So should I assume that it is a completely different bass? Any distintictive Music Man traits like, saying, there could be an Ibanez logo on the headstock and no one would feel weird about that?
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Bongo vs Dingwall
- Thread starter JustFunk
- Start date
So should I assume that it is a completely different bass? Any distintictive Music Man traits like, saying, there could be an Ibanez logo on the headstock and no one would feel weird about that?
Buy the Bongo from Sweetwater. If it doesn’t work out, return it and buy the Dingwall. If that doesnt work out…
Or, buy the new Dingwall and get the bongo 5H used. Happy ending.
I strongly believe the Dingwall is a good bass. But I continue to see it more limited than the Bongo, with some advantages for someone (tight B, even if it is not the only multiscale, Dark Glass preamp, even if can be a in a pedal format if needed, and a piano like tone basically that can be very versatile due to the electronics) and some disadvantages for many (very limited strings choice, fanned frets oblige to a technical adaptation and can lead to struggle with chords, narrower resale market and related resale timing affected, in comparison to a Music Man).
On the other side the Bongo would have just a B string not as tight as on a generic multiscale. I can’t see other points of weakness with this bass in comparison to, saying, an NG3. Perhaps, if the feeling won’t be good, it will be returned.
Thanks anyone for the great opinions and experiences offered. I know that my statements will divide but that’s the nature of having different tastes and perspectives. I just tried to fine tune mine with your different experiences, knowing what I like in a bass and what I don’t, what I need and what doesn’t add value to me.
I am very thankful to all of you for having spent some time to advice me for the best
On the other side the Bongo would have just a B string not as tight as on a generic multiscale. I can’t see other points of weakness with this bass in comparison to, saying, an NG3. Perhaps, if the feeling won’t be good, it will be returned.
Thanks anyone for the great opinions and experiences offered. I know that my statements will divide but that’s the nature of having different tastes and perspectives. I just tried to fine tune mine with your different experiences, knowing what I like in a bass and what I don’t, what I need and what doesn’t add value to me.
I am very thankful to all of you for having spent some time to advice me for the best
Every time this thread gets bumped into my feed I can't help but hear the title in the conga line rhythm. Bon-go ver-sus Ding-wall! Bon-go ver-sus Ding-wall!
I had 3 Dingwalls in my shed for a spell none made a permanent spot, I'm still lusting after the Super P. None of the MusicMan that made it into the shed ever left for the same reason as Dingwalls.
Love my Bongo. It's the look you want to hate but you can't and it feels fantastic to play.
Bongo HS Piezo-EBMM Sterling-StingRay NeckThrough.
Love my Bongo. It's the look you want to hate but you can't and it feels fantastic to play.
Bongo HS Piezo-EBMM Sterling-StingRay NeckThrough.
I listened to both the Bongo and the Dingwall and I preferred the Bongo based on its many tones. What's crazy is that I was talking about how versatile a Dingwall can be in another thread earlier today! But I realized tonight that the Bongo has more "power under the hood" than the Dingwall. It's making me GAS for one a little bit...
I also don't like the way fanned frets look or feel. I understand their function, but I always thought they look and feel strange!
Yeah! that's the limited edition one. They make them in both 4 string and 5 string with same configuration. I consider the HS to be the best MusicMan combination of tone and playability.
I own 3 Bongo 6’s and a 5. All are HH and wonderful to play. I have grown to love the unique shape because the Bongo basses are so comfortable to play. Superb fretwork on all of them.
They are definitely family members and you can tell when you play, but they each have their own sound.
My 2 cents, I would say Bongo all the way. I’m a stingray 5 guy and I just got my first Bongo 6 and even with the extra string it feels like coming home to an old friend.
Playing It will feel very familiar under your hands if you’re used to a Stingray but I honestly like the bongo neck even more, it’s a bit flatter and fast as hell. Stingray plays like a muscle car, Bongo play like a high performance sports car it is sooo responsive to my playing that it’s encouraged me to be even more precise with both hands. I also love that it has a 4 band EQ and so much power even with levels at noon. It has a different tambre than my alnico stingray 5 but it still does the stingray thing too.
Dingwall’s are also excellent but I would say if you are already into Ernie Ball you’ll probably LOVE the Bongo. Honestly my Stingray has gotten very little play time since I brought home the Bongo.
Either way, good luck, and congrats on the new bass!
Your description alone would have convinced me to order one right now, if I was not already just 2 days far from having it in hands!
Bongo club #284
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Woooo congrats! You’ll have to share what you think once you start playing it.
@JustFunk I only looked into this thread today, read it all, and was going to suggest the Bongo for a number of reasons, then saw your post saying you'd ordered and received it.
Congratulations, may you enjoy it a long time.
Congratulations, may you enjoy it a long time.
Arrived today. Not sure that perfection exists but this thing goes very near. First, is beautifully crafted. Wonderful balance and ergonomics, it felt immediately like an old friend. And the weight makes you to play a 5 strings like it is a 4 strings (it weights 100 g less than my MM 4 strings).
Time to turn on the beast. Wow. So much power that I needed almost an hour to learn how to control it. This thing is a weapon and with a good control can kick ass everywhere, no exception. The bass pot can’t be set at more than half or you feel shaking all around, impressive. It’s a matter of room, with a good acoustic this thing can go veeeeery low. Trebles: I don’t use much, they do their work. But it is on the middles that it is going to shine. All seem around them, where the bass and treble are going to fine tune what you do on the middles. There’s a ton to experiment with this preamp, needs time. Different story instead for the pickup balance. I found the the bridge pup is not stronger when soloed in comparison to middle position or neck position (well with the pot on the neck position maybe the bridge pup is a bit less loud. It stays thin, but sounds good, and can get powerful and punchy very easily working with bass and middles. Just, for both pups, the loudest scenario seems to be around the pot in the center position (you would say that’s normal as both pups are working). I also found pretty natural to play between the 2 pups, getting, I believe, a very similar fingering position to when playing the MM sweet-spot we know. And I find that that position with both pups on (pot in the center position) kicks the ass.
