Here’s a twist for you – Dream Theater bassist John Myung just unveiled a new Ernie Ball Music Man signature model, and it’s got four strings. Four! Not six, four.
Get the Ernie Ball Music Man John Myung Bongo 4 in either JM Purple or JM Green: Sweetwater | Musician’s Friend | Guitar Center | American Musical Supply
Ernie Ball Music Man has unveiled the latest addition to its artist lineup: the John Myung Artist Series Bongo 4, a bass designed in close collaboration with the Dream Theater virtuoso and refined through more than a decade of development.
John Myung revisits the four-string format
Although Myung has become closely associated with six-string basses throughout his career, the new signature model stems from a renewed appreciation for the traditional four-string platform: “While the 6-string is my comfort zone, I missed the physical freedom and generous string spacing of the Music Man 4-string bass.
“Each song needs to be played on what it was written for to capture its original soul. Returning to a 4-string during our 40th Anniversary Tour for the Images & Words tracks completely restored the musical conviction of those songs live.”
Perhaps the most distinctive visual feature of the instrument is its unusual fretboard construction. The bass pairs a Roasted Maple neck with a hybrid Rosewood and Roasted Maple fingerboard that Music Man refers to as a “Golden Ratio” design. The divided-wood aesthetic creates a striking visual contrast while also contributing to the instrument’s tonal character.
The neck itself features a comfortable 34-inch scale length, an 11-inch fingerboard radius and 24 high-profile, wide frets. A hand-rubbed oil and wax finish completes the package, maintaining the smooth feel that has become a hallmark of Music Man necks.
One of the most notable changes from traditional Bongo models is the streamlined control layout. Rather than employing a complex EQ section, Myung opted for a simplified system featuring a volume control that doubles as an on/off kill switch alongside a five-way rotary pickup blend selector.
The setup was specifically designed to provide quick access to a range of useful tones without requiring extensive adjustment during performance. Music Man says the pre-configured electronics were developed to offer optimized tonal shaping straight from the factory, allowing players to focus on performance rather than menu diving or EQ tweaking. Under the hood, the bass is equipped with a pair of humbucking pickups featuring Neodymium magnets and stealth-style black covers.
Other premium appointments include a Music Man steel bridge with stainless steel saddles, custom lightweight tuning machines, a sculpted five-bolt neck joint and an easily accessible truss rod adjustment system that requires no string removal. The bass also receives a custom John Myung neck plate, further distinguishing it from standard production Bongo models.
Get the Ernie Ball Music Man John Myung Bongo 4 for $3,099 at one of the links below:
