I was expecting to see "Artist Series" but mine came with just "Bongo" on it. Hmm...
Anyway...here it is!
Can't say I like how the pickups look. I want exposed pole pieces. I was wondering if there had rail-type magnets inside. (Scroll down to see inside the pickup.)
The divided fretboard doesn't look bad, though I know that quite a lot of people dislike the it.
Only TWO control knobs. Volume and 5-way rotary switch.
Yes, it's 14mm. This is what made me buy this bass without hesitation. No, I don't slap at all, so this is just perfect for me.
As you know, the main idea of this bass is fitting 6 strings on a 5-string neck.
Love the signature etched on the neck plate!
The oil-finished neck feels very smooth. Thickness @ 1st fret = 20mm, @ 12th fret = 23mm.
"California Heritage Since 1974"
And I went a little further...
It's very simple. No EQ, just a switch. Position 1 & 5, which activates either the neck PU or the bridge PU alone, also switched the dual coils to parallel. The middle positions (2, 3 & 4) seem to have almost equal volume levels, unlike a common, linear blend pot which tends to have volume drop at the middle position. I didn't bother to disassemble everything and look at the circuit board for now, but maybe later I'll try.
This is the neck pickup. It has typical MM-type pole pieces with narrower spacings.
Side-by-side with my Bongo 5 HS. I have a bad feeling about this glossy black finish. There are dust and fingerprints all over it already. I'm so used to the cardinal red sparkle red which barely needs any care. This is going to be a whole new experience.
