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The Bongo’s looks

I have plenty of.....cosmetically.....noticeable basses I made happen, but none are Bongo basses, so I can't share here.
But again, I can see some festering sorts of ideas went into your fine fine work.
Lol.
As I've mentioned before, I only bought this bass because of how she plays. I've grown accustomed to the look, but the neck may be the greatest fretted neck I've ever owned.
I've been considering this crazy purple mother of toilet seat for a while...
 
Lol.
As I've mentioned before, I only bought this bass because of how she plays. I've grown accustomed to the look, but the neck may be the greatest fretted neck I've ever owned.
I've been considering this crazy purple mother of toilet seat for a while...
Right on, man!
As much smack I may profess about the Bongo, I have played them and they are killer instruments.
Just if you're in the middle of a set and holding it until the end of the gig to hit the bathroom, DO NOT look down prior.
I'm sure if someone stares at your bass long enough they'll fail every drug test after.
I just failed mine. It's your fault.
 
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I don’t live at home. He wouldn’t actually stop me from playing my bongo. But he is definitely opinionated. Other members of the group don’t always see eye to eye with him either.
I honestly can't tell if you're trolling or just really naive.

You've started multiple threads about your "guitar player" who causes you grief for one reason or another, which leads to a lot of heated discussions. However, you leave out critical details about this guitar player. If you added every detail, like "Hey guys, I'm in a church band with my dad who plays guitar and is the worship leader. He doesn't like my Stingray. I think he's wrong, but I also kind of value his opinion so what do I do?" you would get VERY different feedback than what you see in these threads. But you leave those details out. Purposely? I don't know. It definitely feels like you're trying hard to avoid mentioning that this person is your father. Just like people who live at home avoid that by saying their parents are their "roommates."
 
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I honestly can't tell if you're trolling or just really naive.

You've started multiple threads about your "guitar player" who causes you grief for one reason or another, which leads to a lot of heated discussions. However, you leave out critical details about this guitar player. If you added every detail, like "Hey guys, I'm in a church band with my dad who plays guitar and is the worship leader. He doesn't like my Stingray. I think he's wrong, but I also kind of value his opinion so what do I do?" you would get VERY different feedback than what you see in these threads. But you leave those details out. Purposely? I don't know. It definitely feels like you're trying hard to avoid mentioning that this person is your father. Just like people who live at home avoid that by saying their parents are their "roommates."
Maybe I’m just really naive. I’ve played with him since I was 14. I am 44 now. It wasn’t always church music. He taught me how to play the bass. I know I have complained a whole lot about the band situation. Ultimately I have to just deal with it because he is my dad and he won’t always be here for me to play with. He had tons of experience in bands in the 60’s and 70’s. I don’t have that experience because he is the only person I have played with. I’m not ashamed of that but a lot of you guys are pro’s and have played with bands your whole lives and I’m sure quite a few we’re even famous. So I apologize for making it look like I was trolling. I never really had a problem with him until my wife got the fender Adam Clayton bass amp for me last year for our anniversary. It is a 50 watt all tube amp. The bongo was the first bass I plugged into it and he constantly complained about how muddy the B string sounded and had harsh remarks about the bass and amp and I took it really personal because my wife purchased that amp for me. Well In actuality maybe a 50 watt amp can’t handle a 5 string bass. I ended up using a 4 string stingray and turned some knobs on it and my amp and he changed his opinion. I use my bigger amps with the bongo now.
 
