike not fat]

I really dig that 2 PU Sterling ; great job. Note : I own a Bongo and I'm not offensed by your opinion about it. As many forummates stated, Bongo's are not for everyone. Some will like it, others not, for many different and good reasons (look, sound...). Conserning the sales, for everything new, you always have people to tell you that it will not sell as much as expected or that it's not gonna be successfull. Bongos are made since less than 2 years, and I dont think that in such a short time it's possible to make reliable expectations just based on what happens in a few shops. But I dont think I ever played anything that sounded better than a Bongo, and all the people that saw it were really astonished by it's quality. Will such a bass really fail ?

MNF

 

[AnthonyD]

This is a great thread... And a reminder that there are some "forces at work that we just don't understand"

In any line of business, there are pure market-driven, business decisions made re: a product line and expectation of return on investment. Certainly one can't expect to stay in business cranking out a product that no one is buying. I think it's a little early to begin predicting the "death" of the Bongo.

For the present time, "players" seem to love them. I got past the look and now find the Bongo pretty cool looking. I am personally tired of the traditional bass look that EVERYONE seems to crank out in one form or another. Kudos to EB for making some design changes in support of a superior playing instrument.

For example, folks have remarked at the Bongo's balance on the strap - this is a great point. I love my Tacoma CB10E ABG and nothing I've seen comes close in an unamplified setting. But it's got a mahogany neck that renders the strap buttons useless. "Neckheavy" would be an understatement.

For me personally, it's the Sterling. Bought 1st on the feel in MY hands, 2nd on the the tone and 3rd on it's look (and I do think mine is a beauty!). I prefer a slim neck and only play four string, but that's just me.

When considering depth in the product line, EB has a great breadth in their selection and that's key...

One final thought... All it takes (unfortunately) is for a Bongo or two to start showing up in the hands of some MTV band and EB won't be able to crank them out fast enough. I remember the late 80s & early 90s when you couldn't give a Les Paul away... Then came Slash...

 

[SteveB]

Amen to adelucia..

It's ridiculous to plan the Bongo's funeral. There has probably never been another bass guitar in history that involved so many minds in its creation.

When Big Poppa told us that we players are afraid of new things, I didn't want to believe it. But after reading a lot of posts here by folks who discount the Bongo on looks alone, I know he was right.

Personally, I like to see innovation in the area of guitar design. Often, new guitar body shapes are cheesy in an attempt to look like those old Harmony guitars etc. However, EBMM has created new designs which are original but not cheesy. The Albert Lee, the Axis, the Bongo.. these are great designs with no retro aspirations.

It's a shame that we players don't vote for innovation with our purchasing dollars (forumites excluded to varying degrees). If we did, EBMM would be the hardest line to keep in stock at a music store.

I guess it will take some pop icon (or several) of major fame wielding an EBMM guitar to get the rest of the world to take notice. But these days you don't see the players getting much attention anyway... just singers. Thank boy bands and American Idol for that...

 

[Mobay45]

Your axe is part of your look. When you jump on stage with something that is out of the ordinary, you feel that some people won't take you seriously as a musician because you look different. Unfortunately, we often worry about what others will think rather than go with our gut instinct. Once there are enough Bongos out there, the feeling of it being different will go away. Most people are not paying anywhere near as much attention to what we look like as we think they are anyway.

Go ahead, get a Bongo. Be a leader rather than an also ran. Play the bass of the future, it's here right now.

 

[SteveB]

Your axe is part of your look. When you jump on stage with something that is out of the ordinary, you feel that some people won't take you seriously as a musician because you look different. Unfortunately, we often worry about what others will think rather than go with our gut instinct. Once there are enough Bongos out there, the feeling of it being different will go away. Most people are not paying anywhere near as much attention to what we look like as we think they are anyway.

Go ahead, get a Bongo. Be a leader rather than an also ran. Play the bass of the future, it's here right now.

Mobay,

No offense, but I have to dismiss this whole idea about 'look'. Why? The Rolling Stones.

 

[Mobay45]

Mobay,

No offense, but I have to dismiss this whole idea about 'look'. Why? The Rolling Stones.

There's always an exception that proves every rule.

 

[AnthonyD]

Agreed... There are just so many influencing factors. Let's take me as an an example...

I learn to play bass at 13 thanks to a new-found love of KISS and Gene Simmons. What do I do? I run out and buy a Gibson Grabber and swear up & down that it's the greatest bass guitar in the whole world - not having every picked up another bass beside the $40 Royce SG I originally learned to play on.

Fast forward 25 years... I pick up EVERYTHING I can get my hands on that is of reasonable quality (and btw - the Grabber now feels like a 2x4!). I ultimately bought what made sense from a completely different perspective. I spent over a grand to make ME happy, not because my idol played a Sterling nor because I wanted to impress anyone other than myself.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I couldn't name a professional Sterling player - but it has no impact on my personal choice.

More to your point above, though, there's my 10 year-old who alternates between wanting a Flying-V and a Warlock guitar because "they look so cool".

We could argue about which are right reasons, which are wrong reasons, but bottom line - we all have our reasons and they need to be right for each unique individual. As far as I've seen in this forum, and IMHO, it's clear that EB bass players have chosen to be so because of the right reasons!

