Pickup Combos

[thatsbassist]

Tell me which one and why

 

[DaddyFlip]

I like the thump near the neck rather than the twang near the bridge, so I have to go HH or HS (or HSS; you forgot that one). H is traditional MM. I suppose if they were to put the H at the neck position, I might like it. It would look cool, but nobody but me would buy it probably. Maybe one day they might try a "sweet spot" approach and do an H somewhere in between. Till that day, I'm a two pickup kinda guy. Gotta HH on the way and contemplating an HS. Good poll!

 

[bovinehost]

I say "D, all of the above" but I'm like that.

In fact, unless I'm misremembering, I think I have three HH Bongos and three Bongo single Hs. And another Bongo HS on order.

 

[DaddyFlip]

And another Bongo HS on order.

Yo, bo... what do you think that neck S on the Bongo will be like and how will it be different than the neck H? Yours going to be a 5-stringer? I'm thinking about an HS Bongo6. Thoughts?

 

[bovinehost]

Yo, bo... what do you think that neck S on the Bongo will be like and how will it be different than the neck H? Yours going to be a 5-stringer? I'm thinking about an HS Bongo6. Thoughts?

This isn't my first trip down HS lane. My most recent one was this:

Music Man Dargie Delight Bongo 5

which now belongs to Markbass99.

I like the single coil at the neck a lot more than I used to. I think I was a bit enamored of the brutal power of the HH for a while, but now that I'm certain I'll always have an HH, I've begun to appreciate the single coil's subtle hypnotic influence.

I don't explain tonal differences very well, but - to me - the single coil has this.....wider sort of thing going. The HH kills, to be sure, and I'm playing one right now, but the single coil is definitely on my list of 'must haves'.

That config on a Bongo 6 will slay dragons.

 

[spencer]

I found out this weekend the single H is better for me. I own a H/S but in a band situation I don't like the Extra pickup at all, all I find is a mid scooped sound when using sinde of the h and the single.. It's great for playing alone or if you want that jazz bass tone but in the end in a band I'd rather the H by it's self. I'm also more of a simplistic kind of guy. I'd rather take the bass and make it work than have 20 different options.

As for Looks I prefer the H but if a 2 pickup is nessisary I'd go with HS just looks better to me and the H H just looks like too much...

When I had my HH bongo I got compliments on my tone but to me it was just too much..

I just prefer working with one pickup and an eq. Just easier to me. Another reason to me I'd that yes you'll hear the difference in pickups by yourself or even jamming with a cd but in a band you'll only notice that the tone is deeper or more middy or more treble all of which you can do with a cd. You normally won't hear that dual pickup tone. Of course this is just my experience and I'm sure it depends on the band it's self.. If your band has 1 guitarist and a bassist who does something different than the guitarist you might stand out but if your just following the guitarist then it may not hear all the details other than mids bass treble boost of or lack of.

 

[Manfloozy]

I love the depth of the single coils in the neck position. Nice and smooth, deep, clear, open.... I DON'T play aggressive music... so I like the richness, character, warmth, and sonic boom of the single.... you can always dial in thump too... but to me, it really picks up the juice of the neck spot well.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

I am with Jack on that one D: all of the above but if I was to choose as a matter of life or death, I'd go for the HH aptly referred by BP as the "Monster Truck" WHY? Because I am worth it!

I also agree with DaddyFlip in the case of the 25th Anni, I am on the HSS side. WHY? Because I want to compare it to another 3 single coils bass I happen to own

 

[bovinehost]

I found out this weekend the single H is better for me. I own a H/S but in a band situation I don't like the Extra pickup at all, all I find is a mid scooped sound when using sinde of the h and the single.. It's great for playing alone or if you want that jazz bass tone but in the end in a band I'd rather the H by it's self. I'm also more of a simplistic kind of guy. I'd rather take the bass and make it work than have 20 different options.

I feel you, Spence. If things get overly complicated with my bass, I can easily lose my place, drop my drink, forget the words, fall down, break my hip, that sort of thing.

But about this 'mid-scooped' tone you're talking about? I got NO clue there; when I add some single coil to the bridge pickup, everything gets wide and deep and woozy and Salome starts dropping veils. Next thing you know, this crazy music starts playing, a little skinny guy eats some spinach and things go a little wacko after that.

