Sterling Bongo...worth the wait?

[Stub Mandrel]

If it's as easy to convert those pups to neodymium as to convert jazz pups... 

[Russ]

49 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

If it's as easy to convert those pups to neodymium as to convert jazz pups... 

Not sure I've come across any replacement MM pickups that use neodymium magnets - they're all ceramic or alnico, and hence don't nail the Bongo sound. If anyone knows better, please let me know - might sway my decision to get one. 

 

Noll do a 4-band EQ that Klaus can configure with the Bongo frequency centres (for reference, they're bass at 40Hz, low mids at 400Hz, high mids at 2.5KHz and treble at 6.3KHz, all at +-15dB). 

Edited yesterday at 17:24 by Russ

[itu]

4 hours ago, BassApprentice said:

It's almost impressive how much they can increase the prices between the US and other markets now.

 

48% difference in retail prices between the US and the UK. Right enough.

Aren't US prices VAT excluded? Local taxes + VAT = a lot more. 

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

Not sure I've come across any replacement MM pickups that use neodymium magnets - they're all ceramic or alnico, and hence don't nail the Bongo sound. If anyone knows better, please let me know - might sway my decision to get one. 

 

Noll do a 4-band EQ that Klaus can configure with the Bongo frequency centres (for reference, they're bass at 40Hz, low mids at 400Hz, high mids at 2.5KHz and treble at 6.3KHz, all at +-15dB). 

 

If it's possible to push the pole pieces down a few mm, you can sit neodymium button magnets on top.

 

It may sound dodgy but it works absurdly well. So well that putting a neodymium button on the bottom of each pole piece may sound better.

[LowB_FTW]

11 hours ago, HeadlessBassist said:

the "Access" Trim level Dacia Duster with the steelies and zero equipment

Hey, that's my car!

 

Mark

[neepheid]

3 hours ago, itu said:

Aren't US prices VAT excluded? Local taxes + VAT = a lot more. 

 

Sales tax varies by state, some states have none.  None of them are anywhere near our 20% VAT.  There is no US-wide sales tax.

 

"The five states with the highest average combined state and local sales tax rates are Louisiana (9.56 percent), Tennessee (9.55 percent), Arkansas (9.45 percent), Washington (9.38 percent), and Alabama (9.29 percent)." - from https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/2024-sales-taxes/

 

Edited 22 hours ago by neepheid
VAT rate corrected - brain in importing mode

[Misdee]

Take it from me, we have it easy in the U.K compared to the U.S.A ( for now, anyway...). Relative prices is a very complex equation, of which the exchange rate is only one factor.

 

Let me put it this way, if you are living in the U.K and  struggling to afford a bass, chances are if you had the equivalent life in America you would struggle even more. It's an unforgiving place with some very harsh realities when it comes to money, especially if you don't have much.

[Russ]

1 minute ago, Misdee said:

Take it from me, we have it easy in the U.K compared to the U.S.A ( for now, anyway...). Relative prices is a very complex equation, of which the exchange rate is only one factor.

 

Let me put it this way, if you are living in the U.K and  struggling to afford a bass, chances are if you had the equivalent life in America you would struggle even more. It's an unforgiving place with some very harsh realities when it comes to money, especially if you don't have much.

Given my situation (Brit living in the US... for now), the cost of living over here is astronomical. Almost everything is more expensive, with the exception of petrol and some consumer goods. And the consumer goods are getting more expensive because a certain Tango-tinted sociopath decided to add an import tax to everything not made in the States. 

 

I earn quite a lot more here than I ever earned in the UK, but have less disposable income. Groceries/shopping - anything from 50% to 100% more expensive, for sh*tter food. Medicine - don't go there. Bills - energy about the same, phone/TV/broadband much higher. Taxation - once you add up federal and state, not much different in my income bracket. Property taxes - dependent on location, but makes council tax look like a bargain in many places. Loads of "stealth" taxes too. And then, of course, you have health insurance and all its associated expenses, which is just plain usury. 

