HS Stringray vs. HS Bongo

[VenousPlatypus]

Try the Big AL SSS if you could. It's like the Bongo evolved. I was convinced that my Bongo sounded the best among my EBs until I put flats on my AL yesterday.

Well if your talking about the bass being good with FLATS, thats not the style im getting the bass for.. thank you tho, ill still try it ^_-

 

[drTStingray]

If you want to get both anyway, I'd consider the HH for the StingRay. The neck H alone is a phantastic sound, and the H+H combined is definitely fatter than the H+S combined. If you can, try out the different models.

+1 i have both an hh bongo and an hh ray. The 5 way switch on the ray allows you to select single coils from each pick up in tandem (either inners or outers). IMO this gives tones you cant get with the pick up pan on the bongo. J bass sort of territory. But it will still do all the normal stingray sounds. Its v versatile. That said the bongo does stuff the ray cant also.

 

[VenousPlatypus]

im not looking for a muddy bassy sound, im looking for a crisp clean S and a nice bassy H. i need this to be versitile as hell because im at a performing arts school. i need to be able to play in whatever style im told XD

 

[syciprider]

Crisp, clean S = Stingray or Sterling HS IME. Very nice tone out of that neck single coil. And funky slap tones are just a lever's throw away

 

[VenousPlatypus]

so are u saying that the SR may be the way to go for the versatility i need? or just that it can go funky and be slapped like a boss?

 

[drTStingray]

i know your predicament with this. In the uk its rarely possible to try a bass in the configuration you want so you end up ordering without trying the bass. If you want to hear stingray sound samples oli has posted a thread with these and they include single boil settings. I think you will get the sounds you want out of either of your choices of bass or a stingray hh or a big al. The point about the stingray is you select the coils rather than use a pan knob so its possible to get the outer single coils together. None of the settings produce muddy bass btw and there are clean crisp sounds in an hh ray. One of the best slap sounds is with both humbuckers selected.

 

[VenousPlatypus]

thank you for telling me that ^_- but what does this mean the difference between the neck H or neck S is? >_<

 

[drTStingray]

i guess you get a little more versatility but thats traded off against the lack of a single S Selection option with the neck pick up. The neck H on its own can go from dub reggae to stanley clarke sound slap dependent on eq setting and plucking position though. I think the bongo is a bit more aggressive.

 

[VenousPlatypus]

so in short, what your saying is that SR is more versatile and bongo is more POW?

 

[syciprider]

I think that either one will serve you well. The decision comes down to do you prefer a blend or direct coil selection? Some folks have issues slapping on the dual pup models also but IME that's all a matter of technique (I slap on a Big AL SSS just fine)

 

[VenousPlatypus]

Ok. Im 90% sure im going to go with the StingRay 4 HS HoneyBurst with a Rosewood fretboard for my first bass ^_^ ill accept anything to try to change my mind, but for now (or at least until i have the money up to buy the bass) im sticking to this beauty. Thank you all for your input, and ill gladly accept more on the matter :}
-Gage

 

[adouglas]

Find a Bongo and try it.

Then decide.

It's impossible to put the experience into words.

Where in Mass are you?

 

[drTStingray]

so in short, what your saying is that SR is more versatile and bongo is more POW?

the bongo can definitely be more POW but they are both versatile. The ray allows you to mix the outer coils which the bongo doesnt. That bass you have in mind is a beauty btw. Any stingray is versatile. The HS just adds further options.

 

[oli@bass]

im not looking for a muddy bassy sound, im looking for a crisp clean S and a nice bassy H.

The term "muddy bassy sound" would never cross my mind in association with EBMM basses, regardless of the PU configuration!

But I can understand where you're coming from. I had the same fear when I first heard about the StingRay HH. And thus I first bought a StingRay HS, and thought that the HS configuration must be much cooler and "clearer" than the HH. Couldn't imagine what to do with a neck H anyway. BUT, as soon as I had a StingRay HH, that was all I'd ever play from that point on. The neck H is very well voiced, and still has enough mid range cut to be easily heard with a full band! It's throaty and fat at the same time. IMO, it's the one of the best sounds a dual PU can offer beside the classic signature bridge H sound.

i need this to be versitile as hell because im at a performing arts school. i need to be able to play in whatever style im told XD

That's in your fingers. The bass is just the tool. With proper technique and knowledge of the instrument's capabilites, you can get a sound suitable to any style out of a classic StingRay H.

