I recently acquired a 2005 Blue 4 string HH Bongo, from a local TB member. I am the third TB member to own this bass in less than 6 months.
When I was demoing this bass at the sellers house, I suspected there might be some fret issues. The action was pretty high, and there was some buzzing here and there. The neck looked great though, no twists or weirdness. I wanted an HH Bongo, the color was cool, and the price was right, as well as conveniently local, so I took it home. My first set up confirmed that the frets were in dire need of some leveling. I set up my own basses, but I still rely on a pro for fret/nut work. I got the bass back from my luthier a few days ago, and the difference is as I expected. Remarkable.
I wonder if the two previous owners had received it in it's current condition, if they might not have passed it on. I don't think either of them was being shady or dishonest. I'm guessing that the bass just didn't "speak to them". It didn't feel quite like a keeper.
So while I'm sure this is obvious to some on this forum, I share this little story to remind us that sometimes the smallest little thing can make a huge difference in playability. Before you give up on a bass, remember that strings, truss rod adjustments, bridge adjustments, A PROPERLY CUT NUT, AND NICELY FINISHED FRETS, can make the difference between "meh" and "OMG". My new Bongo, used to sound great and look great, but now it feels great too, it's an inspiration to play.
JBY
When I was demoing this bass at the sellers house, I suspected there might be some fret issues. The action was pretty high, and there was some buzzing here and there. The neck looked great though, no twists or weirdness. I wanted an HH Bongo, the color was cool, and the price was right, as well as conveniently local, so I took it home. My first set up confirmed that the frets were in dire need of some leveling. I set up my own basses, but I still rely on a pro for fret/nut work. I got the bass back from my luthier a few days ago, and the difference is as I expected. Remarkable.
I wonder if the two previous owners had received it in it's current condition, if they might not have passed it on. I don't think either of them was being shady or dishonest. I'm guessing that the bass just didn't "speak to them". It didn't feel quite like a keeper.
So while I'm sure this is obvious to some on this forum, I share this little story to remind us that sometimes the smallest little thing can make a huge difference in playability. Before you give up on a bass, remember that strings, truss rod adjustments, bridge adjustments, A PROPERLY CUT NUT, AND NICELY FINISHED FRETS, can make the difference between "meh" and "OMG". My new Bongo, used to sound great and look great, but now it feels great too, it's an inspiration to play.
JBY
