Musicman Big Al Club

[Tunaman]

My basis for comparison is that my other basses are dead silent but my Big Al is not. More often than not, my Big Al picks up hum in various locations.

My Sterling HH is louder in series mode, dead quiet in parallel. Also the main problem was being too close to electronics like a computer, phone or battery pack

 

[Joe Nerve]

I love my big Al. Am I the only one who wants one of these with a sting ray neck.That would be the Bees Knees! That should be an option. Just as you can get a ray with the slo option(sterling/big al)neck.

When i first got mine that was my thought. Once i got used to the smaller neck, i like it better. I really now believe we like and want what we're used to. At least thats how it works for me.

 

[Melvin7822]

When i first got mine that was my thought. Once i got used to the smaller neck, i like it better. I really now believe we like and want what we're used to. At least thats how it works for me.

Do you find that your Big Al is prone to picking up any hum in active mode?

 

[Joe Nerve]

Do you find that your Big Al is prone to picking up any hum in active mode?

I never noticed any. Id check for ya but im on the road and took a bass im not worried about leaving around in strange places.

 

[Smallequestrian]

My basis for comparison is that my other basses are dead silent but my Big Al is not. More often than not, my Big Al picks up hum in various locations.

Which in that case would leave me to believe that there is a problem with your particular bass that they missed. One thing Musicman has figured out is how to keep their electronics quiet when they want them to be. On the Stingray HS, there is a dummy coil right underneath the pickguard...the bongo HS has a dummy coil in the control cavity, the sterling has a third coil on the bottom of the pickup for a silent operating "single coil" mode, etc...

I would talk to them again restating the issue above and see what you can get done.

 

[Melvin7822]

Which in that case would leave me to believe that there is a problem with your particular bass that they missed. One thing Musicman has figured out is how to keep their electronics quiet when they want them to be. On the Stingray HS, there is a dummy coil right underneath the pickguard...the bongo HS has a dummy coil in the control cavity, the sterling has a third coil on the bottom of the pickup for a silent operating "single coil" mode, etc...

I would talk to them again restating the issue above and see what you can get done.

Yup, that's what I'm working on right now.

 

[Musicman20]

Which in that case would leave me to believe that there is a problem with your particular bass that they missed. One thing Musicman has figured out is how to keep their electronics quiet when they want them to be. On the Stingray HS, there is a dummy coil right underneath the pickguard...the bongo HS has a dummy coil in the control cavity, the sterling has a third coil on the bottom of the pickup for a silent operating "single coil" mode, etc...

I would talk to them again restating the issue above and see what you can get done.

True story! Both my HS basses and Big Al are super quiet.

Didn't realise the Bongo had a coil in the cavity! That's kinda cool.

 

[neoman09]

Got a Big Al that is super quiet. Can't complain a bit. I play it in active mode all the time and stand very close to my amps.

 

[zortation]

I'd like to try an H model, but haven't seen one around here yet. Any owners give me the scoop on it...would be great if you could.

 

[Melvin7822]

So just a follow up. I sent the Big Al to Music Man and they ended up replacing all of the electronics and yet the noise issue still persists. I'm baffled as to how a $1900 Music Man still has more noise than a cheap $250 jazz bass knock-off.

 

[Mrfstop]

So just a follow up. I sent the Big Al to Music Man and they ended up replacing all of the electronics and yet the noise issue still persists. I'm baffled as to how a $1900 Music Man still has more noise than a cheap $250 jazz bass knock-off.

REALLY odd?
I bought my BA sss4 brand new not all that long ago.
I do not play it much. ( thinking about selling it actually for this reason)

But must say after reading this thread about noise recently, I took it out and played it for awhile on all settings and noticed no noise at all.
So I am thinking the noise thing is not the norm. It is the exception.
I hope ya get to the bottom of it and get it in proper working order ASAP! Good luck

 

[Musicman20]

So just a follow up. I sent the Big Al to Music Man and they ended up replacing all of the electronics and yet the noise issue still persists. I'm baffled as to how a $1900 Music Man still has more noise than a cheap $250 jazz bass knock-off.

This seems weird. I can't understand what is happening...

 

[Melvin7822]

I don't know what else to do. They've supposedly replaced everything possible and yet I still pick up hum. I wish there was someone else in Colorado that owned one so I could compare. I'd even pay for shipping both ways if a TB'er wanted to graciously lend me their Big Al for comparison. I love this bass, but I pick up hum more often than not.

 

[Thornton Davis]

There MUST be a shielding or solder connection that's not well grounded or a problem as mentioned above in the signal chain to the amp or to the electrical socket.

My Big Al 5 is quiet, but then it's an H, not an SSS.

TD

 

[Disco Batman]

I'll be joining the Big Al club once the right one in a 4SSS config shows up used. Fantastic instrument.

 

[Eggman]

I'll be joining the Big Al club once the right one in a 4SSS config shows up used. Fantastic instrument.

I put a Dargie II Big Al SSS 4 up for sale in the FS section.

 

[Disco Batman]

I put a Dargie II Big Al SSS 4 up for sale in the FS section.

And she is a beauty, just too rich for my blood.

 

[DanGouge]

Just tried one of these today. Wow, I was actually quite impressed with the range of tones and also how the active/passive modes match volume fairly evenly. How many of you are using this as your #1?

 

[Melvin7822]

My Big Al is currently my number 1. I ordered another Big Al, but it will be a single H 5'er. I like the Big Al basses so much that I sold off all of my other basses.

 

[stingray96191]

I have 4, 3 of them get gigged with all the time. The roasted neck is a case queen. Best bass on the market for my money. SSS or H you can't go wrong.
Pearl White (the puppet hammer)

Roasted Black Sugar

Dargie II

Aqua Purple