Playing the Big Al 5 today

[EdFriedland]

I'm getting ready to shoot some video of the Big Al 5, so I spent the day going nuts on it. I got the feel dialed in for my preferences, and damn this bass just smokes! Seriously.

[bovinehost]

It's actually frightening me, Ed.

Hold me.

[sitonmybass]

... and damn this bass just smokes! Seriously.

I'm assuming your testing was done on an SSS model to show the myriad of tonal variations.

Sure would like to hear the single H model.

[Duarte]

Can't wait to see it Ed, nothing compares to your videos.

[7broccos]

O no

[cellkirk74]

O no

Oh yes!!!!

Can't wait to see the vid.

[keko]

Oh yes!!!!

Can't wait to see the vid.

Me too!

I'm afraid only of one thing, this vid. could last over 10 minutes and become boring, I mean according the number of switching options of the Big Al SSS, right?

So, Ed should make really constructive approach to make this vid. transparent, simple and short!

[davidjbass]

Can't wait to see it.

[Bean]

Can't wait to see it.

Indeed!

Its what I'm eyeballin' as my next Ball purchase... no matter what the Bongo crowd says.

[Big Poppa]

Ed dont listen to the croatian...(jk) The big al is really its own beast and there are so many different ways it can sound the eq is really important in a;ll ettings and the passive eq just rooled off a tad is retro chic. I like that retro chic.

Go forward and dont look back Ed....

[bovinehost]

I'm afraid only of one thing, this vid. could last over 10 minutes and become boring, I mean according the number of switching options of the Big Al SSS, right?

Let me 'splain something here. First, I am rather infamous for being a boring, lunchpail, non-technically oriented kind of bass player. I had a Bongo with the HHp configuration and almost immediately thought there were just too many knobs for me to get comfortable with it, especially in a band context.

Second, and after this I will stop numbering things because thirdly, I get easily lost and fourthly, I don't think fourthly is really a word, the Big Al sss configuration was scaring me a little bit. I said, some months ago, "What is this, an accordion?" (Not that there's anything wrong with accordions.)

The truth is that after a weekend with the Big Al, the setup is intuitive and very easy to manipulate, much like Teresa Wilson in 10th grade. "Ah this button here goes to that....yeah, makes sense." And again, I am not known for being all into knobs and buttons and switches.

I haven't talked to Ed about this, but I'm thinking that since his experience with the 25th, he's probably finding it to be about the same. It just makes sense.

[DTG]

Not that there's anything wrong with accordions.

thats a lie !!

[EdFriedland]

Well, if you might remember, when I did the video for the Big Al 4, I meticulously demonstrated every freekin' pickup configuration (all 16 of them) with fingerstyle, pickstyle, and slap. That was 48 different samples, and yes... it took the entire 10 minutes to do it.

Since the 4 and 5 string SSS have the same setup.... this time, I'm not going to repeat that process. I plan on playing around more with my favorite settings... though there are an awful lot of them. For the first video, I felt it was important to illustrate the full range of the bass since it was so new, and radically different than anything MM had ever done before. That video is still online.

The Big Al 5 totally kicks ass, the B string is thunderous, tight, articulate... all that good stuff. Anyway, I'm having a blast playing it, too bad I have to send it off to Ohio when I'm done. Bass Gear has a two-tiered review system. I do the "in hand" review, and then Phil Maneri does the bench test part. The demo will probably go online in a month or so, when issue #5 is done.

[five7]

Take your time Ed! Even if it takes all day and night. We love your reviews!

[stingray56funk]

I'm looking forward to this review for sure! I am in need of a 5'er and I loved playing around with the Big Al 4 SSS at GC. Here's to saving up $$$ my wife doesn't know about!