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What strings did put on your Bongo?

J

JOEinCA

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2013
Messages
101
Location
Fresno, CA USA
What strings are you rolling with on your Bongo and why? What sound were you looking for? Did you achieve what you are after? What will your next set be?

Thanks
Joe


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
flats!

thump from here to heaven :)

the bongos have this warm quality in the sound that suits flatwounds so well

next up, cobalt flats.. as soon as they start exporting them :)

MrM
 
I use the bulk nickel round wound strings from juststrings.com

I made a custom set of 40, 55, 75, 100, 130 for balanced tension. I've been using this for about a year, and the balanced tension feels great. However, lately I've been thinking the A, D, G strings do sound thinner than the B and E. So maybe I'll try normal gauges (45, 65, 80, 100, 130) again once I run out of these. Or maybe I'll compromise on the D and use a 60.

I like a semi-growly, agressive rock tone, and yes these strings (I think they are actually made by SIT) deliver for me.
 
Group III Ernie Ball flats although I'm itching to try some of the new flats that are supposed to FEEL flat and SOUND round.
 
right now regular slinkys. Next set I will try is the new cobalt flat set. Already ordered, should be here by 1. July.

Played solo, the Bongo sounds just about perfect. Percussive, aggressive, growly. In a band setting it is too "forward" in the mix right now. That's why I want to try flatwounds.
 
keko said:
EB Cobalt 5 are just fine for my Bongo.
Click to expand...

The only bass I'd trade my Bongo 5HH for is a Bongo 5H ! Mainly for slapping purposes... although I'd have to look hard at the Stingray 5H too.

Both would get slinkies!
 
Flats rule on the Bongo. I'd love to try the Cobalt flats but the ones I have on there now will never die.
 
JOEinCA said:
MrM - what flats are you playing at the moment?
Click to expand...

eb group III of course ;)

have tried a few brands. loved the TI for their low tension, hated the rotosounds for their high tension. eb is closer to the ti tension wise, but i presume you could go group II if you like high tension

MrM
 
Regular Slinkys on the single H, Sadowsky Black Label Flats on the Dargie 5HHp... I like the taperwound low B in the Sadowsky set, but I'll be putting Cobalt Flats on one or the other when I get my hands on a set.
 
I use Cobalt roundwounds on my fretted 5H. To me they're like a cross between regular slinkies and flats. They have the aggressiveness and brighter "rock" tone with rich harmonics (and then some) of the regular slinkies but they have a lot of the thump and deeper bottom end of the flats. I love those strings.

On the fretless I'm using D'Addario Chromes for now. They're alright. I preferred the higher tension of them over the TI flats. But I'm waiting on a set of the Cobalt Flats and I can't wait to see how they sound.
 
3 Bongos

Regular Slinkies on the 5HS - just to keep it normal (for a Bongo that is)

Cobalt Rounds on the HHp - Power and zing

Cobalt Flats on the Fretless - Flats on the Fretless all the way. I like the smoothness of the rounds so much I had to go with the flats. They're pretty zingy out of the box. I hear they settle down just a tad so that will go great on the butterball.
 
I didn't realize so many were using flats. I'm thinking of putting on some flats...I just know they last forever and a day so maybe i'll just start with the cobalt flats.
 
i think you have almost all bongo players that loves flats in the list so far.. lol

so if only the other bongo players would chime in, things would probably change :D

MrM
 
MrMusashi said:
i think you have almost all bongo players that
loves flats in the list so far.. ........
Click to expand...

OK I see that if I keep my mouth shut, you all
forget I exist !!!

Just kidding.

I don't even know for sure what flats are on my
4H-p FL. Whatever the previous owner put on it,
cuz flats are immortal.

I'm pretty sure I had Chromes on the fretted 5
HH. I put the original factory strings back onto
it to sell it cuz I really don't need all my fretted
5's [the SR5HS is the keeper].

Anywho, I use chromes on lotsa basses. Story
goes around, for years, that Chromes and EB
flats are the very same string. I like them cuz
they put out enuf of a range of frequencies so
you can use your EQ to bring out almost any
sound you choose, and acoarst the controls on
a Boingo HH5 include a 4-band EQ as well as a
PU blender-fader, so more is like, more, right ?

`
 
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