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is Big Al replacing the Bongo?

#26
chunkstyle said:
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...
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+1 Love it with the single pickup! Just goes to show ya...different strokes.
 
#28
Aspidites said:
While I may not be a big fan of the aesthetics of the Bongo it is immeasurably more attractive than the Big Al so I sure hope not.
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This.

The Big Al reminds me of Picasso's rendition of a Fender Jag, and neither of those two basses are particularly appealing IMO.

Nothing will replace the Stingray, and due to popularity, nothing will replace the Bongo.

That's like saying that they Hoppus sig will replace the jazz and the P-deluxe will replace the precision.
 
#29
There is simply no way MM is going to replace the Bongo. It has a loyal following and also has its own vibe. I have a Bongo 5 HH in the Desert Gold color. Is it my best bass? No. My favorite? No. But it goes to every gig with me (I take 3 or 4 to a gig). There is just something about it that I can't put it down.

The Bongo also has a wider neck at the nut. One of my pet peaves with MM basses is that they are too squished there (at least the 5s). The Big Al is just not comfortable for me. The StingRay and Sterling look too much like a Fender and thus I won't use them.

I am also a regular at the EBMM forum. The thinking that one bass makes another obsolete is just not how EBMM works. The Bongo is a fav of Big Poppa and has its place in the line up.
 
#31
ZiggyDude said:
The Bongo also has a wider neck at the nut. One of my pet peaves with MM basses is that they are too squished there (at least the 5s).

The thinking that one bass makes another obsolete is just not how EBMM works.
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i didn't know that about the neck. and i agree with you about how EBMM works (or doesn't work). i was trying to figure out why i would buy a bongo when i could have a Big Al with more options and "the best pickup EBMM ever made".

i know there are differences between all EBMM models. i was trying to figure out what that difference was between the single H Bongo and the single H Big Al.

someone mentioned popularity, but i think outside a small group of rabid fans, the Bongo is not that popular at all. recently i've seen deeeep discounts at the big box stores, and the smaller mom and pops simply don't carry it.

again, no criticisms here. just thinking out loud..
 
#32
Okay, well...

The H bongo has a three-band, 18 volt preamp, a neodymium pickup and a basswood body.

The Big Al H has a four-band, 18-volt preamp, a ceramic pickup, active/passive switching and series/parallel switching, and now (on the 5 string at least) a mahogany body.

There are many more differences than similarities. They're bound to have a totally different vibe.

More options are not necessarily better. I have a Bongo HH with piezo and also a Bongo H. I gig with the H because it's lighter, and fits the vibe of my current band better. It sounds fantastic. So does the HH with piezo, but it sounds good in a different way.

Why would you buy a Bongo when you have the Big Al available? Simple. Because you like the way it feels, looks, plays and sounds better, should that be the case. In other words, the exact same reason why you'd buy any given bass over any other bass.

The whole idea of the Big Al replacing the Bongo seems silly to me. I mean, look at the Fender catalog. They sell 33 variations of the Jazz bass, fercryinoutloud.
 
#33
adouglas said:
The whole idea of the Big Al replacing the Bongo seems silly to me. I mean, look at the Fender catalog. They sell 33 variations of the Jazz bass, fercryinoutloud.
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i don't think comparing Fender's bloated catalog to EBMM's rather svelte catalog is relevant to this discussion. and in all fairness, replacing the Bongo with the Big Al was silly to me as well, especially knowing that all of the EBMM models can be configured similarly, but that each has its own distinct identity. however, with my limited knowledge, i just couldn't see the differences between the two models.
 
#34
chunkstyle said:
i don't think comparing Fender's bloated catalog to EBMM's rather svelte catalog is relevant to this discussion. and in all fairness, replacing the Bongo with the Big Al was silly to me as well, especially knowing that all of the EBMM models can be configured similarly, but that each has its own distinct identity. however, with my limited knowledge, i just couldn't see the differences between the two models.
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Funny, as I was reading this thread the exact thought came to mind about how many redundant Fender models are out there. I think it is a valid point and relevant to the discussion as a comparative example.

The Big-AL is not for everyone nor is the Bongo. The main point is choice to fit what you need.

As for the comment on the EBMM logo; that is not relevant to the topic. As for the 3+1 tuner positions; there are lots of options, 4 inline, 2 x 2, 3+1. None of that really matters in the sound of the instrument; which I would guess is the reason to acquire the instrument in the first place.

I don't see the Big-AL as a Bongo killer. I have tried both and each fits their niche in different and equally great ways.

Anyway, my $0.02
 
#38
I dont think the Bongo is going anywhere
I used to hate its looks but once I played one in real life I was hooked on its looks
and its tone. I love its tone even more than the Stingrays

If I could Frankenstein the neck off the Sterling onto the Bongo I would be first in line to finally buy a EBMM until then I will hold onto my Jazz Bass
 
#40
FireAnt said:
Funny, as I was reading this thread the exact thought came to mind about how many redundant Fender models are out there. I think it is a valid point and relevant to the discussion as a comparative example.

The Big-AL is not for everyone nor is the Bongo. The main point is choice to fit what you need.

I don't see the Big-AL as a Bongo killer. I have tried both and each fits their niche in different and equally great ways.

Anyway, my $0.02
Click to expand...


this is about the single H Big Al and the single H Bongo. i think it's safe to assume that you have not played the single H Big Al.

this is also about EBMM's lack of duplicity in their catalog and bringing up the redundant models in Fender's catalog only serves the purpose of saying "Fender's catalog is bloated and contains a lot of redundant models."

i know you are trying to say that EBMM has a lot of individual models with little overlap, especially when compared to a company like Fender. and i agree with you. and that is what prompted this discussion in the first place.

when i saw two very similar models, my first thought was, "EBMM never does that. these two basses seem an awful lot alike, and because the H Big Al had more tonal options, i know which one i would prefer. could this be the H Bongo's last stand?"

in the end, it turns out these two basses aren't that similar after all. over the course of today, Sterling Ball has spilled the beans, or some of the beans, on this new bass.

i can't wait for whatever else he has in store for us...
 

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