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Sterling vs. Bongo vs. Jazz?

Which bass?

  • Musicman Sterling 5 (stealth)

    Votes: 26 27.1%

  • Musicman Bongo 6 (sterling silver)

    Votes: 36 37.5%

  • Fender American Standard Jazz V (candy apple red)

    Votes: 29 30.2%

  • Other? (please specify)

    Votes: 12 12.5%
  • Total voters
    96
A

Asgard222

Apr 4, 2008
41
0
#1
Ok guys, this will be my absolute FINAL "which bass" thread. Once I decide, I will definitely post new pictures of my bass:D.

I am thinking of buying a bass in a couple of weeks (after my business trip is over). There was a really nice used Spector bolt-on 5 here on TB but I'm going to back out on it for some reasons.

I narrowed my choices down to a Musicman Sterling 5 (stealth), a Musicman Bongo 6 (sterling silver), and a Fender American Standard Jazz V (candy red).

If I were to buy the Fender I would want to mod it a lot, such as hardware and MAYBE pickups. I am thinking of a BA II and Hipshot Ultralites (in black).

The Musicman Sterling 5 seems very appealing, the sound is good but it sounds a little bit aggressive (after hearing Ed Friedland's review).

The Musicman Bongo 6 is a very cool looking bass with very appealing electronics. I'm going to go to a local guitar shop and see if they have any Bongos I can try.

The Bongo is my top candidate right now, followed by the Sterling then the Jazz. My friends and family (who are strictly Fender players) say that the Jazz is better. Although that is a very biased opinion I can't disagree, the Fender Jazz didn't sound bad and the passive elctronics might save me money from batteries, BUT THE 20 FRETS!!!

Opinions?
 
#8
Do you know what kind of sound you're going after? How many strings? You're right about the Sterling's aggressiveness, but that's not neccesarily a bad thing. The Bongo is the most versatile, and with 6 strings you have the greatest range. Fenders will give you a classic sound. If you have a Fender already, I would probably go with the Bongo 6 HH.

EDIT: How about a Stealth Bongo 6? I would absolutely go with that. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#9
Why do you need to mod a brand new American Fender? IMO, it's a major waste of money. The new ones already have a high weight, I mean high mass, bridge, and lighter tuners. Also, as others are saying, those three basses are very different, so maybe you should go play them all and decide for yourself.

I wouldn't let the cost of batteries make the decision for you, because that's pretty nominal compared to the cost of any of those basses.
 
#10
king_biscuit said:
Why do you need to mod a brand new American Fender? IMO, it's a major waste of money. The new ones already have a high weight, I mean high mass, bridge, and lighter tuners. Also, as others are saying, those three basses are very different, so maybe you should go play them all and decide for yourself.

I wouldn't let the cost of batteries make the decision for you, because that's pretty nominal compared to the cost of any of those basses.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree. The reason you buy a Fender Jazz is because it sounds like a Fender Jazz. Same goes for the other basses you have listed. I don't see the reasoning behind buying one bass to mod it to sound like something else. Just buy the something else.
 
#13
There are a lot of fine basses out there in the world - a plethora of good choices. YOU have to step up to the plate and figure out which one has the sound and the feel that you're looking for.

In my opinion, if you like the Fender-type sound, I'd give a G & L L 2000 or L 2500 a whirl too. The G & L has a little more tonal variation than the Fender does.

My favorite is a Warwick - I've got a 2005 Ltd Edition. The 3-band EQ and passive-active switching give it quite a bit of tonal variation. The neck is great (once you get used to it) and the adjustable-height nut and bridge will let you dial in the perfect feel. Plus - the Warwick's characteristic growl created by the combination of woods and the bell-brass frets is unattainable with anything else. The Germans build good stuff!

Good luck making the right choice for you.
 
#14
Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with the Bongo...

I have a Stingray, a Sterling, and I just bought a Bongo... it's ridiculous how great it sounds, how easy it plays, and how versatile it is.

I like the Jazz bass sound but I just can't find one that feels good to me.
 
#15
thetaxmiser said:
You can only read reviews so much. Keep trying basses until you find the one that speaks to you. You'll know it when you get there.

For me: Bongo 5 HH
Click to expand...
+1:hyper: I had seen them in stores, but never paid any attention to them, but one night I went to hear this band from out of town, and the bass player had a blue one with the single pu, and it just blew me away. I now am the proud owner of a Bongo HH5er. I rarely use my other bass on gigs, and when I do I wish I had my Bongo with me.
 
#16
The nice thing about the Sterling is the agressive nature.You can tame it though! As long as you eq it properly,and back off on the volume control a bit,it will do you good.I've been gigging an Sterling 4 HH for about 4 months now,and don't play any other 4 string. The Bongo has a bit of an agressive nature in it too,but they have similar,but not identical tone pallets.Neither will sound like a Jazz. Neither is better than the other,it's purely personal preference.
 
#18
I voted jazz becasue I love them. Period. I found this out becasue I bought a bunch of basses that I didn't like and came back to them. This is what you are going to have to do. I hate to say it, but the odds that you will buy any of those three and discover it is the perfect most wonderful amazing bass and you never would dream of replacing it, are pretty long.
 
#19
I own a Fender American Standard Jazz Bass and it's perfect for just about everything, very versatile, a beautiful instrument, and it sounds about as good as any other bass I've played.
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I've never played a Sterling, so I can't help you with that one.
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However, the Bongo I did play. I think it was a 4 string and I thought it was amazing. The look of course is awesome alone but the sound of something really different.

I can describe it as almost a smoky, wispy tone which I loved. Of course its all a matter of the EQ, which you get a MASSIVE range of choices. The one I played was used at Guitar Center so it was a bit messy. If I had cleaned it I bet it would have felt a lot better, but playing it, it was a little bit uncomfortable, especially the paint on the neck got a bit tough to slide on.
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I don't think you could go wrong with any three of them, but the Bongo is defiantly a different beast. Its something that will really raise an eyebrow, and catch some ears, I'd say the Bongo.
 

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