Music Man Bongo 4 - bass review

[@barrypwalkerable]

Great review. Well done, thanks for posting. I've got this exact bass in tangerine. It's a monster of a bass!!!!

[@zumazmusic]

Barry P Walker - thank you! Must be a beauty in Tangerine.

[@randynielsen407]

Awesome review buddy! I'm convinced.. the Bongo with be my next purchase! Thanks a million!

[@zumazmusic]

Glad to be of service my friend. You can't go wrong with a Bongo! Fabulous necks too!

[@user-fl6ks5pd6w]

mine too, i think. seems pretty versatile. i just love the music man basses. im convinced they are better than fender p-basses.

[@canvoodoo]

Thanks mate loving the reviews wish more people would demo there gear.

[@Baal1115]

The difference between the stingray and the sterling is the stingray uses Alnico pickups and the sterling has ceramic pickups, so the sterling is more punchy and edgy. One thing that separates the bongo from the other models is that the body of the bongo is made of basswood while the other two are usually made of ash, also the bongo comes in a 6 string model while the other two don't

[@FlamesAt1000ft]

A great Bass!..and a cool variation of the Stingray. Here,..he’s using one strung with some Nickel Wounds but I’ve found that,..Stainless Steel Wound strings bring out the tone capabilities much easier and sharper or even duller if desired..on the fine Music Man “Bongo” Bass!!...I truly enjoy mine😁🎸🎵✨..got it free to boot!

[@zumazmusic]

Free?! C'mon now! Why you gotta rub it in?😎🤘

[@bassplayer1494]

its like a jazz on steroids! very nice sound and playing :)

[@ethanhitchcock5431]

Cool mang , I love it , the body shape reminds me of the ' Parker Fly ' guitar which reminds me of a wind scorpion ...

[@zumazmusic]

Thanks man. The Bongo neck is really comfortable too. ... Those wind scorpions look pretty intense. 😳

[@ChefZak]

Great sound. I just got an HS model and it kills too!

[@megac47]

Thanks for the video. I appreciate it. I am eyeing a 4 string Bongo. I've had a Sterling and now have 5 basses, all 5 strings and I miss a 4 banger. Nice work.

[@zumazmusic]

I would tend to agree with you that most active basses do get a lot of character from their electronics but I must bring up two points. Some active preamps, like Glockenklang, are designed to be transparent. Also, Basswood in a well made passive bass can sound good. Check out my Runaway, Serious and Portrait of Tracy videos. That's passive basswood! To me, it's not a super deep tone but pretty warm and punchy.

[@Asgard222]

In terms of electronics, there are two types of basses; passive basses and active basses. A passive bass doesn't require batteries, but active basses require batteries. There are many tonal differences between active and passive pickups, the Bongo you see in the video uses 18 volt batteries.

[@sprintbass]

what did you use to clean it up? it looks great...what ever your using i need t use it...i wish i could find some sort of super wax that would keep smuges away...i miss that bass some what..i think it was a good bass for really heavy sounds, its almost to powerful (IMOP) atleast for what i wanted/needed...my big question is how would you compare it to my aria im getting because this bass along with several other bass's are casualties in my serch for that elusive tone..

[@zumazmusic]

@Brian19451 - This bass is exactly 8 lbs 12 oz! I don't want to make any generalizations about specific brands. I personally feel that anything under 9 lbs is pretty damn good. Anything under 8 pounds is pretty outstanding. Anything over 9 1/2 lbs better sound great, look awesome or balance exceptionally well! Of course, you should also consider balance when sizing up an instrument. It can be even more important than overall weight. A good strap can keep a heavy instrument in line as well.

[@AttitudeCastle]

@Pblack476 Basswood i find usually very good for bass, but i guess everyones ears are different! The bongo was meant to be plastic but they wanted a warmer tone, and Alder was too heavy so they chose basswood! But How growly/grunty can you get the HH model? I can't decide between HH and HS =( Thanks in advance!

[@winstontk]

Great review. I really enjoyed it.

