Thought on Different New Bongo Pickup Config

[Manfloozy]

I was thinking the other night, which is dangerous in itself... when my thoughts turned to Bongo lust.

While thinking of Bongolicousness my mind wondered to sweetspots, phantom coils and dual single coils (a la my 25th).

When an interesting thought occurred to me.

A Bongo SHS

I have no idea if this would be possible or even desirable but it may be... So here it is.

Move the H to the sweetspot, keep the neck single coil where it is on a Bongo HS and put the phantom coil by the bridge... But instead of a phantom coil, raise it and make it a full blown single coil pup (think Big Al). The Pan pot can now instead go between the single H and the dual single coils (think Jazz bass on super human steroids... Or better yet a Big Al with bridge and neck in parallel). If we wanted to get super fancy add the pot where the piezo/mag pan would normally go and let it balance between the two single coils.

Just my crazy weird bass related thought for the year. It's kind a I want my cake and eat it too kinda thing (cake = sweetspot H, eating = single coils... All frosted with Bongo flavored icing).

What do you think?

 

[adouglas]

I think the space constraints dictated by the 24-fret neck make it impractical to move the bridge pickup to the sweet spot on the HH and HS.

Which is, I believe, why it is where it is in the first place.

 

[bdgotoh]

I've been wanting an SS Bongo for years. I did a mockup using a nice DuBaldo pic. I think you could get the SHS in there just fine.

 

[kamakazee]

I was thinking about something crazy. What if you just started at the bridge with single coils, back to back, and go all the way to the bridge. It would be like a super Big Al. You could have 8 coils or more. Think about 4 humbuckers. Or 1 humbucker and 6 singles. Or any combination of series parallel completely nuts combos.

 

[adouglas]

Well, the only way to find out is to try.

You've got a Bongo.

Get one of these and let us know how it works out for ya...

 

[Manfloozy]

Oooohhhh.... Me and power tools are NOT a good combo..... Danger Will Robinson, danger!

I get nervous changing strings and installing strap locks.... And personally have no desire for mods. But if BP or Dudley deem it worthy and produce one I'd be a happy camper.... I think. in my head the tone does things to small woodland creatures that would upset PETA.

That OR I'm just crazy and don't know what the *bleep* I'm talking about.... This is drastically more likely to be the case.

 

[syciprider]

I noticed something about BP. He doesn't go after Jazz (or P) tones which is in keeping with his vision to wean bass players away from the 50s.

 

[keko]

Manfloozy,

You are not lonely in that thinking!

I was wondering for whole range of EBMM basses something similar, but especially for Sterling and Reflex basses because of coil switching!

So, for example let's take for considering about the new Reflex, ...H at sweetspot, one single S near H forward to the neck, and one single S near H rear to the bridge (no more than 1 inch distance from H to the both singles)!
And 4 coil switching combinations, series/parallel, active/passive! 4 band EQ!

So that would be Reflex SHS, brutal finger style bass killer!

Wow!

BP, please don't kill us now!

 

[ivbenaplayin]

Hhh...

 

[MadMatt]

Ya see Matt, the B.i.g. A.l. is working... what you really want is a big al

 

[five7]

Oooohhhh.... Me and power tools are NOT a good combo..... Danger Will Robinson, danger!

I get nervous changing strings and installing strap locks.... And personally have no desire for mods. But if BP or Dudley deem it worthy and produce one I'd be a happy camper.... I think. in my head the tone does things to small woodland creatures that would upset PETA.

That OR I'm just crazy and don't know what the *bleep* I'm talking about.... This is drastically more likely to be the case.

Send it out here to denver, I have lots of power tools and I know how to use them.

 

[fly]

this could turn into a pretty cool thread i think.......


carry on crazies.........

 

[adouglas]

Y'know, speaking as someone who has in the past gone the full boo-teek route in trying to get the right tone out of a bass (rewiring, adding switches, ripping out pickups and electronics and replacing everything, etc., etc.), I've learned a valuable lesson over the years.

BP & Co. have demonstrated that they know a whole lot more than I do about this sort of thing, and no amount of research, speculation or experimentation is likely to change that. I don't bother trying to second-guess them anymore. In other words, I just keep quiet and play my bass these days.

(Doesn't stop me from repeatedly wishing out loud for certain colors, but that's different.)

Now, a bass is just a tool. An object. Nothing sacred about it, and anyone is free to do whatever they want in the quest for more, more, MORE MORE MORE MORE!!!

Sure, it can be fun to armchair quarterback, but I'd rather just leave instrument design to those who actually know what they're doing.

 

[Manfloozy]

ADouglas, let me clarify for the record that I respect, admire and never second guess EBs skilled and highly affective R&D team... Nor do I think I have any form of qualification that would even suggest that any of my ideas are even worth a second look.

BUT...

If the stars align and the infinitely small possibility that this idea is:

1) even possible
2) not thought of before
3) deemed worth testing
4) sounds good
5) BP and crew like the result

I'd rather mention it than not.

Take it for what it is a late night thought that I liked well enough to share with y'all. It felt inspired, but in no way did I think that sleep deprivation qualified me to even bring coffee to the EB design team.


I'm not worthy, but I'm also not shy

One thing is for sure, I need a Bongo!!!

 

[OldManMusic]

Matt - I thought about this just last night while I was playing my Bongo H at practice. I thought it would be nice to leave the H in the sweet spot and slip a couple of S pups in between there and the neck. But I only thought of that so I could anchor my thumb on a pup up near the neck like I do on my HS basses. Just being lazy more than really wanting a different tone.

 

[bobalu]

I was thinking about something crazy. What if you just started at the bridge with single coils, back to back, and go all the way to the bridge. It would be like a super Big Al. You could have 8 coils or more. Think about 4 humbuckers. Or 1 humbucker and 6 singles. Or any combination of series parallel completely nuts combos.

I think its been done already........

View attachment 9149

 

[mmbassplayer]

How about a Bongo 4 triplebucker? I quite like the idea...

 

[JayDawg]

How about a Bongo 4 triplebucker? I quite like the idea...

LOL! That picture made me bust out laughing. I like the idea though.

 

[mmbassplayer]

Jaydawg... I played a bass a few weeks ago with a triplebucker in it. Very smooth even sounds. Not saying there is anything wrong with a Bongo but since we were dreaming. Nice choice on a Roasted neck BTW.

Matt... Stay away from power tools!

JOSH

 

[five7]

LOL! That picture made me bust out laughing. I like the idea though.

An S on each side too.