Another sad loss - James Bongiorno

[The Grand Wazoo]

This is just to give a little nod to one of the fold, who we lost yesterday.

RIP James Bongiorno


A little interview (http://www.tnt-audio.com/intervis/bongiorno_e.html)

http://home.indy.net/~gregdunn/dynaco/components/ST400/ST400.jpg

http://www.davidsaudio.com/assets/images/autogen/a_GAS_ampzilla_orginal.jpg

http://www.davidsaudio.com/assets/images/autogen/a_SUMO_The_Nine_Plus_Class_A_amp_Rackmount_p2.jpg

[Barry]

Goodness! So the "gasman" who came, has now sadly gone. :(

Never heard any of his designs, but I always had a sneaking admiration for anyone who could call their company 'The Great American Sound' (GAS, hence my bad pun), and who called their designs "Ampzilla" and "Son of Ampzilla".

Yes, another American audio designer who chose to 'plow his own furrow', now lost to us.

RIP James

[The Grand Wazoo]

For a short while, I had a Sumo Nine, a little like the Nine Plus in the last photo I posted above. It was great....and for the price it was fantastic.
I found out a few weeks ago that he also designed cartridges.
He worked for Marantz, Dynaco, SAE, Crown and Harmon Kardon in addition to his own companies.

[Barry]

For a short while, I had a Sumo Nine, a little like the Nine Plus in the last photo I posted above. It was great....and for the price it was fantastic.
I found out a few weeks ago that he also designed cartridges.
He worked for Marantz, Dynaco, SAE, Crown and Harmon Kardon in addition to his own companies.

That's a pretty impressive CV!

I believe there was a Sumo cartridge - or am I confusing it with Sumiko?

[The Grand Wazoo]

GAS did a cartridge called a 'Sleeping Beauty' and there were also a couple of Sumo ones too.

[Barry]

This one?

http://www.audio-extasa.eu/gas-sleeping-beauty-mc-cartridge-p-1395.html

[The Grand Wazoo]

That's the one!
The Sumo I was a moving magnet - looked a little like a cheap Ortofon, but had a fancy cantilever & tip. The II was a moving coil.

http://i32.tinypic.com/2w6fq7q.jpg

[Spectral Morn]

Very sad loss indeed a real character.



Regards Neil

[Rare Bird]

That's the one!
The Sumo I was a moving magnet - looked a little like a cheap Ortofon, but had a fancy cantilever & tip. The II was a moving coil.



The Sumo 'I' was a nice little cartridge..