picture request - Bongo pickup heights

[shakinbacon]

For those with a Bongo 5HH or 4HH, could you please post some pics showing pickup heights (preferrably with a factory setup)?

When I set my bass up per the FAQ, the neck pickup looks like its screw/thumbrest areas sink below the top of the pickguard. I wanted to get a visual to see if I'm doing this right. The neck pickup is considerably lower in volume but I have to admit it sounds better with the pickups blended than if the neck is as loud as the bridge pickup.

Sorry I don't have a pic to share at the moment on this.


Thanks,
shakinbacon

 

[Grand Wazoo]

For those with a Bongo 5HH or 4HH, could you please post some pics showing pickup heights (preferrably with a factory setup)?

When I set my bass up per the FAQ, the neck pickup looks like its screw/thumbrest areas sink below the top of the pickguard. I wanted to get a visual to see if I'm doing this right. The neck pickup is considerably lower in volume but I have to admit it sounds better with the pickups blended than if the neck is as loud as the bridge pickup.

Sorry I don't have a pic to share at the moment on this.


Thanks,
shakinbacon

Ok here is mine as per factory setup, I've never made any adjustement to the height, and it's flippin' purrfect for me (Thanks BP for the great instrument set up your factory does!)

 

[shakinbacon]

Thanks GrandWazoo. It actually makes the neck pickup look higher than my setup. I'll try to take a shot tonight.

Could you take a shot as if you were looking down while playing to see a side shot?

I know I'm pushing my luck but I thought I'd try.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Will do this weekend when I am off this darn ship!

 

[Busterkilrain]

Hey Shakinbacon,
Give The Perfect Bass website a check. They have nice closeup pictures of their instruments. I did a similar "eyeballing" setup when I purchased a used Bongo awhile back. Hope this helps,
Brent

The Perfect Bass - bass guitars, amps and accessories for every player!

 

[Jef]

Mine is still factory setup too.
Hope it helps !

 

[shakinbacon]

Mine is still factory setup too.
Hope it helps !

Very helpful. Looks like I need to get my neck pickup higher

It appears that the pickup height with respect to the pickguard is almost the same between the pickups.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong with the FAQ setup, but I'm not getting this with the standard 8/32" for the neck pu to B/G string and 6/32" for the bridge pu to B/G string

 

[shakinbacon]

Hey Shakinbacon,
Give The Perfect Bass website a check. They have nice closeup pictures of their instruments. I did a similar "eyeballing" setup when I purchased a used Bongo awhile back. Hope this helps,
Brent

The Perfect Bass - bass guitars, amps and accessories for every player!

Great site Busterkilrain. Very nice pics

My setup looks like what I'm seeing on this website. The neck pickup's screws are slightly below the pickgruard

 

[mynan]

This picture thing is kinda funny... We're talking about 32nds of an inch and going to eyeball it from pics on the internet... Do your self a favor. You can get one of these at Home Depot for about $3....

https://www.grainger.com/1/1/287992-general-300-1-flexible-steel-rule-6-sae-decimal.html

 

[shakinbacon]

This picture thing is kinda funny... We're talking about 32nds of an inch and going to eyeball it from pics on the internet... Do your self a favor. You can get one of these at Home Depot for about $3....

https://www.grainger.com/1/1/287992-general-300-1-flexible-steel-rule-6-sae-decimal.html

Good point mynan. I have been using a ruler - but I'll spend the shillings on a guage.

I'm just trying to eyeball if my method is following the FAQ correctly because
1) the relative volumes of the pickups is quite different
2) it appears my neck pickup is visably lower than the bridge. Although it looks commensurate with the Perfect Bass pics.

 

[bizmarckie]

The neck pickup is lower than the bridge, as I recall, to compensate for higher fret playing (guys, correct me if I'm wrong). In other words, press the low B at around the 20th fret and you should see the distance between the string and the neck pickup almost match the distance between the string and the bridge pickup. Also, you're pickups might sit lower/ higher than another bass's due to your action being set lower/higher.
And exhale...

 

[shakinbacon]

The neck pickup is lower than the bridge, as I recall, to compensate for higher fret playing (guys, correct me if I'm wrong). In other words, press the low B at around the 20th fret and you should see the distance between the string and the neck pickup almost match the distance between the string and the bridge pickup. Also, you're pickups might sit lower/ higher than another bass's due to your action being set lower/higher.
And exhale...

haaaaaaaaaaaaa you busted me on my obsessive compulsive bassness

You have all excellent points, and I did notice the playing up high volume issues. I hadn't heard the 20th fret technique. Is this the actual approach or is this just an example.

 

[bizmarckie]

Just example, it's (again, as far as I know) the reason for the lower height of the neck pickup. For example, if you raised the neck pickup to match the height of the bridge pickup, every time you play up past, maybe, the 12th fret, the string would suddenly be a lot closer to the neck pickup (closer than it should be) and it would probably get noisy or something.

 

[mynan]

Good point mynan. I have been using a ruler - but I'll spend the shillings on a guage.

I'm just trying to eyeball if my method is following the FAQ correctly because
1) the relative volumes of the pickups is quite different
2) it appears my neck pickup is visably lower than the bridge. Although it looks commensurate with the Perfect Bass pics.

The neck pickup should be lower...8/32 from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string, whereas the bridge pickup should be set at 6/32...according to the FAQ.

Last line in the link below:

could-you-tell-me-music-mans-stingray-factory-settings-for-relief-string-height-and-pickup-height | music-man-basses | faq

 

[shakinbacon]

The neck pickup should be lower...8/32 from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string, whereas the bridge pickup should be set at 6/32...according to the FAQ.

Last line in the link below:

could-you-tell-me-music-mans-stingray-factory-settings-for-relief-string-height-and-pickup-height | music-man-basses | faq

yeah, I tried my best to follow those instructions... but I used a ruler.

 

[shakinbacon]

The neck pickup should be lower...8/32 from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string, whereas the bridge pickup should be set at 6/32...according to the FAQ.

Last line in the link below:

could-you-tell-me-music-mans-stingray-factory-settings-for-relief-string-height-and-pickup-height | music-man-basses | faq

yeah, I tried my best to follow those instructions... but I used a ruler.

Here's the results:

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Here you go shakingbacon, I used a ruler as a guide in the first two pics, but you can get the idea with the rest of them...

 

[shakinbacon]

Thanks Grand Wazoo

Excellent pics.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong but you can see my heights are definitely different than yours.

I notice that if I measure with the instrument hanging on the strap I get larger readings than if it is lying down.... hmmm I wonder if this is what is going on

 

[five7]

That's what she said.

 

[shakinbacon]

FAQ measurements with instrument lying flat

or hanging off your body on a strap?

I find the neck weight (if unsupported) can skew the results by a 1/32 inch

I purchased a digital micrometer. Always like to get tools