Bongo HHp 5 1st impression & review NBD with pics

[tunaman4u2]

Musings continuing:

I've been playing around with cutting both the lows & low mids... now we are talking, thats the EBMM tone. Play with high mids & treble to taste & you have a bass that cuts. I find that the high mids and pu blend do much more with the lows & low mids cut. Great tones

Piezo? Still can't get it above 30% before it picks up too much glassy frequencies

Loving the Bongo. Smooth neck, very fast.

I want a 17.5mm 4 string in a tunafish scale skin... i kid i kid

 

[J Romano]

That blend of 70/30 (h/p) is magic..... My favorite!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tunaman4u2]

Do you get too much noise with yours? 30% is the max I can get without getting too much fret, string, moving noise

 

[adouglas]

Do you get too much noise with yours? 30% is the max I can get without getting too much fret, string, moving noise

I don't notice anything untoward and I've got two piezo Bongos.

How much is "too much?" Have you played it in a band setting? The things that stand out when you're in your bedroom usually don't make any difference at all live.

Do you dig in hard? Do you play with a pick? How's your damping technique?

Do you have any experience with piezo pickups? You may be reacting to what a piezo pickup does in a fundamental sense, rather than the piezo in the Bongo specifically.

Consider what a piezo is. You're picking up physical vibrations rather than influencing a magnetic field, so your technique has a lot to do with the result you get.

The best advice I've heard came from Jack: Twiddle the knobs until it sounds good, then stop twiddling the knobs. If 30 percent sounds good, then do that.

By the way, that's about what I use too… but not because it's the threshold of "too much" noise. I just like the way it sounds.

 

[tunaman4u2]

Thanks boss, I'll keep that all mind

 

[tunaman4u2]

More musings because they mean a hell of a lot to me!

As I play my Bongo 5, I've just figured out why its the PERFECT 5... the 4 band EQ. Why? Great control over the B string How? Volume jumps have always been my pet peeve about the low B, it jumps out in a song, like its obvious you're just excited to use it & its distracting BUT with the bongo I find that boosting my low mids & cutting my lows let me even out the low B very very nicely.

Really loving this bass. Wow. I'm not a Bongoloid maniac EBMM fanboy and I was skeptical into buying something because of all you lunatic hype guys and being disappointed but this thing is the real deal

Wow, control over the B string volume. BP, that was freakin genius. I've always hated 5 strings for the uneven volume & lousy tone but the 4 band EQ is magical with a 5 string.

 

[adouglas]

Oh, you are SO hooked. muhahahaaaa

 

[J Romano]

Ahhhh, another convert.......

 

[Golem]

Do you get too much noise with yours? 30% is the max I
can get without getting too much fret, string, moving noise

Hhmmmnnnfff.... fff.

Was giggin my Boingo 4 Hp coupla days ago. We were
outdoors so I boost the mids to get more presence and
I play mostly piezo, often 3/4 to 100% piezo. No funny
noises, no quackies, no fret buzz ... Oh yeah, fret buzz
... didn't nobody tell you ? Piezo basses oughtn't notta
HAVE no frets no ways ? Jeez, I don't even get any FL
wood buzz, cuz I don't play rat tail strings neither. The
frets on your ax are not welded in there y'know ... you
can get this fixed.

I do have a FRETTED piezo Ray, which is also free of
funny noises and not-so-funny noises. No rat tails on
there neither ... so maybe all you need is some really
piezo-appropriate strings. I don't play the Ray much
at 100% piezo ... not cuz there's any problems, but
just cuz the all-piezo tone is simply mellow, but the
50 to 60% piezo blend is absolutely magical. If I do
need to disappear into the background and just keep
easy time [like if I'm blowing the changes] I can play
100% piezo reeeeeally mellow. Gotta be the strings.

Acoarst, I tend to use a lotta damping on my basses,
cuz I'm not into sustain, and the damping [various
little scraps of textiles] tends to mellow things out a
bit ... but even without the damping I don't get any
unpleasant, or non-bass-like, effects at 100% piezo
on either of these basses. I'm so much into the piezo
voice that both basses have their mag PU's lowered
all the way [the lugs/ears are below the PG].

 

[KevinM]

spare us the fender review.. independent forums are for that...I couldnt read your review

Lol. Don't ever leave us, BP.

How much is "too much?" Have you played it in a band setting? The things that stand out when you're in your bedroom usually don't make any difference at all live.

