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danny-79

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Feb 6, 2009
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Just a random thought regarding pickup configuration. It’s basically H. HS. or HH. (with added P on any, not forgetting the BA in SSS )

I’m definitely a point and shoot single H player. I’ve one HH but that’s also got a Bonus string so it’s the odd one out.

I think my question is, (I’m talking Bongo) there are a lot, the most popular being HH, lots of them about, then single H a little rarer then there’s the HS configuration that seem to be very sort after, not many of them about and they hold their value.
I’ve no personal experience with a HS unfortunately (it’s on my list!)
Any clues or opinions on the subject?
 

Mu5icM@n

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May 25, 2007
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159
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Northern VA
I personally love the HS bongo config, much more than the HH. There’s something about dual humbuckers that just sounds too nasal and there’s an odd sort of ring/glassiness/scooped sound that I hear that makes HH basses in general unpleasant to me. But that bongo HS is totally unique and amazing sounding. Listen to Dave Larue with Joe Satriani on One Robot’s Dream on Satriani Live and you’ll hear it.
 

kevins

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Feb 13, 2005
Messages
559
I think the stock pickup height on the HH is a conservative setting. Sticking the neck pickup closer could change the tone a lot, but also runs the risk of magnetic field warble! But I sort of use the pickup height as a way to balance the pickups in favor of the neck pickup

On the Sabre classic you get a neat HS setting, but it’s gonna be different cause that neck pickup is 16 poles and the HS on that is a musicman mini humbucker and a jazz pickup essentially. Does sorta sound like a pj in a weird way and you wouldn’t think it would sort out like that but it does sound a lot like a pj
 

muggsy

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Nov 19, 2004
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Alexandria, VA
I have a Bongo HSp and love it. I generally prefer the single H, point and shoot, though I had a single H Big Al and sold it to buy an SSS while they were available. My first Bongo was an HH and I sold it after a few years, but the HSp is a keeper. More usable tones IMO than the HH.
 

tbonesullivan

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Aug 24, 2012
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New Jersey
Honestly, almost all of the Stingray basses I see in the wild are single H. It's just such a great setup, and with no extra pickups to get in the way. With the EQ, you can dial in whatever you want.

I have two SR 5s, an H and and HS. The H is an Alnico version, and gets me THAT stingray sound. The three way switch changes the sound a little, but it is still THAT sound.

The 5 HS is a Ceramic version, and it gets close to THAT sound, but it can do so much more. I think it is honestly far more versatile than the HH, to my ears at least. The full H in the neck position, and the H + H is just so muddy, I don't see myself ever using it. With the HS I can get great usable sounds in all 5 positions of the selector switch.
 

wannarock8

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Oct 22, 2020
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94
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Wisconsin
The coils on the Bongo humbuckers are always wired in parallel. I wish there was an option to put them in series. On the Stingray, switching them to series wiring gets a sound a little closer to a passive bass.
 

danny-79

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Feb 6, 2009
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England U.K
I’ve been playing my Bongo 5HH almost exclusively for the last 6months or so feeling very very guilty, genuinely upset to a point that I’ve left all my Fours in the rear view mirror so to speak but that’s off topic.

It’s all the settings on the 5HH. There’s almost too much going on (for me anyways) I don’t tend to stray far from centre dent for the EQ setting, just depends on what the bass is going into, in some club venues when you don’t need an amp just a pre amp pedal/di box etc, the last gig I did, boost the bass and cut low and high mid and the gig before the setting was completely the other way around but that’s all down to the PA that I have no control over. I tune down a whole step so a high pass filter is a must whatever I’m plugging into.

But back to the pickup configuration, I take it off centre dent towards the bridge pickup. The blend pot is like a secret weapon! Roll forward to fire !
but..... if anyone has a Bongo 5H or. HS they are looking to part with in the 🇬🇧 UK let me know
Cheers.
 
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