Am going for a 5-stringer. Which one is the best for me?

[GlassBone]

Hey everybody!
I started playing the bass guitar about 5-6 years ago.
I own a Geddy Lee signature Fender jazz bass, which truly sounds amazing, but I want to move on to a 5 stringer.
Of course, my first try was a 5 string Fender jazz bass, But that just felt no good.
I tried a 5 string Stingray and it felt perfect, so I fell inlove with MM right away, but I didn't get to try any other MM bass guitars.
So, which one do you like best? Stingray, Bongo, Big Al or the Sterling? (the others are a bit over my budget...)

Thanks!

 

[tunaman4u2]

I have a Bongo 5 & love it. The 17.5mm spacing is consistent through all of em as 5 strings which I love but when they go to 4 strings the Stingray & Bongo are 19mm... so I can't play them well.... so I need them as 5 strings
Bongo 5 HH for me & that leaves a Big Al or a Sterling for a 4 string.

Thats all because of my preferred spacing BUT if you're looking for a tone it comes down to what you want

Warmer tones? Big Al & Bongo
Aggressive rock with traditional Stingray tones: SR & Sterling

I didn't like my Big Al but I had a lemon, My Sterling HH is awesome & a great compliment to my Bongo 5. Having both is awesome but if I had to choose just 1 of the 2 as a 5 string... it would be the Bongo.

 

[syciprider]

The SR5 to me is one of those you cannot go wrong with it kinda basses.

I had a Sterling 5 once, it was a great sounding bass. It's like a more mid present Stingray.

I've never had a Bongo 5 but if my 4 is any indication, it will be a tone monster. Something about the 4 band EQ and Neo pups just seem to be able to do it all.

My Big AL rivaled my Bongo in flexibility and tone although I like the Bongo blend more.

 

[jlepre]

Try em all, and YOU decide what works best for you. Honestly you can't go wrong...

 

[tunaman4u2]

My Big AL rivaled my Bongo in flexibility and tone although I like the Bongo blend more.

I agree with this... Big Al more flexible but a pain to change on the fly without driving the soundman insane.

 

[syciprider]

I was never fond of the "try them all" answer. I live in SOCAL and I promise you I would not be able to try them all without driving REAL loooong distances. I am sure most places won't have Sterling 5s, Bongos and Big ALs in reasonably close proximity.

 

[tunaman4u2]

+1, in this economy theres no stores carrying that many $1800 basses in 5 varieties

 

[projectapollo]

I've tried several 5 strings, but ended up going back to 4s. In my experiments, the 20th anniversary stingray 5 always seemed to have the best tone, best B string, and great feel. They come up on the classifieds every once in a while.

 

[jlepre]

Ok maybe I was a little lax in my response, but what I basically meant was that he needs to see what sounds best for his type of music. ALL the EBMM 5 string basses are top notch, and I've owned at least one of each. excluding the Big Al at one point. They all kind of have their own feel and place in this world, so if the OP has the chance, he should try as many varieties as possible.

Is that better?

 

[tunaman4u2]

Jlepre, we'll let that pass as acceptable

Heres the BEST response bro

Listen to em!

Bongo: YouTube - ‪Ernie Ball/Music Man Bongo 6 String Bass‬‏
Big Al: YouTube - ‪[MUSICMAN]: Big Al Bass‬‏
Sterling: YouTube - ‪Music Man Sterling 5 bass‬‏
Stingray classic: YouTube - ‪Music Man Classic StingRay 4- & 5-String Basses‬‏

 

[adouglas]

As you can see from the sig I'm a Bongoloid. I've got a Big Al 5 SSS on order and it's very different (I did get to mess with one for a few weeks, thanks to a very generous forumite -- thanks, projectapollo!). I also owned an SR5 for about ten minutes once, because it had a piezo (rare). Never played a Sterling 5.

Ergonomically, I find the Bongo and Big Al much more comfortable than the SR5. The SR5 is more "traditional" in that the body is much bigger and chunkier. As a small guy, I like compact instruments. Some have said the Bongo doesn't do well when you play sitting down, others have no problem at all. I have no issue with it and never noticed anything untoward. Quite the opposite, in fact. Very comfy at all times for me. Just goes to show that there are no absolute answers.

The Big Al isn't a "pain" to switch on the fly at all IMHO, but we don't have a sound man so that comment may have been related to the variety of tone you can get rather than the operation of the controls. There are a lot of buttons and knobs on the Big Al SSS, but they're very logical and don't give me a hard time at all. Those who are more "point and shoot" in their preferences may prefer the simpler controls of the Bongo H.

