Dream Bongo, just for fun

[Samoht]

This is just for fun, but I recently started thinking about a dream bass...a bass that had all the bells and whistles. For me it starts with a Bongo 5HH. Roasted maple neck and fingerboard with white binding. Lightweight roasted ash body with a transparent red burst finish. Black pickguard. The electronics are where the fun begins:

2 mini toggles for each pickup that lets you choose either coil alone, parallel or series(like the Seymour Duncan triple shot switching). A mini toggle that switches between combining the 2 pickups in parallel or series. A toggle that bypasses the preamp for 100% passive mode. So that’s 6 toggles. I envision these located on the pickguard, recessed like the Gilmore black strat toggle so they don’t get in the way or get accidentally changed. The 2 toggles per pickup located one on either side of the pickup mounting screw. The parallel/series toggle and the passive/active toggle located in line and somewhat centered between the 2 sets of 2 toggles.

Of course, my Bongo 5HH is already a dream bass. This isn’t taking anything away from what I consider to be the pinnacle of bass guitar design. Again, just for fun.

Lucky for me the Bongo pickups are not switchable at all....it keeps me from actually trying to make my daydream a reality.

 

[jaxbassplayer]

This is just for fun, but I recently started thinking about a dream bass...a bass that had all the bells and whistles. For me it starts with a Bongo 5HH. Roasted maple neck and fingerboard with white binding. Lightweight roasted ash body with a transparent red burst finish. Black pickguard. The electronics are where the fun begins:

2 mini toggles for each pickup that lets you choose either coil alone, parallel or series(like the Seymour Duncan triple shot switching). A mini toggle that switches between combining the 2 pickups in parallel or series. A toggle that bypasses the preamp for 100% passive mode. So that’s 6 toggles. I envision these located on the pickguard, recessed like the Gilmore black strat toggle so they don’t get in the way or get accidentally changed. The 2 toggles per pickup located one on either side of the pickup mounting screw. The parallel/series toggle and the passive/active toggle located in line and somewhat centered between the 2 sets of 2 toggles.

Of course, my Bongo 5HH is already a dream bass. This isn’t taking anything away from what I consider to be the pinnacle of bass guitar design. Again, just for fun.

Lucky for me the Bongo pickups are not switchable at all....it keeps me from actually trying to make my daydream a reality.

Awesome Dude! Series and parallel switching would be incredible!!!

 

[Samoht]

Awesome Dude! Series and parallel switching would be incredible!!!

Hear hear!

And just to show that I'm a little nutty, here's a 5 minute mockup of this dream. I noticed that the "active/passive toggle" and "series/parallel pickup combine toggle" looked better if they weren't in line with the individual pickup toggles. The other attachment is the 4 switching options for each pickup with the 2 toggles

 

[dave1812]

I don't know how the bongo pickups would sound passively, don't know if thats even possible without changing the current Bongo sound, which i love!
Series-Parallel Switching and Coil Switching would be interesting though. Kinda like what they did with the Reflex and Big AL Bass IRC.
I would maybe add a double stacked rotary switch to do the pickup switching to keep a cleaner look.
I have to say, if i had the $$$ right now, I'd get one of the new BFR Bongos, since that's already the perfect looking Bass for me! Too bad it's only a limited run.

 

[Samoht]

I don't know how the bongo pickups would sound passively, don't know if thats even possible without changing the current Bongo sound, which i love!
Series-Parallel Switching and Coil Switching would be interesting though. Kinda like what they did with the Reflex and Big AL Bass IRC.
I would maybe add a double stacked rotary switch to do the pickup switching to keep a cleaner look.
I have to say, if i had the $$$ right now, I'd get one of the new BFR Bongos, since that's already the perfect looking Bass for me! Too bad it's only a limited run.

The active/passive idea seed was planted when I first saw the short scale Stingray, which has passive electronics and a neodymium magnet pickup, and AJ talking about how much output it has even being passive with that pickup. That's the part of this equation that I would give up if I had to choose one thing, but it would be cool to have the option for sure.

The double stacked rotary, one part for each pickup with 4 options each, would be awesome for sure. Add to that a stacked master volume and blend, and the control footprint would be unchanged.
Very cool idea. Keeping with the idea of leaving things cosmetically unchanged (mostly), have the series/parallel pickup combo switching be a push pull on the volume/blend stack. And have the active/passive be a recessed switch accessible on the back of the bass through the control cavity cover...sort of similar to the piezo/gain controls on the Majesty.

Updated mockup attached...4 stacked controls: Master Vol/Blend w/ push pull series parallel pickup combine, HiMid/LoMid, Treb/Bass, & stacked 4-way rotary switching for each pickup that has the option for either coil solo'd, series, & parallel.

EDIT: While we're at it, let's make the active/passive switch also a push pull on the mid stack. That cleans up all the non-standard switching cosmetics, and just leaves you with 4 stacked controls, two of which have push pull on the top stack for additional functionality. That's it.

 

[dave1812]

what was the original control layout for the Piezo Equipped Bongos? Did they have 5 knobs instead of 4?
Can you have stacked Push/Pull Switches?
That would be an epic bass for sure. I remember seeing a picture of the Bongo Prototype a few years ago with 8 knobs or something like that

edit: found the pic. don't know who originally posted it.

 

[Samoht]

what was the original control layout for the Piezo Equipped Bongos? Did they have 5 knobs instead of 4?
Can you have stacked Push/Pull Switches?
That would be an epic bass for sure. I remember seeing a picture of the Bongo Prototype a few years ago with 8 knobs or something like that

edit: found the pic. don't know who originally posted it.
View attachment 35623

Cool! I haven't seen that pic before. As far as the stacked pot with push-pull, the only reason I know they exist is because I have 2 of them in John East preamps on my basses. In that case they're a pull for "bright" on a stacked treble/bass. The only thing I don't know of existing is the stacked 4-way rotary switch. I've never had to use a rotary for anything so I don't know, but it would surely be a cool trick.

