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tunaman4u2

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I had a Sterling H, never a Stingray. I didn't like the 19mm... My Sterling H was my main bass for my cover band, its surprisingly versatile (Until I compared it to the Sterling HH that is)
I could get hi fi No Doubt Spiderwebs to all bass Sublime What I Got
It was just redundant with my Sterling HH & selling it now gets me the Bongo HHp 5 ! If 73j will ever mail it!
 

madbassplaya

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Yes. If you put a SR5H and SR5HH next to each other you would see that the bridge H is in the same spot.

So the Bongo is the only bass that doesn't have the H in the sweet spot? Interesting.

I want a Bongo and a Ray. :(
 

adouglas

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So the Bongo is the only bass that doesn't have the H in the sweet spot? Interesting.

I want a Bongo and a Ray. :(

The dual-pickup Bongos don't. The H does. The 24-fret neck doesn't leave enough room for all those pickups.

I believe that the HSS Reflex/25th also has the bridge bucker farther aft… same reason. Not enough room on the body.
 

tunaman4u2

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The dual-pickup Bongos don't. The H does. The 24-fret neck doesn't leave enough room for all those pickups.

I believe that the HSS Reflex/25th also has the bridge bucker farther aft… same reason. Not enough room on the body.

I notice a lot of HSS & 25th for sale too. I thought the Big Al bridge pickup couldn't be soloed either and sound great.

Thats why Madbassplaya should ABSOLUTELY get a Stingray\Sterling HH then a Bongo, Big Al, Reflex etc :)

And all this talk of Bongo H has Husky123 putting up a wanted ad for one of those so someone give him it!
 

stu42

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There is a Bongo 5H for sale in the EBMM "Basses for sale" thread. These basses don't come up for sale used very often.

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/mus...music-man-basses-sale-no-comments-please.html

To me, the Bongo Single H is like a highly-evolved Stingray or Sterling H - one that has been training for the Olympics!! I love my Sterling 5H still as it has a great vibe but my Bongo 5H makes my Sterling sound kind of lo-fi by comparison. The Bongo 5H has a lot more punch, clarity, definition, and extended frequency response. That's not to say that the Bongo 5H sounds "Hi-Fi" because it still has a warm sound but the clarity and punch are amazing and it's very rich with harmonics. But, that said, you can make it sound more mellow just by altering your playing style and technique as was mentioned above.

The HH and HS Bongos are also quite ferocious beasts but they are quite a different animal due to the pickup placement and 4-band EQ. My take on it is....If you want something rather different than a Stingray or Sterling sound then the HH or HS Bongos may be your thing. However, If you love the traditional EBMM sound but you want to try something with more kick then the Bongo Single H is your friend.
 
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husky123

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Good stuff Stu. Thanks for the comparo.

There is a Bongo 5H for sale in the EBMM "Basses for sale" thread. These basses don't come up for sale used very often.

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/mus...music-man-basses-sale-no-comments-please.html

To me, the Bongo Single H is like a highly-evolved Stingray or Sterling H - one that has been training for the Olympics!! I love my Sterling 5H still as it has a great vibe but my Bongo 5H makes my Sterling sound kind of lo-fi by comparison. The Bongo 5H has a lot more punch, clarity, definition, and extended frequency response. That's not to say that the Bongo 5H sounds "Hi-Fi" because it still has a warm sound but the clarity and punch are amazing and it's very rich with harmonics. But, that said, you can make it sound more mellow just by altering your playing style and technique as was mentioned above.

The HH and HS Bongos are also quite ferocious beasts but they are quite a different animal due to the pickup placement and 4-band EQ. My take on it is....If you want something rather different than a Stingray or Sterling sound then the HH or HS Bongos may be your thing. However, If you love the traditional EBMM sound but you want to try something with more kick then the Bongo Single H is your friend.
 

madbassplaya

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Agreed. That was a great comparison.

For right now though, I'm really leaning towards the HH still. I want both, but I think the HH will be my introduction to the bongo.
 

tunaman4u2

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Stu: That didn't help Husky at all, you just cost him some big bucks :)
Can't wait for my HHp Bongo 5 baby. Checks in the mail 73jbass, send it :)
 

Runnerman

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Mar 31, 2011
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Raleigh, NC
Great thread! As a relative newb to EBMM basses this thread makes the differences very clear.
I was leaning heavily to the SR5 but now I'm sure my next bass will be the Bongo 5H.
Thx guys.
 

bovinehost

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My favorite Bongo ever is a single H.

But I don't discount the other configurations. I have friends who were initially naysayers regarding the Bongo in general, but who would now gladly buy my original HH after playing it a bit.

For the record, I'm keeping it.
 

madbassplaya

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My favorite Bongo ever is a single H.

But I don't discount the other configurations. I have friends who were initially naysayers regarding the Bongo in general, but who would now gladly buy my original HH after playing it a bit.

For the record, I'm keeping it.

I'm gonna go with the 5HH. I want to get the 5H as well, but I've found a great 5HH that I am gonna pick up. :)
 
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