Bongo H vs HH

[vcs700s]

I own a Bongo HH and love it! I have also been reading about the H model.

Can someone here give me a comparision of the sound difference between the H and HH?

If I run my HH on the bridge pickup by itself does it sound like an H? Or does the H have a different tone altogether?

 

[BobKos]

I don't know about the tone but would suspect that having the bridge pup solo'ed on your HH would be close to if not exactly the same as a single H model.

I think the significant difference between the two models would be in 'slappability'. One of the pubicly voiced complaints regarding the HH Bongo is the difficulty in slap playability due to the position of the neck PU. I'm a lousy slap player and I agree with this concern. Better slap players do not seem to have a problem with it. You own one so you can judge for yourself.

 

[Duarte]

The H bongo has the pickup in the 'sweet spot'. Different pickup placement altogether. Just ask jack.

 

[oddjob]

Pickup placement is very different (enough to make a huge difference). If you do a search it should pull up a rather huge thread discussing the issue. But here is the mini recap. The HH is rather flexible (the pan knob is your friend) - you can hit an obscene number of tones and hit them well. The H is its more aggressive neighbor (the one that tells you to $#% off when you ask them to turn the music down at 3 in the morning). It can also achieve a broad # of tones (don't let the 3band single pup fool you) but it has a slight edge to it (ok, a huge edge... if the SR has its growl - this would be the Bongo's version of it). Can you get it with the HH or HS... you can get in the neighborhood but it is rather different (the HH, bridge soloed, is much cleaner, doesn't produce some of the overtones, just doesn't have the bite).

I have had 2 other Bongos - both HH - and loved them. They are great but the H is a different breed, despite its shared parentage. BP likes the H, Dargin likes the HH. I like the H (sits better in the mix for what I'm doing), Jack likes 'em all (he is a Bongo whore ).

 

[Ole Man Blues]

I'm a Bongoloid and own the HH model. It is simply the best for what I do.

If I was a slapper I would have chosen the H model and not looked back. I don't slap at all. I can see where the 2nd pup could get in the way or be hard to used to.

I play straight bass............

OMB

 

[RobertB]

The H is its more aggressive neighbor (the one that tells you to $#% off when you ask them to turn the music down at 3 in the morning).

MORE aggressive than the HH? Wow, hard to imagine. I had not heard that. I guess I misinterpreted something in another thread, that I thought said the opposite. If the H is more aggressive ... I have GOT to try one. The HH is already a monster.

What I love about it's finger style tone, besides being huge and fat, yet articulate, is the "sticky" quality the tone has. Hard to articulate - anyone know what I'm talkin about?

 

[MingusBASS]

They're all great but the single H, although popular around these parts, is my least favorite.

It's true the single H is probably the most "aggressive" sounding and might cut through the mix the best, and it certainly gets you closer to StingRay territory, but for my style it's a little thin sounding. Frankly, I don't want to "cut through" the mix, I want to be a supportive part of the mix and if I wanted my bass to sound like a Ray, that's what I would play.

I owned the Blue Bomber(Single H 5er) that I believe is now in Jack's possession, and while it's a sweet bass, after playing my HH, I always felt like I had to EQ in the low end to match the girth of the HH. Even then, I would feel like it just didn't have the same power and sensitivity to my playing style as my HH.

In all fairness, I've had my Candy Red Bongo 5 HHp for a little over 4 years and it's pretty much seen every gig since that day. So I guess you can say I've bonded with that particular Bongo.

I honestly feel like you can't go wrong if it's an EBMM, but each of us has a different sound we prefer and the dual pickup Bongos just do it for me.

 

[bovinehost]

That's really funny, Andrew. Your take is so different from mine!

It's true the single H is probably the most "aggressive" sounding and might cut through the mix the best, and it certainly gets you closer to StingRay territory, but for my style it's a little thin sounding.

I can get aggression from my HHs, sure, but I do think the H has its own singular brand of attack. But I've never thought it was thin. In fact, on the HH, when I dial in just the bridge pickup, I've always had to kick up the bass knob a bit...I think that's the difference in pickup placement. But I've seldom touched the bass knob on the H. Always full, complete and very round tone.

BTW, I'm not arguing or saying you're wrong somehow. It's just that we all experience these things a bit differently.

I owned the Blue Bomber(Single H 5er) that I believe is now in Jack's possession, and while it's a sweet bass, after playing my HH, I always felt like I had to EQ in the low end to match the girth of the HH. Even then, I would feel like it just didn't have the same power and sensitivity to my playing style as my HH.

See? I've never had to bump the bass up on that one to get it sounding 'right'. I mentioned elsewhere that the Blue Bomber was the main bass in the studio during BassFest 08. Everyone had a shot at it in a slightly loud rock and roll setting. With all the basses (some really fancy boo-teeks, too) we had available, I figured someone would eventually change the Blue Bomber out for something fancier and more expensive.

Nope. That bass had a lot of fans that night.

I love my HH Bongos. But as I've said before, what I look for when I'm headed out the door (or in here to just play all by myself) is a single H Bongo.

Jack

 

[RobertB]

Well hell's bells. It's clear to me now that I'm not as resolved about the pup config of the Stealth Bongo 4 in my future as I thought I was. I'm going to have to spend some q.t. with a single H and see what's what (to my ears).

 

[DTG]

my slapping sucks...but its not due the HH bongo.its all me !!

I do a very small bit of slap and at first i found the HH a bit strange.But adjust your slap style and its fine,i have actually improved my slapping because i have had to be more controlled.

the Bongo HH will rock,pop,slap and everything else you may want !!

 

[mammoth]

here's my tuppence..

They're both great +1 to pretty much all that has gone before....

but seriously, to touch on the "lack of slapability" i think its more down to personal preference. Really is a comfort issue, I much prefer the single H but that's just down to me changing my hand positioning to alter the sound and after having the comparitive freedom of the single H, the physics of having another pup around is just going to be different.

i would imagine if my technique was better i wouldn't notice as much, but thats not to say I should suffer because i'm over expressive and its also not to say single H's are for dumbasses! although.... iam a dumbass

 

[oddjob]

What Jack said - when I head out the door I have an H too (wait, that is because that is all I have now). Not only do I cut through the mix, I anchor it. I have never had an issue with being too thin. Playing in a 3 piece, I have to do both (esp with a very loud thin stringer). I found myself doing far less eq'ing with the H to make it "right." But again, that is just me.

You can't go wrong with any of them and I do have moments of missing my HH (think my next one will finally be that DG HS I keep yapping about though).

 

[RobertB]

After a few days with a Bongo 5 HH, slapping/the front pup wasn't an issue. For me, it's just that I was so blown away by the tone of the HH, I'm really curious to find out how the H compares.

 

[RobertB]

No single H Bongos at GC here in the Denver area. =( Checking for other EBMM dealers in the area. Any you can tell me about, Eggman?

 

[hankSRay]

I'm partial to the HH. Its got that nice fat, warm lowend and the aggressive bite that MM basses are known for.

 

[Fretless Bill]

Color me the odd duck, while I've never owned (or even played) a Bongo H, I have owned a HH and a HS. I still have the HS so I guess that tells ya which one of the two I like the best.

 

[MingusBASS]

Color me the odd duck, while I've never owned (or even played) a Bongo H, I have owned a HH and a HS. I still have the HS so I guess that tells ya which one of the two I like the best.

You need to try a fretless Bongo HSp! They are flipp'n amazing.