[Woodinblack]

50 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Sales tax varies by state, some states have none.  None of them are anywhere near our 25% VAT.  There is no US-wide sales tax.

 

Wow - your vat is high in scotland!

[neepheid]

7 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Wow - your vat is high in scotland!

 

Brain stuck in importing mode, had the "25%" rule of thumb in my head, whoops!

[Misdee]

2 hours ago, Russ said:

Given my situation (Brit living in the US... for now), the cost of living over here is astronomical. Almost everything is more expensive, with the exception of petrol and some consumer goods. And the consumer goods are getting more expensive because a certain Tango-tinted sociopath decided to add an import tax to everything not made in the States. 

 

I earn quite a lot more here than I ever earned in the UK, but have less disposable income. Groceries/shopping - anything from 50% to 100% more expensive, for sh*tter food. Medicine - don't go there. Bills - energy about the same, phone/TV/broadband much higher. Taxation - once you add up federal and state, not much different in my income bracket. Property taxes - dependent on location, but makes council tax look like a bargain in many places. Loads of "stealth" taxes too. And then, of course, you have health insurance and all its associated expenses, which is just plain usury. 

Medical costs in the USA  are the most frightening thing to me, and many/most Americans.. Unless you are properly rich, you can easily reach the limitations of even the most comprehensive medical insurance, as I'm sure you're well aware, Russ.  Brits have never heard the term "co-pay" when they go to the doctors, but every American has. That's all money that won't be available for buying basses ect. We've been spoiled in the U.K by the NHS and the welfare state ect and we take it all for granted. In America it's a much harsher reality for most people.

 

The high cost of living in the States nowadays is hard for me to get my head around, because in the 1980's when I first went it was shocking how much cheaper everyday items were. Groceries, eating out, CDs, clothes ect  were much less expensive than in Britain. It was El Dorado. Now they want to charge you just for entering the country and everyone is obsessed with the price of eggs. I remember when if you were British they wanted to give you stuff for free. Life in America seems to have got meaner, in every sense. 

 

 

Edited 19 hours ago by Misdee

[NancyJohnson]

8 hours ago, Misdee said:

Medical costs in the USA  are the most frightening thing to me, and many/most Americans.. Unless you are properly rich, you can easily reach the limitations of even the most comprehensive medical insurance, as I'm sure you're well aware, Russ.  Brits have never heard the term "co-pay" when they go to the doctors, but every American has. That's all money that won't be available for buying basses ect. We've been spoiled in the U.K by the NHS and the welfare state ect and we take it all for granted. In America it's a much harsher reality for most people.

 

The high cost of living in the States nowadays is hard for me to get my head around, because in the 1980's when I first went it was shocking how much cheaper everyday items were. Groceries, eating out, CDs, clothes ect  were much less expensive than in Britain. It was El Dorado. Now they want to charge you just for entering the country and everyone is obsessed with the price of eggs. I remember when if you were British they wanted to give you stuff for free. Life in America seems to have got meaner, in every sense. 

 

 

 

I've been to the US quite a few times; the first occasion, mid-80s, honeymoon, it was honestly like travelling into the future.

 

Several times we toyed with moving there and I've oft quoted the Blade Runner line pertaining to the off-world colonies and the opportunity to 'begin again in a land of opportunity and adventure,' in support of this.

 

If I was 20 now, I'd be more interested in living in Italy.  I wish I'd just realised that 40 years ago.

[crazycloud]

I'd move back to Texas in a heartbeat if I could.

[Russ]

12 hours ago, Misdee said:

Medical costs in the USA  are the most frightening thing to me, and many/most Americans.. Unless you are properly rich, you can easily reach the limitations of even the most comprehensive medical insurance, as I'm sure you're well aware, Russ.  Brits have never heard the term "co-pay" when they go to the doctors, but every American has. That's all money that won't be available for buying basses ect. We've been spoiled in the U.K by the NHS and the welfare state ect and we take it all for granted. In America it's a much harsher reality for most people.

