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Bongo 2026 Collection

This might take a while...

bassmonkeee

bassmonkeee

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Joined
Apr 25, 2004
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Location
Decatur, GA
But, I can't wait to hear these monsters all set up with new strings. I'll be sure to make some sound files to compare the Cobalt rounds and flats since they will be on basses with comparable setups.

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Cool. Looking forward to hearing your impressions of the Cobalt flats. My new Big Al came to me with Cobalts but I will consider changing them out for Cobalt flats when the time comes.
 
Where did you find a set of 5 string cobalt flats? Thanks
 
I threw a set on my single H bongo and played them at practice last night - all I can say is WOW!
 
I historically hate flats with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, but the new EB flats are amazing!
 
buy one set of flats and you are set for quite some time.. ;)

i cant wait to try them too. hopefully export will commence soon

MrM
 
I finally got my set and put them on my fretless (Bongo Hp). Compared to the Chromes which I had on their previously I would say that they definitely have a deeper, more pronounced bottom end and are also brighter on the top end. When playing some open notes I can definitely hear a kind of round-wound tone there - maybe more like a slightly worn-in round-wound. The mids are still there but maybe less pronounced due to the increase in bottom and top end.

Long story short...I like the tone a lot.

However, one thing that I didn't expect to find is that they seem to be more grippy than the chromes I was using. That is, I find they have more friction when sliding my finger up an down the neck which makes it harder to do my normal vibrato as my fingers tend to grip the string more than I want. Not sure it this will change as they break in - I hope so.

That's about it.
 
I just threw a set of Cobalt flats on my Stingray SLO this past weekend and the "grippiness" is something I noticed, too. I like the tone but that "grippiness" might be a deal-breaker for me.
 
stu42 said:
However, one thing that I didn't expect to find is that they seem to be more grippy than the chromes I was using. That is, I find they have more friction when sliding my finger up an down the neck which makes it harder to do my normal vibrato as my fingers tend to grip the string more than I want. Not sure it this will change as they break in - I hope so.
Click to expand...

I've noticed that, too. I wasn't pleased with that part. I have Chromes on my Bongo, and it's much easier to slide. I haven't played the EBMM's much, but I haven't noticed any change as of yet. Maybe with more play?
 
Having used them for a couple of weeks, the stickiness has subsided for me. My problem is that they keep ripping the hair out of my forearm by the bridge. I actually have a bald spot on my arm from them. But. the tone is pretty awesome. I have a couple of recordings that I'll post soon. Really. Work has been a bitch recently.
 
The B and E feel really good. The D and G have alot of tension. I like the tone though. I put them on a 35 inch scale bass, was told they would fit. They didn't, I had to trim some of the silk back and the B is resting on the core going over the nut. I wish they were 1/4 inch longer.
 
Quick update. The grippiness is becoming more manageable now and easier to slide - still less than the Chromes but better than new. I find that in some ways it is a benefit to have a bit more grip because it's easier to hold your finger in one spot. However, I need to work harder to get my intonation right...but when you get it is awesome. I'm getting a lot more mwah sound now because of the way my fingers are interacting with the string....which is very cool. The strings are very expressive and respond well to dynamics. Plus, the full, punchy, low bass tone is killer.

Thats it for now. Definitely digging these strings.
 
muggsy said:
Cool. Looking forward to hearing your impressions of the Cobalt flats. My new Big Al came to me with Cobalts but I will consider changing them out for Cobalt flats when the time comes.
Click to expand...

In my experience, the Big Al sounds best with the factory slinkies. It makes the 4-band, pickup selection, and active passive changes very useful. I put flats on a Big Al for bit and I thought it really narrowed the variety of sounds available. I'm mostly a flats person, but that Big Al is an exception, in my opinion.
 
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