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Question Bongo 4HH: Flea sound?

Jornan

Jornan

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
105
Location
Norway
I have a Bongo 4HH and want to do some slapping. Is it possible to get a sound simular to the sound Flea have on his SR4? Which humbuckers should I use, how should the EQ be, etc ... Could I get a sound quite like his with a Bongo 4HH and a Behringer BXL-1800?
 
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But when he says lots of bass and ots of treble...whatever you do, no NOT dime that treble.

You won't be able to get the exact sound, as flea use a stingray which has different pickups magnets, placement, body wood, preamp, everything really. Approximately though, it is possible to sound kinda like a ray.
 
Flea has used lots of different basses through his career, he sounds slightly different with all of them but he still sounds like Flea.
I'm sure he sounds like him on a HH Bongo, just practice a lot with your bass and you'll sound just as good in no time.
Bongos are very good basses for slapping IMO.
 
The bad news is, you're not going to be able to sound exactly like flea.

The good news is, well, that's the good news too.


More good news: there are a whole lot of great sounds in that bass, man, as well as a stingray-esque one much like flea. I'd suggest making your own slap sound. Maybe a midrange boost, and slap more towards the back pickup?
 
The truth is... and this is a bit of a spoiler, you could probably sound similar to an artist 70% of the cases with any instrument but never 100%

Example: you can try a thousand 7€nder Jazz fretless but you will never sound like Jaco and the reason is, Jaco sound came from his fingers, his double jointed thumbs, his posture even, and whichever was his state of mind at the time of recording. So try as you may you will never sound like Flea no matter what you use. Be content that as I've said above you can at least emulate 70% of his sound :)
 
Thanks :)

I never expected to get the same exact same sound as Flea (if I would, the first thing I would do was to buy a SR4 instead of a Bongo so I at least had the same instrument), but I only want to have the sound close to his.

Btw, what is "dime"? My English is a bit poor, but I guess it's not a coin we're talking about.
 
Jornan said:
Btw, what is "dime"? My English is a bit poor, but I guess it's not a coin we're talking about.
Click to expand...

A dime = 10 cents, so to "dime" the controls means to turn it up to 10...all the way, unless yours are special and go to 11.:D
 
OKay

I think that this guy isnt asking to aquire Jaco's touch or Fleas approach...he is asking how to set the eq on a Bongo to replicate as close as possible Fleas sound. THe single H bongo comes closest BUt with the bass boosted and mid cut and treble boosted and blend to 100% bridge will get you what you want. We designed the classic tones into that bass...while not identical...very close
 
Don't forget to play while naked so your bass can capture that "mojo". Flea really got the funk :rolleyes:
 
I'm like the anti-Flea! I say, "Hmm, what can I do to sound less like Flea?"

But I have to admit that I wouldn't mind having that kind of talent.

And an insect nickname. Tick? Millipede? Doodle bug?
 
bovinehost said:
I'm like the anti-Flea! I say, "Hmm, what can I do to sound less like Flea?"

But I have to admit that I wouldn't mind having that kind of talent.

And an insect nickname. Tick? Millipede? Doodle bug?
Click to expand...

Less like Flea.......How about this guy Jack ?

[ame="http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jvl8rs95pU"]http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jvl8rs95pU[/ame]
 
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