Bongo HH or single HS?

[IvanHardy]

Hey guys as i'm working towards getting my first bongo bass i'm stuck between trying to decide between an HH model or an HS model. Being i only have 2 stingray's that are both single H model's i'm trying to look for something that's a little more versatile and more powerful than my basses. I wanted some of the bongoloid's opinions on both of the models. i'm leaning towards the HS model so far as i think one hum bucker and then a single could offer me more than just 2 hum buckers.

 

[JayDawg]

I've never played an HS Bongo but I do own an HH Bongo and love it. It's a Dargies Delight II and I can't say a bad thing about the bass. Plays and sounds like a dream!

 

[pnts]

Ive only played a couple of Strummers Bongos.. I want a Bongo but it would be a H with piezo!

 

[IvanHardy]

i wish my local guitar center or any music store near me had bongo's but they don't so i'm going on a gamble here. But ever since i first saw a music man bass i wanted a Bongo and funny enough the one i saw was an HS model. I'm looking forward to having a bass with a 4band pre and i have to see for myself if the Bongo's really truly are beasts

I've never played an HS Bongo but I do own an HH Bongo and love it. It's a Dargies Delight II and I can't say a bad thing about the bass. Plays and sounds like a dream!

 

[five7]

My HH stealth 5 moves mountains.

 

[MK Bass Weed]

I have the HS. You're going to get a ton of opinion, GOOOOD Luck trying to figure what's best.

I ALWAYS run the HS with the Blend slightly 'forward'...Meaning, I get a good footprint of the Bridge Bucker, but use the Single to bring in Phat Phluffy Phullness. To me, it's a Ric on Steroids...which is what I like.

Again...good luck, not that we can't help, but you'll just want both!

Cheers,
MK

 

[bassmonkeee]

I'm with Mr Bass Weed. And, I tend to run my HSp with the blend about 60/40 Single/Humbucker.

Good stuff.

 

[Golem]

Ive only played a couple of Strummers Bongos..
I want a Bongo but it would be a H with piezo!

Just in case you've applied "StingRay Rules" to the Boingo,
I should mention that, unlike a Sterling or SR, Boingos can
be ordered with piezo AND dual magnetic PUs. IOW, you're
not stuck with just one mag PU if you want the piezo.



`

 

[IvanHardy]

i guess eventually i would want both. It's just deciding which to go with now.

I have the HS. You're going to get a ton of opinion, GOOOOD Luck trying to figure what's best.

I ALWAYS run the HS with the Blend slightly 'forward'...Meaning, I get a good footprint of the Bridge Bucker, but use the Single to bring in Phat Phluffy Phullness. To me, it's a Ric on Steroids...which is what I like.

Again...good luck, not that we can't help, but you'll just want both!

Cheers,
MK

 

[TherealAC]

Either way you won't be disappointed! Love my HH

 

[bovinehost]

When I'm feeling the testosterone, it's the HH.

When I think, "I can actually play bass", which doesn't happen very often, it's the HS.

When I don't want to think about it, it's the H.

And all work equally well.

 

[IvanHardy]

if only i had that many bongos to make those decisions with. It's gonna take a few more weeks of researching and then i'll make my decision. Whichever i choose i know i won't look back. Thanks jack.

When I'm feeling the testosterone, it's the HH.

When I think, "I can actually play bass", which doesn't happen very often, it's the HS.

When I don't want to think about it, it's the H.

And all work equally well.

 

[BassTractor]

Maybe a lot of people wonder about the same thing. I know I do.

Can anyone describe more precisely how these neck pups sound or how they blend with the bridge H?
I _know_ I want them all, plus fretless versions of all, plus everything from 3 to 7 strings, but still recognize that I know zilch, and have no idea about what to get first.

best,
bert

 

[Golem]

`

Even tho I have a variety of MM basses, HH & HS included,
the only time I got to compare HS v HH on otherwise truly
identical MMs was in a shop, my own collection being more
jumbled, variety-wise.

