The Dargie Secrets?

[projectapollo]

Well, now that I have jumped onto the Dargie bandwagon with the DD2 Bongo 4H, I was wondering if you experts could fill me in on the backstory, here? I know the limited editions are for Scott Ball, but thats it. Where does the name Dargie come from? Why green? Why martini glasses? Why these limited runs? Production number estimates? You know, all that stuff.

 

[Caca de Kick]

This is a story that would be very much worth reading the many threads it involved. I'm not trying to blow you off by saying "do a search". I really mean, it is alot of things that came to be with the initial 1st run. Just answering your questiones in a single post doesn't begin to scratch the surface, and you'll probably develop a deeper connection with your new found DD.

 

[projectapollo]

Perhaps a synopsis, then.

 

[midopa]

long long ago on a web host far far away*
the crew at ebmm liked to tease the pasty-faced-dweebs of this forum every now and then with unique one-offs. one of them was the original dargie delight finish. the pfds went crazy and that brought about the topic of the lack of green finishes in the market. bp tells us green simply doesn't sell well and he's tried in the past; the desires of us pfds didn't reflect those of the larger market. we beg and complain and plead and whine and so bp opens a 2 week ordering window to let us order. it was a really cool gesture by bp, great effort and work by the ebmm crew, and a really cool limited edition. it sold really well i think, for the limited time it was available.

not sure how the 2nd editions came about, though.

the originals had inlays shaped like olive martinis and had a logo on the back of the guitars.
pics:

*i probably got many details wrong

 

[midopa]

production numbers from this thread

EDIT! Here are the updated totals!!!

Thanks to everyone here at the factory for helping pump these models out and making them look cool. Thanks to BP for making it possible and all you knuckleheads for ordering!

Here is a breakdown of models and the amount ordered:

Stinrgay 4 H - 25
Stingray 4 HH - 21
Stingray 4 HS - 17
Stingray 4 2 band - 3
Bongo 4 H - 4
Bongo 4 HP - 1
Bongo 4 HH - 13
Bongo 4 HS - 5
Stingray 5 H - 15
Stingray 5 HH - 23
Stingray 5 HS - 15
Bongo 5 H - 2
Bongo 5 HH - 4
Bongo 5 HS - 3
Bongo 5 HSP - 3
Sterling H - 13
Sterling HP - 1
Sterling HH - 15
Sterling HS - 15
Sterling lefty (chuck ward) -1
Stingray Lefty H - 2
Bongo Lefty HH - 2
Silhouette HSH Standard - 1
Silhouette HSH Trem - 4
Silhouette Sp. HSS Standard - 1
Silhouette Sp. HSS Piezo Standard - 1
Silhouette Sp. HSS Trem - 3
Silhouette Sp. SSS Piezo Stabdard - 1
Silhouette Sp. SSS Trem - 1
Luke - 21
Luke Piezo - 5
Lefty Luke - 4
Lefty Luke Piezo - 1
Albert Lee SSS Standard - 3
Albert Lee SSS Trem - 2
Albert Lee MM90 Standard - 1
Albert Lee MM90 Piezo Standard - 1
Albert Lee MM90 Trem - 3
Petrucci - 8
Petrucci Piezo - 10
Petrucci 7 - 1
Petrucci 7 Piezo - 3

Grand total: 277

 

[midopa]

ebmm was really cool about giving us the insider scoop on the latest of the design and production of the original dds. here's one of the threads where they posted pics of the guitars in work:
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/21774-dargie-delight-update.html

We have now shipped about about 20+ Dargies. Perfect Bass, VBTC, and GC. As you can see below they are starting to pump through! I'll update this randomly with production shots.

 

[dje31]

If we just went ahead and told you, then it wouldn't really be a secret any more, then, would it?

Not that I have any more data than what others have already posted. But I do want a DDII4HH Bongo, though the prospect of DDIII w/new tuners also has my attention.

Back OT, the list that Dargin posted...is that DDI, DDII, or both?

 

[Caca de Kick]

Back OT, the list that Dargin posted...is that DDI, DDII, or both?

That list was only the original 1st series. the DDII's came along about two years after the first series.

Basically it was as Midopa says; BP said green basses don't sell. At that same time the forum folks were asking for a 'special' LE instrument. And Scott Ball (nicknamed "Dargin") was betting his dad that these green things would sell. Martini's I think were the drink of choice for him, and the color was called Martini Olive Green (aka Logan Green), along with other cool features chosen to make them further special besides just the color. But there is far more stories to them, you have to read it all for yourself.

