Interesting Thread on TB About Big Al and Bongo

[cellkirk74]

dont forget sonically different

Thats the big point! Owning both a Bongo and a Big Al I can assure you that they do sound unique. You can pull huge tones from both, but the Big Al has a different color to its sounds.

While the Bongo sounds very 'modern', the Al has a vintage vibe to its tones, even in active mode. This may be because of the pure singlecoil concept. I think you can easily blow away any modern JB-clone with it. Even the default 'all buttons out'-setting is a new but typical EBMM Sound.

While I am not a genius player, some of my friends are. They were all most impressed with the Big Al for having so many good sounds but remaining an own character (which is the point some of the boutique-guys do not get).

If I had to make it short I would say the Bongo is for the big tones while the Big Al is for the more delicate open tones.

Neither one could replace the other.

 

[syciprider]

Stingray vs Sterling:
Different pups
Different # of frets
Different neck
Different body size
Different wiring

Bongo vs Big AL
Different pups
Different # of frets
Different neck
Different wood
SIGNIFICANTLY different styling
Different electronics

There are more differences between the Bongo and the Big AL than there are between the SR and the Sterling and yet nobody hints that the Sterling may replace the Ray.

 

[MudvilleStomper]

some of you missed my point...

this is about the new Single H Big Al, which none of you have played, and the Single H Bongo, which most of you have played.

at first glance, i saw two basses that were very similar:

1.) pickup in the classic MusicMan position
2.) the same preamp (false assumption)
3.) the same pickup (again, false.)

at the same time, i noticed that the new Single H Big Al had the ability to go active / passive and parallel / series, things the Bongo cannot do. so i thought to myself, unless i'm just hot for the Bongo body, or i hate having options, why would i get a Single H Bongo over a Single H Big Al?

then it occured to me... perhaps the Bongo is being phased out. EBMM has no redundancy in its lineup. what gives?

during the course of the day, i realized that the Bongo has a 24 fret neck that is also wider than the Big Al neck.

i had assumed that since the Big Al single coils are neodymium, the humbucker would be, too. the Bongo has a neodymium humbucker as well. see where i'm going? but then i found out that the Single H Big Al would have the ceramic humbucker from the 25th Anniversary Bass, a pickup that Mr. Ball has said is the best pickup EBMM has ever made.

this of course led to a lot of speculation, on my part, on what would make the new Reflex different than the Single H Big Al... i have my ideas, but i won't get into that here.

so anyway, the pickup in the Single H Big Al is different than the Single H Bongo.

then i found out that the preamp in the Single H Bongo is actually a three bander, not a four bander like that found in the Big Al lineup as well as in the rest of the Bongo lineup.

of course there's a difference in body woods....

at that point i came to realize that, these were two distinct animals and therefore there was no overlap in models. and this lack of overlap is what i expect from EBMM.

soooo, i was right in thinking that EBMM avoids redundancy in its lineup of instruments. i was wrong in thinking that there was overlap between the Single H Big Al and the Single H Bongo.

 

[TheAntMan]

Order has been restored in the Force....

All Jedi Knights are to return to base.

--Ant

 

[Spanky(Andy)]

Order has been restored in the Force....

All Jedi Knights are to return to base.

--Ant

What about us clone 'troopers?

 

[adouglas]

Fett plays a Bongo.

And Han shot first.

 

[Big Poppa]

YOu are correct in that the reflex will be similar to the big all except for the wood selection We will probably do something wacky there too...

Mudville they were all great questions but dontforget that you can get a four band ina bongo if you opt for the piezo option

 

[sitonmybass]

Since I am a Bongo 5 single H owner who is contemplating the purchase of a Big Al 5 single H, I really NEEDED to read this thread. These are the differences that I will keep in my mind:

Bongo 5 single H
neodymium magnet humbucker
3 band active EQ
basswood body

Big Al 5 single H
ceramic magnet "25th" humbucker
4 band active EQ
passive tone control
active/passive
series/ parallel
mahogany body

OF COURSE THIS MAKES ME WANT A BIG AL 5 SINGLE H EVEN MORE!

 

[adouglas]

the wood selection We will probably do something wacky there too...

Knotty pine?

 

[DaddyFlip]

Knotty pine?

Ballsa wood! Talk about lightweight... maybe with a tone block you could make a 4-5 pound full-size bass.

 

[ZiggyDude]

Well – now that I have properly paid my penance I guess it’s OK if I toss in a thought on this.

I had first heard about the Big Al after posting some gig pics and people good naturedly ribbed me a bit after seeing so many pointy guitars. So, I have been curious about it for some time now. I did a review Ampeg & Acoustic mini stacks a month or so back. It was done at the local GC and I used a StingRay and also tried the three single coil version of the Big Al.

I had a lot of fun with the StingRay. I was able to get quite expressive with it. I found the pickup variations on the Big Al interesting. But in a few cases I got a single coil hum. As far as “The Feel” – it was quickly apparent the Big Al just did not work out for me. It was too small somehow. I know that might not make sense regarding the body as it is technically an inch wider than the Bongo. But the string spacing was really cramped about the nut and somehow the bass just “felt” smaller. The bass is a few inches shorter than the Bongo – maybe it is how the neck and body are set? Some help here.

So, where I am going with this is that the Bongo and Big Al are really two different animals regardless of the pickups used. I have a lot of fun with my Bongo 5 HH and it has a great feel. What Big Poppa said about the pickup blend is really true. It usually just takes a small bit off center detent to get a nice variation in tone. I rarely use just one pickup. Getting the 4 band with the two pup version is also best for me.

I am a little confused on the wood. I saw that some mentioned the Big Al was mahogany. The website says Alder.

Now a mahogany Bongo! That might be interesting………….

 

[adouglas]

I am a little confused on the wood. I saw that some mentioned the Big Al was mahogany. The website says Alder.

Now a mahogany Bongo! That might be interesting………….

Check the Big Al torture threads.

The 5er is mahogany. The 4 is alder.

Also...

The neck on the Al 5 is the same as the Sterling 5, which (IIRC) is the same width at the nut as the Bongo 5.

 

[bovinehost]

As far as “The Feel” – it was quickly apparent the Big Al just did not work out for me. It was too small somehow. I know that might not make sense regarding the body as it is technically an inch wider than the Bongo. But the string spacing was really cramped about the nut and somehow the bass just “felt” smaller. The bass is a few inches shorter than the Bongo – maybe it is how the neck and body are set? Some help here.

The Big Al 4 shares the same neck specs and string spacing as the Sterling 4. I like picking one up occasionally and having a go at it, but the size itself is not in my comfort zone. I am much more comfortable on a Stingray or Bongo neck, but remember this is just ME. Phatduckk will tell you the exact opposite. And the good thing is: we're both absolutely correct.

Jack

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Jack, in view of the above how are you getting on with the Sterling 5 neck, do you find it different from the Bono 5 and Sray 5 (I ask because like you I am dialled on them there necks) and I am also curious to venture on the Big Al 5

Thanks