So, after 3 and a half years since its announcement, I finally have my John Myung Bongo, and I have some thoughts:
In short, it's the best bass I've ever played. The neck is a dream to play, reminding me of a Jazz Bass neck, especially around the nut. I also have an Ibanez Gerald Veasley bass, and after playing the Bongo for a while I was surprised how wide the Ibanez was at the nut compared to the Bongo. As I explained at the start of this thread I have small fingers compared to other bass players, and this bass has been a dream come true for my right hand; For the kind of music I like to play, mostly metal/prog stuff, it has made my right hand plucking so much easier, no more wide string jumping. Physically, it's a stunning bass. The silver finish is absolutely beautiful and the quality is just top-notch all around.
Tone-wise, it's right up my alley, it's warm and punchy in the lows. After being unsatisfied for a few years trying to get a good high gain tone, I decided to go back to a warm mid-rangey tone and found the Bongo cuts through beautifully. The JM Bongo and the Two Notes ReVolt Bass Preamp pedal is a match made in Heaven. I haven't done much with the 5-way selector switch, it sounds great both pickups full blast, but I have also found full-bridge half-neck has a killer tone perfect for finger-funk bassline songs like Girls & Boys, Let's Dance and Found A Job. Very tight sounding.
When I first got it, the cobalt strings were beautifully zingy, until I discovered on my own, and then confirmed by TalkBass, that cobalt strings rust. Blargh. I haven't changed them yet, but I got a set of fresh DR Sunbeams I was planning on putting on my original stock HS 6-string Bongo, but I'll set them on the JM and we'll see how it sounds after that.
I just have one gripe with the bass, and this may be a thorny issue, the price. The original price plus tax and shipping came to about $5000 CAD. I couldn't justify myself getting another (For different tuning purposes) unless it has a pretty goddamn beautiful finish like Frost Green Mint, Barolo or Mystic Dream. I think this model would be perfect for Sterling By Musicman, but it's fun to daydream.
With the exception of that last paragraph, this is the best goddamn bass I've ever played physically and tonally. It was well worth the wait. Satisfied and no buyer's remorse.
In short, it's the best bass I've ever played. The neck is a dream to play, reminding me of a Jazz Bass neck, especially around the nut. I also have an Ibanez Gerald Veasley bass, and after playing the Bongo for a while I was surprised how wide the Ibanez was at the nut compared to the Bongo. As I explained at the start of this thread I have small fingers compared to other bass players, and this bass has been a dream come true for my right hand; For the kind of music I like to play, mostly metal/prog stuff, it has made my right hand plucking so much easier, no more wide string jumping. Physically, it's a stunning bass. The silver finish is absolutely beautiful and the quality is just top-notch all around.
Tone-wise, it's right up my alley, it's warm and punchy in the lows. After being unsatisfied for a few years trying to get a good high gain tone, I decided to go back to a warm mid-rangey tone and found the Bongo cuts through beautifully. The JM Bongo and the Two Notes ReVolt Bass Preamp pedal is a match made in Heaven. I haven't done much with the 5-way selector switch, it sounds great both pickups full blast, but I have also found full-bridge half-neck has a killer tone perfect for finger-funk bassline songs like Girls & Boys, Let's Dance and Found A Job. Very tight sounding.
When I first got it, the cobalt strings were beautifully zingy, until I discovered on my own, and then confirmed by TalkBass, that cobalt strings rust. Blargh. I haven't changed them yet, but I got a set of fresh DR Sunbeams I was planning on putting on my original stock HS 6-string Bongo, but I'll set them on the JM and we'll see how it sounds after that.
I just have one gripe with the bass, and this may be a thorny issue, the price. The original price plus tax and shipping came to about $5000 CAD. I couldn't justify myself getting another (For different tuning purposes) unless it has a pretty goddamn beautiful finish like Frost Green Mint, Barolo or Mystic Dream. I think this model would be perfect for Sterling By Musicman, but it's fun to daydream.
With the exception of that last paragraph, this is the best goddamn bass I've ever played physically and tonally. It was well worth the wait. Satisfied and no buyer's remorse.
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