Music Man Stingray Special vs MM Bongo vs Sire Z7

[Farrin D]

Back again with another bass comparison video! This time with my Stingray Special vs Sire Z7 and my newly acquired MM Bongo. The Bongo might need the action raised a tad haha.

 

[Pet Sounds]

Nice job with the video! The Sire isn't bad, but I prefer the StingRay Special. The Bongo is kind of a different animal. As you said, the setup needs work, and that got in the way of me fully appreciating the sounds of the bass.

 

[Ncbsss]

+1 for the Stingray

 

[Farrin D]

Nice job with the video! The Sire isn't bad, but I prefer the StingRay Special. The Bongo is kind of a different animal. As you said, the setup needs work, and that got in the way of me fully appreciating the sounds of the bass.

I agree! Overall I like the Stingray special the best, feel and sound wise. It just feels right to me haha. Thanks for watching!

 

[primussucks9126]

Sire in every example for me. I don't like neck humbuckers, and the MMs have something in the high mids that stand out as clacky to me.

The Sire feels more like the Stingray sound I have in my head.

 

[blacktocomm]

I dig all 3, but the Stingray would get my vote for best sounding.

 

[Five or Six]

I like the Bongo because no one else does, and I like Bongo's anyway.

 

[cholyoke]

Sounds good! Stingray sounded great as did the Bongo. Two EBMM flavors that I enjoy. Sire was OK, but missing something.

Were the preamps all at noon or the essentially the same settings? I don't know much about the range of the Sire preamp, but my Bongo's preamp is pretty powerful.

 

[Geri O]

Stingray Special is the tried & true Stingray tone. No substitute if that’s what o b e b is b looking for.

Bongo is great tone all its own. I haven’t found a need for a Bongo, but I’ve played a couple. Very cool.

Sire. Meh, kinda like all the Sires I’ve come across.

 

[pyrat56host]

BONGO! I ignored the black hole-like tig of the BONGO for far too long, but as they say, all things in their own time. BONGO!!

 

[IronLung1986]

The Sire sounded the most like a Stingray to me!

 

[Farrin D]

Sounds good! Stingray sounded great as did the Bongo. Two EBMM flavors that I enjoy. Sire was OK, but missing something.

Were the preamps all at noon or the essentially the same settings? I don't know much about the range of the Sire preamp, but my Bongo's preamp is pretty powerful.

Great call, All the eqs were set flat except I just realized that I had the Sire in passive!! That could be what it was missing!

 

[mcnach]

From what I hear here, I'd prefer the Sire Z7. But I'd be happy with any of them.

 

[aero58]

I actually preferred the sound of the Sire - except the slap portion, where the Stingray won that one. But the Bongo? That’s got a whole different thing going on - that was a very distant third for me.

Great video! I like how you do these.

 

[Gluvhand]

I actually preferred the sound of the Sire - except the slap portion, where the Stingray won that one. But the Bongo? That’s got a whole different thing going on - that was a very distant third for me.

Great video! I like how you do these.

It does have a different thing going on. Probably shouldn't be compared to a Ray and a Ray clone.

 

[lowendrachel]

I prefer the Stingray Special.

 

[CaptainRuss]

Ignoring my Stingray bias and focusing on your visual response in the video I’d say you appear to perk up and groove more playing the Stingray. And if you’re feeling it, we’re hearing it. More headbops per second than the Sire or Bongo.

 

[crobasster]

Stingray !

 

[Farrin D]

Ignoring my Stingray bias and focusing on your visual response in the video I’d say you appear to perk up and groove more playing the Stingray. And if you’re feeling it, we’re hearing it. More headbops per second than the Sire or Bongo.

Haha that is a great observation! Out of the three, the stingray is the one I’m most comfortable with!

Edit: the even funnier thing to this is, originally I was just going to do a Sire vs Bongo comparison but changed my mind the next morning (which then I got a cold) but the head bops still came through while not feeling great!

 

[cholyoke]

Great call, All the eqs were set flat except I just realized that I had the Sire in passive!! That could be what it was missing!

If you are new to the Bongo, stop on by the bongo club. When I got mine (used 5HH fretless), I was stunned by the variations possible with the preamp. The sound is also more sensitive to pickup height than other EBMM basses I've owned.