This seems very dodgy - ebay content

[Lonnystingray]

It even shows the Musicman brand name!

NEW 5 STRING ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR - UNUSED & UNUSUAL -LOVELY METALLIC RED FINISH | eBay

 

[epitaph04]

So that's what an inbred Bongo looks like...

 

[Jailbait]

Worth a punt if the price stays low.

 

[jlepre]

Wonderdog!

 

[tbonesullivan]

Yeah... that looks pretty counterfeit to me. Did they ever make a bongo like that? If not, this should be reported to the higher ups, and ebay.

 

[Lonnystingray]

That was my plan, but please show me the way to the higher ups I briefly talked to Big Poppa at the winter NAMM last year, but I don't get his card, nor his private phone number..

 

[uOpt]

Looks more stolen than counterfeit to me.

 

[tbonesullivan]

I believe the inlays are wrong, the bridge is too close to the end of the body, and doesn't have "Musicman" engraved into it. Also the control knobs are not recessed as they should be, and the body is missing the correct contours.

Also the G string tuning peg is way off from where it should be, there are too many screw holes in the pick guard.

COUNTERFEIT.

 

[jlepre]

IT's a complete mess.

 

[tbonesullivan]

IT's a complete mess.

whatever it is, it definitely wasn't made in SLO.

 

[Calaveras]

I flagged it as counterfeit

 

[Runnerman]

Wow the first fake Bongo I've seen. Makes me think maybe the Bongo is finally getting some respect out there.

 

[JonnyGeetar]

It is a fake.
Ernie Ball/Music Man in the US have been notified and the seller has been asked to properly list, or remove the bass.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Properly list it as what? A counterfeit bass?

 

[billy-whizz]

These are obviously not genuine Bongo's but they are pretty good value for money at the right price. They have a great sound and superior action to many budget basses. I have one of these and it is easily as good as a lower range Ibanez and much better than the mexican fenders for instance. So, if you want a budget five string this is a very good contender. Not anywhere near as good as my old Stingray though, I must add.

 

[mynan]

These are obviously not genuine Bongo's but they are pretty good value for money at the right price. They have a great sound and superior action to many budget basses. I have one of these and it is easily as good as a lower range Ibanez and much better than the mexican fenders for instance. So, if you want a budget five string this is a very good contender.

...if you don't mind the fact that it is an illegal copy or the fact that you are supporting a criminal who is profiting from stealing someone else's intellectual property.

 

[billy-whizz]

...if you don't mind the fact that it is an illegal copy or the fact that you are supporting a criminal who is profiting from someone else's intellectual property.

I never bought it as a bongo, just a nice cheap bass. Infact it is the only bass I have ever played with as bright a sound as my old Rickenbacker 4001 and it has an extra string. This is much nicer than the Warwick 5-string basses I considered buying beforehand. Only a dummy would ever consider this a bongo, espercially as the real thing is a couple of thousand pounds. I have an Epiphone les paul, but never considered it a Gibson rip off, just a similarly styled guitar. The world is full of stratocaster and precision bass copies which nobody complains about, but if you must have a real fender you buy a REAL fender.

For what this 5 string cost me it is a great bass, but it is never gonna be a Bongo and I don't kid myself on that.

AND WHAT IS A STINGRAY IF IT IS NOT A RIP-OFF OF A FENDER BASS????

 

[mynan]

It doesn't matter what you "bought it as". It's still an illegal copy and you are supporting a criminal by purchasing one. An Epiphone is not an illegal copy since Epiphone is owned by Gibson and licensed to manufacture Gibson designs. The world is full of Fender copies because Fender didn't protect their designs and go after manufacturers that made illegal copies of their instruments...you can bet they wish that they had. Not sure how a 'Ray is a copy of a Fender...designed by the same guy, but other than that?

 

[billy-whizz]

It doesn't matter what you "bought it as". It's still an illegal copy and you are supporting a criminal by purchasing one. An Epiphone is not an illegal copy since Epiphone is owned by Gibson and licensed to manufacture Gibson designs. The world is full of Fender copies because Fender didn't protect their designs and go after manufacturers that made illegal copies of their instruments...you can bet they wish that they had. Not sure how a 'Ray is a copy of a Fender...designed by the same guy, but other than that?

Nice blinkered view from Mr Denial there.

Epiphone had no licence whatsoever when they vstarted off copying Les Paul, even though they histiorically ended up being owned by Gibson.

So the guy who designs an instrument for fender - presumably under contract and for a fee - then wanders off and basically builds something pretty well identical under a different name without asking Fender was NOT ripping them off???

 

[Soulkeeper]

Today's laws for intellectual property do not do the intellect any good, IMO. The very idea that someone can own an idea almost as if it was a physical object ... well, let me put it this way: I'm sure that idea is getting patented one of these days.

I say let the lawyers do the indignance part: They're the ones who are getting paid for doing so. Well, at least half of them are, at any given time.

Me, I'm no lawyer, and so I'm content with occasionally ewwing over how ugly the copies are when compared to the real thing.