I am selling my Music Man Bongo 4HH today on CL because I am looking to upgrade to a 5 string. I know someone selling one, but it is the Bongo 5H (single pickup). Does anyone know if it is possible to add another pickup to these basses without compromising the integrity of the guitar? I really want to pick up this Bongo 5H, but feel that I would not want any regrets later being able to only work with the single pickup. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Nate.
- Thread starter BongoNate
- Start date
MrMusashi
Well-known member
if you buy the bass it is yours and you are of course free to do what you want to with it.
what i can say is that the electronics is an important part of the bongo and adding another pickup probably will require replacing it with something else..
value of the bass will also drop..
if it was me i would get an original dual pickup bass and not mess with it, but i know that for some the process is the fun part.
if you decide to have at it, please dont expect it to retain its value
ps: the bongo h got the pickup in the sweet spot (same as sr4), while the dual pickups have the bridge pickup further back.
so soundwise they will be different animals too
hth
MrM
what i can say is that the electronics is an important part of the bongo and adding another pickup probably will require replacing it with something else..
value of the bass will also drop..
if it was me i would get an original dual pickup bass and not mess with it, but i know that for some the process is the fun part.
if you decide to have at it, please dont expect it to retain its value
ps: the bongo h got the pickup in the sweet spot (same as sr4), while the dual pickups have the bridge pickup further back.
so soundwise they will be different animals too
hth
MrM
Thanks, and that makes sense. It sucks because my Bongo 4HH was like my first born child...best bass out there, but I need a 5 string and that happened to show up in a local ad and I am considering the purchase. I really like the sound of the HH and I feel like I would be downgrading if I got the singe H. Probably going to end up buy a POS Warwick instead...are you allowed to use that word here?
iamcatwarrior
Well-known member
You probably shouldn't mention competitive brands on the official forums; if the discussion drifts too far away from Music Man basses, etc., the thread may get shut down. Humorously, forumites would say "W******" or "F****r" or something similar.
I don't have a single H bongo -- rather a HH and HS -- but I'm willing to believe that the single pickup Bongo is just as much of a tone monster in its own way. See if you could negotiate with the seller to try it out before you pull your money out. Either way, you pretty much can't go wrong with any pickup configuration, but it's all about personal tastes, like anything else.
Just curious, what do/did you like best about your 4HH?
I don't have a single H bongo -- rather a HH and HS -- but I'm willing to believe that the single pickup Bongo is just as much of a tone monster in its own way. See if you could negotiate with the seller to try it out before you pull your money out. Either way, you pretty much can't go wrong with any pickup configuration, but it's all about personal tastes, like anything else.
Just curious, what do/did you like best about your 4HH?
Thanks for the reply. It sounds like I shouldn't try to mess with the configuration, which is what I initially thought, but was just curious. I have never played the single H configuration, but I was concerned that it wouldn't carry the tonal range of the HH. I am big into slap and you just could not beat the sound I was getting with my bongo 4HH out of my Ampeg Cab. For the most part, I ran the bass with the pickup knob eq'd to the middle, but played around with the other setting from time to time. I am probably going to try it out and buy it...I think it was fate that granted me the possibility to buy the 5 string on the day I sold my 4 string. Who knows, maybe I will like it more than the HH.
strummer
Enormous Member
I fail to see how any Warwick could give you the sound of a HH Bongo?
It really can't, but it was in my price range. I ended up buying the Bongo 5H today and it sounds killer... It's a little different than my Bongo 4HH, but still sounds amazing. I'm still curious though as to whether or not I can somehow add a single coil pickup to the front and upgrade the preamp equalizer.
73jbass
Well-known member
That's like buying a Ferarri and putting different engine in it. Leave it alone.
maddog
Well-known member
Yes. Not to be a smartass but if you are asking the question it may not be a wise choice. Using the idea of shoving a different engine in a Ferrari, peeps do this kind of stuff as a hobby but are setup with a full garage and some experience to be able to do it right. Otherwise, the outcome may not quite be what you expected.
five7
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2008
- Messages
- 4,296
Be nice, I sold nate the bongo today. He is not the only bass player that wanted a bongo 5 today. A fellow came by this morning from slovakia and bought an ampeg from me. I let him play the 2 bongos and my sterling and he almost bought the one Nate got later today. Nate was saved from buying an ugly war bass.
oddjob
Well-known member
Have seen the carnage first hand... local player took his Bongo HS, rerouted and put in some after market materials essentially making it a HH. The work was well done but it didn't sound like a Bongo any more (I tinkered around on it for about 10 minutes one night). It is what he wanted and he was ok with it until he tried selling it a year later. You can do what you want but beware of what you wish for.
When I got my first Bongo H I wanted to mod it... I now realize that it is the best bass I have. I thought I would miss the extra pup and the extra band on the eq... I don't. In fact, I have realized that in the case of the Bongo H (and I own 2 HHs and have owned a few HSs) less is, more often than not, more.
When I got my first Bongo H I wanted to mod it... I now realize that it is the best bass I have. I thought I would miss the extra pup and the extra band on the eq... I don't. In fact, I have realized that in the case of the Bongo H (and I own 2 HHs and have owned a few HSs) less is, more often than not, more.
strummer
Enormous Member
Well, the stort answer is "yes", of course you can. Routning for a second pick up is standard stuff for any luthier, as is gutting the bass and installing another preamp.
BUT
As you already found out, the Bongo H has an amazing voice all it's own, and that will go if you change the preamp.
Also, since EBMM don't sell aftermarket pick ups, you'd have to put another brand there, and that won't sound like a Bongo either.
And third, you will reduce the resale value to maybe half.
I think that a little eq'ing (I boost the bass maybe 10-15% on my bongo H) will keep you happy with the H, and you can enjoy the open and slightly more aggressive sound that is the H vs the HH.
Good luck
Huh...I wasn't aware they didn't sell after market pickups, that's kind of strange. Anyhow, I'm gonna keep it stock. It does sound great the way it is. It's a trade-off really. After jamming with it at practice last night I've found that I like the slap tone of the HH better, but the fingerstyle of the H has a much smoother and deeper sound to it. Bottom line - I'm loving the bass 100% and thanks to five7 for the great deal on it!
`
Yah. Y'know ... if you keep watch, a Boingo HH or HS
bargain WILL turn up, and its toadall price will not be
much more than the modding work plus parts for a
Boingenstein. If you include not just the cost of work
plus parts, but also the loss of resale value involved
in a Boingenstein, it's about a break-even deal ... and
acoarst the patiently watched-for bargain Boingo will
be a far more predictable product.
Yah. Y'know ... if you keep watch, a Boingo HH or HS
bargain WILL turn up, and its toadall price will not be
much more than the modding work plus parts for a
Boingenstein. If you include not just the cost of work
plus parts, but also the loss of resale value involved
in a Boingenstein, it's about a break-even deal ... and
acoarst the patiently watched-for bargain Boingo will
be a far more predictable product.
MrMusashi
Well-known member
+1
wait for a dual deal to show up, then you can sell your h to finance it, or perhaps even make a trade
MrM
adouglas
Well-known member
And there you go. Wise move. Listen first, then decide if it needs changing. The correct order is horse, THEN cart.
novenpeter
Active member
sorry for bumping the post, is it possible to change the H Neck pickup in HH model to a single coil with changing the pickguard?
strummer
Enormous Member
As EBMM don't sell pick ups, the short answer it "no".
