NAMM 2025: Sterling By Music Man Introduces Affordable Bongo Bass for the First Time
In the early 2000s, Ernie Ball Music Man teamed up with BMW to develop an instrument that would change “the way consumers looked at the traditional guitar and bass.” After some prototypes, they unveiled the Bongo bass at NAMM 2003, which has been in use ever since.
Now, the iconic (and somewhat polarizing) design is being added to the Sterling By Music Man brand for the first time, bringing the bass to a price point of a quarter of the EBMM version.
Available in four and five-string versions, the bass has the same modern design as its predecessor. It has a roasted maple neck, an Indonesian mahogany body, and a rosewood fingerboard. SBMM fits the model with a pair of humbuckers and a 2-band active preamp.
The Sterling By Music Man Bongo and Bongo 5 will be available in Firemist Purple Satin and Stealth Black Finishes. They will cost $699.99 and $779.99, respectively.
Sterling By Music Man Bongo Bass Specs:
| Strings: | 4 or 5 |
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | Indonesian Mahogany |
| Neck: | Roasted Maple |
| Neck Radius: | 12″ |
| Fingerboard: | Rosewood |
| Frets: | 24 |
| Inlays: | White Dot |
| Pickups: | HH- 2 Ceramic Humbuckers |
| Electronics: | 2-band Active Preamp |
| Controls: | Bass, Treble, Pickup Blend |
| Bridge: | Sterling by Music Man-Designed Bridge |
| Tuners: | Open Gear |
| Color: | Firemist Purple Satin, Stealth Black |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
Wow got too one in 4 string
Every time I make a comment you say I have made this comment what the fuck
I’d like to know where I can purchase a sterling bongo bass