Thinning the herd

[Aussie Mark]

Those of you who hang at the Pit as well might have seen my post in Al's about my need to lighten the load when we move to Sydney later this month. With soon to be 2 kids in the house, and a smaller house for twice the mortgage we had in Adelaide, I will no longer have the luxury of an entire room just for my bass gear, and a garage just for my PA gear, so some of it has to go.

I won't bore you with my thought processes for deciding which 10 basses must go and which 10 I'll keep, but suffice to say my initial plan was to keep all 4 EBMMs (once my DD Bongo HS arrives) as well as a few others from various manufacturers, but I got stuck at 13.

Now I'm starting to wonder if I might be able to survive without my Bongo HH. However, the unknown factor for me is that I've neither played nor heard a Bongo HS in the flesh, so I'm unsure if HS will cover all bases for me, Bongo-wise. What say you?

NB. I realise everyone's natural reaction will be "keep them all", but let's try and be objective for a couple of minutes.

 

[Oldtoe]

FWIW, which isn't much where I'm concerned, I have found the H/SC to be somewhat less broadly appealing in gig settings. I've been through several EBMM basses and have always come back to the Bongo HH.

YMMV, etc., etc.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Why's that, Ben? Does the SC pup lack "thump" in the neck position?

 

[Colin]

what finish is the HS? I'm looking for a EBMM bass in 07, although I had my heart set on a Sterling HS

 

[Aussie Mark]

what finish is the HS?

Martini Olive Green, Dargie Delight

 

[Oldtoe]

The best way to describe it, Mark, is that the H/SC always sounded more hollow to me than the HH. Mainly a single-coil attribute that some find appealing. I just happen to be a humbucker kinda guy, I suppose. Well, in basses anyway.

 

[tkarter]

Not going to help I know but I say get a Bongo 5 H and sell all them 4 stringers.

tk

 

[Oldtoe]

The single-H is a hell of a thing.

 

[MCBTunes]

I didnt like the bongo HS, but it has been 2 years since I played it and I think they changed the Single coil.

 

[Aussie Mark]

The single-H is a hell of a thing.

True, and I have two old Stingrays to cover that territory

 

[Colin]

we should talk....

 

[phatduckk]

hmmm. i suppose one day when i have a family ill probably be faced with a similar type of decision.

i dunno man... i guess the general rules apply:

whatever is super hard to replace: keep it
if its got sentimental value: keep it
if its a "player": probably keep it
if you can get another one just like it: eh, then off it if you have to

 

[Aussie Mark]

we should talk....

I think you're confused Colin, I won't be offing the Dargie Delight Bongo. The Bongo HH is the one that might end up being for sale.

 

[bovinehost]

True, and I have two old Stingrays to cover that territory

I know I'm a crusader and all, but a single H Bongo is a very different thing from a single H Stingray. (Although the 30th SR4 can make Bongos worry.)

I won't be of any help at all, which is why I've been so successful here.

But.

I like my HSC Bongo 5 a LOT. I find it hard to put into words what it does.

(Now watch carefully as I name-drop.)

Dave LaRue and Sterling and I were discussing this the other night. (Smooth, wasn't it?) Celebrity aside, Dave feels like I do - that the single coil brings SOMETHING to the table but neither one of us could really describe it. It's THE best neck single coil I've ever heard. Maybe we haven't had a Music Man single coil neck pickup long enough to figure it out?

So, um, if I had to have only three Bongos......I'd rush outside and shake my fist at the heavens, that's what I would do.

But if push came to shove as it so often does in these after school conflicts, I'd take the single H over the HSC. And I'd take the HH over the HSC.

See? That was entirely unhelpful while still being long and uninteresting!

 

[Colin]

I think you're confused Colin

No I'm not confused, I'm drunk....

 

[bovinehost]

Colin and I are now best of friends.

 

[Aussie Mark]

i dunno man... i guess the general rules apply:

whatever is super hard to replace: keep it
if its got sentimental value: keep it
if its a "player": probably keep it
if you can get another one just like it: eh, then off it if you have to

Phatty, I think you nailed it. That means my Bongo HH will be the one to go, as the '76 is "super ++++" hard to replace, my black SR is a player, and the Dargie Bongo will eventually become super hard to replace. I can get another Bongo HH anytime, right?

 

[Colin]

Colin and I are now best of friends.

can that be my next signature please Jack?

 

[phatduckk]

I can get another Bongo HH anytime, right?

exactly. hey. ive got axes that I havent bonded with too. hell, it may not be that model that i dont like - it may be just that one in particular. if you can replace it then the "loss" is temporary.

either way - basses rule but making a comfortable home for your family always comes first. im not fortunate enough to have a family yet but if i was in your shoes id do the same thing

 

[KennethB]

I saw "Thinning the herd". I saw "Aussie Mark". For a millisecond I thought:"Is he gonna off his '76 Stingray?" Yeah,right! That'll happen!! Propably when hell freezes over, and not even then!
Thing is I'd like a Stingray that's older then me, which means before Oct. 77. I'm thinking it's gonna take awhile to find one of those......so it's nothing but wishful thinking that's all. OK, hijack over.