 

[MingusBASS]

Dave LaRue was using Sterlings and Ray 5s for quite some time but now he plays Bongos live. Sure he is endorsed by EBMM but he seems to love them for all the reasons we do! Maybe some time down the road EBMM will offer a sterlingesque neck as an option for the Bongo. Who knows...

Viva La Bongo!!!

Andrew

 

[Dargin]

I hope this doesn't come off as too harsh, but I wanted to clear a few things up.

Sterling has neither called nor spoken to Jazzitalian. I don't think he appreciates people putting words in his mouth.

Our engineers (who made the Bongo a workable instrument) would never tell a customer that we are "axeing" a product line.

There are absolutely NO plans to discontinue the Bongo or SUB models.

Scott

 

[AnthonyD]

Funny... Seems you can't always believe what you read on that there "internet"...

 

[bassmonkeee]

No offense intended, but is anyone really going to base their opinion on the viability of a product line from what is supposedly happening at a couple of stores in MN?

And, these same "engineers" who foresaw the re-introduction of the Sabre a couple of years ago--do you think maybe they were people who weren't in the loop, and simply heard about a new 2 pickup Musicman bass in the works (project Bongo, d'ya think?)?

The Stingray is outselling the Bongo? I would be surprised if it was any other way, to be honest. "Six months to be a blockbuster, or it's the curb" is how you treat boy bands, not instruments designed from the ground up to be different and unique.

Someone please get me my rubber wading boots...

 

[phatduckk]

crazy thread ....

as far as people planning the Bongo's funeral ... it think that there's a lot of people that flat out like to be nay-sayers purely for sport. the fact that the Bongo looks different can make it an easy target for such comments.

i dont own a Bongo, but have played a bunch and they're flat out awesome. i dont own one b/c of some combo of these 2 factors: i have as many basses as i can justify having (not planning on selling any) and the looks haven't "grown" on me yet.

maybe im stretching it but buying a guitar/bass is kinda like buying a car. people consider both the looks and performace ... depending on who you are one of the factors will outweigh the other.

to each their own; but planning a funeral is a bit crazy ...

 

[jongitarz]

No offense intended, but is anyone really going to base their opinion on the viability of a product line from what is supposedly happening at a couple of stores in MN?

And, these same "engineers" who foresaw the re-introduction of the Sabre a couple of years ago--do you think maybe they were people who weren't in the loop, and simply heard about a new 2 pickup Musicman bass in the works (project Bongo, d'ya think?)?


There are only 2 engineers here besides Dudley, and they all have a hand in the designing of our guitars. Bongo included. I assure you they were not out of the loop.

 

[bassmonkeee]

There are only 2 engineers here besides Dudley, and they all have a hand in the designing of our guitars. Bongo included. I assure you they were not out of the loop.

Thus my use of the "quotation marks."

 

[MingusBASS]

If the Parker Fly can last as long as it has, costing twice as much as your standard Bongo, then I'm not worried about the Bongo. Both are "unique" designs, and Bass players seem to be more willing to accept new things than guitarists.

Andrew

 

[NorM]

One thing I think I remember Big Poppa saying was to the effect that Bass players were willing to take more risks when it came to design changes (as compared to guitar players). This is a perfect case in point. On my quick read of this thread everyone who responded was positive about the idea. Someone put an axis guitar on ebay with another pickup added. The guitar forum people expressed less than positive remarks about what happened. I never really thought about BP’s comments before or after he made them. But after seeing this thread and the contrasting ones on the guitar side it makes me say HMMMMMMMMM. I have “modified a few of my guitars and I have to say I’m with you wild and crazy bass people.

<Keith sent the shirt without my knowledge>

 

[bovinehost]

Dang, Norm, I gotta go see what happens over in that guitar forum of yours.

 

[jazzyitalian]

Scott---

Let me clarify this one...The engineer I spoke to didn't tell me they were "axing" a product line.

The one I spoke to said that if there was a re-issed Sabre they couldn't see it as part of a permenant production. Possibly a limited edition at best. They also said that for the time being they were focused on the Bongo and the SUBS. I don't know how anyone can misinterprete what I have said. If I have set someone in the wrong direction on my earlier post , I'll apologize for that.

But Sterling DID call me.. That is very true. I sent him a picture of my 2 pickup sterling fretless when it was finished in 2003. If you ask him about the pic, I'm sure he may recall looking at it a couple of years ago and will tell you that he did call me.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Bongo. I just don't love it and I wish I did. I love everything EB has done. I even own one of their electrics. I am only repeating what a couple of sales guys told me, and I do hope the Bongo has a long ride. Allot of my MM brethren like them. For me it's just different strokes. But hey, EB did manage to get 4 guitars in my hands. So I'm not some Nay Sayer that's predicting a funeral...I'm just one their biggest fans that just happen to post a pic of a Sterling that I am very proud of, and apparantly made the mistake of wondering outloud whether the Bongo will last several years.

Peace out...Jazz

 

[MingusBASS]

Again I ask, What stores are you speaking of?

Andrew