[@philipmcadam5339]

Really nice review. Perhaps a little longer on each setting to give a better idea of what is happening.

[@zumazmusic]

@DanielzBassz - Yes, you can get that sound. Use mostly bridge pickup and dial in a little bit of Bass and Low-mid. It gets you pretty close.

[@smokeyupahead]

I know nothing about bass but I really like that sound!Amazing!

[@redneckrocker412]

I have a hh 5 bongo. They just gave a awesome sound.

[@zumazmusic]

It's a BIG sound. 🤯💥

[@redneckrocker412]

Very. Super clean. The amazing thing about them is u only have to run the highs about halfway it’s very bright. I got the one with the ebony fretboard so that helps too

[@GoldStar5XL]

great review....and i have that same fender shirt!

[@zumazmusic]

@XChrisxRubiX - It sure would but also consider string gauge/type and instrument setup when drop-tuning. The DR DDT strings are great for this and you wouldn't have to widen the nut to accommodate them. Give 'em a shot!

[@metalfanatic01]

this bass is my most fav and i getting 1 soon . juat some questions. y does it need batterys and wat do the batterys power? and is it possible to get that exact bass but in left handed form and an ebony fretboard ty. and this bass sounds like my destiny lol.

[@ChefZak]

It uses Music Man Neodymium pickups.

[@Deenowze]

Very nice review!I'd like to see how it sound pickstyle though.And the only problem is that its way too expensive.

[@hellsSG]

Great review

[@diamonddust22]

I can't stop looking at this bass. It's the exact bass I have on layaway, and they call it Black Sapphire color.

[@zumazmusic]

@greekdomination - You know what, I did rip that riff from a Larry Graham instructional video. I wasn't aware it was an actual track. Nice catch! ...I just looked it up, yes that's the song. Awesome! I am just bastardizing it of course!

[@zumazmusic]

@bemolable - I never looked up the specs but it's a VERY nice feeling neck. Going purely by feel, the spacing is somewhere between a Jazz and a Precision. Not very narrow, not very wide.

[@bflo1000]

Sounds nice, but don't be afraid of that bass control...........

[@zumazmusic]

bflo1000 - you're right! It is a BASS after all! 😎🔊

[@bassplayer1494]

@zumazmusic good question. i bet it would sound killer!!

[@31rS3RP3N7]

love it. looks like a UFO with wings.

[@sprintbass]

the batteries support the pre amp in the bass...the bass is (active) it gives it more of a punch..

[@zumazmusic]

@bassplayer1494 - That's a pretty good assesment. Jazz on steroids indeed. It begs the question...what would a Jazz with a Bongo preamp sounds like?

[@ChefZak]

To find the differences visit the Ernie Ball forum. The differences are numerous and complex - they are all extremely different basses.

[@zumazmusic]

@mathiaze1 - I couldn't begin to tell you what to do. I suggest you contact Ernie Ball's customer service. They are great.

[@zumazmusic]

@Mightypaul - You guys crack me up!

[@Brian19451]

is the bongo heavy like a jazz bass, or light like a ibanez?

[@lawrencebyrdsong7570]

Best bass eber .. I have one

[@user-fl6ks5pd6w]

do you recommend this bass for metal? say the steve harris sound???

[@zumazmusic]

I would recommend a P-bass for that sound! A G&L SB1 or a Music Man Cutlass would do nicely as well.

[@user-fl6ks5pd6w]

i ended up getting a music man bongo. yaaaaay!

[@zumazmusic]

Congratulations!

[@zumazmusic]

@J3R1N427i - I like my action as low as I can get it and I don't mind a little buzz. Strangely, I have always enjoyed a little bit of buzz. To each their own I suppose.

[@diamonddust22]

D4V35PR1NG thank you brother, I really appreciate your words of wisdom. you are totally right, I'm blocking him now. thanks again.

[@Stewr306]

@zumamusic Do you still own this bass ?

[@XChrisxRubiX]

would the string go down to drop tuning and still sound good?

