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Stingray 5 v Bongo 5

J

Johnebass

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2005
Messages
14
Location
Bristol UK
Hi All,
As a long time SR5 fan I have been turned on to the work of Dave LaRue and the exceptional sound that he gets from his Bongo and have been left wondering if I should at least look into a change.

As I cannot locate a Bongo5 locally can I ask if any of you fine people can describe the differences between the 2 basses, not just the specifications which I have looked up but the difference in the way that the two feel/sound/playability. Would probably go for the HH model so any comments about this would also be great.

J
 
S

shakinbacon

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
791
Johnebass said:
Hi All,
As a long time SR5 fan I have been turned on to the work of Dave LaRue and the exceptional sound that he gets from his Bongo and have been left wondering if I should at least look into a change.

As I cannot locate a Bongo5 locally can I ask if any of you fine people can describe the differences between the 2 basses, not just the specifications which I have looked up but the difference in the way that the two feel/sound/playability. Would probably go for the HH model so any comments about this would also be great.

J
Click to expand...

I have owned an SR5HH and now a Bongo5HHp. They are both fantastic instruments.

Differences:
1) Neck on Bongo is painted vs oil/wax on Stingray. I like both. Bongo doesn't need upkeep but the feel of the Stingray neck is great

2) Bongo has a four band 18V EQ whereas SR5 has a three band 9V. The Bongo preamp is more powerful in terms of control and headroom, but that doesn't necessarily mean its better.

3) Bongo pickup placement is different. The sound of the Bongo (it has a LOT of sounds) generally is thicker and deeper than the SR5 when both are set flat. The SR5 generally growls more. This is very subjective so others I'm sure would disagree. I think the Bongo can come closer to sounding like the SR5 than the other way around.

4) Weight of Bongo is usually a bit less. Ergonomics (imho) make for a more comfortable fit. The neck is a bit heavy on the Bongo, it doesn't balance when sitting but somehow balances well when standing.

5) Playability and feel of both are fantastic. You can get the action very low without buzzing frets. The tuning keys, bridge, trussrod and compensated nut are all the same and excellent features.

You really should try the Bongo first. Some love it, some don't. You can tell what direction I went. However, truth be told, I wish I had both.

To me, the deciding factors were the ergonomics and the tone.

Best of luck
 
DTG

DTG

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2007
Messages
1,759
Location
Ireland
Hey john,welcome to the madness ! I love my stingray 5 more than any other bass,but the tone I get from my bongo is unreal.to me,my stingray 5 feels better both in my hands and strapped on.it also looks better to me.i love the neck size,shape and string spacing.but and this is a very big but,the bongo sounds amazing st cuts through any mix like butter it will get more notice at gigs because of its looks too.i have used mine at weddings rock gigs,jazz sessions and once at a tennis game but thats another story !just be careful once you play one its hard to go back.still my sr5 is still my fav and my 25th is still my new love.dont know if that was any help :) but hang around I am sure someone close to you has one and might meet up to jam.Dave
 
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five7

five7

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
4,295
I switched from an H ray to a bongo HH and love it. Being able to blend the pickups is one of the best features. The bongo is the most comfortable bass I have ever played. The 4 band eq takes awhile to get use to but now I love it. I could be talked into buying a classic 5 though.
 
J

Johnebass

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2005
Messages
14
Location
Bristol UK
Wow, looks like I may have to get the old piggy bank out!! The look of the Bongo has never appealed to me, and the name, well BMW what can you say.... but I just seem to be hearing great things about it everywhere I go.

Thanks for your input everyone.

J
 
Manfloozy

Manfloozy

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
1,047
Location
Naples, FL
Stingrays are great, but you will be amazed at how good a Bongo feels, plays and sounds... It is scary!
 
S

shakinbacon

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
791
Johnebass said:
Wow, looks like I may have to get the old piggy bank out!! The look of the Bongo has never appealed to me, and the name, well BMW what can you say.... but I just seem to be hearing great things about it everywhere I go.

Thanks for your input everyone.

J
Click to expand...

