Oh my, what to choose??

[Tokkes]

Hi guys,

I kind of try to read all the posts on the forum, although I'm a guitar player in the first place. But, since I started off with playing bass guitar in a band some 12 years ago (played it for 2 years or so and then went over to playing guitar), I'm thinking about buying me a new bass guitar and since I also seem to have the GAS thing, it has to be a Music Man bass of course .

Now, I'm wondering what I should buy? My heart's been pounding for a Bongo, but I also like the looks of the SR (which is very popular here in Belgium) and the Sterling. It has to be a 4 string, that should be enough. I know that a lot of you guys have two or even three of the above mentioned models, so your advice is most welcome. One thing I was wondering, are the necks of the SR, Sterling and Bongo unfinished as with the guitars or not? I was going through the picture gallery but couldn't make it out from the pictures. Might have overlooked though

On the other hand, how do the necks of these different models compare to each other (if there's already a thread on this one, just let me know), and with comparison I'm not talking about numbers , just how they feel when playing, is there any difference, a lot, none, ...?

The only MusicMan bass guitar I tried out until now was a SUB, and not amplified

So, if you can give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,

Tom.

 

[Moondog]

Necks are only finished on the Bongo.
What type of stuff do you play? I can't
tell you what to buy - you gotta play'em
all and make your own decision. The new
2 pickup versions should make them all very
versatile. If I could only keep one of my basses,
I'd hold onto my trans-white SR4 or maybe even
the Sterling. The single pup SR4 is the finest looking
bass of all time IMO.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Tough call, I really love my lefty SR5, but I have every intention of immediately ordering a lefty Bongo as soon as I get the green light from EBMM.

I don’t think you could go wrong with any model of EBMM basses.

Good luck!

Chuck

 

[AnthonyD]

Dude, you're gonna have to hold them!

 

[Dees]

if you want a classic look that's absolutely great, get the Stingray! Although I haven't played a bongo, I can say that every MM instrument not only sounds, but also feels and plays really great!
Btw: Where n Belgium are you from? I'm from Laarne (near Gent). And it is kind of hard to find MM's around here, you only find SUB's or Stingray's. I 've seen a SR5 once, and never a sterling or bongo (every shop is afraid of buying them I suppose, afraid that they won't sell with those looks)

 

[phatduckk]

they're all great basses ...

necks: a lot of people have compared the Sterling neck to a Fender Jazz and a Stringray to a Fender P .... so that's some sort of ballpark for you.

From my limited Bongo experience id say that the Bongo neck is somewhere in between the Sterling and the Stingray. I have both of the SR4 and the Sterling and love the feel of both necks; but prefer the Sterling's neck.

personally if i liked the look of a Bongo i would consider it the ultimate bass. neck, feel, sound .. it has it all. If you like the looks then you cant lose. But since I dont like the look i hail the Sterling as my favorite EBMM bass.

But like everyone said ... go play 'em and see for yourself. you cant go wrong with any of them really

good luck

 

[Tokkes]

Dees, I'm living in Ramsel, close to Aarschot and Leuven. I work in Leuven.

Thanks for the info guys, I know I should have to hold them first (I didn't have a chance to hold my EBMM Morse first though, and this turned me into an EBMM addict in just a few months), but it's very hard to find a store here in Belgium that has the different models in stock. The store here in Leuven has four or five Stingrays and a Bongo, so I will try those out first. I just need to find a store where they have a Sterling, so I can compare the three of them. Luckily the bass guitars are more popular over here than the 6 strings, so I should be able to try 'em out.

I'll post more info on it once I've gotten the occasion to play, feel, hold, adore them.

Thanks,

Tom.

 

[AnthonyD]

For me, I knew it the minute I held the Sterling. I had been casually looking for a bass that "felt" right for a year or two, picking-up anything I got close to.

Funny, but I didn't even plug many of them in, putting down anything that felt a bit off to me.

phatduckk has done a great job giving some general guidance. You'll find specs on the Music Man site re: nut and heel width that should also be helpful.

Good luck!

 

[koogie2k]

Hi guys,

I kind of try to read all the posts on the forum, although I'm a guitar player in the first place. But, since I started off with playing bass guitar in a band some 12 years ago (played it for 2 years or so and then went over to playing guitar), I'm thinking about buying me a new bass guitar and since I also seem to have the GAS thing, it has to be a Music Man bass of course .

Now, I'm wondering what I should buy? My heart's been pounding for a Bongo, but I also like the looks of the SR (which is very popular here in Belgium) and the Sterling. It has to be a 4 string, that should be enough. I know that a lot of you guys have two or even three of the above mentioned models, so your advice is most welcome. One thing I was wondering, are the necks of the SR, Sterling and Bongo unfinished as with the guitars or not? I was going through the picture gallery but couldn't make it out from the pictures. Might have overlooked though

On the other hand, how do the necks of these different models compare to each other (if there's already a thread on this one, just let me know), and with comparison I'm not talking about numbers , just how they feel when playing, is there any difference, a lot, none, ...?

The only MusicMan bass guitar I tried out until now was a SUB, and not amplified

So, if you can give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,

Tom.

Tom, I got lucky in that my wife bought me a new "guitar" for Christmas and it turned out to be a bongo bass. Well, I was more than grateful at the thought and her trying to surprise me. I even got an amp with it.....not bad at all. God love her.

Anywho, I kept the bongo and have been playing it non stop. I really like the bass side of the house and the bongo is great. I primarily play Petrucci guitars and was worried about the feel of the bass due to the neck being wider and what not. NO problems. Fits like a glove.

To answer one question, my bongo neck is painted. Still smooth, but does not have the wood feel of say a Petrucci or Axis.

I can only vouche for the bongo because I have never played any other basses. This one was just a lucky coincidence that has paid off big time. I would recommend it, but, the bass bro's over here can tell you a ton more about the other models.