Sterling Bongo...worth the wait?

[tauzero]

I'd forgotten just how hideous they are.

[Stub Mandrel]

"One man's Bongo is another man's G&L."

[NancyJohnson]

11 hours ago, tauzero said:

I'd forgotten just how hideous they are.

 

Perhaps it's just the way I'm wired, but when someone says they're hideous, it just makes me love them even more.

 

 

[Woodinblack]

3 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Perhaps it's just the way I'm wired, but when someone says they're hideous, it just makes me love them even more.

 

See I used to think they were hideous, and then one day it just switched. Now I have one and wouldn't be without it.

[Russ]

47 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

See I used to think they were hideous, and then one day it just switched. Now I have one and wouldn't be without it.

At one point, I had four. I sold three of them thinking I was wanting to go in a bit of a different direction, but I miss them!

 

Here's three of them. I still have the red 5-string. 

 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

 

See I used to think they were hideous, and then one day it just switched. Now I have one and wouldn't be without it.

 

Just wait until you see my Sire at the SWBB 😍

[Woodinblack]

14 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Just wait until you see my Sire at the SWBB 😍

 

Even if I could get past the hideous headstock, the string spacing is a non starter for me.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Even if I could get past the hideous headstock, the string spacing is a non starter for me.

 

19.5 is unusually wide at the bridge, but the nut is 37mm, so where you pluck it's 'precision comfort' with 'jazz ease' up the neck 😁

[Woodinblack]

22 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

19.5 is unusually wide at the bridge, but the nut is 37mm, so where you pluck it's 'precision comfort' with 'jazz ease' up the neck 😁

 

Not sure what precision comfort is - the further away from 16 it gets, the worse it gets at finding strings!

[Stub Mandrel]

15 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Not sure what precision comfort is - the further away from 16 it gets, the worse it gets at finding strings!

 

You have a diddle on my Performer then. Bareroom for a credit card between stings and a lovely headstock

 

 

[Woodinblack]

59 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

You have a diddle on my Performer then. Bareroom for a credit card between stings and a lovely headstock

I have already played it and it is testament to the fact fender could do the right thing if they wanted

 

[Duarte]

13 hours ago, Russ said:

At one point, I had four. I sold three of them thinking I was wanting to go in a bit of a different direction, but I miss them!

 

Here's three of them. I still have the red 5-string. 

 

 

 

I used to have 3 of them, I don't have any now. I was a dumb kid who needed pub money in 2010.

 

[bloke_zero]

I never wanted one before but that burnt orange one could rule my world...

[Machines]

I also had a couple (2017). Could never get on with the neck pickup being so high up though. If the pickups were closer together (eg MTD Super 5) it would have suited me better.

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Machines

[Woodinblack]

Love the orange ones here - it just works better in orange. If you are going to make a design like that, it kind of has to scream to be looked at!

[Paul S]

Sterling Bongo?  Ernie Bongo's brother?  Last I heard he was doing a 5er in Wandsworth for nicking toilet seats.

 

Hang on, wrong thread.🤨

[jd56hawk]

Sure, plenty of people think they're ugly, but I can't remember how many times I've heard people say looks are the least important thing when considering a new bass.

Other than that, I usually won't even pick up a bass and plug it in for a trial run if it doesn't catch my eye, and when it comes to Musicman basses, I think the Bongo is their best design.

Of course, there are some basses do find ugly.

 

Edited 7 hours ago by jd56hawk

[neepheid]

When they resurrect the Big Al (HHH) bass, let's talk.

[Russ]

2 hours ago, jd56hawk said:

Sure, plenty of people think they're ugly, but I can't remember how many times I've heard people say looks are the least important thing when considering a new bass.

Other than that, I usually won't even pick up a bass and plug it in for a trial run if it doesn't catch my eye, and when it comes to Musicman basses, I think the Bongo is their best design.

Of course, there are some basses do find ugly.

 

I've always found the original, through-neck Thumb to be a lovely looking beast and have done since I first saw one back in the early 90s. The bolt-on version, like in this image, is a funny looking thing though. I wonder why they couldn't exactly recreate the body shape in bolt-on form? 

Edited 5 hours ago by Russ

[Misdee]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

I've always found the original, through-neck Thumb to be a lovely looking beast and have done since I first saw one back in the early 90s. The bolt-on version, like in this image, is a funny looking thing though. I wonder why they couldn't exactly recreate the body shape in bolt-on form? 

I've wondered that too.

 

It's not because it rectifies any of the problems with the neck-thru design because both versions are very uncomfortable to play if you're used to a more conventionally-proportioned bass.

 

To play a Thumb you've got to love them, because there are so many drawbacks regarding the ergonomics. Still a great sound, though.

[Misdee]

I've got a 4HH Bongo and it's a beast of a bass. It's got a unique character that I love, and a lot of folks who criticise the looks have never seen on in the flesh. I think it's a beautiful design, and I have done since the first time I saw one at NAAM. I like basses that sound obtrusive, and the Bongo certainly fulfils that brief.

 

 It's such a great sound, especially for modern music that's sonically very dense because it cuts through so well. The dual frequency mid controls are really useful in that respect. It's also got massive bottom end that can compete with guitars, synths and electronic drums.  

 

I think the problem for EBMM with the Bongo has been that it has an unapologetically modern sound and design in an era that is preoccupied with retro and vintage-inspired gear. If that bass had come out in the mid-1980's when modernity was all the rage then they would have sold loads of them. It's a design that's ahead of its time but behind the trend, if that makes sense.

[Terry M.]

34 minutes ago, Misdee said:

 

To play a Thumb you've got to love them, because there are so many drawbacks regarding the ergonomics. Still a great sound, though.

I wouldn't be without mine. And that's a Broadneck 5 bolt-on with 20mm bridge string spacing. I don't see the ergonomics as drawbacks,just different. 

[Misdee]

32 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

I wouldn't be without mine. And that's a Broadneck 5 bolt-on with 20mm bridge string spacing. I don't see the ergonomics as drawbacks,just different. 

If you enjoy it and you can play on it okay then that's all that matters. I really like the sound and appearance of Thumb Basses but I can't play very well on them so I've never bought one. 

[Terry M.]

1 minute ago, Misdee said:

If you enjoy it and you can play on it okay then that's all that matters. I really like the sound and appearance of Thumb Basses but I can't play very well on them so I've never bought one. 

I totally understand. It was a whole new experience to me at first.

[Russ]

2 hours ago, Misdee said:

I've wondered that too.

They did do a limited edition one a couple of years back that did have the proper Thumb body shape, where the horns were the right length - they should have changed all the bolt-on Thumbs to look like this: 

 

My dream Warwick would be a Streamer set up like a Thumb, which they've done. I'd just want a sixer!

 

 

Sorry for the digression... back to Bongos now.