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SR5 or Bongo5?

SwitchGear

SwitchGear

Mar 23, 2005
2,952
1,492
Sunny Beach
#1
I am gassin' for a MusicMan 5 stringer and I'm gonna buy one soon. I had one (SR5) some time ago and miss it. Now the Bongo's are available and I like those also, with the cool (subjective) looks.

I do not have a dealer close by that has a Bongo in stock to play. Can someone enlighten me as to what the I could expect from one...

How do the two compare given the same pickup configuration as far as tone?

How is the neck and playability of the Bongo compare to the SR?

Does the Bongo balance well on a strap?

Mucho gracious in advance! :confused: :) :rolleyes: :help: :D
 
#2
I've got both. In order...
Tone: Unique to each. The Bongo does not do the SR5 sound no matter what you may have heard. I have the H/SC on the Bongo. It really has it's own tone - from smooth and glassy to a midrange honky tone if you want to dial that up. Everything in between too. The pre is extremely powerful and it may overdrive your amp pre if you're not careful. The SC can be noisy depending on you proximity to lights, your amp etc. I run mine about 75 bridge/ 25 neck most times. String spacing is identical.
The neck is as comfortable as the SR5 although I prefer the unfinished SR5 neck slightly. The Bongo body feels slightly more comfortable to me in the playing position. The sculpting on the body is very comfortable.
The SR5 just has something that the Bongo does not as far as tone. It just sounds like a Ray I guess. If I had to choose one, it would not be a simple decision. The Bongo is probably a more rounded tone machine even though the SR5 is not the "one trick pony" it's been labeled by some. It does many things well. Good luck.
 
#5
I've tried both and I'm really sold on the dual humbucker Stingray's. Both the Bongo and Stingray are unique, but I prefer the Stingray more. It find its tone to be more pure. Consider the fact that the Bongo is made out of basswood and that it needs special pickups and a 4-band EQ to make it sound well. At the end of the day, I think the Bongo tone is a bit muddy for my tastes.

The dual humbucker Stingray beats out the Bongo in terms of versatility. The coil switching options just add so much variety. You can get the Stingray sound, plus so many others.

B-string wise I think that the Stingray also wins out with the Bongo B being just a tad muddy for my tastes. All in all, I highly suggest that if you miss the Stingray and are looking towards a Bongo, you should really take the time to check out a dual humbucker Stingray.
 
#6
I have both a SR5 and a Bongo 5H. I find the Bongo to be more versatile, but the SR5 is no slouch. I'd never give up either of them.

One thing about the Bongo is that I find it to be a great P replacement. No, it doesn't really sound like a P - but it has the same kind of presence, at least to my ears. It's a killer rock bass!
 
#10
I'm a new EBMM active SUB 5 owner who is still in the honeymoon stage, so you can take this post for what it is, but you may want to consider a SUB. I bought mine a couple of weeks ago. It provides more of a "vintage" MusicMan sound which I attribute to the 2 band preamp. The SUBs are made in USA and I got mine brand new for $499 at Guitar Center...you probably won't get that lucky but they're still a great deal on an American made bass.
 
#12
I play a Bongo 5HH with piezo. It reminds me of this:

godzilla2.jpg



Aside from being able to level cities, the Bongo balances very well and is really comfortable to play. Excellent contours. It's also lighter than the SR5.

Either would be an excellent choice IMHO.
 
#14
Bongos I've played have had a wider range of tones with the 2 pickups and great preamp. You can get more old school thump, or smooth tone, or a serious bridge-pickup growl.

BUT the SR5 has that SR pickup in a different spot than the HH or HS bongos -- and it has a certain growl and clarity/booty mix that I love. You can get variety with the SR5 through right hand placement, touch (its very sensitive), the 3 band EQ and coil switch, but the Bongo has more.

A fun choice, since you'll be in good shape either way.
 

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