A Fretless Big Al?

[jazzyitalian]

Am I the only one that is thinking this?
Or are there others here wit hthe same thoughts?

As I look at the Big Al I keep thinking that it could very well be the best fretless bass out of the rest of the MM bass bunch. It's actually kind of an exciting notion.

I'm begining to come to the conclusion that single coils really are better for fretless. And I know it's all opinion and preference. But we all seem to come back to talking about the "Jaco" tone and "Jaco" in general, every time someone starts talking about a fretless bass. To a certain degree I really dig that kind of sound. If at all because it's just that unique and warm.

I haven't heard the Big Al yet and for all I know, it may not be the best of the bunch as a fretless. So I don't know jack s**t other than this impression that with the nylon coated La Bella's I favor, maybe it's this Bass over the double HH fretless Sterling I have.

Any one else having the same thoughts?

 

[Spanky(Andy)]

Hi JazzyItalian,

I own a fretless Dargie Delight Big Al bass.. I bought it virtually new from the for sale section on this forum. I've got a couple of pics of it in the "Big ALice is in the house" thread: http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/41990-big-alice-house.html

I also own a fretless Stingray 4 and love them both, but am really blown away by the neck, pickup switching, versatility of passive/active tone and the ebony fingerboard board on the DD fretless Big Al.

Regards

Andy

 

[Manfloozy]

AndySAndy has THE fretless Big Al.

I thought about one but the 25ths won my interest instead.

 

[T Alan]

Actually, back in Sept, I came -><- close to special ordering a fretless Big Al instead of the fretless Bongo6 I ended up ordering. I feel the aesthetics of the Big Al lend itself to a fretless more than a fretted.

 

[davidjbass]

I am the former owner of the fretless Big Al Dargie. And I have to say that it was one of the best sounding fretless's that I ever owned. But alas I am so used to playing 5 string that I sold it to SpankyAndy. And now I have a fretless Big Al H 5 sting on order. The 3 single coils offer alot of variety sound wise. But when I saw the pic of the 5 H from the NAMM show I knew that I had to go that way. I am so used to the older stingrays that I like the feel of the single humbucker better than the 3 singles. Thanks Poppa for making the 5 H model. I can't wait to get it.

 

[oli@bass]

But we all seem to come back to talking about the "Jaco" tone and "Jaco" in general, every time someone starts talking about a fretless bass.

No. I think Pino, Tony and Colin... and all (used to) play fretless 'Rays...

 

[davidjbass]

I don't think of Jaco at all. Pino all the way.

 

[Duarte]

I think of the guy who played on Paul Simon's Graceland...but I don't know his name.

I always think that a fretless Bongo HS could nail that tone though.

 

[Spanky(Andy)]

I don't think of Jaco at all. Pino all the way.

I have to second that... the first fretless player I was really conscious of was Pino on Paul Young's stuff... I never knew anything about Jaco until I read stories about him in US magazines in the 90s.

While Australia is quite American from a cultural perspective these days, it was more British and homegrown influences in the 70s and 80s when I was growing up.

Cheers

Andy

 

[davidjbass]

I think of the guy who played on Paul Simon's Graceland...but I don't know his name.

I always think that a fretless Bongo HS could nail that tone though.

I think he used a washburn bass on that cd.

 

[oli@bass]

I think of the guy who played on Paul Simon's Graceland...but I don't know his name.

Bakithi Kumalo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[jazzyitalian]

Bakithi Kumalo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yep....he's the man....