 

The high cost of living in the States nowadays is hard for me to get my head around, because in the 1980's when I first went it was shocking how much cheaper everyday items were. Groceries, eating out, CDs, clothes ect  were much less expensive than in Britain. It was El Dorado. Now they want to charge you just for entering the country and everyone is obsessed with the price of eggs. I remember when if you were British they wanted to give you stuff for free. Life in America seems to have got meaner, in every sense. 

Back then the exchange rate was in the UK's favour - it was nearly $2 to £1, so it seemed very cheap. The weekend flight to New York to buy cheap stuff was a thing, where you'd save more than the cost of the plane ticket, but that's most definitely no longer the case. 

 

People in the UK don't believe me when I tell them about the US medical system - even with insurance, you have an excess ("deductible") you have to meet before they pay anything. After that, you're still having to pay co-pays - in our case, it's $40 for a GP visit, $75 for a specialist, and anything the doctor prescribes is subject to the insurance company approving it (there's a lot of "computer says no" going on). And there's 26m uninsured Americans, with a large number of the rest being under-insured. The stress of dealing with the medical "system" over here just makes sick people sicker. Yes, the NHS has its issues, but you'll never be panicking about paying bills or worrying about an insurance company's algorithm deciding you can't have a particular procedure or medication. 

 

2 hours ago, crazycloud said:

I'd move back to Texas in a heartbeat if I could.

Went to Austin a few years ago. Cool city, lots of music, good food, very geek-friendly, quite student-y. But you don't have to go far to be reminded that you're in Texas - all the shops with "no weapons allowed" signs, gigantic megachurches, insane weather (including hailstones the size of cricket balls), the unbelievable heat, and so on. Nice enough place to visit, but I certainly wouldn't ever want to live there. Especially with kids. 

 

Anyway, oh yeah, Bongos... 

Edited 7 hours ago by Russ

[Musicman20]

I'd be intrigued to know the average salary deductions from say 50k in England (and it's equivalent) in USA.

 

When I say deductions I mean the mandatory deductions only....and then a comparison to USA deductions for med insurance vs the tax/NI element here for healthcare.

 

I imagine the USA still works out ludicrously expensive.

 

I have noticed how insanely priced some 'USA' products are in the UK...(are Sterling instrument checked in a USA facility?)

[Russ]

11 minutes ago, Musicman20 said:

I'd be intrigued to know the average salary deductions from say 50k in England (and it's equivalent) in USA.

 

When I say deductions I mean the mandatory deductions only....and then a comparison to USA deductions for med insurance vs the tax/NI element here for healthcare.

 

I imagine the USA still works out ludicrously expensive.

 

I have noticed how insanely priced some 'USA' products are in the UK...(are Sterling instrument checked in a USA facility?)

NI pays for the state pension and various benefits, not the NHS, so that's not a good comparison. The NHS is funded from general taxation. 

 

OK, using current figures, a salary of £50,000 brings in £3,293 a month, or £39,521 a year after tax and NI. That's an effective tax rate of 20.95%. 

Using today's exchange rate, the equivalent US salary is about $67,800. So let's pick a state - let's say Virginia, that's a middle-of-the-road state in terms of state income tax. Adding up federal, state and FICA (basically NI) taxes, you end up with $52,728, an effective tax rate of 22.23%. In some states, it'll be a bit higher, in some a bit lower. 

 

So. not a great start for the US. That amount of tax only covers healthcare if you're a military veteran (the VA), so poor as to be indigent (Medicaid), or pension-age (Medicare - which has a whole different bunch of requirements). 

 

The way it generally works, assuming your employer provides health insurance, is your employer will pay a percentage of the total premium - typically 50%, leaving you on the hook for the other 50% which comes straight out of your pay cheque. Some employers pay more than that, but 50% is pretty standard. That number is subject to how many people the insurance is covering - might only be a couple of hundred if it's just you, up to well over $1k for a family, and, like I said above, the insurance premium is only one payment out of many that you have to make. There's also various levels of insurance, the availability of health savings accounts, and all sorts of other nonsense. The whole thing is a colossal cluster-fornication. 