[@Pblack476]

nice display man. Just a note, Basswood is indeed a very poor wood choice, specially for basses, but this only really applies to passive basses. Active ones can pretty much be built in anything because their tones are, for the most part, determined by the internal preamp ;)

[@throrinbassilisk2551]

one question ,how does feel the neck ,because i hear that the neck on some basses by musicman are a little uncomfortable ,a little thick its true?

[@zumazmusic]

Perhaps the people who don't like MM necks are accustomed to Jazz dimensions. This Bongo has a very comfortable neck. Not too thick, not too thin. Keep in mind this is probably the most subjective dimension in a guitar. There is no wrong or right, it's what YOU think feels good in your own hands.

[@BorysPomianek]

Holly fucking interpolation batman!

[@zumazmusic]

I don't know what you said but I like it!

[@ivanbecerril4227]

Is it possible to buy a 4 string bongo in black with silver tuning heads like the one you have? Because everywhere I look only 5 and 6 string bongos have that and the 4 strings I've seen all have black tuning heads

[@zumazmusic]

I believe all the current Bongos in black come with black tuners. Other colors still have the silver ones. Try giving them a call and see if you can custom order one OR if they will sell you a set of silver ones.

[@ivanbecerril4227]

@@zumazmusic actually the 5 and 6 string black bongos have silver tuning heard, I just don't know why the 4 string black ones don't have them

[@ivanbecerril4227]

@@zumazmusic plus this guy's 4 string black and has silver tuning pegs

[@ivanbecerril4227]

@@zumazmusic I sent them an email

[@zumazmusic]

@@ivanbecerril4227 Good luck!

[@spartan117a]

im lost why does it take battries, is it wireless?

[@NiegelDK]

this bass is phat!

[@zumazmusic]

@TunaMloohnahz - Why not ask the source? ;+) ... It's my bastardization of Con Funk Shun's track called "Too Tight"

[@zumazmusic]

@deucekus - and don't forget the HUGE BALLS!

[@BongUsoryu]

@tylerwylie Haha. I guess it will be a bit lonely. Let me guess. You might want to get the 5 string too? Unless you have it already.:):):)

[@zumazmusic]

@JCACFILMS - It rules for funk!

[@jordanobass]

the best! show

[@lorand133]

I wish had had the money to buy such a bass...

[@systemofapawn]

the sound u got at 6:24 its just like the song Meganoidi from Meganoidi !

[@shahafsagi]

how much did this guitar cost you?

[@zumazmusic]

@bbender1986 - It's my take of "Con Funk Shuns - Too Tight"

[@Zeropuan]

25napster in my opinion it is lighter than the stingray.

[@MrThrash4life]

how much is this and is it a good metal bass

[@richardkusimenkah]

the bongo 4 is the real deal ,its got a compensated nut ;p

[@mcrfan1324]

Does it feel better? I mean fingers :)

[@jgsky]

I hate the look of bongo....but it sounds great!

[@BongUsoryu]

-drools while dreaming- bongo, bongo, bongo, MUSICMAN BONGO,,,

[@Brian19451]

@zumazmusic thanks bro im thinkin bout gettin one

[@Baal1115]

Bongo uses Neodymium pickups.

[@situationing]

anyone who know about spacing strings on this bass please!!!!

[@25napster]

Is it as heavy as stingray?

[@lawrencebyrdsong7570]

Nope

[@zumazmusic]

I think I might have ripped some of that off from some Larry Graham video. :+)

[@JordanHigginsGuitar]

yeah i dont like this one i love the sting-ray though im getting a stingray

[@johny3609]

how much is it??@@

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 if you truly read what I wrote, you'd clearly see that I said Yamaha was a good company. I am not ignorant as I have probrably had more basses then have ever owned in your life, and I've even built my own 1 of a kind bass, but I must stress that today cheap basses never measure up to good quality. You want quality, you have to pay for it, simple as that. Most basses under a thousand just do not measure up anymore.

[@diamonddust22]

pufifa with a comment like yours, the bass part you would be, would be a knob.

[@gtoloco77]

I have the bongo 5 fucken bad ass bass the best

[@zumazmusic]

Ha ha! Not for sale!