That's been my experience with my MMs. The things put out a lot of power that I'm learning to get under control but I hear a lot more finger sliding and string twang when I'm at home practicing then I do with a full band

 

[tunaman4u2]

Appreciate all the comments guys. I can't stop playing it, I have my favorite bass (My Sterling HH) collecting dust & the P bass not even a thought.

Now that I know the EQ this is the best 5 string I've ever played & its not even close.
As for the piezo...
I bought it here off 73j with a brand new pair of really nice strings. Elixir nanowebs. I like the tone so I'm going to roll with those & keep the Piezo around 30%. I'm finding the tonal changes I want with the high mids very nicely once I boost my low mids slightly & cut my lows for an even B string.

 

[73jbass]

I may be ready to buy that one back.

 

[tunaman4u2]

J, go buy that 6 string Bongo! He not giving in? Theres a Bongo 5HH for sale in CA GC for $899.
I dunno bro, this is such a nice bass, why is it better than the rest you played?

 

[73jbass]

I have a custom 5 string that may be sold,and I'm going to put another MM 5 string back in the collection. Working on a trade for the Bongo 6 right now.

 

[adouglas]

Appreciate all the comments guys. I can't stop playing it, I have my favorite bass (My Sterling HH) collecting dust & the P bass not even a thought.

Yes, Doctor, the patient is showing the classic progression of symptoms related to Bongoloidism. He has already expressed denial -- he was heard to say "I'm not a Bongoloid maniac" -- and is proclaiming his undying devotion to what he still calls his "favorite" bass despite the fact that it is sitting in the corner, forlorn and unplayed.


It's okay, tunaman. A lot of us went through this. It's kind of like trying to let a girlfriend you just dumped down easy (I think… I've never dumped a girlfriend). I recently found an old post from the time when I got my first Bongo. I was saying similar kinds of things about my old bass… how I really liked its tone and it was my favorite and had given me lots of great memories.

Give it a year. Chances are pretty good you'll be GASing for another Bongo or two.

 

[tunaman4u2]

Adouggie- My question is how can you not have a Stingray or Sterling in your arsenal? Thats insanity and could be why you keep getting dumped This is an EBMM forum! A Stingray\Sterling is a MUST!

 

[drTStingray]

Adouggie- My question is how can you not have a Stingray or Sterling in your arsenal? Thats insanity and could be why you keep getting dumped This is an EBMM forum! A Stingray\Sterling is a MUST!

I've been wondering about this as well - however I really think he's OK with his Bongos - there's a chance he's going to go all Big Al on us soon. However - I am thankful to ADouglas and Bovinehost for turning my attention to things Bongo - they're indeed very fine instruments.

ADouglas you really should try a Classic Ray - absolutely great for R and B...............standing by for a Shakespearean reposte to Tuna and me

 

[adouglas]

standing by for a Shakespearean reposte to Tuna and me

Verily, I shall not venture into the realm of that dark and angry beast, for the lack of a fifth string doth confuse and vex me greatly.

Ah, what a piece of work is this man, to have grown but too familiar with the thunder and tempest of the low B. So much so, to be sure, that he doth attempt to play lines in places where strings and frets lie not! A crutch, a soiled bandage it may be, yet needful to this poor and wanting fool.

My liege in his wisdom hath said that real men play four strings. Too true, and tragic, for that doth make me but a mere shadow of a man. Oh! My fingers tremble! My breath grows short!

 

[tunaman4u2]

Played the Sterling HH today for the 1st time since getting the Bongo HH & I'm convinced Adouggie put a curse on it. It feels small and not sitting in the mix well. This can't be true, I've had it for so long it MUST sound better than the Bongo... its ALWAYS been my go to bass. What have you done to it ? Do NOT alter my Sterling tone to pressure me into your Bongo cult!

Low blow Adouggie

EDIT: Sterling HH tone found... middle pickup selector, lows cut, mids boosted treble neutral. Dont pull any more fast ones, your Bongo can't beat this growl son

 

[drTStingray]

Verily, I shall not venture into the realm of that dark and angry beast, for the lack of a fifth string doth confuse and vex me greatly

Sirrah....it hath been decreed by the merchant of San Luis Obospo that the dark and angry beast called the Classic StingRay may indeed have 5 strings...........and although it may have the capability of a dark and angry beast, can be tamed by gentle stroking near the joint of neck and body to purr with the most beautiful song of bass any man hath heard - including those who follow avidly the arts of historic Kings of bass from PS years (pre StingRay), messrs Jamerson, Dunn and all. Verily, Mr Douglas should try one

He'll not kill your Sterling with that Bongo ray machine, Tunaman - did you hear AD bought a Big Al while the machine was suffering from a power cut