Anyway, I find the blend knob perfect. Not complex at all. Of course, I'm likely to start everything with just the bridge pickup and only go turning things when I feel like really kicking up the bottom. And you know I am, at heart, a single H guy. But choices are fun. Like Angelina Jolie before she got weird or Nicole Kidman at any time at all, if you see what I mean.

When I had my HH bongo I got compliments on my tone but to me it was just too much..

Explain this "too much" concept. You lost me again!

HH: Monster Truck
H: Secret Weapon
HS: Salome Dropping Veils

Jack

 

[DaddyFlip]

That config on a Bongo 6 will slay dragons.

Uh-oh... I think I just found and named my next bass... stay tuned.

 

[bdgotoh]

I agree the HS Bongo single coil sounds truly awesome. It's so good I wish EB made an SS Bongo.

In spite of that, if you're talking any bass EB makes, the HH is the best for me. The single coils on the HS Sterling and Stingray just aren't my thing.

 

[spencer]

But about this 'mid-scooped' tone you're talking about? I got NO clue there; when I add some single coil to the bridge pickup, everything gets wide and deep and woozy and Salome starts dropping veils. Next thing you know, this crazy music starts playing, a little skinny guy eats some spinach and things go a little wacko after that.

Explain this "too much" concept. You lost me again!

HH: Monster Truck
H: Secret Weapon
HS: Salome Dropping Veils

Jack

Well I found when I forgot got my sterling h/s I loved the 4th position. One bridge coil and the single coil. However when I switch from 1st position, single H to 4th during a song I need to boost the volume ALOT, bass goes from cutting through often I need to cut out a little mids in the first position just because it stands out too much, then when switched to 4th I cannot hear myself untill a big volume boost and a mids boost. In the 5th position bridge by it's self there's an even bigger drop in volume and the tone is not my style at all! It sounds as though the neck pickup is too far away from the strings but it's set up to Ernie ball specs.

As for it being too much, it's just a mental thing, I can either play with the eq and get a good tone or i have 5 different switch poistions to choose from plus an eq, and I know this is good for other people, just not for me. As I said I more of the type of guy who if given a jazz would rather both pickups on at all time and only able to eq amp and roll off tone knob.

I understand most people aren't like this maybe it's just a phase I'm going through simple=better.

The tone blend knob on the bongo was pretty sweet but like you said at heart I'm a single H guy. Give me a bass and I can make it work with the eq rather than think should I use this pickup configuration or that one.

I think the pick using guys should love the two pickup combos, if I was a pure pick player maybe I would like the dual pickup models, you get some good alternate tones, with pick it's different in my mind, if your playing a bright punk rock kind of guy, you can get different kinds of twang from them that would definatly be heard in a band.

But a H suits me fine for fingerstyle. I can get a flea tone boost treble and dig in. I can get a smooth sound boost bass cut treble MAYBE take a squeek out of the mids or just the classic stingray sound with all flat is all I need.

 

[AnthonyD]

I say "D, all of the above" but I'm like that.

In fact, unless I'm misremembering, I think I have three HH Bongos and three Bongo single Hs. And another Bongo HS on order.

Jack - I agree, but looking at your current stable I'd suggest you need be adding a bit 'o 'p' to that 'D'...

 

[thatsbassist]

Thanks guys good info but is the H/S still good at agressive music? I mean john myung does it =)

 

[jlepre]

HH for shear versatility...

 

[Powman]

H...cause I am lazy and stupid...

 

[Jimmyb]

I voted HS, as it's the only combination that I've got...

 

[oli@bass]

I seem to keep buying HH's... however, I still think the StingRay HS has some interesting tones in there, and the Bongo HS recordings I've heard were very convincing. Also, I think it depends a lot on whether the coils are switched or mixed. Another whole different animal is the 25th HH with preamp that allows the parallel/serial switching (utmost useful option!), and naturally the HSS and the SSS on the Big Al.

@spencer: I've made similar experiences with the StingRay HS - the volume was all over the place when swiching, and I didn't feel confident with all positions. But the HH is very consistent in volume. You get 5 different sounds /characters out of the bass (of which I use 3 regularly in the band sound). And that bridge single H is still always there.

 

[Aussie Mark]

HH for shear versatility...

+1

The HH can shear the head right off of guitarists and drummers.

 

[tkarter]

The Single H is the boss of all of them.

A single H bongo 6 is capable of stopping hearts for any who aren't shielded from it.

Who needs the extra weight hanging on their shoulder when a single H is capable of all that?

imho

tk