 

And add in that the cost of living is probably about 50% higher than the UK... yeah. You see where I'm going with this. 

[Misdee]

This all relates to buying bass equipment, because in America the sticker price may be less on some gear, but you have to factor in the wider lifestyle you would be living in a completely different society. Would you be reckless enough to spend a substantial portion of your savings on bass-related purchases if you and your family didn't have the kind of safety net we enjoy in the U.K? Would you be able to enjoy what you bought? 

 

When I first moved to the States and got my own place to live I was having the time of my life. The only problem was I kept getting charged for everything by everybody at every opportunity. Phone company, utilities, building maintenance, college tuition, medical, dental ect.  And if you don't pay them they don't deal with excuses, they just cut you off and /or sue you for payment. America hadn't got the memo that I was only there to enjoy myself. They treated me like a regular person, not the carefree celebrity I really was . It  was one of the most salutary lessons of my adult life. I still find it hard to forgive them. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Misdee

[Misdee]

3 hours ago, Russ said:

NI pays for the state pension and various benefits, not the NHS, so that's not a good comparison. The NHS is funded from general taxation. 

 

OK, using current figures, a salary of £50,000 brings in £3,293 a month, or £39,521 a year after tax and NI. That's an effective tax rate of 20.95%. 

Using today's exchange rate, the equivalent US salary is about $67,800. So let's pick a state - let's say Virginia, that's a middle-of-the-road state in terms of state income tax. Adding up federal, state and FICA (basically NI) taxes, you end up with $52,728, an effective tax rate of 22.23%. In some states, it'll be a bit higher, in some a bit lower. 

 

So. not a great start for the US. That amount of tax only covers healthcare if you're a military veteran (the VA), so poor as to be indigent (Medicaid), or pension-age (Medicare - which has a whole different bunch of requirements). 

 

The way it generally works, assuming your employer provides health insurance, is your employer will pay a percentage of the total premium - typically 50%, leaving you on the hook for the other 50% which comes straight out of your pay cheque. Some employers pay more than that, but 50% is pretty standard. That number is subject to how many people the insurance is covering - might only be a couple of hundred if it's just you, up to well over $1k for a family, and, like I said above, the insurance premium is only one payment out of many that you have to make. There's also various levels of insurance, the availability of health savings accounts, and all sorts of other nonsense. The whole thing is a colossal cluster-fornication. 

 

And add in that the cost of living is probably about 50% higher than the UK... yeah. You see where I'm going with this. 

Most British people don't realise things like that if you call an ambulance in the USA, it can cost thousands of dollars. Most Americans wouldn't call an ambulance unless  someone was literally dying in front of them, no exaggeration. Plenty of people die for exactly that reason. 

 

And as for prescribed drugs, describe to the average American the system we have here with NHS prescription charges and exemptions ect and they literally won't believe you. For lots of my friends over there who are about the same age as me, helping their elderly parents pay for medicines is an ongoing expense and major worry.

 

By way of contrast,here in the UK the NHS will send an ambulance with  a lovely helpful crew to pick up your elderly and frail parent and take them to a hospital appointment if necessary. That's unthinkable in America unless you're rich. In the U.K doctors will prescribe whatever is appropriate and even have it delivered to the elderly patients home free of charge. In America pensioners go on bus trips to Canada and Mexico to buy cheaper drugs and bring them back across the border because of the inflated prices of most medications in the USA. 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Misdee

[Misdee]

So if you're British, buy yourself a proper USA-made Bongo and cheer up, things could be worse!🙂

[Russ]

Back on topic, here's three of mine - I don't have the black 6-string or the purple fretless any more, but I do still have the CAR one:

[Stub Mandrel]

Don't forget American headline prices don’t include state purchase tax.