Sterling with 2 pickups!!!

[Franky]

The bongo will stand the test of time, it prolly wont ever become as popular as the stingray, mainly because rays have become a staple sound of almost every professional bass player.

the looks are different, but then again, ive seen people playing basses without bodys, heads or tuning pegs... go figure

 

[midopa]

Franky, you make a good point. Compared to a lot of the boutique, coffee-table basses out there, the Bongo looks dang near normal!

 

[jazzyitalian]

Again I ask, What stores are you speaking of?

Andrew

Sorry-

It was a guitar center in Roseville I visited twice in late 03/early04 and then Murphy's in Irving, TX last year this coming May. I don't think there are many MM dealers in MN, besides Willie and the Centers. Jazz...

Oh yeah...I put up a poll on the Pit..."What's your favorite MM bass?" You should vote!

 

[MingusBASS]

Oh, Guitar Center, the Walmart of guitar stores. I wouldn't take anything you heard from a rep in guitar center seriously. For one thing, the Bongos first started shipping in late '03 if I recall correctly. So that would be no time to talk about weither a guitar is doing good or not. I for one would only buy a bass from GC if by last resort and I could get it no other place. I know that some are better then others but most of their guitars could use a set up.

Andrew

 

[clanner]

hmmm. I hope the bongo stays around atleast long enough for me to get one. [edit] and for me to convince a friend of mine that the bongo is an amazing bass and does not look like a piece os ****e covered in paint [/edit]

has anyone thought of adding another pickup to an HH bongo? just wondering, if I can get cash, I'll do it. but seeing as I'm a monir, not likely

 

[jongitarz]

hmmm. I hope the bongo stays around atleast long enough for me to get one.



Don't worry... The Bongo will be around for a LONG time. I work at EB/MM and I see how many Bongos, Sr's, Sterlings, etc go out the door. The Bongo is here to stay regardless of what some people would like you to believe.

 

[midopa]

Clanner, you're a sick freak. A Bongo in and of itself is a war machine. Adding an extra pickup would make it a WMD! Anyway, there's not much room left on a HH Bongo, but you could probably slap a single coil in there... Freak.

 

[jongitarz]

That would be a bit of overkill wouldn't it?

 

[clanner]

i'll try it if I can get the money for it, need to do some math and take a look at the wiring/schematics on one, does anyone have pics of the wiring for either the SH,HH,OR H Bongo's?


and I know I'm a freak, theres a reason I've been going into the nearest music man dealer I could find almost 3 time a week and playing a bongo.

could someone tell me how much space is in between the P-Ups on the HH bongo and the average witdht of booth the single coil and humbucking pickups?

 

[Big Poppa]

Hey Kids...Fiesty but respectful. I love it. I also love the fact that some of the stuff I have tried to explain is sinking in.

Reagarding the phone call to jazzyitalian...I did not call you. Im sure that someone called you but it wasn't me. As we have shown on the forum the only other consideration for the Sterling was the "strat bass" that we showed last month. I am not doubting you or questioning your integrity but I must let you know that it wasn't BP.

Why would we discontinue the Bongo? The design is paid for, the tooling is paid for, and it is growing. When we discontinued the Sabre it was because we could only make about 10-12 instruments per day and we needed to be able to sell what we could make. Whenwe took on the EVH we were only making 14 per day. We now have the production and the factory that enables us to make what is ordered. Example most factories in the past were set up to do runs of a cedrtain model like 50 black sting rays then 75 sunburt then100 gold axis. We worked very very hard to designn a factory that on a regular basis make everything. It is fun to see the buffing cell and the setup dept and all of the varios models and colors.

Regarding other pickup configurations on pre existing models...heres a news flash....
we will in time offer all that you can dream of. Because we haven't yet doesn't prohibit us in the future. I chose to do something different with the Bongo rather than the very obvious 2h Stingray and Sterling's,or hs Stingray and Sterlings.....oh dont forget the five string.

Jazzy the engineer that told you that we were knee deep in the Bongo and sub5 was on crack. Follow the time line... the Bongo was signed sealed and delivered for over a year before the Sub 5. The sub 5 took very little engineering as it was a cosmetic repackaging.

We are currently designing some wacky stuff for Indy Namm and nexts years Anaheim show. In the biz scheme of things engineers are generally working on things at least a year ahead of what your guys are seeing in real time
. When you guys get excited about something new it is old hat to them because they are in the future somewhere. That is really a rewarding part of being a intregal part of the design and evolution of our product line.
Big Poppa

thanks for the shirt...,do you really think that a guy that calls himself big poppa wears a large.......

