Bongo Conundum

[Pinball]

I have a conundrum. I love Stingrays, especially early SR5's because they work great with my pedals and band. They seem to do everything that I want but I had two fretted ones and decided to sell one to free up a bit of cash. I priced it to sell and was going to but I decided to trade it for a Bongo HH. I have always wanted to play one and here was an opportunity. My reasoning being that "I can always give it a try and then sell it on".

I did the trade and sent pictures to some of the band and a M8 and get totally contrasting views. e.g. 2 people loved it with comments like "I think I love Bongo's, they are amazing" and "that's sick, I want it and I don't even play bass", while the guitarist said "Noooo that is the ugliest guitar I have ever seen" None of this bothered me as I like SR5's and I have no intention of keeping the Bongo.

Stage 1. I play tested it and my thoughts were: Wow love the sound, immense but very usable. A bit like my SR5 but there are far too many knobs (4 band/balance and volume), hmm the controls are intuitive-easy to understand and dial in. Great neck and action, feels kind of weird but still comfortable to play, nice and light.
I can't really fault it as this is a really nice bass!

Stage 2. I take it to band practise and: It sounds immense, our drummer really loves the Stingray (he says it is the first bass he has been able to hear well on stage) and he likes the Bongo even more. Our Guitarist says "I have to admit it sounds great and looks better in the flesh, I still don't like it though" . I find it a joy to play. With the controls flat it has a frightening ability to thump and cuts though. It works well with my pedals. I play most of the set with a pick but with finger style it sounded amazing. There were times with distorted guitar when everything sounded better than I can remember it sounding before. I can only describe the band sound as having a smooth creamier and more powerful quality.

What do I do now? I still don't feel that the bass is for me and I still want to free up some cash[b] but[/b] it would be silly to sell on such a lovely bit of kit without exploring the instrument further.

That is my conundrum! What should I do now? I think I like Bongos

Here it is:

[attachment=214261:IMG_20160302_202420.jpg]

[charic]

Hang on to it for a bit longer and see which you instinctively want to pick up first

[Cameronj279]

I think they look horrendous...but I still want one.

[Geddys nose]

Give it 2 weeks and see which one you pick up more after that, Me I love the look of them but not the Stingray, but I like weird looking basses anyway.

[Pinball]

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1457535125' post='2999472']
I think they look horrendous...but I still want one.
[/quote]
That about sums it up...I was perfectly happy with my Stingray and now???

Edited March 9, 2016 by Pinball

[Rumple]

I had a 5 string Bongo for a while and loved everything about it apart from the looks so I moved it on in the end, as mentioned above I'd hang on to it for a little longer before deciding to sell it.

[Pinball]

Thanks for the advice, I will hang onto it for a bit

[NancyJohnson]

I had a Bongo 5HH in burnt orange. It was like a piece of art, played fantastically. Part of me wishes I still had it, but I had a Thunderbird incoming and well, you know where that story goes.

Generally sounded great when a rehearsal started, but as the session wore on, I just tended to keep tweaking the actives up and up and up. In isolation at the end of the night it sounded horrific. Just pley the thing and keep your hands of the knobs. Hang onto it.
P

[Hugh971]

I say keep it, I've never played a Bongo but I actually like the weird look.


Hugh

[Pinball]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1457552300' post='2999644']
Generally sounded great when a rehearsal started, but as the session wore on, I just tended to keep tweaking the actives up and up and up. In isolation at the end of the night it sounded horrific. Just pley the thing and keep your hands of the knobs. Hang onto it.
P
[/quote]
Thanks, that is the temptation with lots of options. I have been there in the past with jazzers where I could never locate the sound I wanted-it used to drive me crazy.
The advantage here was that flat settings (everything set at the indentations) sounded spot on to begin with. In fact there was a whole lot of variation possible just by altering the balance between the pups. I did try adding a bit more treble and upper mids but I was happiest with it flat.

I just had our guitar player on the phone again saying how good everything sounded in rehearsal. That isn't just due to the bass but if must have been playing its part. I really can't let it go until I'm sure as I can't see me getting another very easily.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Pinball

[Delberthot]

Is it the EQ or the pickup configuration that you you think contributes most to the sound you like?

