Question Am I Afflicted - Bongoloiditis??

[shakinbacon]

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to where I stand on this?

I for one am sick and tired of your prejudice against the Bongo

Who are you to say it looks like a toilet seat?

Have you tried one?!

 

[Powman]

Here's my take on it.

If you already have a Ray why not get the Bongo for more variety of tone?

I love Stingrays but since you already have one and the Bongo can get very close to the sound imho, I say get the Bongo.

If you have a change to try the bass again, use the bridge pickup only, boost bass and treble about 50% and that burpy, funky fingerstyle sound is there. You may or may not agree but my point is the tonal versatility of the Bongo is very impressive.

++++1.

I completely agree. Bongo is quite different than the Ray or Sterling. Yes, quite versatile. But what sold me is the incredible deep lows. Must be that 18V pre-amp. I nearly messed myself first time I played one.

Now how many more sleeps until mine arrives....

 

[RobertB]

You've been bitten, it won't go away. My predicion is that if you go with the Ray, you'll probably buy a Bongo later, even though you'e saying now that you won't be able to afford that, etc... life finds a way, and so do people who've experienced Bongo tone.

Even if you do only buy this one bass in the next 10 years, you can't go wrong, either way you go. That's not fanboi fluff, it's just the truth as I see it, as far as EBMM basses are concerned. And I'm a Bongoloid who just ordered a Classic SR5, for particular reasons of my own that don't negate the fact that a Bongo does some wonderful things that nothing else does.

Good luck, and don't get too hung up about it. Either way you'll be happy. But either way, you'll end up with a Bongo eventually.

 

[bovinehost]

a Bongo does some wonderful things that nothing else does..... either way, you'll end up with a Bongo eventually.

I've been playing nothing but my Sterling 5 HH for the last two weeks, just sort of exploring it and getting to understand what it does. And I like what it does. It's a keeper.

But.

There is something about the Bongo tone that is so completely...focused. I love my other basses, I really do, the Sterling 5, the 20th SR5, they have their own things going. But I come back to the Bongo. And not even my most wildly cool and unusual 'one of a kind' Bongo, either - just a standard, off the rack sort of single H Bongo 5.

That ideal tone in my head? The one that is supposed to be, to some extent, unattainable? The one you're searching for your entire life and you get close but never quite find?

I found it. It comes out of a Bongo. SmallEq was telling me earlier tonight that he gigged his Bongo and thought, "That sounds like Jack." I said, "Well, it's not like I have any big secrets. Get Bongo, plug it in, problems solved."

Years after I got my first one, I am still - really - blown away. You know how you have that honeymoon period where everything is wonderful and then, later, you begin to notice things and the honeymoom is kind of over?

That's never happened to me. I still think the Bongo is just about the coolest bass ever. I tell Sterling occasionally about all the things that have happened to me over the course of the last few years, "I never lose my sense of wonder." I mean, that takes in a lot more than just a bass, too.

But I've never lost my sense of wonder about these basses, either.

Bongos? Get you one and then get back to me.

Jack

 

[Stephen]

Oh, it's really easy to get drawn into Bongoloiditis, no doubt about it!

I had a hard time getting my hands on some EBMM basses to figure out which one (or two, or so) was for me. The last store I've been to had a Stingray 4, a Ray 35 and a Bongo 4 on display.

The Stingray felt robust yet comfortable, and reassuring in a way (kinda lost for words here) ... let's say it provided enough bulk to make it unmistakably clear what was in your hands, in a good way. Thumbs up, I need one.

The Ray 35 surprised me a bit. It was the first 5er of EBMM origin I ever held and it was neither as big or as heavy as I thought it would be, including (or actually starting with) the neck! Very nice, will get back to it if I feel the urge to get a 5er.

Then, the Bongo ... essentially the reason why I discovered EBMM. And boy, does this bass justify all the ravings about it! Love the tone, the neck and the body. Aesthetically this bass just jumps at me, but I was quite surprised how well the ergonomics worked for me: opposed to, say, the Stingray's rather robust feel the Bongo feels small enough to get out of your way, yet big enough to still support your arm. It just feels natural to handle, pretty damn perfect. So, two thumbs up, I want one, and it will be my first EBMM.

Cheers

 

[five7]

Haven't touched my stingrays since I got my bongo.

 

[Gramps]

I was originally drawn to the Bongo because I knew it was a polarizing body style and I just enjoy shaking up people's expectations. After trolling this forum and others I became aware of Bongolism and Bongoloiditis and their pervasiveness.

I had never laid hands on one so I bought my Bongo on the faith that it would be bad for my health and my relationships (I'm a little self-destructive like that).

Played my first gig with it the other night and I am still smiling. That neck is so comfortable and that tone is so unbelievably sweet, powerful and flexible that I'm not sure that I'm even willing to play another guitar again.

Turns out that Bongos are the cure, not the disease!

I vote yes. Get you a Bongo, pronto.

 

[RaginRog]

I did a bit of guitar shop tourism in Denmark Street London last week, partially to look at ordering a Classic Collection Ray and partially to help my son find a lefty Tele (Mexican)

In one of the shops, on prominent display, was a second hand Bongo 5HH in teal pearlescent - now I've never got close to a Bongo before, let alone played one but I was so impressed..............and it's also my favourite Bongo colour. The action was superb on the bass and it played like a dream.

Totally different sound from my Stingray 5 but in a very nice way.

It's only the fact that the bass had quite a few decent sized chips in it, and the guy wanted over the odds for it anyway that I didn't have a major dilemma right there and then.

But I do have a dilemma now - I have almost as much GAS for a Bongo 5HH as I have for the Classic Ray 4 string.

Do you guys who know about the Bongo thing reckon I'm permanently afficted

I can only afford one of these for the forseeable future and I really don't know which was to go on this!

First off, I'm a compulsive guy....and generally like to have 2 of my favorite bass...I've always been that way. I recently went through a very, very, short Bongo phase. It has some excellent tones, but at the end of the day...I think I'm a StingRay guy. I just sold a Bongo to pick up another Stingray...I happen to love the Slo Specials, with the Sterling neck. I'd stick to getting what you originally wanted...if you don't, you'll regret it.

 

[djaxup]

*mind control rays at work*

 

[ivbenaplayin]

I was originally drawn to the Bongo because I knew it was a polarizing body style and I just enjoy shaking up people's expectations. After trolling this forum and others I became aware of Bongolism and Bongoloiditis and their pervasiveness.

I had never laid hands on one so I bought my Bongo on the faith that it would be bad for my health and my relationships (I'm a little self-destructive like that).

Played my first gig with it the other night and I am still smiling. That neck is so comfortable and that tone is so unbelievably sweet, powerful and flexible that I'm not sure that I'm even willing to play another guitar again.

Turns out that Bongos are the cure, not the disease!

I vote yes. Get you a Bongo, pronto.

Amen! The more I play it, the more impressed with it...