NAMM 2025: Sterling By Music Man Introduces Affordable Bongo Bass for the First Time

by Kevin Johnson Tuesday, January 21st, 2025

Sterling By Music Man Bongo Basses

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.