I don't like vast EQs either as the tendency is to keep fiddling and never being happy but there are loads of basses with this pickup configuration including Stingrays - G&L, $$ Warwicks etc are the first two that spring to mind that I have owned

[Pinball]

[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1457553315' post='2999657']
Is it the EQ or the pickup configuration that you you think contributes most to the sound you like?

I don't like vast EQs either as the tendency is to keep fiddling and never being happy but there are loads of basses with this pickup configuration including Stingrays - G&L, $$ Warwicks etc are the first two that spring to mind that I have owned
[/quote]
I agree I give me a good sound from the bass, that works with my pedals and I'm happy, my favourites have been a G&L SB2 ( 2 pup no tone), single pickup Stingrays and a FNA. This seems to have a more powerful than those but also a smoother/creamier characteristic.

Maybe its to do with the 18V system too? I'm always into what it sounds like with the band, as I find the sound I like when noodling at home often fails to cut it in the mix.

I used to have an Ibanez SR3005E (2 pup Bartolini custom) that I got through BC and that had an awesome live sound but I had to make sure I had the EQ set the way I wanted it. With the Bongo I can just plug in and play and it tanks through. Playing finger style with the EQ turned up can turns it into a percussion instrument if your not careful.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Pinball

[Delberthot]

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1457554219' post='2999666']


I used to have an Ibanez SR3005E (2 pup Bartolini custom) that I got through BC and that had an awesome live sound but I had to make sure I had the EQ set the way I wanted it. With the Bongo I can just plug in and play and it tanks through. Playing finger style with the EQ turned up can turn it into a percussion instrument if I'm not careful.
[/quote]

I think that the difference is that it's really difficult to get a bad sound with the MM preamp. I used to struggle with my Ibanez SR1016 and eventually sold it because I was constantly fiddling with it to try to get it to sound right to my ears

[Pinball]

[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1457555291' post='2999673']
I think that the difference is that it's really difficult to get a bad sound with the MM preamp. I used to struggle with my Ibanez SR1016 and eventually sold it because I was constantly fiddling with it to try to get it to sound right to my ears
[/quote]
You could be right, I was fine with the Ibby but with my flakey brain I would occasionally forget my favourite settings. If I had been playing ,more gigs I'm sure it would be fine. As it is MM's are that bit more user friendly.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Pinball

[fleabag]

They should be issued with a roll of Andrex , but every time i've heard one, they sound the asbo lute puppie's conkers

[Schnozzalee]

Listened to Dave La Rue play one with Joe Satriani and Johnny A.s Bassist before him and dayum there was some great tones. I love the 'Egyptian Smoke' finish you have there.

[mingsta]

Keep it. There's nothing quite like it out there.

[Pinball]

[quote name='Schnozzalee' timestamp='1457556401' post='2999690']
Listened to Dave La Rue play one with Joe Satriani and Johnny A.s Bassist before him and dayum there was some great tones. I love the 'Egyptian Smoke' finish you have there.
[/quote]

Thanks so that is the colour. I really know very little about it

[quote name='mingsta' timestamp='1457558607' post='2999721']
Keep it. There's nothing quite like it out there.
[/quote]

I may well do, I must get back to playing it rather than talking about it. Cheers all

[dub_junkie]

I've owned four Bongos at various times (4HH & 4HS & two 5HH)

Also owned a Stingray 5 at the same time as a 5HH and always felt like I'd plugged in and the tone had dropped out playing the SR5 after the Bongo's somewhat monstrous EQ.

I always preferred the ergonomics of the Stingray though and it was a nice sounding bass that sat well in no matter what I was playing. I kept the SR5 over the last Bongo I had as I preferred the simplicity of it, the way it seemed to work with everything, the unfinished neck and the balance and feel of the bass in general (getting GAS for another SR5 I think)

That said, the Bongo is a flavour worth having if you like it enough and can keep both.

I think yours could possibly be graphite pearl and not ES btw. Looks like my old bass.

[neepheid]

If you have to sell one of them - tricky. If you have time I would definitely take that time to weigh things up. You should take both to a band rehearsal and A/B them in the same sitting so you can make an informed decision.

