bongo bass..help with knobs

[bassmonkey]

Um, no, I've never noticed that. All I notice is how much better tunes were from back then without all the crap they over-produce now with Pro-Tools. I guess I'm alone in thinking that Led Zeppelin 1...which was recorded AND mixed in under a week sounds much better than many things out there being done today. And, JPJ sounded fine to me...as did Entwistle and Geddy and James Jamerson and ....well, the list goes on and on and on.

But I see your point, I guess Geddy should dump that pawn-shop Jazz he has and get something that really can cut through the mix!

Do you live under a bridge and feast on Billy Goats-Gruff?

[strummer]

I get as close as I like to p tone by jut using the neck H, like on sam & dave stuff. It doesn't sound p, but the thing I get is that nice fat openness

[Goofball Jones]

Do you live under a bridge and feast on Billy Goats-Gruff?

You think that's a troll? If I was trolling, I suck at it.

I'm just saying....

[Goofball Jones]

I get as close as I like to p tone by jut using the neck H, like on sam & dave stuff. It doesn't sound p, but the thing I get is that nice fat openness

Thank you! All I was looking for! Wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition...

[bovinehost]

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

I'm not going to tell you I can get an exact P bass tone out of my HH Bongo. No one really expects it to model 50s technology, I think, but when I'm going for a bigger, thumpier, bluesier sorta P bassy-esque vibe, I roll my blend all the way to the neck pickup, adjust tone to taste and am pretty satisfied with what I get.

I might be going about this all wrong, but I go for approximate feel rather than exact duplication when reproducing a particular bass tone in a tune. (Certain exceptions might apply if I played certain tunes, which I don't.)

The Bongo EQ is versatile. It can get you into the basic area you're looking for, in my opinion, no matter what that area is. And then - on top of that - it still sounds and plays and looks like a Bongo.

Hooray for that, I say!

Jack

[Goofball Jones]

NO no, I want to dial in the EXACT TONE!

But seriously, I just kinda wanna get kinda sorta close to that warm, deep, thumpy groove that gets people up and dancing...

Now, if I can just find a place where I can get a Bongo without selling a kidney...for me at least.

[bovinehost]

I'm a half-ass hack of a bassist and I STILL get compliments on my tone - it's the Bongo, my man, it's the Bongo.

[midopa]

Most of the time my Bongo's EQ is set for at maybe 60-80% pan towards neck pickup, cut treble, flat high mids, and boosted low mids and bass. That gets me a really thick bassy and ballsy tone. The proverbial P-bass on steroids.

[strummer]

I'm a half-ass hack of a bassist and I STILL get compliments on my tone - it's the Bongo, my man, it's the Bongo.

I could have said that too

[Paul_C]

It's interesting, my 4HS is usually set with everything flat, tones, pickup balance etc. and the vol full on. This is because I like it to sound like a Bongo HS with everything set flat

Even the Bongo H and HH didn't sound like a Bongo HS set flat, which is why I sold them on, no point fighting with them to try and get them to sound like something they weren't.

I've got another bass with flats on that I use because it sounds NOTHING like the Bongo HS etc. etc. this is for when I want noises that sound different, though most of the time it's the Bongo (plus it's by far the most comfortable bass I have ever played) .

As mentioned elsewhere, even without touching the controls I can get a huge array of sounds just by playing in different positions (the ramp I fitted started out as a thumb rest to give more options)

Fortunately I play in two bands playing original material, so there's no demand for my sound to be anything other than what it is, MY SOUND

[Bill]

I often wonder how amazing all those old Led Zeppelin tunes would have sounded if JPJ had had access to a bass that *really* could cut through the mix instead of a Jazz.

I think there's a good way to find out: Led Zeppelin reunion!! Not just Page & Plant, but let JPJ be in on it, too (and give him an EBMM bass!). Recruit Jason Bonham to play drums.

[Big Poppa]

gosh I go away for a few hoursa and things get testy.

THere is no wrong choice and p basses have a huge place in yesterdays, todays and tommorows music Ditto Jazz.

I would love to have been a mediator live with goof and NY as you made great points and really confusing ones. I will say that buying a two pickup bass does not make it so you dont like your sr or sterling and doesnt mean that you secretly want a fender...it means that the bass and additonal tonal choices work for you. There is also nothing wrong with trying to find a eq/pu seclection that makes you feel like you are sounding like a passive bass.