Stingray Vs. Bongo

[thedude77md]

I too find the bongo fugly and shyed away from them for years until I picked one up on a whim to mess with at the local GC. I was hooked and bought it. I love it, very versatile and comfortable (I usually prefer jazz nut widths). It's an HH and having previously owned a SR HH, I feel the Bongo sounds better, plays better, and can do any style well. Probably my #2 favorite bass of the dozens I have owned over the years (#1 being my Lakland Skyline Dude Pit LE #1).

 

[woody357]

for what?

for funk - 'Ray
for rock/metal - Bongo

Either one will work for almost anything though.

I play Funk/R&B, and jazz, all on a Bongo

 

[MD Stingray]

The 4 string Stingray H/maple has been my first choice for 17 years, but now I am also saving for a 4 string Bongo HH/rosewood. I tried one a few months back, and I liked it very much!

Stingray would be my first choice (for now).

 

[bovinehost]

has anyone mentioned that some folks find the bongo... well, fugly?

No, you know and it's odd that the bass has been available since 2003 and the only thing you ever hear is, "My gosh, it's BEAUTIFUL." You'd think there would be at least one naysayer out there, but nope, 100 percent positive reviews on the design.

It's downright weird.

As far as "woody and organic", I still think it depends on your strings and signal chain. If you seriously desire "woody" and "organic", then maybe an upright is the way to go; as far as I know, even passive electric basses still have pickups and tone controls and require amplification. That said, I get - as far as I'm concerned - a decent 'oldskool' tone out of all my Bongos.

String 'em with flats, play through decent amplification and turn the freakin' treble on the bass down - boom.

Now, Stingray "versus" Bongo? No clear winner. I have both, as long as we're considering the SR5 a Stingray, and it's a tough choice to make sometimes. I will always have a Stingray 5 or two around; they ARE different (and they don't scare the old people or the children as much as the Bongo).

I only play single H SR5s so if that's what I want, that's what I use. When I want the Swiss Army Bass options, I grab a Bongo.

Jack

 

[JazzMarius]

Bongo Power!!!!!!

altough i love Paul Denman's tone!!!

but, LaRue's tone also!!!

 

[D Rokk]

in my area bongo's are pretty much always refered to as toilet seats in music stores,, they do sound amazing however but i prefer the stingray tone

 

[philthygeezer]

I love the sound of the Bongo. really the only problem I have with it is all of the controls. It's just too many for me to learn. My 'Ray has bass, mid, and treble. The Bongo has that times a thousand.
When I set the Bongo flat, though, I love the sound of it. And after I get a fretless 'Ray, I think I will get a Bongo

In the mean time, it's 'Ray over Bongo for me

This Bongo is as simple as your 'Ray.

 

[philthygeezer]

The BONGO just rules. Period.

You shouldn't judge it until you play it. That first experience of laying hands on it and hitting the first note is unforgettable.

+1 I was like, "Holy COW."

 

[bovinehost]

Tony Levin and the Bongo for the win.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Off topic, but inspired by the above picture. Anyone ever hear this? Just heard it yesterday and it makes me want to kill people.

 

[bovinehost]

Off topic, but inspired by the above picture. Anyone ever hear this? Just heard it yesterday and it makes me want to kill people.

Wow, they took an interesting song and sucked out all the interesting bits. That must have been hard work.

 

[philthygeezer]

Off topic, but inspired by the above picture. Anyone ever hear this? Just heard it yesterday and it makes me want to kill people.

in your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
the heat I see in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes

 

[smeet]

I don't think Peter Gabriel has much to worry about.

Indeed... Tony Levin on a (Fretless?) Stingray. What a groove...

 

[TimWilson]

Glad I found this old thread, and I hope some of the posters are still subscribing: I've been shopping for my next StingRay (I've been without one for many years, while I was in G&L land) and was about to pull the trigger when the Bongo 6's hit, and now I'm torn. I LOVE that Bongo design, and the six is so enticing... But if the Bongo can't pull off that classic StingRay bite and growl, then it's not for me.

So, owners of both, am I reading the results right? It sounds like most of you say that the Bongo does a lot, but it doesn't do the classic 'Ray...

 

[Joe Black]

Stingray. Bongos look stupid (although they sound amazing).

Sorry Bongo players.

 

[Joe Black]

Also, that SR-71 link (the cover of Gabriel's "In Your Eyes") is horrible.

Almost as vomit-worthy as that piss-poor Mitch Allan/Kara Dioguardi song they wrote for that American Idol knucklehead.

But what the F do I know?

 

[Lowpro]

Er, besides frets there's no difference.

I say go with the Ray just because I think they feel better around the gut.

 

[smeet]

Er, besides frets there's no difference.

I say go with the Ray just because I think they feel better around the gut.

Really, you think the Stingray and Bongo sound the same? Have you actually played both? I don't think they get the same sound or feel at all.

 

[Double Agent]

Glad I found this old thread, and I hope some of the posters are still subscribing: I've been shopping for my next StingRay (I've been without one for many years, while I was in G&L land) and was about to pull the trigger when the Bongo 6's hit, and now I'm torn. I LOVE that Bongo design, and the six is so enticing... But if the Bongo can't pull off that classic StingRay bite and growl, then it's not for me.

So, owners of both, am I reading the results right? It sounds like most of you say that the Bongo does a lot, but it doesn't do the classic 'Ray...

I'm currently an owner of neither, but I used to own a Bongo. I'm better now, thoughD, it's just a joke, guys).

First of all, the Bongo is much more adaptable than a Stingray. The 'Ray kid of always sounds like a 'Ray, no matter what you do with the EQ. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending on how much you like the tone of a 'Ray.

The Bongo is more of a blank canvas tonally, it has it own inherent tone which is very much in the EBMM family and similar to tones you would get from a Sterling or Stingray while not being exactly like either. But, with that EQ, you can get close to almost anything. I had the HH model and if I had to do it again, I would probably get the HS or single H models. I found the neck humbucker made things too murky for me and the bridge humbucker didn't have enough lows for me so I couldn't really get the exact tone I wanted from it, but it was always really close. Other folks love the HH models, so YMMV.

FWIW, while it doesn't sound exactly like a 'Ray, the Bongo has PLENTY of bite and growl if that is what you want. The single-H models can probably get you closer to a 'Ray tone since the single humbucker on those is in a different location than the bridge humbucker on the HS and HH models. But, any Bongo you get will be able to get a punchy, growly tone. It just doesn't sound exactly like a 'Ray...but then, what does?

 

[Laredo]

I originally voted Stingray in this poll................I have since purchased two Bongo basses. Now I am loving each of them! My new answer would be both............Maybe even Bongo! I love the Stingray, but there is just a cool factor about the very versatile Bongo..............I never even used to give the Bongo a second look, what is happening to me!

FWIW:
Although I have Sterlings, and like them, I would still take the Bongo or Stingray over them................Just personal preference (for today anyway).