 

[dlloyd]

Regarding other pickup configurations on pre existing models...heres a news flash....
we will in time offer all that you can dream of.

I have some pretty weird dreams...

 

[Mobay45]

Sorry-

It was a guitar center in Roseville I visited twice in late 03/early04 and then Murphy's in Irving, TX last year this coming May. I don't think there are many MM dealers in MN, besides Willie and the Centers. Jazz...

Oh yeah...I put up a poll on the Pit..."What's your favorite MM bass?" You should vote!

I think that it's real interesting that a store that's never had a Bongo in stock (that I'm aware of) and has trouble selling an SR5 (Black/RW w/MHS and Abalone P/G) would comment on the popularity of a Bongo. I probably stop into Murphy's in Irving at least twice a month to pick things up and I've never even seen a Bongo there. They do have an SR5 that's been there way over a year though.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I heard from a reliable source that they're now designing the "Bingo" bass, which is basically a Stingray with 2 Humbuckers, Bongo electronics, and different Bingo cards inlayed on the finish of each body. Every year at NAMM they're going to drop some bingo balls and the bass that has the winning cards on it are going to win their MM bass of choice... which will of course be a Bongo.


I love the 2 pu Sterling. I want to put a P pickup in mine but haven't found anyone to do it yet. Plus I've been too busy spending my money on Bongos.

 

[jack_]

hmmm, Bongo's seem to be really taking off over there, why do people chose them? Could anyone give me a few reasons/tech specs why?

 

[midopa]

... It is fun to see the buffing cell and the setup dept and all of the varios models and colors. ...

Oh man, I bet the experience of watching all that in the making is like a kid in a Krispy Kreme store.

 

[SteveB]

Big Poppa,

I was wondering how long you would keep us in suspense before chiming in on this thread. Hey, if you ever decide to make a habit of calling your customers just to touch base, keep me in mind! But tell those engineers that I'm busy.

"Yesterday I couldn't even spell en-gin-eer, and today I are one!"

 

[bovinehost]

Regarding other pickup configurations on pre existing models...heres a news flash....we will in time offer all that you can dream of. Because we haven't yet doesn't prohibit us in the future.

I predict bedlam amongst the unwashed forum masses! I also predict that if any of this happens while I'm still alive, I'll be selling the children to medical facilities and taking out a 2nd mortgage on the house.

Or I'll have to get a job, maybe. I have to decide which would suck more.

I chose to do something different with the Bongo rather than the very obvious 2h Stingray and Sterling's,or hs Stingray and Sterlings.

And in spite of the naysayers and the people who - at least initially - thought it was just too weird looking, we have a winner! From what I've seen around ye olde internette, many of the detractors have come around - and how not? The Bongo works, and thank God we're not like those guitar players, always hoping that everything really turns out to be a Tele or a Strat.

Heh heh, just kidding, Jon. (Kind of.)

I've come to enjoy instruments that make people do a double take. I think this started with Heinz the Wonder Bass. Hardly anyone had seen a bass that color, and Heinz (a Stingray 5 in trans green for the uninitiated) was too good to not play in public. A certain other forum which shall go unnamed herewith, except to say that it is called the Dudepit, heh heh, went a little insane over Heinz. They called him ugly and unattractive and used all manner of insulting adjectives.

Meanwhile, Heinz and I had become a team and he remains, even after a short vacation around the USA and some neck-related adventures, the best Stingray 5 I've ever played. So I came to enjoy being identified with Heinz, and when I meet the occasional Dudepit Brother, guess which bass they simply MUST play?

The Bongo and I were perhaps a natural fit, then. Even I thought that it was a different looking bass, but you know what? One of the English guys on the forum - who was it? - published a very nice photo of a Stingray, a Bongo and a Stingray 5 out on his lawn, and it was only when I saw that photo that I realized...the Bongo really DOES look like a EBMM bass. It fits right in. It was only our initial shock that caused us to overlook that.

Anyway, I realized that 'something different' had just happened when I saw those NAMM photos of the first Bongos. And I'm still so happy that I could just dance.

....oh dont forget the five string.

Not I, sir. I never forget Heinz!

Jack

 

[Moondog]

I have some pretty weird dreams...

Now you'll probably have one of Big Poppa in a tight, belly shirt
eating Krispy Kremes

Thanks for the clarification BP!

 

[AnthonyD]

Candle in the window still burning...

 

[Aragorn35016]

I found out today that the only MM dealer near me is no longer an MM dealer and they have no bongo's. Im dying to try/hear one in person.