My Bongo Experience

[BigStrings]

I was in Rochester, NY last weekend to watch a couple of my nephew's college basketball games. I took the opportunity to visit a Guitar Center, wanting to try a Bongo and SR5, having been newly introduced to Music Man basses with the recent purchase of my "new to me" Sterling.
I got this sales kid to get me down a pretty copper colored Bongo with double humbuckers and he directed me into one of these sound proof booths and I plugged her in. I was at once both impressed and confused with the tone controls and tone variations. It sounded great, solid bottom and good crisp definition with a unique rich tone. The strings were a little high for me but I was playing it like I owned it. I asked for a strap and put it on, it's funny how it seemed to just cuddle up to me, just a great fit. It seemed to me to be a little smaller than my Sterling which surprised me. I was a little put off by the painted neck but probably because I'm used to the silky smooth neck on my Sterling. What's amazing to me, is that after having played the Bongo, my whole idea of how it looks changed from thinking "it's ugly" to "hey, that's one cool looking bass."

My SR5 experience wasn't as positive. Right away it seemed heavy to me (compared to the Bongo) and the neck was really wide, I know, 5 strings, but it was just so different. I sometimes curl my thumb over the top of the neck on some patterns and there's just no chance for that on the SR5. The open E string didn't sound like an open E to me and that one extra string had me totally disoriented, like I had to learn to play bass all over again. I know I'd get used to it but after playing 4 strings for 40 years ( I'm 57 and started playing bass at 17) I'm not sure I'd want to engage the learning curve. Could be that old saying is somewhat true, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," especially if he doesn't see the benefit in wanting to learn. Besides, how often do you get on that B string?

Anyway, the Bongo got my attention and got me thinking, that is until I got home and strapped on the Sterling. I don't think it gets any better for me than the Sterling. I would have loved to have had them both side by side to compare one to the other. I can now appreciate why some of you guys have to have one of each. That may well be in my future as well. Anyway, more Bongo research to be forthcoming!

 

[Mobay45]

It is a little tough to change from 4 to 5. There's one thing I can guarantee though, you won't use the B string if it's not there. You'ld be surprised at how much it comes into play after you get used to having it. I went from 4 to 5 to 4 and back to 5. There's definitely nothing wrong with playing a 4 but you will find that it's sure nice to have the B string to close up some of the bassline patterns you play. It's like changing from an automatic transmission to a standard. At first you have to think about every gear change but after a while it just comes naturally.

 

[MingusBASS]

I've been playing 5 for quite a while now and sometimes I find it hard to go back to 4 strings. I think it's because now that I'm used to the B string the lines and grooves that I come up with almost require it. For most tunes I could make my way with a 4 string just fine, but knowing I can get down in the basement and make some chests pound during a blues or give that song a special something, I just can't go back! It just so happens that ebmm makes some of the easiest 5 strings to play and the B sounds great to boot.

Andrew

 

[spectorbassguy]

The open E string didn't sound like an open E to me and that one extra string had me totally disoriented, like I had to learn to play bass all over again. I know I'd get used to it but after playing 4 strings for 40 years ( I'm 57 and started playing bass at 17) I'm not sure I'd want to engage the learning curve. Could be that old saying is somewhat true, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," especially if he doesn't see the benefit in wanting to learn. Besides, how often do you get on that B string?

I played 4 string for 25+ years. Then our church did a "bridge" event called Lion of Judah that would have had me tuning down to D or C on 2/3 of the songs - big hassle. So I bit the bullet and bought a 5 string. Woodshedded for about 2 1/2 days and got a pretty good handle on it.

That was 3 years ago (I'm 45) and I can't imagine going back to 4-string ever again. There is SOOOO much use for the low B! You're def not too old Big S - it just takes a committment and and a lot of woodshedding. The rewards are by far worth it - you'll be much more versatile IMHO. Oh yeah a little tip: don't judge yourself on 5 string in a music store. I was so self conscious when I tried a handful of times in different stores that I sounded absolutely like a complete noob!

Good Luck Bro!

 

[TheDirtyMoocher]

It's like changing from an automatic transmission to a standard. At first you have to think about every gear change but after a while it just comes naturally.

and using a B string when you're good at it is almost as much fun as driving a stick

 

[Bassplyr]

You guys, stop talking about how cool a 5 string is dangit! The last thing I need to do is have a desire to buy one. Plus I don't have the time to woodshed and figure out the B string issue. So, maybe we can pretend that 5 strings suck. Thanks!!