I imagine car culture may have influenced it?

yes, the Firebird was actually designed by Ray Dietrich, a car designer.

few years before they went out with the Flying V and the Explorer, and other designs that weren't lucky, like the Moderne, it was 1958. the Firebird/Thunderbird in 1963.

we associate them with metal because in the 80's those guitars were used by heavy guitarists, and in particular many brands took those designs and exaggerated them with sharper angles, points ecc.

which in fact is what the 80's did to the Stratocaster, with the "superstrat" designs by Ibanez, Jackson ecc... they just took off the contouring, sharpened the angles and points, and wow, heavy metal :D

in the late 50's/early 60's they were "futuristic" design, as was the Stratocaster compared to what the market was in those days (single cut, simple and rounded shapes like and acoustic guitar).

think about the SG: it's a design that dates back to 1961, made to "lighten" the Les Paul, and the name stands for "Solid Guitar".
it was designed to have a small body, accessible neck up to the last fret, those little horns to make it double cut.

also, it was born to be a jazz guitar, and in the first place it was named after Les Paul, who disliked the design and asked to remove it :D

we associate it with rock and metal, in Italy we call it the "diavoletto" (little devil), because of the pointy horns, and it's the AC/DC guitar.

that's all a matter of perspective and periods.
 
Maybe I’m just really naive. I’ve played with him since I was 14. I am 44 now. It wasn’t always church music. He taught me how to play the bass. I know I have complained a whole lot about the band situation. Ultimately I have to just deal with it because he is my dad and he won’t always be here for me to play with. He had tons of experience in bands in the 60’s and 70’s. I don’t have that experience because he is the only person I have played with. I’m not ashamed of that but a lot of you guys are pro’s and have played with bands your whole lives and I’m sure quite a few we’re even famous. So I apologize for making it look like I was trolling. I never really had a problem with him until my wife got the fender Adam Clayton bass amp for me last year for our anniversary. It is a 50 watt all tube amp. The bongo was the first bass I plugged into it and he constantly complained about how muddy the B string sounded and had harsh remarks about the bass and amp and I took it really personal because my wife purchased that amp for me. Well In actuality maybe a 50 watt amp can’t handle a 5 string bass. I ended up using a 4 string stingray and turned some knobs on it and my amp and he changed his opinion. I use my bigger amps with the bongo now.
My Bongo has the biggest sounding B, E and A strings I've ever owned (with the high mids slightly boosted).
I'm a guy who mostly avoided onboard preamps for the past 40 years so consider that!
 
And there has been the talk about basswood. I have had my bongo for almost 3 years and no dents or chips yet. I think the fender aerodyne basses are made with basswood. I read somewhere once where there are different grades of basswood. You’ve also got to remember that a few of the BFR bongo’s were made from ash, and one was made with Honduran mahogany.
 
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I had s stealth bongo 5 the first year they were offered. Played it at church and all other venues. Had more dings, scratches, and chips than any of my other basses. Went to sell it and found out that people only like distressed fenders.
 
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So here is a good question. I’ve read that part of the bongo’s tone lies with the basswood. Does that mean that the BFR versions that used either ash or mahogany would have sounded considerably different than your standard Bongo would. Mine is the 2021 BFR that uses basswood but has the birdseye maple fretboard. And I know most standard Bongo’s had ebony fretboards.
 
So here is a good question. I’ve read that part of the bongo’s tone lies with the basswood. Does that mean that the BFR versions that used either ash or mahogany would have sounded considerably different than your standard Bongo would. Mine is the 2021 BFR that uses basswood but has the birdseye maple fretboard. And I know most standard Bongo’s had ebony fretboards.
If the Bongos became ash or mahogany in 4H I'd be very tempted !
 
So here is a good question. I’ve read that part of the bongo’s tone lies with the basswood. Does that mean that the BFR versions that used either ash or mahogany would have sounded considerably different than your standard Bongo would. Mine is the 2021 BFR that uses basswood but has the birdseye maple fretboard. And I know most standard Bongo’s had ebony fretboards.
I thought the ebony boards only became standard issue recently. I believe rosewood was standard and ebony and anything else was "special". Or not.
 
So here is a good question. I’ve read that part of the bongo’s tone lies with the basswood. Does that mean that the BFR versions that used either ash or mahogany would have sounded considerably different than your standard Bongo would. Mine is the 2021 BFR that uses basswood but has the birdseye maple fretboard. And I know most standard Bongo’s had ebony fretboards.

??? I own three standards (relatively early instruments), and they are all rosewood . . .
 

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