Beaver Asks: Difference In H, Hh, Hs ?

[Beaver Felton]

I'd like to see some personal opinions from anyone who owns more than one MM bass with varying pickup configurations: H, HS, HH. 'Doesn't matter whether you have SR4/5's, Sterlings, or Bongo 4/5's.

Your take on the sonic difference between any two or all three of these various pickup combinations?

Maybe I'm old school but I still love my single H Sterlings and SR's. Perhaps I just haven't spent enuff time with the HS and HH.....Or, I'm just a Simpleton!

Thanx for your input / feedback.

Beaver Felton

 

[phatduckk]

here's my take....

In my opinion there's NO reason to not buy a 2 PUP SR4. there's no tradeoff - just more tones and the bass is way more versetile than the single H SR4. that's my take on it at least. I have a BUNCH of fun w/ my HH SR4.

Now the Sterlings... well, ive got 5 of those 3 single H's, an HS and an HH. Now with the Sterlings you do have a tradeoff - you're trading the parallel position for 3 new switching positions (tones). So there actually may be something to think about w/ the Sterlings. But personally I'm all about the Sterling HS.

In my opinion the Sterling HS give you a Sterling, J and P bass in one as well as a few other rad tones.

sonically, to my ears, the SR4 HH with the bridge PUP solo'd sounds exactly like a standard SR4... and the 2 PUP sterlings in position 1 or 2 sound exactly like a standard sterling's positions 1 and 2.

I dunno why - but I havent quite bonded with the Sterling HH. Actually, in a band setting i like it a lot - but at home, there's something stopping us from becoming friends. as stupid as this may sound - i think its cuz the bass is dark (saph black w/ tort). i bet if i cheer the bastard up with white perloid gaurd ill like it.

Personally I like the S at the neck of the 2 PUP Sterlings a lot. to me, solo'd its a nice and refined tone that, in my opinion, is in the neighborhood of the "p" sound, but better (to my ears) and when combined w/ the bridge pup ist awesome and "tight" whether in positions 3 or 4.

I dunno... i have one of each (well, more than that) so i dont have to choose i love em all

 

[Ole Man Blues]

IMO.....I've owned 2 Stingray's and I've played a few Sterling's and they are great Basses.

With a 18Volt on board Preamp the Bongo is in a class by itself, it really should not be compared sonicially to the Stingray or Sterling. The Bongo's tone is just too Big compare to them.

I have recently purchased a 4HH Bongo and I have never played anything like it. It continues to blow me away every time I play it in our Worship Team setting......

it's just a Beast to behold..........it will take me months to explore all the tones that exist within.

Ole Man (Bongo) Blues

 

[midopa]

I have a SR H, SR HS, and a Bongo HH. I like the later two the most cuz of their neck pickups. Most of time I've got the pickup selector or pickup pan is set to favor the neck pickups. Love that thick ballsy MM neck pickup tone! On the Bongo, I add in some bridge pickup. It really rounds out the tone and makes it sound a lot fuller.

 

[maddog]

with all them EBMM's you got in stock, I'd love to hear your take on them.

I'll take a slight exception with Ole Man Blues. The singleH Bongo has a similar tone to SR's. The preamp plays into it but having that humbucker in the sweet spot still gives it a flavor of it's relatives. The HH and HS bongos are a whole 'nuther beast tho'.

The Bongo HH and HS are nice but didn't give me the sound I wanted. The bridge pickup is further towards the bridge and I couldn't find a blend that gave me that particular "grind" an SR4 has. The singleH bongo does that and then some.

Comparing the Bongo HH and HS, if I bought one, I'd buy both. The HH just has this nice big fat sound. The HS gives you the option of going with a clean and lean sound. And when I say lean I don't mean in the lower octaves. Just that is puts out the minimum tonewise and nothing more.

For me, simpler is better. Give me one pick up and a couple knobs and I'll move my right hand around to where I need it. So I go with the singleH 3-band.

as BP says, "Buy them all."

 

[SLUGGO]

Beaver...wuzzup?

I have an SR SUB4, SR4 HH, SR5 H, and the 30th SR4. I have to exclude the passive SUB and the 30th out of the equation. The 30th is simply a beast above it all, it is not fair to compare it to a "std" SR4. That said, I have not heard an appreciable diffrence between the 5 position on the HH and an H config. I have talked to others saying that the HH doesn't growl as much, I disagree. The HH can be mean and then smooth with a flick of a switch. Given a choice and money being equal, I recommend the HH.

But there is something very "old school" cool about the SR4H!

BTW....I am starting to get Bongo GAS, so I will come to see you and Mike when I need to cure my ailment!

 

[TSanders]

Beaver, heres my take on the different Bongo pickup configs:


http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/11747-bongo-pickup-config.html
(maybe a mod should make this thread a sticky after all, or put it in the FAQs.)

 

[maddog]

that Bongo4HS came from Bass Central. That G&G case gives it away.

 

[tsarter]

Other's have spoken here that have far more experience with EBs than I, but I did deal with this question recently.

A few weeks ago I bough my DD HH Bongo from you Beaver. Great bass, but I found the dual humbuckers lacking in clarity. I disconnected one of the coils on the front pick up so I now have it wired as an HS. Much better to my ears. When I want a nice clear, concise tone I use the front single coil. Blending it with the rear humbucker fattens things up nicely and soloing the bridge humbucker gives a nice bite. I could not be more pleased and would not hesitate to buy an HS configuration.

 

[bovinehost]

I bought that one from you guys, Beaver, back when Gard was still there.
I got it in November of 2003 - an "early" Bongo, heh.

