Bongoloid thread - You like your Bongo because...?

[Bongodude]

I mean, just look at her..

[Black Lake]

The most comfortable neck and body ever made, and that huge sound that just fits what ever you play. I have gig'd my Bongos with classic rock, blues, country (old school and new), and my current steady gig is jazz standards. Anything I have asked that bass to do, it has done without complaint. It does attract attention: the guys tell me they think it looks funny, the gals tell me they think it looks sexy, but all agree on the amazing sound.

Cheers to BP on sticking to his guns and creating a fantastic instrument that has broken the mold in both aethetics and sound. That being said, it's time to go hug my Bongos.

[CFA]

I won't lie, the first time I logged onto the MM site and saw the Bongo my reaction was somewhere along the lines of "EW! What is that?! That's the stupidest bass I've EVER seen. I just LOST respect for MM for it."

Then, over time (Before I ever came here) I matured and started lecturing people who judged instruments over looks, saying repeatedly that I'd play the ugliest bass ever built, if it had a better tone then anything else.

Next, I signed up to this forum and looked through the Bongo head thread... and by the time I was done I had decided I wanted one. And when I heard people tell stories of people dissing the looks, and then being blown away by the tone... I decided I NEEDED a Bongo.

I love my Bongo for a lot of reasons. I like the neck, I love the design now, I love that MOST people STILL hate the design, I love the feel of holding it, and I love the way it looks from my perspective when I'm playing it. And of course I'm sure I'll love the tone when I get to hear it plugged in with new strings....

[MrMusashi]

the bongo is powerful, very powerful!
a small twist on any of the eq knobs and you got another ballgame goin on

also my stealth is one of the coolest things ever... completely black! infact, the only white thing on em is the nylon washers between the strapscrews and the body itself

it was actually the first eb bass i got, while waiting for the mighty 20th sr5

MrM

[Psycho Ward]

Just look at it!!!

[AnthonyD]

Attitude... It's in there...

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Just look at it!!!

Too many strings...

[oddjob]

Just look at it!!!

That is still just the best!!!!!!!!!


(even if it is a lefty)

[Bongodude]

How did you get that jewel-inlay there? Very nice looking bass!

[Psycho Ward]

Wayne C. Henderson did it for me, while I waited.

[Grand Wazoo]

Wayne C. Henderson did it for me, while I waited.

Is Jewel your spouse name?

[bovinehost]

Jewel was his mom's name.

[miliouz]

I like this bass guitar for his look as it is (I hated at first, I admit). I love its sound, with the terrible growl characteristic. No bass has never surpassed, and I can tell you that the finest instruments I've tried (Warwick, Fender, Gibson, and Lakland, even instruments of lute). I am filled simply.

[ZiggyDude]

I am somewhat new to the forum – so I hope that nobody gets upset if I blurt something not PC or what ever.

I just got a Bongo 5 HH in the Desert Gold. I like the color and after it was discontinued the Ebay prices went up and I realized a new one was not much more. EBMM customer service was great and pointed me to a couple of shops that still had stock. Now – here I be. I have been playing for decades and this is my first Music Man instrument.

I found the comments by Big Poppa most interesting and almost confusing. When he said “I love the Bongo because Im still having to prove it. I love the bongo because I think it was a unsafe move for a company to try and most would have given up....”

I have, to my bewilderment, noticed that there are Bongo haters – only because the bass does not look like a typical Fender. When you look at the world filled with Warlocks (actually most anything BC Rich), some of the Alembics, MCS, and the wide variety of different or pointy shapes out there – the Bongo is not all that really wild in shape. But – it does not look like a Fender Jazz or P bass – and the only folks that get bent seem to be other MM users. One local MM dealer revels at the fact the GC is dropping the Bongo, almost lets go a blue streak on the shape. That is nuts to me. At least that I have noticed with the folks that I run into. Someday I would really like to understand this phenomenon. Hopefully you guys can help.

I like the Bongo because it does NOT look like a typical Fender P or Jazz. For reasons not relevant here – I won’t take one on stage (nothing personal) and the Bongo was the only choice for me. I like the 4 band EQ. I was really impressed with the case that it came with. I like the painted neck. This was also the widest neck MM has in a 5 string – though I would have liked wider. I have also noticed that this may be the first dual PuP bass I have where the bridge pickup is actually a great sound. Most basses you almost wonder what the bridge PuP is for :-) How both pickups stay the same volume is great too!

I am very impressed that EBMM can build a quality instrument with a wide variety of features with a street price of 1500 and make it in the USA. There is a business model there a lot of other companies should learn.

Add coil taps, a phase, and be able to adjust the freq. of the two mid range EQs – this could be one monster amongst monsters!

Just two cents from a Newbie (go easy on me!)

- Ziggy -

[adouglas]

Awesome post, Ziggy.

Welcome to the ranks of the Enlightened Ones.

(insert sound of heavenly host here)