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Why did the EBMM Bongo take off, and the Big Al not?

makaspar

makaspar

Radio is a sad salvation
Supporting Member
Oct 23, 2009
843
1,088
Austin, TX
www.mattkaspar.com
#1
So, first I should say that I'm not trying to insult Bongos. Their looks aren't my thing, and they don't appear to be well balanced to me, but I'm not trying to put them down. That being said, I love the looks of the EBMM Big Al basses. Now that I have one, I love the play-ability, sound, versatility, etc...

If they have the same pre-amps, why did the Bongos stick around while the Big Als (even the humbucker models) go away?

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#3
two fingers said:
Sales. Period. If they had sold well, EBMM would still be making them.
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Absolutely! I'm just wondering why Bongo sales were better than Big Al sales. I clearly have a preference - I don't see the appeal in the Bongo over a Big Al (not judging those who do). What am I missing?
 
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#6
Typically I don't think basses with lots of "tonal options " sell well. A relatively simple two pickup bass with V/V/T can get you a almost infinite variety of sounds depending on settings and playing style. While maybe fun in a recording situation a bass with lots of knobs and pickups can be lethal in a live setting. Most of my basses are single pickup and I can get any sound I need.
 
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#7
I own a Bongo HS 6. It balances perfectly. I happen to like 6-string basses and the Bongo is EBMM's only offering. They also recently added John Myung's signature Bongo to the website.

That said, I was intrigued when the Big Al was introduced. Bass Central posted a really cool video of the SSS model, showing all the different tones available.
 
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#8
I don't think the name or overall look of the Big Al did it any favors as far as the marketing image went. Which is a shame really. The SSS version might be one of the most versatile bass tone machines ever created. Play one and prepare to be impressed.

It's one of the few basses I've still got on my bucket list.

Maybe someday.
 
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#9
Because musicians, for all of their wild fashion swings and new think will play the same 5 or 6 guitars and basses (Strat, Tele, Jazz, Precision, LP, SG, ES, EB and Rics) till hell freezes over. For every guy that dug a Big Al, there's 300 that thought 'it's too pointy and why do I need 3 pickups' on the way out to the Harley . . . . Bassists ARE far more broad-minded than guitar players, and lots of guys play lots of other basses, but a lot . . . . . don't.
 
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#10
People loved the Bongo tone enough to look beyond the non-traditional shape. The same thing didn't have with the Big Al. And even though it was "more" successful doesn't mean it's a runaway hit. I am only familiar with maybe a handful of artists that use them and can't remember ever randomly seeing one being played in the wild.
 
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#11
garp said:
LOL. It's worth noting that EBMM's marketing for the Bongo played up heavily the BMW Design Team's involvement. At the end of the day, will people adore me more if I own a bass that's connected to BMW, or a bass that's connected to Elroy? ;)
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Lol... I guess I'm not impressed with BMW so much that it has an effect on my bass preferences - ha!

TolerancEJ said:
I own a Bongo HS 6. It balances perfectly. I happen to like 6-string basses and the Bongo is EBMM's only offering. They also recently added John Myung's signature Bongo to the website.

That said, I was intrigued when the Big Al was introduced. Bass Central posted a really cool video of the SSS model, showing all the different tones available.
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Okay - I can see the appeal if you're a 6-string player, and that's all EBMM offers. Fair enough.

JW56789 said:
Because musicians, for all of their wild fashion swings and new think will play the same 5 or 6 guitars and basses (Strat, Tele, Jazz, Precision, LP, SG, ES, EB and Rics) till hell freezes over. For every guy that dug a Big Al, there's 300 that thought 'it's too pointy and why do I need 3 pickups' on the way out to the Harley . . . . Bassists ARE far more broad-minded than guitar players, and lots of guys play lots of other basses, but a lot . . . . . don't.
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Yes - but do those people like toilet seat basses? JOKING!
 
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#12
This is pure conjecture on my part, but it seems to me that every single bass that EBMM has produced that hasn't at least given a nod to the StingRay aesthetic (specifically the oval pickguard and humbucker with big pole pieces) has been discontinued eventually. The Big Al, the Reflex, the Sabre, the Cutlass and the Caprice have all gone. The StingRay, the Sterling, and the Bongo, all with the signature pickguard and humbucker, are still going strong.
 
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#13
I actually like the shape of both basses better than the Stingray, but one bassist I know said that the Big Al looked like someone started to design a bass but then gave up before the shape was fully realized...and then they threw an ill-conceived pickguard on it at the last minute.
I'm an art deco fan and though I think it looks good, I can easily understand what he meant.
 
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#15
makaspar said:
Lol... I guess I'm not impressed with BMW so much that it has an effect on my bass preferences - ha!



Okay - I can see the appeal if you're a 6-string player, and that's all EBMM offers. Fair enough.



Yes - but do those people like toilet seat basses? JOKING!
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I like and have three six string basses.
But I don't like either of those EBMM basses.

But I won't say why.
Warning points could be issued!
 
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#16
ac100X said:
I like both....picture of last gig with covid spacing. I could never understand why the Big Al didn't make it BIG, the bass has a passive / active button and sounds good in either mode and I like the looks. I wish all active basses had a passive button.


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Nice! If you had to pick, which is your #1, and why?
 
#18
I owned at least 4 versions of the Big Al, including a 4 and a 5, and a 4-string PDN mahogany one that I still wish I owned (some guy in CO talked it out of me, and he still owns it). One of the best basses I ever played, period. But I was way into playing country at the time and it didn't really fit the P-centric country esthetic, but I digress.

I also owned a few Bongo in my time, and just never ever bonded with any like I did the Big Al. So I don't know why they didn't sell as well, other than the fact that people couldn't come to grips with the pointy factor. I loved the pointy factor. But I like weird stuff. So I suppose I'm a target market of one. Not enough to build a legacy of a model.
 
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#19
Dr. Cheese said:
The lesson is that if a bass is going to have an unusual shape, being fairly round is more acceptable than being super angular. Also, when people think Music Man, they think humbuckers, not single coils.
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Fair enough, but what about the Big Al with a Humbucker? Did the SSS version spoil the H version? Haha...
 
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