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is Big Al replacing the Bongo?

C

chunkstyle

Nov 14, 2003
1,150
47
Central Florida
#1
i wanted to post this on the EBMM forum, as that's the best place to get this kind of information. but you never know how they're gonna take things over there.

with the introduction of the single H Big Al, it seems to me that at least the single H Bongo has become obsolete... unless you just dig the shape. the Big Al can go active / passive and series / parallel, which the Bongo does not do. it also has the same preamp, right? i think the 4H Bongo only has a three bander, but the rest of the line has the four bander.

is anyone in the know around? what do you think?
 
#4
the Sterling and Ray are different animals. ceramic vs alnico, different pre amps, pickups wired in series vs parallel.

i'm not positive, but the Single H Bongo and the new Single H Big Al have the same electronics, pickups, etc... with the Big Al having the ability to go active/passive and series/parallel.

i appreciate the fact that each model in the EBMM line seems to have its own mission statement, and while they can cop similar tones, they are all different. it just seems like with the new single H Big Al, we have a bit of redundancy.

that is unless i'm missing something. maybe the pickups are different. i do know that all new Big Als will be made of mahogany which to me is an upgrade and further makes the Bongo less desireable.
 
#5
I guess the Big Al has a bigger tonal range, but many Bongo-owners love the sound of a single H version, due the 'sweetspot' pickup position. Also keep in mind that Bongo's are made out of basswood, got 24 frets, a piezo option (I wouldn't be suprised is the 'Al will get it too though) and a lighter weight.
 
#7
J0ttem said:
I guess the Big Al has a bigger tonal range, but many Bongo-owners love the sound of a single H version, due the 'sweetspot' pickup position. Also keep in mind that Bongo's are made out of basswood, got 24 frets, a piezo option (I wouldn't be suprised is the 'Al will get it too though) and a lighter weight.
Click to expand...


what made me think of this is the fact that EBMM is introducing a single H Big Al. they also say that all new Big Als will be mahogany and will be lighter (?) than the alder bodied Als...

BigAl_3.jpg




this is not a Bongo bashing thread. i got nothing against them. but this looks like a Bongo killer to me...
 
#9
Love the shape of the body, but I still can't get past the three tuners on one side with the lone wolf sticking out of the bottom side of the headstock. Give me something more symmetrical. Been a MM hangup for a long time. And while I'm at it, the MusicMan logo is among the worst ever. They could make the best bass on Earth and that amateurish, screen printed mark would cheapen it something awful for me.
 
#11
c'mon, y'all... not a bashing thread. in other news, EBMM is revamping the entire catalog... 12 new models. some will be new like the Reflex, some may be gone... like the Bongo?

just speculation on my part.


edit: 9 new models with a secret 10th. Reflex not coming out until summer NAMM...
 
#14
chunkstyle said:
c'mon, y'all... not a bashing thread.
Click to expand...

Some bull never gets old.

A: "Hey, I like this bass!"
B: "I don't!"
A: "But no, I really like it!"
B: "Yes, but I really don't!"

ad nauseum

chunkstyle said:
in other news, EBMM is revamping the entire catalog... 12 new models. some will be new like the Reflex, some may be gone... like the Bongo?
Click to expand...

Let me emphasize that I have NO inside information, but my gut feeling is that the Bongo will stay. It was (and, in some cases, remains) a somewhat revolutionary and controversial design, which lets us recognize that some people dig it and some don't without going all hatstand about whether it's good or bad.

On the surface, it seems to me that EBMM is augmenting the line without doing away with anything. The Sterling 5 isn't going to replace the Stingray 5, for instance, nor are all Stingrays going to be one configuration or the other - or be replaced with the Classic Series. That's just my opinion.

Of course, if the Bongo was discontinued, I'd be sitting on a gold mine.....or a bunch of ugly basses, let's just get that out of the way and be done with it.