The dual PU instruments allow you just to get a wider array of base sounds. A coil switching system (StingRay, Sterling, Big Al, Reflex) will allow you to access multiple different PU coil configurations, which all yield a (fundamentally) different base sound. A pickup blend will allow you to mix the two pickups however you want, but you don't have different coil settings avaialble. It's actually two base sounds that can be mixed.

I prefer (and this is really a matter of taste!) the coil switching for several reasons:

• you get (at least) 5 different base sounds, which have a fundamentally different character as if you picked up a different instrument
• the sounds are available at the flick of a switch and thus can be accessed in fractions of a second, in the middle of a song if necessary
• switching (in contrast to mixing) will always provide an identic base sound, without any guessing whether the mix pot is really at the proper position (that was something that really drove me away from mixing PUs)

Unfortunately I didn't start to record sound examples while I still had my StingRay HS, but maybe the HH example will get you an idea why I like the HH. Check these out:

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/42214-stingray-sound-examples.html

 

[VenousPlatypus]

That's in your fingers. The bass is just the tool. With proper technique and knowledge of the instrument's capabilites, you can get a sound suitable to any style out of a classic StingRay H.

The dual PU instruments allow you just to get a wider array of base sounds. A coil switching system (StingRay, Sterling, Big Al, Reflex) will allow you to access multiple different PU coil configurations, which all yield a (fundamentally) different base sound. A pickup blend will allow you to mix the two pickups however you want, but you don't have different coil settings avaialble. It's actually two base sounds that can be mixed.

I prefer (and this is really a matter of taste!) the coil switching for several reasons:

• you get (at least) 5 different base sounds, which have a fundamentally different character as if you picked up a different instrument
• the sounds are available at the flick of a switch and thus can be accessed in fractions of a second, in the middle of a song if necessary
• switching (in contrast to mixing) will always provide an identic base sound, without any guessing whether the mix pot is really at the proper position (that was something that really drove me away from mixing PUs)

Unfortunately I didn't start to record sound examples while I still had my StingRay HS, but maybe the HH example will get you an idea why I like the HH. Check these out:

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/42214-stingray-sound-examples.html

i know what you mean by the bass being a tool, and its me making the sound, but i want to be able to mimic the bass style (or sound as it may be) of the style of music im currently playing, from a nice deep jazz tone, to a clean crisp funk/slap, and all in between + more! i appreciate this though, i was at guitar center today playing a HH and a H, and the H was dissapointing to me. (well not dissapointing, just not what im currently looking for)

 

[cellkirk74]

i know what you mean by the bass being a tool, and its me making the sound, but i want to be able to mimic the bass style (or sound as it may be) of the style of music im currently playing, from a nice deep jazz tone, to a clean crisp funk/slap, and all in between + more! i appreciate this though, i was at guitar center today playing a HH and a H, and the H was dissapointing to me. (well not dissapointing, just not what im currently looking for)

Try a Big Al 5 SSS or a Reflex. Might be what you are looking for.

 

[Manfloozy]

Try a Big Al 5 SSS or a Reflex. Might be what you are looking for.

+1, the front single coils on the RX HSS or BA SSS are a smooth rich goodness in their own league. Do bridge+neck and it's slap goodness too.... Oh and they do passive too!

 

[VenousPlatypus]

+1, the front single coils on the RX HSS or BA SSS are a smooth rich goodness in their own league. Do bridge+neck and it's slap goodness too.... Oh and they do passive too!

will look into, probably wont get. now that ive seen the SR HS i want.. its hard to let it go XD

 

[Manfloozy]

will look into, probably wont get. now that ive seen the SR HS i want.. its hard to let it go XD

If you've found something that speaks to you go for it....

You can always snag a Reflex or Big Al as your second EBMM. It's only a matter of time !

 

[phatduckk]

truth is they're all good. just get the one that speaks to you and you'll be happy.

between the EQ on your bass, pickup selection, your choice of strings, your technique and the amp you can probably make any of em sound how u want