Anywho, those two basses happened to be SR4s, but the
contrast between HH and HS was very plain. With all coils
cooking, the HH was just muddy compared to the HS. The
only reason I can see for preferring the HH over the HS is
if you frequently wanna solo a neck humbucker to get the
classic, Gibson-esque, "neck muddbucker" effect.

BTW, I have a non-MM HH bass that features independent
coil-splitting for each humbucker, and its best voice is the
HS config [neck H split to S]. I'm not into overly brite tone.
The "Modern" bass voice turns me off, yet I still prefer my
neck PUs in SC even tho for the bridge I almost always go
humbucker, even with basses can split the bridge H into S.

Especially running full house, 3 coils are cleaner than 4, on
various brands including MM. And again, I'm not into 'brite'.
I want deep, rich tone, but clean, not mushy or muddy. HS
seems, for me, far more reliable about delivering that.

`

 

[BassTractor]

`With all coils
cooking, the HH was just muddy compared to the HS. The
only reason I can see for preferring the HH over the HS is
if you frequently wanna solo a neck humbucker to get the
classic, Gibson-esque, "neck muddbucker" effect.
`

Thanks, Golem, for your very informative entry.
On my HH, the thing that struck me was that the neck H was _not_ a muddbucker, at least not on a Beta Aivin practice amp, and I usually have everything flat on both bass and amp.

Your post however, gave me such an overview that I'll test this neck H against the neck S's on other basses, so I can get a feel of the landscape.

Thanks again!


best,
bert

 

[pnts]

Just in case you've applied "StingRay Rules" to the Boingo,
I should mention that, unlike a Sterling or SR, Boingos can
be ordered with piezo AND dual magnetic PUs. IOW, you're
not stuck with just one mag PU if you want the piezo.
`

Thx Golem!

I would of course like to have all the tonal possibilities a HH+p would give but the front H gets in the way with me changing plucking/slapping techniques alot.. whenever trying out any basses I tend to be a bridge pickup user. My right hand moves around alot tho' to compensate for the sound/tone I think fits the music/song.

Pnts

 

[KevinM]

I have the HS and don't think you can go wrong with either choice. I ordered the LTD Honeyburst package with the HSp that the stork should be delivering in August or so.

I started a similar thread in early March but couldn't find it. I must not have searched correctly. There are also a few other similar threads from a few years ago that were very informative. If you enter the search fields right you should be able to find them. You just have to know what to look for.

Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[Golem]

.......
On my HH, the thing that struck me was that the neck H was _not_ a
muddbucker, at least not on a Beta Aivin practice amp, and I usually
have everything flat on both bass and amp.

.......

Just to trying to be more clear .... I didn't mean the neck HB is like
a Gibby muddbucker. The "full house" 4-coil tone is kinda muddy or
indistinct [unfocused?], but the twin HB PUs are twins, and no MM
HB would ever be be called a muddbucker !

BUT, if you wanna imitate the "Gibby neck muddbucker" thing, you
can solo the neck HB and EQ it pretty close to neck muddbucking
tone. OTOH, the MM neck SC simply does NOT wanna cooperate
if you happen to want the Gibby neck thing. The SC will kinda go
halfway there.

I do have a Gibby SG bass, so I know the effect first hand. The
SG is toadally passive, which might be part of the effect ....


`

 

[AnthonyD]

I've owned both the HSp and HHp Bongos during the same period, playing both out and settling on the HHp as the "keeper" for me.

If you want to consider the difference in terms of extremes, I'd say the HSp is more versatile and more "tame" while the HHp is more agressive and more "in your face". All depends on your stlye and application.

Either way you won't go wrong. And the piezo is a "must-have" for me, regardless of the magnetic config.

 

[Glen]

i wish my local guitar center or any music store near me had bongo's but they don't so i'm going on a gamble here. But ever since i first saw a music man bass i wanted a Bongo and funny enough the one i saw was an HS model. I'm looking forward to having a bass with a 4band pre and i have to see for myself if the Bongo's really truly are beasts

Believe it or not, Guitar Center finally has Bongos on order. The first of them should start showing up in stores toward the end of June...