OTPJ, you called?
Yes, Bongos are the best. Soundwise, incredible. They DO have character, but it's not aStingRay charactrer, it's a Bongo character. They are VERY distinctive in the way they sound (and of course look!) In pictures you may think they look a bit silly, but in person it is oh so right. The curves are quite beautiful, I sometimes find myself running my fingers along the wierd flat bits that feel so smooth, connecting the front and sides of the body in one lush sweep...to me other basses just feel and look like a fat old lump of boring wood. "Here you go, a big bit of wood" is what I imagine the manufacturers saying...The Bongo is sweet. So sweet it's unbelievable. The knobs, yeah there's a lot. But they are self explanatory...a few bands of EQ, volume, pickup pan...easy. Or piezo aswell if you have that option (like me) Vast array of wonderful, wonderful tones.
thisnameistaken...can you honestly say that Mr Sargent in this video looks 'stupid'?