• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan
Ernie Ball Music Man Custom Design Experience

The TPB spread is finally in!

boombox

boombox

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2006
Messages
435
Location
Gonzales, Louisiana, United States
I have been busy and totally forgot to give you guys the good! I have decided to stick with the Tort Guard. Tonight will be her first night on a rock gig and I’m hoping that the middle & bridge in series combination will be as killer in my ensemble as it is by itself.

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GreyDad

GreyDad

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 6, 2007
Messages
679
Location
Somerset UK
Beautiful bass, shame about the pickguard :D

Just kidding

Hope the gig goes well, Brandt: we expect, nay demand, gig pics of course
 
bassmonkeee

bassmonkeee

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
4,628
Location
Decatur, GA
Goodness. Boy, am I glad you didn't get these up before I sold the Dargie. I might not have been as responsible. :D
 
laneline

laneline

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
763
Location
North Jersey
Brandt, when I saw your guards lined up in wait for the bass and you mentioned it having a Tort guard, I have to admit I cringed, but whoa it looks great !
Love to hear how your maiden BA gig went. Rick
 
boombox

boombox

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2006
Messages
435
Location
Gonzales, Louisiana, United States
Review of the BIG AL!

I would like to first point out the things that I love about this bass vs. the Bongo that I have been playing for the past 6+ months. The slim neck and wax neck finish are in my opinion a combination that makes this the best playing neck in the business. (I know those are big words but in my opinion and in my hands I believe it to be true and I’m not bias. I own a lot of stuff with a lot of different neck profiles.) Second the body shape is killer for a bass! It hangs perfect! Balance is great and the top cut is extremely comfortable. My bass has a little beef to it but I could still play it for 4 hours without issues.

The sounds that I found to be the best while sitting in front of my amp at home or work totally did not work with the band. (Out of all people I should have known better.) I love the passive, middle and bridge in series tone the best while playing the bass by myself. If I recorded a record I know I could make this combo work but in the trenches of battle against two guitars and a left handed keyboard player it just didn’t work. I played most of the gig with the N&B/series setting but in active mode. There I was able to dial up a little more mid and cut though better in order to hear myself the way I need to. (I like to keep track of all my mistakes so I’ve got to hear myself.) The bottom end on the BIG AL is great. We played a few songs with the E dropped to a D and it was huge! Filled up the bottom end but was still crystal clear.

However, I wasn’t getting the mid response that I was use to from the big Neo Buckers in the Bongo so I switched mid gig and confirmed that the bongo (or Music Man humbucker in general) is where the tone in my head comes from. The midrange on the Big AL sounded soft and polished to my ears. I can say that the BIG AL has tons of tonal goodness to dish out and most guys that are not “set it and forget it” bass players like me will love its versatility. There is no doubt that he bass sounds and plays great and bleeds Music Man through and through. While I do not regret the purchase of the BIG AL and can say that for now my heart lies with the humbucker. I will keep trying to find a place for the BIG AL since its feel and shape are the best out of any bass that I own. I do have a new band coming up that is playing a wider variety of Music, may be the wider pallet on the BIG AL will work for me there.


BB
 
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