I think a lot of peeps just can't go past the "toilette-seat" design though and it really contains the potential buyers.

As far as I concerned I realized I would sometimes not get a gig simply because of how I dressed or the type of bass I was using. It is crazy stupid and shallow, yet being more mindful of that, lead me to getting more gigs.
I.e If I audition for a blues band I make sure I did not show up dressed like a surfer and use my Yamaha TRB1005, I show up with jeans, cowboy-ish shirt and my vintage looking PBass. Kinda cliche but It unfortunately makes a difference at the end regardless of your playing and sound.
All this to say, there are quite a few gigs where I wouldn't want to show up with a Bongo.

It's not shallow! Not even close. It's entertainment, image absolutely matters.

When I got the gig 5 years ago for the Buddy Holly/ Roy Orbison Tribute I currently play with the ad I answered read " if your bass has more than 4 strings and looks like a coffee table please don't respond". Since I play mostly P basses I figured I had a shot. On the other hand I played blues for 30 years prior and used my Steinberger XL almost exclusively. Got a lot of curious looks and comments from the "purists" but most of them shut up when they heard how great it sounded. You never can tell. There's always a fine line between having the "look" and sounding good. When I saw Willie Dixon back in the early eighties his nephew was playing a Rickenbacker!! ( Willie played upright for the second set. )Also got to hang with Mr. Dixon between sets at the legendary Stanhope House here in NJ, but that's a whole 'nother story.

"100% agree. If you're pursuing a serious music career, you need to think about this stuff. If you're just jamming with your buddies then it absolutely doesn't matter. I know - because I was told after the fact - that I got the gig in my current main band - heavy, progressive, southern rock - because of a whole package. There was at least one other guy who was a technically better bass player than me, but he showed up in shorts, sandals, a Hawaiian shirt and a $5000+ Lakland 5-string with a fancy top. I showed up with in jeans and a Crown Electric Co. mechanic shirt I got from the Graceland gift shop and my beat to crap Thunderbird. I was certainly good enough to play the music - although not as trained as the other guy - but I basically got the gig because I "got the whole picture". So... I guess what I'm saying is, while I love EB basses and I'm sure this Bongo plays great, I wouldn't show up to an audition with it unless I knew they were going for a John Myung vibe.......... wait a minute....... I don't think I'd bother showing up for that audition..... "

That's a great story, and I'm sure you're right, but I am also sure you are a real good player There was a thread on TB about wearing shorts at a gig, and the consensus was it's a no no, so someone posted a vid of Pantera playing in Moscow in the summer wearing shorts (I think those guys wore shorts a lot even in videos). Well if your big like they were you can do that, but most of us aren't so you gotta follow the unwritten rules - life can be like that.

The looks weren't the reason I never got one; I simply didn't like way Bongos sounded compared to my old Ray and Sabre.