SBMM Bongo!!

[Johnny Alien]

In addition, the body is mahogany from what it details, the EBMM body is made of basswood, which is strange, since I understand that it is not an expensive wood... it is strange that they have not chosen it in the SBMM version. We'll see how it sounds

Expense is relative to the area. Basswood used to be all over Japanese made instruments because it was an affordable wood there. Maybe it still is used frequently there, I'm not sure. But in Indonesia and China it seems like this budget mahogany is all over the place. I agree that going what the with basswood would have been a better choice. But then again once you change the electronics then the whole formula changes. And the Bongo is truly a bass that is successful because of its unique formula.

 

[VeryTallBassist]

I had a 2005 Bongo, first year they did stealth. Rosewood fb on that one. Had neck dive so I put ultralites on it. Became my number 1 for years. Great neck and under 9 lbs. Played the paint off of it. Naturally reliced which made it hard to sell when I did. Funny thing as buyers only want to see fenders or the like beat up.
That Bongo was one of the most comfortable instruments I have owned, body and neck wise.
I sold it and bought it back I liked it so much. But in the end sold it again after I had bought a Sterling 5 HH stealth. Another one I miss.
This sbmm bongo looks nice but a 2 band. Will it be 18 volt like the EB Bongo?

So many of the other SBMMs become good mod platforms because of the abundance of aftermarket Stingray pickup and preamp clones. The Bongo doesn't have that, but imagine if somebody came out with a neodymium drop in pickup and 4 band preamp? That is a project i would happily take on.

 

[Thundar]

So many of the other SBMMs become good mod platforms because of the abundance of aftermarket Stingray pickup and preamp clones. The Bongo doesn't have that, but imagine if somebody came out with a neodymium drop in pickup and 4 band preamp? That is a project i would happily take on.

Man...you and I SO think alike!! Heheheheh....but we already knew that

 

[Chris Chong]

4 knobs is exactly made for volume / balance / passive tone / OBP1

 

[five7]

4 knobs on EB bongo's with v b and 4 band eq. The single H ones had 4 knobs too but 3 band.

 

[Killing Floor]

With Leo’s AHPT too! Those look great.

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

4 knobs is made for a Turner multicoil/Lusithand setup. Granted, the electronics upgrade would cost as much as the bass itself, but it'd be worth it.

 

[jimmydean]

Still sounding great and looking bad , after all these years .

 

[gt96g]

Sub-$800 too. Very interesting. SBMM has been putting out some great stuff as of late.

 

[cholyoke]

Purple Bongo at a price low enough that I would not feel bad about removing the frets from the neck. Very nice.

 

[Chuck M]

I own a pair of Bongo HH 6's and an HH 5. The electronics are so good and they sound terrific. The 2 band EQ being offered on the Sterling version may be fine or it may make them sound like most other offerings from overseas which usually leave me wanting some improvement in the tone and controls.

I do own an Ibanez GWB205 that sounds amazing but it has the USA Bartolini electronics that come on that model.

I am not certain who Ernie Ball was thinking of when the Sterling Bongo basses were developed. I do know this, Sterling Ball is a very good businessman and I suspect the basses may sell well. I probably won't be able to resist trying a Sterling Bongo Purple 5.

The look of the Bongo basses is unique to say the least. Many of us were initially put off by the look but won over by the wonderful ergonomics and the fantastic sounding electronics. Now that I have been playing them for a while I have grown to appreciate that "unique" look. The symmetry grows on you.

One other thing, If you are new to owning a Bongo you have to be very careful with the long and pointed headstock tip that is so easy to bump into things and chip the paint.

 

[Cory rich40]

I am skeptical of this bass, but I could do something to this bass that I would NEVER ever consider doing to my Ernie ball bongo’s. That would be to potentially install a darkglass tone capsule, if the stock preamp sucks

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I am skeptical of this bass, but I could do something to this bass that I would NEVER ever consider doing to my Ernie ball bongo’s. That would be to potentially install a darkglass tone capsule, if the stock preamp sucks

Good idea!!

 

[Thundar]

I am skeptical of this bass, but I could do something to this bass that I would NEVER ever consider doing to my Ernie ball bongo’s. That would be to potentially install a darkglass tone capsule, if the stock preamp sucks

You may be on to something...I have a Tone Capsule here that I pulled from my Spector...maybe it would sound better in the Bongo!

 

[Cory rich40]

It could also be an interesting fretless project

 

[Cory rich40]

I don’t think this has been mentioned yet but I wonder how this sterling Bongo is going to impact those Chinese counterfeit Bongo sales? Funny thing, a couple of years ago I saw a counterfeit Bongo being sold as used on guitar center’s website. It was being sold for around $2000. I could instantly tell it was fake. When I saw the picture of the back of it, that was a dead giveaway. Someone apparently purchased it or either they caught it and pulled it from their inventory. Somebody had to sell it to them and I’m wondering if guitar center really got screwed over big time. I doubt it because they have to punch in serial numbers. They were probably trying to pull one over on whoever would have fell for it

 

[happygilmour]

String spacing at the bridge?

 

[LowEndLobster]

So many of the other SBMMs become good mod platforms because of the abundance of aftermarket Stingray pickup and preamp clones. The Bongo doesn't have that, but imagine if somebody came out with a neodymium drop in pickup and 4 band preamp? That is a project i would happily take on.

There are smaller builders that do make neodymium stingray pickups! 4 bands are also increasingly common. Go all in with a Flexcore!

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

String spacing at the bridge?

Probably the same as the EBMM versions - 19mm on the 4, 17mm on the 5.

 

[five7]

Unless you have parts will be expensive to mod. Used bongos are expensive now days though. We'll have to see if these are worth it