Buying A Bongo 5 ????

[bluesquidd]

First off, love my Stingray 5H, But the other day I played a Bongo 4HH, 'cause GC only had 4 strings in stock and I'm a 5-er, and that thing sounds killer. I really like the LOW MID knob. I didn't have to touch the High MId Knob.

My question is: Is the Bongo supposed to have it's own tone character or is the trade mark Stingray sound in there? To me, soloing the bridge pickup, it had more of a thick Jazz Bass sound. Of course being in GC, everything is loud, etc. But what is your (Bongo Players) opinions compared to the Stingray 5? The Bongo's pickups are supposed to be Neodymium magnets and the Stingray 5 is Ceramic. And I've read another thread that the pickups are wired in Parallel.

Thanks.

 

[bovinehost]

Is the Bongo supposed to have it's own tone character or is the trade mark Stingray sound in there? To me, soloing the bridge pickup, it had more of a thick Jazz Bass sound. Of course being in GC, everything is loud, etc. But what is your (Bongo Players) opinions compared to the Stingray 5?

These things are so subjective - whether or not the Bongo has the Stingray sound in it or not. I think it does. Other people, some of whom I respect, say no.

I think that there is a "family" tone in each Music Man bass. Underlying the signature Stingray, Bongo, Sterling sound is this underlying family tone. In a band setting, it's sometimes hard to tell the difference.

Just soloing the bridge pickup on an HH Bongo won't automatically give you the - let's call it - Stingray-esque tone. You'll have to EQ it, but I think you can get really close.

Jack

 

[strummer]

Edit: Imho and all that... Can't really argue with Lord Bongo

The SR5 tone isn't in the Bongo.
Lot's and lot's of other wonderful tones though, and just about the heaviest bass sound there is.

 

[bluesquidd]

I'm going to try some more out. There is a bigger selection here in the Wash. DC are at Chuck Levins. If I get one, I do want it to have its own sound. But I can hear that's it's in the MM family.

 

[fly]

just buy a Sterling man.......

 

[tkarter]

FWIW I have never been able to make my Bongo 5 H sound like my SR5. Didn't really want to either after I heard it for the first time.

tk

 

[PocketGroove82]

sidenote: 5strings naturally have a different sound because of the change in dimensions of the neck/body.

I've never played a 5er that sounded like it's 4string equivalent, and sometimes I think I can hear that someone's playing a 5string even without hearing them hit the B string. meybe i'm crazy.