The Big Al does something that the Bongo doesn't -- passive. That's great for what I play, which includes a lot of Motown and old-school soul and R&B in addition to newer stuff. It can also get very modern and aggressive, so it's perfect for our set list. Swiss Army knife is an apt description.

The Bongo is being talked of lately as being smooth and warm, but having owed them for more than five years I think that it is certainly possible to get real agressive with it. Let me put it another way….

IT'S FREAKIN' GODZILLA IN THE FORM OF A BASS, M'KAY?

That preamp has MAJOR mojo. It's the only bass I've ever played that caused pictures to fall off the wall (no kidding). I can get much warmer tones out of the passive circuit on the Big Al.

The dual-pickup Bongos do not have a pickup in the "sweet spot." The H Bongo does. It makes a difference to the character of the tone. Dual-pickup Bongos certainly have the MM DNA all over the place, though.

The Big Al and Bongo are hugely versatile, in different ways. The Big Al doesn't quite go where the Bongo can, and vice versa. That's why I'm getting a Big Al… if it sounded just like a Bongo there would be no point other than aesthetics.

As always, you can't really go wrong. It's very much a matter of whether you prefer blondes, brunettes or redheads. All are lovely.

 

[MadMatt]

Hey everybody!

Welcome!

I also have only been playing for a few years. I would go with the SR5 since it felt and sounded perfect. You really cant go wrong with it. If your taste changes you will able to sell it easily in order to "upgrade". (Which you most likely will not do. I think the vast majority of us here own more than one EBMM ) As you have probably noticed, you cant go wrong with any of the EBMM 5'ers. I have a Fretless SR5 and a Sterling 5 and I love them both. Simply go with what your gut says.

 

[GlassBone]

OK, first I'd like to thank you all for your kind and agile answers!
Second, about what syciprider said, if he lives in socal and has to drive for hours, I live in Israel, and never have I ever seen a MM bass in ANY music store around the country.
On my last trip to the US last year I got to mess around with that SR5 I talked about earlier in a guitar store in downtown Portland. I enjoyed it alot, but I know I REALLY like the passive tone, so I started looking if they had Big Als around portland (throuth the internet, cos I just found out that Big Al had a passive option like two days ago). I'll probably try it there when I go back in a month.
About the bongo, the only problem I have with it is it's shape. I just don't like it, but if it's sound is as monstrous as you guys claim it to be, I might just get used to it's spaceship-like design.

Thanks again More replies will be awesome too!

 

[syciprider]

You'll get over the shape quick. I know BP doesn't like it when we do XX vs XX comparisons about EB products but the Bongo by far is the BEST SOUNDING bass his firm makes.

 

[strummer]

bongo

 

[TheAntMan]

BONGO!

At first the shape put me off but them my wife and I were at a GC in Hollywood and I figured 'What the Heck!'. I plugged in and played a few minutes and my wife and I looked at each other and that was IT!!! The Bongo is a beast and so sweet to play!

That being said, I think:

Try em all, and YOU decide what works best for you. Honestly you can't go wrong...

Is the best recommendation

Good Luck.

--Ant

 

[tunaman4u2]

As I play my Bongo 5, I've just figured out why its the PERFECT 5... the 4 band EQ. Why? Great control over the B string How? Volume jumps have always been my pet peeve about the low B, it jumps out in a song, like its obvious you're just excited to use it & its distracting BUT with the bongo I find that boosting my low mids & cutting my lows let me even out the low B very very nicely. This would also apply to a 5 string Big Al with the same 4 band EQ.

 

[J Romano]

I hope you can find a Bongo to try, you will be amazed!!!! Don't let the looks fool you, it doesn't take long to appreciate the different look. They definitely stand out not only in the mix but on stage!!!!!!

 

[J Romano]

Here's a Bongo on stage. Enjoy, I did!!!

YouTube - ‪YO MAMA'S BIG FAT BOOTY BAND "Don't Be Scared" - stripped down session @ the MoBoogie Loft (preview)‬‏

 

[drTStingray]

I have a Bongo and a Stingray 5 - they are very different basses and the Bongo has a broader set of tones available - but the Ray 5 also has a range of good tones available and is a great bass, just doesn't have that thunderous bottom end given by the Bongo bass control (I actually never use the boost to it's full extent though anyway) - however, you may be surprised to know that my bass with the simplest electronic set up, a Classic Stingray 4, is my go to bass.

The 2 band EQ is just great and so simple - you may like to try a Classic Stingray 5 if you get the chance - you'll be surprised how good they are, and they look fantastic with those figured necks. Quite afew people on the forum have them and you'll see quite a few pics if you do a search. Try the sound reviews on line as well. You may be able to pick up a fairly new used one for a reasonable price.