 

[danny-79]

I’m staying out of this one

 

[Psychicpet]

hehehehehehe

 

[Psychicpet]

Well, I received the illustrious award of "Moustache on the Mona Lisa" from BigPoppa back in the day when I, ummm, moustached my Bongo 5 by taking the finish off the back of the neck and putting just pure carnauba on it, and then swapped out the Bongo pre with an Aguilar OBP-1.....



hells bells did that sound great!

Sadly, regrettably, etc etc, I no longer own said Bongo5 BUT I know the owner and there are plans afoot to get it back

all that being said, I think the only thing I'd ever want to see different on the current Bongo design is tappable coils in humbuckers, to be able to do that would be out of this world.

 

[Samoht]

Dave helped me remove most of the mustache from my mockup . I get it...it's really a perfect bass already, BUT, I'm a tinkerer, and without losing any of the awesome features, looks, and tone of the stock Bongo I would love the chance to hear it with these mods as additional features. But, consider the source. I've been on a multiyear journey to modify by PDN Morse Standard (original pickguard, pickups, and body unaffected) into my ultimate swiss army knife guitar. I love thinking about, planning, and attempting that kind of stuff. The Morse isn't my dream guitar (no such thing exists) but the Bongo is pretty dang close to my dream bass already. Yet, I've never seen a bass with a series/parallel/split switching option that didn't add to the awesomeness of that bass. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not a "less is more" kind of fella, but definitely a "more is more, and then keep going" person. The Gamechanger system, though I've never had the pleasure of trying one out, is a good reference point for what I wish all basses had.

 

[Psychicpet]

ya, I'm anxiously waiting to see the Myung 6!!!! the other thing that's got me psyched about that is the tighter string spacing.....aside from a $30K Fodera Anthony Jackson 6, the Myung 6 is sounding like my dream 6

 

[Samoht]

ya, I'm anxiously waiting to see the Myung 6!!!! the other thing that's got me psyched about that is the tighter string spacing.....aside from a $30K Fodera Anthony Jackson 6, the Myung 6 is sounding like my dream 6

I read somewhere, don't remember where, that the Myung bass may have a rotary pickup selector of some kind. That intrigues me. The 6th string with a 5'er neck also sounds interesting. The Bongo 5HH bass design as a whole (comfort, playability, ergo, weight, etc.) can't be improved upon for me. The neck, solid rosewood on mine, is the most comfortable neck I've ever played.

 

[Edmang]

I love a piezo on the Bongo. Think the piezo sounds better blended with the other pickups on the Bongo than on a Stingray or Sterling.

My dream is finding an unlined fretless Bongo HSp when I have the funds available to purchase it!

 

[five7]

Dream Bongo for me would have a button labeled SR, when I push it the sound changes from bongo neo tone to stingray tone.

 

[Samoht]

I love a piezo on the Bongo. Think the piezo sounds better blended with the other pickups on the Bongo than on a Stingray or Sterling.

My dream is finding an unlined fretless Bongo HSp when I have the funds available to purchase it!

I've never heard a piezo Bongo...that would be an interesting option.

Dream Bongo for me would have a button labeled SR, when I push it the sound changes from bongo neo tone to stingray tone.

Stingray 5H tone is my favorite bass tone, and the Bongo 5HH is my favorite bass. I get where you're coming from, but unless the Bongo has a sliding bridge pickup, I don't think SR tone is possible. But, if it were possible there'd be no reason for me to play any other bass, ever! I've never played or heard one, but doesn't the Bongo single humbucker model have the pickup in the Stingray sweet spot? It seems like a close Stingray tone should be achievable with that model..but maybe the preamp is too different. Interesting thought. I need to go find some videos on the single H model!

 

[danny-79]

doesn't the Bongo single humbucker model have the pickup in the Stingray sweet spot? It seems like a close Stingray tone should be achievable with that model..but maybe the preamp is too different.

Yes I’m pretty sure the single H Bongo pick up in in the SR sweet spot position (I’ll measure and confirm back).
The preamps are a world apart though, my single H scares the s*** out of me ! I’m constantly raining it in, pulling it back. Both of my single H SR’s have (ahm... don’t shoot) after market preamps in them with series/single/parallel switching (my HH is stock) and even then the Bongo comes nowhere near anything StingRay sounding. It’s in a world of its own !

 

[Samoht]

Yes I’m pretty sure the single H Bongo pick up in in the SR sweet spot position (I’ll measure and confirm back).
The preamps are a world apart though, my single H scares the s*** out of me ! I’m constantly raining it in, pulling it back. Both of my single H SR’s have (ahm... don’t shoot) after market preamps in them with series/single/parallel switching (my HH is stock) and even then the Bongo comes nowhere near anything StingRay sounding. It’s in a world of its own !

Good to know. I have a SR5 with aftermarket pre and pickup, so no condemnation here.

You've really got my interest piqued on the Bongo H!

 

[Edmang]

Good to know. I have a SR5 with aftermarket pre and pickup, so no condemnation here.

You've really got my interest piqued on the Bongo H!

If you decide to try and find one, keep in mind the Bongo H without a piezo has a 3 band pre-amp. The H model with the piezo has a 4 band pre-amp.

 

[Samoht]

If you decide to try and find one, keep in mind the Bongo H without a piezo has a 3 band pre-amp. The H model with the piezo has a 4 band pre-amp.

Thanks! I didn't know that. I did just what a couple of videos featuring the single H Bongo, and it's really a different beast from the HH Bongo...and the SR. Does anyone have a recommended video/audio demo of a Piezo Bongo?