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Recommended EQ settings for a Bongo 5HS

G

grooveguru

Active member
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
25
Well I got my Bongo 5HS and aside from a short jam session with crappy Behringer 1200 combo I haven't got to hear it. I normally use a an Eden WT800 with a D410XST but not that night. The Bongo sounded a little on the thin side even with the bass boosted. Any tips for a starting point on setting the Bongo EQ? On all my other active basses I boosted the bass & treble and cut the mids a bit. I was expecting this bass to knock my socks off but so far I'm on the fence? Help you Bongo fanatics!
 
aside from a short jam session with crappy Behringer 1200 combo
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I think you self-diagnosed the thing, really.

Apart from crappy combos, I have a Bongo HS fiver and there is no end of bottom in that bad mamma-jamma. Set everything flat....wait, first, take that Behringer out in the yard, douse with flammable liquid, light fuse, get away fast, okay, THEN set everything flat on your Bongo and plug it into your good rig.

Rolling the blend knob towards the neck pickup adds buckets of bottom.

Rolling back towards the bridge pickup will add some EBMM snarl and you MIGHT want to add some judicious amounts of bass to that setting (a little is a lot).

Once you plug it into that Eden rig, I think all doubts will disappear.

Jack
 
What Jack said.

Bongos of any pickup config need a rig that can handle the output...definitely not for the timid amp!
 
Holy cow calling the Bongo thin is like calling a sumo wrestler thin. I plugged in my Bongo 5 HS this afternoon into my Accugroove + EBS HD350 rig at home. Wowie wow, like way way way way insanely fatter than my MTD or my Fender Jazz Deluxe V. The pre-amp is crazy, even without adjusting anything it was way deeper and thunderous than almost any bass I have ever played through my rig. I couldn't imagine diming the bass control, that would be way too much. That 18v is some serious boost ability.

I think you need to try out a real rig, seriously.
 
drgroovenstein said:
Holy cow calling the Bongo thin is like calling a sumo wrestler thin. I plugged in my Bongo 5 HS this afternoon into my Accugroove + EBS HD350 rig at home. Wowie wow, like way way way way insanely fatter than my MTD or my Fender Jazz Deluxe V. The pre-amp is crazy, even without adjusting anything it was way deeper and thunderous than almost any bass I have ever played through my rig. I couldn't imagine diming the bass control, that would be way too much. That 18v is some serious boost ability.

I think you need to try out a real rig, seriously.
Click to expand...

Don't you mean "Zoiks!"...?:D
 
on more than one amp, maxing out the bass boost (on my Bongo 4) has caused clipping (starting with all the controls centred) so I'm surprised you had the problems you did - low battery/s ?

P.
 
The Eden gear is the best I've played through yet. I'm on my 3rd Eden setup. I've used GK, Fender, Acoustic, Ampeg, various pre-power rack configs and the Eden gear just works best for me! Very fat and punchy! I'm looking forward to trying it with the Bongo this weekend.
 
When I had a Bongo 5HS, my two favorite settings were:

1) pickups blended even, EQ flat (simplicity), volume turned up!

2) pickups slightly towards bridge, slight bass & low mids boost, slight high mids cut.
 
todd4ta said:
When I had a Bongo 5HS, my two favorite settings were:

1) pickups blended even, EQ flat (simplicity), volume turned up!

2) pickups slightly towards bridge, slight bass & low mids boost, slight high mids cut.
Click to expand...

There are reasons why we get along so well.

Except of course I turn the highs all the way off.
 
shamus63 said:
Don't you mean "Zoiks!"...?:D
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Oh dang, I forgot my scooby snacks this morning. It's throwing me way off..

I'm really diggin the neck pickup, it sounds very P to me for some reason.
 
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drgroovenstein said:
Oh dang, I forgot my scooby snacks this morning. It's throwing me way off..

I'm really diggin the neck pickup, it sounds very P to me for some reason.
Click to expand...

My first Bongo (you never forget your first Bongo) was the Stealth B4 with an H/Sc set-up. That single-coil p/up would get a nice, meaty tone that I really put to use on stage and in the studio.

I think Ben (Oldtoe) still has it, unless it hit the 'Bay.
 
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Still got it, James. It's doing blues duty these days, and doing it well. Meaty!
 
Oldtoe said:
Still got it, James. It's doing blues duty these days, and doing it well. Meaty!
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Ben ~ I'm glad you came around and kept it in the family...let alone put it to work!

The more time you spend getting to know the Bongo, the more you realize it can do for different types of music.

As I've mentioned before, once my new B4 H shows up, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to flip the Marcus Miller for some more Ashdown equipment.
 
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