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Stingray or Bongo????

B

borgix

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
6
Hi, I´m Pedro from Portugal. I play with a H stingray (E04796) and I like it a lot.
I've order my new 4string hh stingray in July but I notest that in USA the bongos are best sellers and now I dont know if I've made the right choice.
Here we have lots of stingrays but I never saw or tested a Bongo.
Can you tell me the diferences (sound, scale, woods,...) between 4 string HH stingray and 4 string HH bongo please.
What do you think is the best bass for a rock player?
Thank you.


P.S.-sorry my poor english.
 
Duarte

Duarte

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Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
2,023
Location
Birmingham, UK
Bongos feel incredible, I think more so than stingrays. There are some obvious sound differences between the two (the bongo is more powerful I reckon) but if you play a stingray then you know how that sounds and feels. Either way you will be happy with the bass you get - it's musicman quality and sound. I'm sure one of the 'bongoloids' will chime in as I can't accurately describe the sound.

Both are incredible. Don't worry about it.
 
Aussie Mark

Aussie Mark

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Joined
Nov 9, 2003
Messages
5,646
Location
Sydney, Australia
borgix said:
between 4 string HH stingray and 4 string HH bongo please.
What do you think is the best bass for a rock player?
Click to expand...


Both would do the job very well, but for rock the HH Bongo has the edge in my opinion. The 18v electronics are hard to beat in a street fight with 2 guitars and a hard hitting drummer.
 
jefft54

jefft54

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Joined
Feb 20, 2008
Messages
70
Location
Santa Clarita
Tough call. I have both and the Bongo is certainly aggressive. The ray seems more old school rock, kinda P bassy but not with the HH. I tend to use the ray for classic rock typically 60's 70's and use the Bongo for 80's /90's funk and contemporary. The way I solved the problem was to buy both, the ray custom ordered and the Bongo used. There are some excellent deals here and other boards on used Bongo's.
 
R

RGFLyer

Active member
Joined
Feb 29, 2008
Messages
39
Bong HH, hands down...I have played about a dozen basses over the last month or so...I bought a Bongo, this over a multitude of highend basses
 
B

borgix

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
6
With the HH bongo will I get the MM magnific soud?
I really like the definition and punch of the H stingray.
Is the Bongo more Warwick thumb bolt on sound type or is the MM sound with steroids?

If I change my decision do you think it's easy to change my previous order?

Thank you for your answers guys, I think I'm starting to see the light.:rolleyes:
 
and lombardini

and lombardini

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
Messages
50
Location
Treviso, Italy
one of the big differences is pick up placement:

on the HH ray the bridge pickup is where a the single H lays while on the bongo HH it is closer to the bridge...this makes the sound on the HH bongo a little more defined with less "growl"...both sounds really good anyway.

Unluckly also here in italy the Ray and Ray5 are what you normally find in shops so it's difficult to compare...but I had the great opportunity to test all bongos to understand their personalities and finally choose the single H to my taste.

the other big difference is that ray is wired in parallel and bongo in series...again different sound..

bottom line is that you really can't go wrong with a MM...you choose on the general feeling, sound and look, every model has a different personality but all sound good and are built like no other.

I'm waiting for my olive gold bongo 4 single H piezo because that's fits my needs...
24frets, growl, full range sound, versatility, string spacing...I think that it is really an instrument that has the great features of a "classic" together with "high end".

andrea
 
oli@bass

oli@bass

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Joined
Jul 23, 2007
Messages
4,272
Location
Switzerland
Nothing sounds like a StingRay. Nothing. Period.


(that said, I'm looking forward to trying a Bongo one day... ;))
 
oli@bass

oli@bass

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Jul 23, 2007
Messages
4,272
Location
Switzerland
RobertB said:
Oli, have you not played a Bongo yet? Uh-oh, I see the writing on the wall. :)
Click to expand...

No, I'd like to, but there are none available around here. Maybe when I order one, there will be one... :rolleyes:

However, I still keep to what I said: Nothing sounds like a SR, and if that is the sound you love, you better get one. That is my real-world-learning-by-doing experience.
 
RobertB

RobertB

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Dec 5, 2007
Messages
1,657
Location
Denver area.
I'm not saying the "writing on the wall" applies to everyone. Sure, some still prefer the SR or Sterling after trying the Bongo. But in Oli's case, I just have a hunch. Time will tell!
 
A

ampegjoel

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2008
Messages
17
I have not played a bongo -from all the that has been said -i gotta- that mentioned -it really seems to depend on the sound /tone you want -one thing no one mentioned -if you get your new ray -and you want more -try a good preamp-stand alone not the pre -amps they have in the amps -youll be amazed-that may enable you to taylor your punch /sound /tone i know how you feel unless you can -A/B the 2- together its a guessing game
 
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