The STERLING Bongo Club

[ninjatanzen]

As promised, here is the nut. I didn't do resin yet as I figure it would take a few tries to get it "right." I'm using some PETG for now, and it matches the lovely/hideous pickguard I made. FDM printing is a lot less messy than resin, so it's easier to prototype with this.

I had contacted Sterling support for recommendations on a replacement nut initially, and they said, "We don’t have a specific recommendation for an aftermarket replacement nut. Any standard nut blank in your preferred material can be used, and it will need to be shaped and properly set up by the installer." That was odd to me, but is also fine seeing as it was super simple to design and print what I needed. The material and electricity used means this nut was about $0.02-0.03

I also swapped to fresh strings. 0.130, 0.100, 0.080, and 0.065 since the standard strings tuned to Drop C were adequate... until a core broke in the E string. Likely from taking them on and off a few times between pickup swaps. It was "farting" under even light playing at any volume on the amp. New strings, new nut, no issues so far!

I think the only thing I would really change is the break angle on the nut slots. I only went for about 3 degrees, and will see how that goes.

 

[pyrat56host]

As promised, here is the nut. I didn't do resin yet as I figure it would take a few tries to get it "right." I'm using some PETG for now, and it matches the lovely/hideous pickguard I made. FDM printing is a lot less messy than resin, so it's easier to prototype with this.

I had contacted Sterling support for recommendations on a replacement nut initially, and they said, "We don’t have a specific recommendation for an aftermarket replacement nut. Any standard nut blank in your preferred material can be used, and it will need to be shaped and properly set up by the installer." That was odd to me, but is also fine seeing as it was super simple to design and print what I needed. The material and electricity used means this nut was about $0.02-0.03

I also swapped to fresh strings. 0.130, 0.100, 0.080, and 0.065 since the standard strings tuned to Drop C were adequate... until a core broke in the E string. Likely from taking them on and off a few times between pickup swaps. It was "farting" under even light playing at any volume on the amp. New strings, new nut, no issues so far!

I think the only thing I would really change is the break angle on the nut slots. I only went for about 3 degrees, and will see how that goes.


View attachment 7479292

The progress is great! I really want a fretless one of these...something about this neck...either I am playing a lot more because I love it, or the scale, or both! So great to hear this is coming along for you~

 

[ninjatanzen]

The progress is great! I really want a fretless one of these...something about this neck...either I am playing a lot more because I love it, or the scale, or both! So great to hear this is coming along for you~

Thank you! Everything is starting to fall into place nicely. I really enjoyed playing it and the sound of it yesterday after installing everything and setting it back up. Kind of felt like the tipping point into all positives for me and connecting with the bass fully. I am going to jam with a new group this coming weekend, and this bass will be going along with me!

A fretless version of this would be very cool! If they don't offer one, could you see yourself converting one? I agree the neck feels great. I'm glad you find yourself playing bass more with this one in hand.

 

[pyrat56host]

Thank you! Everything is starting to fall into place nicely. I really enjoyed playing it and the sound of it yesterday after installing everything and setting it back up. Kind of felt like the tipping point into all positives for me and connecting with the bass fully. I am going to jam with a new group this coming weekend, and this bass will be going along with me!

A fretless version of this would be very cool! If they don't offer one, could you see yourself converting one? I agree the neck feels great. I'm glad you find yourself playing bass more with this one in hand.

I'm fairly certain conversion would be the only option. If I wasn't putting every penny into an EBMM BONGO, I'd surely consider it! Maybe next year. Have a great jam, playing this bass LIVE is what really sold me on it...it sings!

 

[ninjatanzen]

I'm fairly certain conversion would be the only option. If I wasn't putting every penny into an EBMM BONGO, I'd surely consider it! Maybe next year. Have a great jam, playing this bass LIVE is what really sold me on it...it sings!

Very fair point haha. I'm excited for you to get an EBMM Bongo, and to hear your thoughts on it. I imagine it'll be all this bass is, and much more! If you do eventually do a fretless conversion on a Sterling Bongo, definitely post it in here. It would be quite a cool project.

Thanks. I'm very curious to see how it works in a band setting. It'll also be nice to test out with my new (used) cab that should be arriving today from GC.

 

[Yahboy]

Well, in looking around I found out I was wrong. EBMM did do versions of single H Bongos. Very cool! What I'm about show having done to mine might be sacrilege, but at least it's a Sterling and not a full EBMM

I pulled the electronics out of my Bongo. I replaced the pots with two Fender/CTS 500k pots for a V/T setup, one of which broke while trying to put the knob back on. Hence the picture not having knobs. Taking those knobs off the stock pots were incredibly difficult. I had to use a flathead to pry them up, using the body as leverage point for the screwdriver.

I should have known that if they were that hard to get off, they'd be difficult going on. I even tried squeezing the new split shaft posts together before putting the old knobs on. First time I've broken a pot like this where the center post sinks down and in, with the rear assembly being stretched/broken apart. Given, I don't know if it's fully broken or simply "un-clamped." I will check when I pull it out, and likely go Volume only, no tone control, if it is completely broken.

I played it for 10 minutes before going to put the knobs on. Sounded SO much better than stock. Seemingly no more issues with mids/highs being cut away, or bass being boomy and muddy. All that with a temporary $25 passive pickup too. At this point, I'm going to hold off on the MEC because I actually like the sound of the bass now.

Once I fix this issue, I'll play some more and see if I continue to like the pickup. Eventually, I do still want an MEC in there. Upside is now I only have to buy one MEC!

Pickguard is rough approximation of a proper pickguard, but was hastily made so it's not perfect by any means.

I don't know what this means for the stock electronics and pickups. Perhaps through all of my gear that's simply how it sounds. I'm still open to the idea that my bass had issues with stock electronics, but can't say definitively.

View attachment 7440713

Nice mod, but pickups seem wrong placement .

 

[ninjatanzen]

Nice mod, but pickups seem wrong placement .

View attachment 7480193

100% not the "correct" pickup placement on mine, good eye. It's not in what might be considered the sweet spot. I didn't do any routing on the bass. I simply removed the neck pickup and replaced the one in the bridge. I'm odd in liking pickups closer to the bridge than is probably normal. Perhaps this goes back to my admiration of Ryan Martinie growing up, and his Warwick Thumb basses.

I also tend to play closer to the bridge than most? Even on my Sire P5 (p-bass) I will pick between the pickups and the bridge pretty often, rather than between the pickups and the neck. Not always, as sometimes a song really calls for playing in a more "proper" position. Though with finger-style on the P5 I will be right over the pickups a lot of the time.