The Bongo’s looks

[mongo2]

I had a Bongo HH in stealth black with black hardware. I strung it with black tapewounds and when I wore black the body pretty much vanished. I loved the sound and I liked the look but I had to let it go when I switched to playing shortscales exclusively.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

Love love love my Bongo 5 HH! For years I was a hater and one day last October I reached for the only quality bass I could find at GC to demo a cab. I was so blown away by this bass I came back to buy it a week later!
I find it funny that John Myung plays one so everyone assumes it's a metal bass.
Personally, I think it's a Damn Funk Machine!
And furthermore I ordered a purple pearloid pickguard from Pickguard Planet which arrives tomorrow.
On Harvest Orange this bass might take me to the moon, Alice!

 

[Lance Bunyon]

Also, wrap your mind around this factoid:
The Bongo was co-designed by BMW...

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I don’t particularly care for the Bongo’s looks, but that’s just me. People play and love them so it’s fine.

 

[2112]

inb4 lock

 

[ardgedee]

Also, wrap your mind around this factoid:
The Bongo was co-designed by BMW...

Several auto companies will hire out their design teams (remember all the Porsche Designed sunglasses and accessories from the 90s?), but most of them don't have the sort of prestige that BMW or Porsche branding would have.

I'm mostly surprised Ernie Ball could budget for it. Which is not meant to be an insult -- it's that to the best of my knowledge musical instruments are not a high-margin business.

 

[Katoosie]

I had a Bongo HH in stealth black with black hardware. I strung it with black tapewounds and when I wore black the body pretty much vanished. I loved the sound and I liked the look but I had to let it go when I switched to playing shortscales exclusively.

Why did you switch?

 

[bobalu]

Someone at a previous church played a Bongo 5. It looked totally fine on stage. But his other basses sounded better. Sorry, but that was the case in this case. I do not know of it was his choice of settings, string choice, etc.

Sounded better to YOU. I'm sure that's what you meant to say.

 

[JKos]

Sounded better to YOU. I'm sure that's what you meant to say.

No, I definitely wasn’t the only one. I am in no way saying a Bongo can’t sound great. They certainly can. But for whatever reason, in this case, it was our least favorite of his basses. With I say “our” I mean the band, WL, and FOH.

 

[lowendblues]

I think bongo's are cool. Played one at Sweetwater, and thought it was very comfortable.

 

[jd56hawk]

I think the bongo looks fine. I don’t think nobody would really give you a weird look if one was played in a church setting. My guitarist claims my stingray sounds better. He says it’s close but ultimately the ray is superior and I don’t necessarily agree. Folks on here have speculated that he is prejudiced because of how the bongo looks. My bongo is the crescendo white one. I see nothing screaming heavy metal about it in a church setting. To me a BC Rich Warlock might scream metal and be a bit much for church but not a bongo. Maybe possibly the headstock on the bongo could give slightly metal vibes but most owners would say it’s an incredibly versatile bass. I’ve never been asked not to play it. I’ve even been told by the guitarist that it sounds better than any fender bass he has ever heard. Once he even admitted it sounded better than the stingray when I used an ampeg SVT vr. Other times he will go back to saying the stingray sounds better. What’s the issue? Am I an embarrassment to him because of how he thinks the bongo looks?

Your guitarist is twelve?
Other than that, the whole "The Bongo looks like a toilet seat" bs is ridiculous.
Show me one toilet seat with two horns. Come on, I'm waiting.
What?
You mean the pickguard looks like a toilet seat lid?
Well, that isn't the same thing at all, is it?
By the way, same pickguard they have on the Stingrays, too.

 

[newwavefrank]

I have 6 stingrays and a Bongo. The Bongo is probably going up for sale. I just don't love it. I do prefer the Stingray Classic over the rest, and the Special next. I am not a fan of the standard Stingray 3 band EQ. The Bongo does feel good and have a good EQ but I just can't get into it. All about personal preference

 

[dave64o]

Offer to do a blind test for him and let him pick the better sounding bass - and use the Bongo for both! . Honestly, if this is a volunteer band I would play what made me the most comfortable and helped me play my best. If it’s a paid gig, then you may have to pick between the bass and the gig.

I was solidly in the “hate the way they look” camp until I played one, a 5HH. That changed my mind. I found it to be a great sounding and very versatile instrument. I’d have no problem owning one.

But, I’m a big Musicman fan, so i’d rotate between both.

 

[VeryTallBassist]

I love Bongos, but let's be honest. It's because they've got great personalities.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

When I have had Bongos, the only comments I ever got about them were people saying they looked great.

So reminder that the internet is not real life!

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Great!

"Great" is the word you're looking for.

The Bongo looks great!

(I don't have one anymore, but I do have some very fond memories of my Bongo, which I only sold to buy my upright).

 

[SDC1-ClickClack]

...and Bongo was his name-o.

j/k

 

[Relayer71]

I love the looks and the sound of my Bongo. I took off the pickguard and think it looks better without. But the only negativity I’ve heard has been from other bass players, many of whom admit they’ve never played one. And I don’t give a rat’s behind.

View attachment 5392112

That really looks a lot better. I wonder why they don't make a version that way? Not that I think it looks bad with the PG, I just prefer PG-less instruments. And that "nakedness" gives it a whole different vibe. I like it.

 

[Killing Floor]

Play it. Nobody will know. But before you open the case tell the guitarist to dial back the highs a bit this time. See if they like that.

 

[Snibborwocky]

I'll admit the look of the Bongo was absolutely not my thing when it first came out. Yes I was definitely one of those "looks like a toilet seat" opinionated people. HOWEVER, as years went by I just got more and more used to the design and don't mind it at all anymore. As for the sound, they are amazing in my opinion which almost led me to buy a Bongo 5 a few years ago, but I contained my GAS for other pressing needs.