I didn’t find the setup to be perfect, I believe that intonation should be adjusted a bit, and that the action could go a bit lower, but I want to see my luthier before to judge. Tuning keys feel solid but light, very precise. Another thing that candidates this thing to be a keeper, is that I didn’t feel the slipping G I previously felt. Comparing it to my 4 strings, yes the G is definitely nearer the edge of the fretboard, bit it seems indented just enough not to make the G to slip off. In my previous MM 5, the G jumped off very very easily.
Overall, I believe that this bass is expensive, but also a buy once cry once, as it is unique. It matches a great weight with a great ergonomics, a crazy power, a thin but super comfortable neck (I am not a fan of thin necks, but this is gorgeous), a fast fretboard, and great EQ variations (played metal to funk tonight, including P-bass style ‘80s rock. This thing does them all).
I both support those who say that it is different from a Stingray, and those who say that it’s a Music Man BTW. If you are used to a MM, many and main things will be very familiar. With more power and EQ that make things more funny.
PS: the Mono soft case is huuuuge! First of all is sooo big (and with a super big front pocket). Second, it is really beautiful, the premium feeling of a hard case but in a modern and lighter format. For my needs, I would never change it for a hard case
Time to turn on the beast. Wow. So much power that I needed almost an hour to learn how to control it. This thing is a weapon and with a good control can kick ass everywhere, no exception. The bass pot can’t be set at more than half or you feel shaking all around, impressive. It’s a matter of room, with a good acoustic this thing can go veeeeery low. Trebles: I don’t use much, they do their work. But it is on the middles that it is going to shine. All seem around them, where the bass and treble are going to fine tune what you do on the middles. There’s a ton to experiment with this preamp, needs time. Different story instead for the pickup balance. I found the the bridge pup is not stronger when soloed in comparison to middle position or neck position (well with the pot on the neck position maybe the bridge pup is a bit less loud. It stays thin, but sounds good, and can get powerful and punchy very easily working with bass and middles. Just, for both pups, the loudest scenario seems to be around the pot in the center position (you would say that’s normal as both pups are working). I also found pretty natural to play between the 2 pups, getting, I believe, a very similar fingering position to when playing the MM sweet-spot we know. And I find that that position with both pups on (pot in the center position) kicks the ass.
I didn’t find the setup to be perfect, I believe that intonation should be adjusted a bit, and that the action could go a bit lower, but I want to see my luthier before to judge. Tuning keys feel solid but light, very precise. Another thing that candidates this thing to be a keeper, is that I didn’t feel the slipping G I previously felt. Comparing it to my 4 strings, yes the G is definitely nearer the edge of the fretboard, bit it seems indented just enough not to make the G to slip off. In my previous MM 5, the G jumped off very very easily.
Overall, I believe that this bass is expensive, but also a buy once cry once, as it is unique. It matches a great weight with a great ergonomics, a crazy power, a thin but super comfortable neck (I am not a fan of thin necks, but this is gorgeous), a fast fretboard, and great EQ variations (played metal to funk tonight, including P-bass style ‘80s rock. This thing does them all).
I both support those who say that it is different from a Stingray, and those who say that it’s a Music Man BTW. If you are used to a MM, many and main things will be very familiar. With more power and EQ that make things more funny.
PS: the Mono soft case is huuuuge! First of all is sooo big (and with a super big front pocket). Second, it is really beautiful, the premium feeling of a hard case but in a modern and lighter format. For my needs, I would never change it for a hard case
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Unfortunately what seemed dirty are in reality wood cut/paint defeats, or usage signs. There are either signs of usage, unacceptable on a new premium instrument like this one. Don’t know whether it’s Thomann or Music Man fault (first in case they sold me a B stock item as new, second in case they left such a bass with no quality controls to leave the Plant, depending on the real cause of the problems).
I love this bass, but it’s not a good feeling to be someone who discussed Music Man vs Dingwall, gave his trust to Music Man spending 3.2k of hardly earned money, to then find out that a 150 bucks harley benton looks better when you open the box.
I love this bass, but it’s not a good feeling to be someone who discussed Music Man vs Dingwall, gave his trust to Music Man spending 3.2k of hardly earned money, to then find out that a 150 bucks harley benton looks better when you open the box.
Yes it should be flawlesss: My Stingray Special the Fit and finish was flawless even the used 25th Anniversary I bought was also
An overwhelming majority here report the same as me with EBMM
So IME and many others EBMM would not be my suspect but anything is possible but best to contact seller and see what can be worked out
Yeah got it changed, received a very good unit this time and even though the distance balance between the B and G strings on the neck (hope you got what I mean, kind of how they are placed on the neck due to the nut placement) is very slightly less unbalanced on the B side, and so the G is slightly more towards the edge (the previous one seemed slightly unbalanced on the B side, so the B was nearer the edge of the fretboard compared to the G string which stayed more internal), doesn’t have slipping G. I noticed the G more to be more keen to slip off if I drop the G to F. So the tension really makes a difference and don’t know whether is the Bongo, the Ernie Ball strings, or the combination of both, to make a very tight tension that doesn’t leave the G to slip off (until you drop and loose tension). My previous music man had both the G nearer to the edge (definitely more than the Bongo), and no Ernie Ball strings.
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