[@pandaman546]

Nob Twiddler LMAO

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 if you were listening, which you weren't, I also posted that America, Germany, and Japan make the best basses. I also said that I like Hofner's, Ricky's, and Music Man. You also spelled seriously wrong, I think it's you who needs the dictionary. Bottom line is, I was you at one point in my life, I bought all the lower level mediocre basses, and I realised that they are just not good enough. They are dull sounding and full of flaws, sorry but that's the facts.

[@sprintbass]

sigh...................

[@KaeruFr0g]

Need **-**

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 anything below 2000 dollars is a starter bass. I've been through it all, you want a good bass you have to put out the cash. Anything Asian is shit and not worth the cash. It is true that something made in America is better. The only other company that I think can hold it's own is Yamaha, but that's it. Btw, the Bongo is awesome looking. The T-Bird is a shitty bass, especially an epiphoney.

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 anything I've tried from the US, which I am not from, has been top notch, whereas anything outside the US besides Yamaha, has been average to just plain crap. The T-bird bass is a dull sounding bass on it's own, and an epiphone is even worse. Get the real thing or don't buy it at all. If you aren't willing to invest fully into your craft then you really aren't that serious.

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 personally for me I've even bought a Fender jazz bass for $1200, it felt good, but nothing was as good as a bass that is above 1500 dollars to 2000. You can hmmmm all you want, if you want mediocrity, feel free the world is full of garbage basses from Asia and god knows from where else. I've learned my lesson. No more basses bought unless it's from the States or maybe a Ricky, or a Hofner from Germany. Other then that, it's firewood.

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 famous artists get a special bass or guitar made for them, unless you are Billy Sheehan where he wanted basses he could pull off the rack at any store anywhere in the world. Bottom line is, you get what you pay for. Anything less is for kids starting out.

[@D4V35PR1NG]

WTF? troll? seriously man wot kind of an insult is that and everyone has their own style of bass which they prefer it seems to me that ur jealous that u can't afford an awesome bass such as a musicman

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 I didn't once speak of any political views, in fact you are the one with the name advertising your own political views, and if you go back a few posts, I said the only that Yamaha was the only Asian company that holds a candle to anything. Korea is #2 to Japan. Musically speaking I am not closed minded, I have also played viola in an orchestra on top of having a 15 song Cd, with 2 more Cd's coming. I know a lot of players use bases that aren't Amer, but they get the best.

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 why do you need help? Why are you trying to rally the troops?

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 Closed minded? Nah, I've tricked out every bass you can think of and have told myself that this bass was good, that bass was good, but in reality, I was only fooling myself. I've been writing for 20 years plus, so I know what I am talking about. Name me a wood, and I'll tell you if it's good for a guitar. Problem is most of the bass made just under a thousand are made outside the US, and are made with shit wood, and crappy components.

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 the only reason why I built my own bass was because they didn't sell the bass I wanted and I couldn't afford the one I wanted, so I spent close to 3000 dollars making it. I bought a good bass because I am tired of buying things that are just plain mediocre, and I'm tired of bullshitting myself by telling myself, yeah it's so good, when it really isn't. I've tried the T-Bird, and all these knock offs, they are all shit and mediorcre. Stop fooling yourself and invest properly

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 Closed minded? I'm one of the most open minded people you can talk to, I am just sick of buying foreign garbage made out of fake lamenated junk, while cheap people ohhh and ahhh about the crap they bought. I made that mistake too many times. Chinese guitars are for amateurs and people who are starting out. When you get serious, you'll put down your beer and your pot and buy a real musicians instrument.

[@diamonddust22]

liberalsocialist353 so you are wrong, I am not closed minded at all, in fact when you get an Asian bass and they claim it's mahogany, it in techical terms is not, it's an asian mahogany replacement, and it's as cheap as hell. To make a good bass you need good tone wood. In expensive basses you see them use terms like Select alder, or select basswood, or select whatever, but you don't see that in low cost basses. Look I'm not going to be your YES man, I'm telling you straight, don't buy shit.