I would say don't listen to what other people say about the looks etc. - it's not their bloody bass! Base your findings on important stuff like how it sounds, how it feels to play and how [i]you[/i] feel about the looks.

If the Bongo wins (I only mention this because it is the newcomer and the underdog), then you know what to do - keep sentiment out of it and go with the winner. Sentimentality doesn't make a bass sound or feel better, except in our heads.

[Musicman20]

I would personally keep the Bongo. They are absolutely unique. If they looked more like a metal bands type of bass, I wouldn't probably say that ( jus cannot gel with those types of instrument) but as it stands, I see it as a very unique and well designed bass. At least the headstock works with the design, unlike a lot of Fender copies by high end brands.

Yes, it looks 'odd', but it looks sleek and modern, but still retaining some of the Ray DNA. I tend to just use the low mid and treble controls to go from a more aggressive punchy tone, to a more subdued and warm tone.

[stoo]

What about getting a stingray shaped body made up to take the Bongo neck and electrics?

Should be relatively inexpensive as you've already got the expensive and/or time consuming bits already - and then if it doesn't work out you could put it back to standard to sell?

[Paul S]

'The Bongo Conumdrum' - wasn't this one of Robert Ludlum's earlier novels, just before the 7th in Bourne Trilogy?

[Grand Wazoo]

Bongo, hmmm it's definitely marmite, love it or loath it. I had one and below are my pro's and con's

[b]Pro's[/b]: Big dominating sound, lots of tone sculpting options. but at the same time with a Bongo you are armed with a UZI, if you play moderately gentle lines, you can't really get a smooth, choked tone control type of sound, it's all or nothing, good for slapping, metal and everything in your (and everyone else's) face, but this bass gives you all or nothing and very little in the way of gentle tones. It has a nice fast neck and fingerboard radius, overall weight is just right. Mine was the HHP and P stands for Piezo, which was a nice option to have, being able to dial a bit of the piezo sound here and there made it even more versatile. I heard a fretless Piezo Bongo sounding very close to an upright.
----------------------------------------------------
[b]Con's[/b]: That headstock will eventually find its way onto cymbals, back of the singer's neck, microphone stands and even your own personal space is limited by the presence of that headstock, you need plenty room around you and most pubs these days haven't got enough room for a Bongo, that's why you never see a Bongo without a heavily dented headstock.
Playing standing up ok, but sitting down uncomfortable due to the lower horn slightly reversed shape that digs into your lap, after extended periods of time this makes it uncomfortable.
I didn't like the volume blend between the two pickups, I would have preferred a switch between Neck / Both / Bridge.

[b]Conclusions:[/b] great for modern players, suitable for heavy rock / funk / slap and distortion but not really for soft and smooth players who like to put more soul into their line than power and then there's that bloody headstock and the pain of playing it sitting down.

Regardless of who likes the shape of them or not, if you choose the right colour scheme you're on to a winner the darker colours look better than the brighter ones. Mine was a Sapphire Black which was a very dark metallic blue.

[drTStingray]

I have a slightly different take on this and think the brighter colours actually suit the shape well - mine's a sort of orange metallic colour (lava pearl) 5 string, also with a piezo.

The shape makes it massively comfortable to play on a strap.

I find the bass hugely versatile and generally fills the room with very supportive bass sound. It works perfectly in the modern blues/funk/jazz setting I normally play in. I don't use mine that often but largely because I'm more comfortable on a four. So much so that im seriously thinking of ordering a 4 string Bongo in chilli red.

I wouldn't sell my Bongo as I enjoy playing it so much - it just isn't my number 1 because it has five strings. It makes a nice change from the Stingrays I normally play, as does my very very LE Sabre.

Mine has no headstock ding though Wazoo is right, indeed you're also likely to have the drummers eye out with that headstock. I always get very positive audience interest when I use it, based on the sound and looks. People ask what make it is and it the past, people have presumed it's a boutique instrument.

The only negative I've ever picked up has been on forums, from those players who seem wedded to the idea that guitars may only be made by two firms based on 1950s/60s designs. The shape is actually quite stunning in the flesh.

It's almost all positive - I'd keep it if I were you.

Edited March 11, 2016 by drTStingray