I did NOT like the look of the Bongo when it came out. Once I saw it in person and tried it I slowly went from acceptance to love. Do yourself a favor and find one to get some hands-on experience with.
 
b-unit

b-unit

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
528
I wasn't too interested in the Bongo as my SR5 H was and still is the best bass I have ever owned or played. But my New Bongo5 H is a completely different animal yest still so familiar.

The SR5 feels more organic if that makes any sense where the Bongo feels more "hi fi". My Bongo is a bit lighter then my Ray and has a very different feel when wearing it with a strap. They both play fantastically but the Bongo feels faster to me and a tad easier to play. As they are both single pickup models. the controls are about the same.

The Bongo has a much hotter output and a bit more of a rounded tone where the SR5 is a snarly monster. They are both just stellar and choosing one over the other would be really hard.

For me, the SR5 is just so gorgeous and I love the sound it makes. I could be quite happy with the Bongo alone but love having one of each.
 
Freddels

Freddels

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 23, 2006
Messages
875
Location
Near Wistah
DTG said:
Hey john,welcome to the madness ! I love my stingray 5 more than any other bass,but the tone I get from my bongo is unreal.to me,my stingray 5 feels better both in my hands and strapped on.it also looks better to me.i love the neck size,shape and string spacing.but and this is a very big but,the bongo sounds amazing st cuts through any mix like butter it will get more notice at gigs because of its looks too.i have used mine at weddings rock gigs,jazz sessions and once at a tennis game but thats another story !just be careful once you play one its hard to go back.still my sr5 is still my fav and my 25th is still my new love.dont know if that was any help :) but hang around I am sure someone close to you has one and might meet up to jam.Dave
Click to expand...

Is the string spacing different on the SR5 than the Bongo5? I was thinking they were the same.
 
Golem

Golem

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Messages
2,273
Location
My Place
shakinbacon said:
............

3) Bongo pickup placement is different. The sound of the Bongo (it has a LOT of sounds) generally is thicker and deeper than the SR5 when both are set flat. The SR5 generally growls more. This is very subjective so others I'm sure would disagree. I think the Bongo can come closer to sounding like the SR5 than the other way around.

4) Weight of Bongo is usually a bit less. Ergonomics (imho) make for a more comfortable fit. The neck is a bit heavy on the Bongo, it doesn't balance when sitting but somehow balances well when standing.

...................
Click to expand...

Soundwise [I have multiples of both] the Boingo is smooother,
less agressive [altho waaay loud]. It's sorta kinda vaguely like
the difference between a tube amp [pushed somewhat] and a
good SS amp [running clean].

As to the sitdown balance issue, it IS a problem if you sit down
a lot [I do]. I added a strap button near the bridge [yup, right
on the face of the body ... ] which does allow the strap to help
with the sitdown balance issue.

BTW, a Boingo is not only smoooooth, but also produces VERY
little background [pre-amp] noise compared to a Ray, or most
any other bass. You could say it's "studio quiet".
 
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Golem

Golem

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Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Messages
2,273
Location
My Place
melvin7822 said:
The HHp is probably one of the most popular configurations.
I have one incoming as well and a fretless Hp.
Click to expand...

The Hp FL is miraculous. The staff at a local shop noticed
a used one entering their inventory at another branch and
they knew me too well. The moment they told me about it
I put money on it, sight unseen. Good move. Great bass.

BTW, incase anyone in 'decision mode' might be unaware
of this: The single PU on a Boingo-H is NOT in the location
of the bridge PU on a Boingo-HH. It is rather neckward of
the HH bridge PU spot, actually in the classic SR location.
 
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Stflbn

Stflbn

Active member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
40
shakinbacon said:
I did NOT like the look of the Bongo when it came out. Once I saw it in person and tried it I slowly went from acceptance to love. Do yourself a favor and find one to get some hands-on experience with.
Click to expand...

That's the way I felt about the Big Al 5. Then I played and heard one and it was over for me.
 
Golem

Golem

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Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Messages
2,273
Location
My Place
`

"Small EQ" ?

What means that ?

------------------------------

FWIW, the EQ on my Hp 4FL is the same as
the 4-band on my fretted 4 & 5-string HH's.

I read that if a Boingo-H has no piezo, then
it has a 3-band EQ .... but I've never seen
such beastie, so I can't confirm.
 
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