To me, the Bongo HH is the Swiss Army knife of the bass world. There is nothing this bass cannot do. (The one in the photo put down an uprising in eastern Europe, makes a delicious orange sauce and had an unsung part in helping the Spurs win tonight against Utah.) I've used it for blues, rockabilly, polka....okay, I'm making up the polka thing. It is fat, fat, fat, and even though the bridge pickup is not in the 'traditional' sweet-spot, all I do is dial in a little neck pickup and watch women and children cower in fear and amazement.

I'm a wheeler-dealer and even good basses come and go regularly around here, but this one came and stayed and that's that. It ain't going nowhere. Hard to believe I've had it for almost four years.

I have a Bongo HS, too, a fiver. Maybe the best pure player of all my basses - something about the setup, maybe. I accidentally got it just right. It's more polite than the HH, but can still open up a can of whoop-ass if you dig in (and use a tube amp).

Having said all that, my go-to bass for the last year or more has been a Bongo single H fiver. There really IS something to this single humbucker cult. I'm not playing in your average cover band where I have to worry about copping a P bass tone here and a J bass tone there and a Stingray and so on (I wouldn't do that anyway) - I get a good sound and go with it all night. For this, the single H is superb. I don't feel like I give up a thing, and that pickup is in the PERFECT spot.

I'm sure none of that helped at all.

I have a HH Stingray 5, too, and I love the versatility of the electronics, but I bought my 20th Stingray 5 with just the one humbucker.

Of course, I only know about four, maybe five notes, so there's that, too.

Jack

 

[slucas]

I only know about four, maybe five notes

So now I see why you don't play polkas, you are over qualified

I have to agree with phatty on the Stingray and Sterling comments. As far as a single H Bongo I have never played one. But on the comments of certain folks around here I ordered me a blue dawn with that setup. Probably about 2 months out but I am really anxious to get it and to know first hand what Bongo H goodness really is.

 

[Big Poppa]

Beaver they are all good as you know. I am an old school guy and still wish you would lock your self in a room with a bongo...maybe start with the single h and then try the single h with the piezo so you get the four band preamp....

I prefer the sterling in the hs and the stingray in the hh...Havent gigged with either of them as I havent been able to play much

 

[newtley]

Between my Sterling HS (flats) and SR4 (45-100 Slinkys) I can cover most every situation that I don't use my upright on.
I regularly use all 5 positions on the Sterling but use the neck singly somewhat more than the others. Whenever I miss the Sterling's parallel H sound the SR4's alnico really gets it going.
I do have to admit to some curiousity about what an alnico Sterling HS would sound like..

 

[1Echo]

For me, I like the tonal variety offered by the HH on Stingrays thanks to the 5-way switch. However, on Bongo where the pickups are blended the HS speaks to me in a way no other can. I played the HH and H versions of the Bongo extensively and yet everytime I picked up an HS I felt like I had my sound. Haven't tried any of the piezo configurations yet but I'm thinking a fretless Bongo Hp may be in my future.

 

[thunder]

i feel in love with signle h of a stingray. i've played those for fifteens years. the new stuff is great but, when i play gigs, i grab my s h stingray. change is hard for me.

 

[Musicman Nut]

I'd like to see some personal opinions from anyone who owns more than one MM bass with varying pickup configurations: H, HS, HH. 'Doesn't matter whether you have SR4/5's, Sterlings, or Bongo 4/5's.

Your take on the sonic difference between any two or all three of these various pickup combinations?

Maybe I'm old school but I still love my single H Sterlings and SR's. Perhaps I just haven't spent enuff time with the HS and HH.....Or, I'm just a Simpleton!

Thanx for your input / feedback.

Beaver Felton

Well dual Pickup Sterlings DO NOT WORK FOR ME because there is no Paraell setting, So Single H Sterlings Only in my Camp.
Dual Stingrays are ok if I can find them under 10 pounds.
Dual Bongos ROCK.
Haven't tried a single bongo yet.
DJ

 

[RitchieDarling]

I love my Sterling H from DuBaldo's.

But, I also love my Sterling HH in the full on all four coils position.

Same with my Bongo HH.

But that single H edges them all out.

So, I have to say Sterling H all the way!

Ritchie

 

[Moondog]

SR4HS = more clarity & refined . . articulate
SR4HH = more thunder, whoop, & whoosh
SR4H = more simplicity
SR4HP = more bangclack and stickiness

I likey the simple one best (love the solo'd bridge H)
The thunderous HH running close tho!

 

[Beaver Felton]

Beaver Says "wowwwwwww" !

Hey, THANX to all who've already responded and to those who will subsequently do so!

As I suspected, the feedback/opinions run the gamut, with descriptions and preferences of pu configs all over the map. If I was a customer getting ready to buy one, I'd be sufferring from severe Option Anxiety.....Actually, just deciding which ones to take home with me to try out, I AM sufferring from OA!

While at the store, as a rule, I don't have time to play basses, so I'll probably take BP's suggestion and spend time with a few diff. pickup configs at home.....

One of the ONLY things I've ever missed with my single pickup SRs and Sterlings has been that "Rear-pickup-near-the-bridge-Jaco-midrange-thing". Although the Sterling body and neck are my favorites, the Bongo dual pickup locations and 4-EQ are very appealing.
*Interestingly, the REAR pickup of the Bongos IS closer to the bridge than on the dual pickup SR or Sterling, providing more of the previously-mentioned tonal variations.

So, Big Poppa, at the risk of opening a Big Can Of Worms, how about a Sterling with dual pickups located the same as on the Bongo AND with the 4-EQ?

Thanx to all,
BF

 

[Beaver Felton]

Yes!

SR4HS = more clarity & refined . . articulate
SR4HH = more thunder, whoop, & whoosh
SR4H = more simplicity
SR4HP = more bangclack and stickiness

I likey the simple one best (love the solo'd bridge H)
The thunderous HH running close tho!

I love your simplicity!