Jack
 
#15
bovinehost said:
The Sterling 5 isn't going to replace the Stingray 5, for instance, nor are all Stingrays going to be one configuration or the other - or be replaced with the Classic Series. That's just my opinion.
Click to expand...


just to clarify, i consider the Stingray 5 and the Sterling 5 to be completely different animals which justifies their existences. the new single H Big Al just seems like overlap. and with the options it has (active/passive series/parallel) it seems to be a better option than the single H Bongo. then again, multiple pickup Bongos have one option none of the other EBMMs have... the ability to blend pickups.
 
#16
I'm pretty sure the Big Al has the Bongo preamp, BUT Ceramic (Sterling) pickups -- not Neodymium like the Bongo.

Edit: I just checked the EB site, and the Big Al does indeed have Neodymium pickups (The singles). I remember reading where Sterling Ball said something about the Sterling pickup for the Big Al -- it may be that the Big Al has sterling pickup bobbins or something. I'm sure someone will clarify. Also the single H is ceramic I think.
 
#17
the SSS Big Al has neodymium pickups. Ceramic for the H?

just read that the single H Big Al has the 25th pickup (ceramic, indeed), which Mr. Ball says is the best pickup they've ever made. which, to me, clouds it even further. why would you buy a single H Bongo when you could have the single H Big Al? again, maybe you just dig the bongo shape.

neck differences, perhaps? oh yea, and like mentioned above, 24 frets...
 
#19
king_biscuit said:
I'm pretty sure the Big Al has the Bongo preamp, BUT Ceramic (Sterling) pickups -- not Neodymium like the Bongo.

Edit: I just checked the EB site, and the Big Al does indeed have Neodymium pickups (The singles). I remember reading where Sterling Ball said something about the Sterling pickup for the Big Al -- it may be that the Big Al has sterling pickup bobbins or something. I'm sure someone will clarify. Also the single H is ceramic I think.
Click to expand...


the 25th anniversary had sterling (ceramic) magnets wound to stingray specs on bongo bobbins... a true celebration of heritage.
 
#20
narud said:
is the big al replacing the bongo as the instrument most easy to criticize ernie ball's design team over? yes;)
Click to expand...

If by criticizing, you mean criticizing the design team for being too awesome, then I agree with you. ;)

I have one of each and I love them. The Bongo is still one of the best feeling basses to have in my hands. The Big Al plays great, looks unique and has an incredible variety of sounds. I've never been much for tradition, in fact part of the reason I sold the second Big Al I had was because it was Sunburst, but I digress. Musicman doesn't seem to be thinking about killing anything at the moment. Your Stingrays, Sterlings and Stingray Vs are probably always going to be the majority of their sales (as well as black and natural), but there are people who are captivated by the "oddballs" that probably wouldn't have been buying a new Stingray anytime soon (much like myself).

I'm as big of a Musicman fanboy as anybody, but Stingray and Sterlings while great basses, don't do all that much for me. I really choose my instruments for myself, its nice to have buddies that like my gear as well (and I do have them), but I just wouldn't feel like I was being me if I was gigging a Jazz or P. Or as it says under my avatar:

"Doesn't care what you think, I have good taste"

More relevant though, I just picked up a Single H bongo for the 3rd time last week. Then I saw the Single H Big Al and got a little annoyed for a second since I am such a fan of the bass. However, playing the Single H at practice and thinking things through, they still really do different things. I don't want the extra mid push of the Mahogany, I find 4 band EQ overkill for a single pickup bass, and I like my humbuckers active. Plus, I find the playability of the Bongo to be better than the Big Al (not that the Big Al is bad mind you). If I need a passive sound, I'll take the Big Al (which I play almost exclusively in passive). My band will be recording three songs early next month, I'll take both basses and probably use the Big Al on two and the Bongo on the other.

I know I'm biased and all, but these are pretty awesome looking.
P1010108.jpg


And I know the Big Al will never appeal to everybody lookswise, but I think some of us pull it off quite nicely:
3802129693_58e25f19a0_b.jpg

3802160573_b03d484ab3_b.jpg

3802968572_cee75f3c11_b.jpg
 

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