 

[projectapollo]

Been reading threads for an hour or so. Thx for the links and help. Never did locate production numbers for the DD2. Anyone?

 

[midopa]

i dont recall them ever being published. ebmm was just being really cool and telling us the production totals. i dont think manufacturers usually do that.

 

[syciprider]

The color idea was taken from Jack's Flaming Biff Bongo. Back then I was hoping for something like British Racing Green but Martini Olive Green is sexy too hey!

 

[projectapollo]

So, where does the name Dargie come from?
(I've searched..... so don't flame me....)

 

[projectapollo]

This is a story that would be very much worth reading the many threads it involved. I'm not trying to blow you off by saying "do a search".

Thanks for the tip. I did do my searches, for a couple of hours, only to discover that there are no production numbers published for the DD2.

 

[bovinehost]

the crew at ebmm liked to tease the pasty-faced-dweebs of this forum every now and then with unique one-offs. one of them was the original dargie delight finish.

Not that there weren't some unique one-offs being made way back then, but there were either (a) fewer or (b) they weren't getting the publicity they do now. The Logan Green finish was applied to some (few) basses for Winter NAMM to see if anyone (dealers) would order them. This is when the term, "Green basses don't sell" became popular.

I've always held that green basses don't sell because big dealers won't order them but then I'm not what you'd call "market smart".

A friend of mine was at NAMM and took some photos and sent them to me and once I saw a green Bongo, I sort of lost my mind. After NAMM, I emailed Derek and begged him to charge me vast sums of money if he had to but I wanted one of the two green Bongos. It was not to be. One had gone to Jessie Bastos, who was an EBMM artist and played with Johnny A, and the other had gone home with "Dargin" himself, Scott Ball. Anyone who knows will tell you that once an instrument goes under Dargin's bed, it's never seen again.

There was some good-natured back and forth. Dargin would happily lord his green Bongo over me by posting photos; I would ask when he was going to be out of town so that I could fly in and rob him - and so on. The green Bongo rather quickly became a "forum legend". Or I thought it did, anyway. Hah.

This was all a very long time ago in internetz terms. So long ago, in fact, that BP was still known to have an occasional drink which often led to both of us on the phone late at night, trading laundry secrets and gossip about reality show stars and whatnot. Between comments regarding lawn care products, I would toss out "The Green Bass Question". See above quote about green basses not selling.

I think there had been some talk about a forum-only instrument. This sort of thing is cyclical. There wasn't much hope of agreement amongst the forumites on what that instrument would look like, to say the very least. One Friday or Saturday night on the phone, I was peppering Sterling with trivia questions about Mesopotamian diets and he said, "Let's do it. Let's do a green bass."

He conferenced Dargin, who was, as I recall, neither overly excited nor convinced. It was a weekend night and Dargin is known to have an actual life, so maybe he was also distracted. I vaguely recall him saying the cops were at the place next door, something was going on and was Sterling serious about green instruments?

He was.

"And we will call them Dargie Delights!" said Sterling. And Scott said, "I don't want my name on anything!"

Ask Scotty how well that worked out for him.

And, in the end, Scotty took the idea of "a green instrument" and made it into something even better with his work on the inlays and silk screening and all of that. Why martini glasses? Why "Dargie"?

We should ask the wise and powerful Dargin!

 

[syciprider]

Gotta love the good old days. I remember the anticipation for every year's Limited Edition colors (my faves were '05 and '07), the release of the multi pup SRs and Sterlings, the conception and birth of the Dargie Delight and the Indio and Bovine Birthday Bash open to all forumites who can attend.

 

[Big Poppa]

ahh the old days......

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I have a bass in candy apple green (I wasn't around for the Dargies) and I get the most comments on it; it stands out and people notice it, including non-musicians. While green might not sell well, it seems as if the bolder colours get more attention. But then again, I have black, sunburst and white basses too...

 

[JayDawg]

One day I would love to get a DDI Bongo but at the same time, I am stoked to have my DDII. Green basses may not sell but whenever I take mine anywhere, I get nothing but compliments, stares and random drool. About 6 months ago, I took the bass to my closest Guitar Center to try out some amps. Actually Markbass amps because of what I had heard from them on here. Within about 30 seconds of me opening my bass case, I had a crowd gathered around me watching me play and tons of questions being thrown at me about the bass. I'm glad BP and company made the decision to build them because I love mine and it will always be a keeper!

 

[iamcatwarrior]

I have a DDII Bongo as well. When I auditioned for my current band, I showed up with it and got a lot of interesting glances from my eventual bandmates.

Regarless of the sales numbers, it's still my favorite finish.