Sell or not? Another "no good answer" poll

[projectapollo]

I am now in posession of a pair of roasted 5"s -- a Bongo HH and Big Al SSS. I play this weekend and have been going back and forth between the 2 for days. I just have to go with the Big Al for the same reasons in the above post. The swiss army knife of useable tones is too handy to pass up. Bongo sounds great and I love Bongos. But this new passive/active pushbutton preamp in the BigAl and the Reflex is really the next step in bass evolution at MM, to me. No wonder these are the 2 bases that Craig now records with. One Bongo, one Big Al maybe, AD?

 

[syciprider]

Oh man Big ALs suck especially with flats. Buy one and hear it for yourself........





See what I did there?

 

[fuzzlord!]

Is that white or white pearl?

Just wondering so I can decide whether to break into your house and steal it or not.

Straight up white.

 

[keko]

So, adouglas, which one is going away?

It's obvious that BA is pushing too much GAS ?

 

[MattOfSweden]

I say go for a fourth bass and don't sell the Desert Gold Bongo.

 

[drTStingray]

I say go for a fourth bass and don't sell the Desert Gold Bongo.

+1 - you seriously can't sell a Bongo

 

[adouglas]

If you have the chance to get the BA before you sell the Bongo, do it and keep the one you like best.

Best advice so far.

Thing is, I'm just not comfortable owning stuff I don't use. Some folks are collectors. I'm not.

I owned one of the best Bongos ever made for a time.. the Small EQ 4Hp fretless with the headstock signed by Poppa. It filled the waiting period while my Blue Dawn 5Hp was being built. A collector would have kept that bass....

All three of my basses get played regularly. The H and fretless are in rotation with my band and get gigged. They live at the practice space. The HHp lives at home and I use it to learn new stuff and relax. Sometimes I gig it just to let it see the light of day.

I bought an Envy Green Bongo LE last year because I like the color and it's rare, but it wound up just sitting in its case. Never got gigged, never got used at band practice, and only got played a few times at home. Had to sell it... it was bugging me.

Last night I was playing the HHp and kept thinking how hard it would be to replace if I changed my mind. Piezos are rare.

I also have this fear that the moment I commit, the company is going to make roasted necks a regular production option, or put the Gamechanger in a Big Al, or something irresistible like that and I'll be kicking myself for being impatient.

The smart thing to do, I suppose, is to watch the skies and wait for a used BA5 with my preferred specs to show up. Hasn't happened yet.

 

[J Romano]

I am like you. If I don't use it I don't keep it. But impatience is my down fall too..... I sympathize, been there-done that-was sorry later. Still look back on "things" I got rid of and miss them.

 

[danny-79]

You just said it your self,

All three of my basses get played regularly

So get the BA an see how it goes, If you are still wanting to sell one of your Bongos to justify the purchase you might even find that the 5HHp isn't the one that needs selling ????

 

[drTStingray]

I'm worried that the power of the famous (or infamous!!) mind ray generator may be waning here AD only joking.

Being serious though, I'm guessing you may regret selling the HHp. As you said, possibly a used Big Al will be best to see whether you like it - you can always sell it on if you don't - or sell it on to finance a new one to your exact spec.

I can vouch for the fact that the BA isn't everyone's cup of tea they had one at the recent London Bass Guitar Show - didn't appear to get much attention at all whilst I was around the stand compared to the golden monster truck and a shed load of Stingrays of varying specs. That said, you may love it once you've tried/had some time and gigs with one.

 

[adouglas]

I can vouch for the fact that the BA isn't everyone's cup of tea.

I have never in my life thought that the other guy's cup of tea is a good thing. I mean, it's all full of backwash and there are germs on the edge of the cup. Ugh.

That puts me far out of step with fashion and current trends, pretty much all the time. I've long since gotten past the point of caring what anyone else thinks. Hey, I personally believe that pointy zebra-striped shoes look sharp....

I like it out here on the end of the bell curve. It's uncrowded.

I've not consciously tried to go against conventional wisdom and the preferences of the masses. Yet somehow I always find myself deciding that the less-popular choice is the best for me.

Never owned a P or J in my life, for example.

So I guess I'm the ideal target for Bongo or Big Al ownership.

My eeevil plan is, of course, to convince all the rest of you that I'm right after all. Muhahahahahaaaa.

 

[rizzo9247]

I don't adhere to the below policy as I like to play before I buy, but it is an option:

[cheap guy/practical rant]

Buy it from those big box online retailers (Buy Music Man Big Al Bass | 4 String Electric Bass | Musician's Friend). Yes, I know it's not a 5 string, but you have 45 days to test it out. If you like it, return it and buy the 5 of your choice from your favorite dealer. If it's not your thing, return it for a full refund before that credit card statement comes in...

[/cheap guy/practical rant]

 

[adouglas]

I don't adhere to the below policy as I like to play before I buy, but it is an option:

True, but unethical. I considered this when looking at the Bongo in the first place and after talking it over here and elsewhere decided that it's just a wrong thing.

The right thing is to buy one and flip it. Any loss can be considered a rental fee.

Or, just borrow one from a local owner....

 

[rizzo9247]

Or, just borrow one from a local owner....

Yes...slightly more ethical

 

[drTStingray]

Never owned a P or J in my life, for example.

curiously neither have I I'm afraid the 70s Stingray GAS at the time extinguished any desire in me for these earlier instruments - and it's not returned!

 

[jlepre]

...I also have this fear that the moment I commit, the company is going to make roasted necks a regular production option, or put the Gamechanger in a Big Al, or something irresistible like that and I'll be kicking myself for being impatient...

Cast that hook AD. I hope you don't agonize over this too long.

 

[cellkirk74]

Hey, I personally believe that pointy zebra-striped shoes look sharp....

I thought this was common ground!

Even if they really would put a GC into a Big Al shape, this won't happen before winter namm, so it would be way longer than a year until they would be available. And then, it will for sure be a HH SSH or maybe HSH config, so it will not be the typical Big Al at all.

I personally don't believe they will have the roasteds as a standard option, but you will never know what SLO comes up with next. Hesitation is for chickens...

 

[adouglas]

Hesitation is for chickens...

Cluck.

One thing you should know is that after 25 years of saving, my wife and I just bought a house. I could easily spend every penny of my allowance on spouse-approved stuff like furniture and such. But on the other hand, it is MY allowance....

 

[lefenton]

One thing you should know is that after 25 years of saving, my wife and I just bought a house. I could easily spend every penny of my allowance on spouse-approved stuff like furniture and such. But on the other hand, it is MY allowance....

YES!!! The wife and I bought a house a year and a half ago. In that year and a half, I was able to justify a Big Al and a Classic Ray. There's nothing wrong with eating pasta for a couple of months to fulfill a sickening gear fetish. If YOUR allowance gets you a sweet bass at the expense of some modest comfort for a short period, that's YOUR decision to make. Be as bold as your footwear.

 

[cellkirk74]

Cluck.

Ok, so you got that point.

One thing you should know is that after 25 years of saving, my wife and I just bought a house. I could easily spend every penny of my allowance on spouse-approved stuff like furniture and such. But on the other hand, it is MY allowance....

If you were not on the other side of the planet, I would say join in on April 9th for our second knuckleheadmeeting here in Wiesbaden. There will be some Big Als.

Did you try one at a shop or something?