 

[bovinehost]

I played four bangers for, oh, about a hundred years.

Then, when I was too old to actually do it but too effin' dumb to know better, this would have been about 1993 or thereabouts, I got me a fiver. It's brand shall go unnamed in this here forum.

Having proven to myself that I was not quite as dumb as I look, I finally bought a REAL fiver, which is to say Heinz The Wonder Bass, around the end of 1999.

You're never too old, unless we're talking stand up bass. In which case I am.

 

[mike not fat]

I played four bangers for, oh, about a hundred years.

100 years


Oh yes, I forgott you're Lord Bongo, so that's nothing compared to eternity. With all that time, you'll be able to learn playing anu instrument

MNF

 

[radiotrib]

Apart from the deep quality of a 5 string .. have you ever tried to play with a full-on brass section who seem to think that E flat, A flat, F and B flat are natural keys to use ... One week with them and you'd soon realise how much use a 5 string is ... you can stay in the bass registers and not have to wander half-way up the neck to accommodate them.

2c

Kevin

 

[dlloyd]

Apart from the deep quality of a 5 string .. have you ever tried to play with a full-on brass section who seem to think that E flat, A flat, F and B flat are natural keys to use ... One week with them and you'd soon realise how much use a 5 string is ... you can stay in the bass registers and not have to wander half-way up the neck to accommodate them.

Call a song in B

 

[tiffles]

what is woodshedding??...im a blonde australian, what can you expect really?

 

[Mobay45]

Apart from the deep quality of a 5 string .. have you ever tried to play with a full-on brass section who seem to think that E flat, A flat, F and B flat are natural keys to use ... One week with them and you'd soon realise how much use a 5 string is ... you can stay in the bass registers and not have to wander half-way up the neck to accommodate them.

2c

Kevin

I originally switched to 5 string when I was playing in a jazz trio. It consisted of harp, bass and drums. (Yes, harp like those big ones you see at weddings and in old movies.) The harpist liked to play jazz standards in Eb a lot and it just sounded better with the 5 string.

 

[Bassplyr]

what is woodshedding??...im a blonde australian, what can you expect really?

Woodshedding is the term used for intense practicing. You never know until you ask!

 

[BigStrings]

what is woodshedding??...im a blonde australian, what can you expect really?

I actually played in a band called Woodshed about 35 years ago. Woodshedding is when you take your bass to some isolated place where it is just you and it, or him or her if you think of your bass that way. It's a place (could be an actual woodshed I suppose) where you and your bass get to know each other better and you don't come out until you both have an understanding of what is expected, one from the other.
For instance, if you just got a new gig with a band and they gave you a tape or CD of their material, you would take your bass, the new material and yourself to the woodshed and do some woodshedding.

Woodshed could also be a place that some unscrupulous bass players might try to lure and australian blond into, but I don't think that's what we're talking about here.

 

[bovinehost]

I just want to say that I like Tiffles, whose interests are "water ballet, interpretive dance, mud wrestling".

You can't beat that.

 

[Psychicpet]

you do have a point with th open "E" Big S, it does sound different on a 4 compared to a 5. I've been jonesin' to get back on a 4 for a while now just because I find that I'll approach lines differently because of 1 less string and also due to the fact that alot of my favourite players play/ed a 4string. But it is nice to hve the B there for weird keys and also for really gettin' the flares flappin'!

 

[Bassplyr]

Is it possible a 5 stringer can make you a bit lazy when playing?

 

[tkarter]

I would say more strings don't make you lazy I think they add to your style and your lines.

I can still wail on my 4 string but the mojo lines come from the SR 5. I happen to just like the feel of those 5 and more bottom never hurt a bassline period.


tk

 

[phatduckk]

ive ventured into the 5 string world for about 10 minutes at a time at local shops. every time ive felt lost.

id like to get a 5 just 'cause and hope that it'll open up some fun new stuff to play, but realistically the music im into doesnt "need" a low B (although playing at low octaves could be cool). so maybe someday .... big problem being that I'm now spolied playing EB stuff and if i did dive into the 5 string world as an "experiment" id probably get a cheapy that i'd end up hating.

 

[Mobay45]

One of our songs is in the key of B. I just love ending it with that big ol' B string for the last note.