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I Thought I Wanted A Wal

#21
Wals are one of those basses you either love or hate. I always fancied one until I played a couple and I was very underwhelmed, too. Yes, they can produce a lot of different sounds, but don't seem to be as focused as a Status or a Stingray.

It's all down to personal taste, I suppose.
 
#22
OutToPlayJazz said:
Wals are one of those basses you either love or hate. I always fancied one until I played a couple and I was very underwhelmed, too. Yes, they can produce a lot of different sounds, but don't seem to be as focused as a Status or a Stingray.

It's all down to personal taste, I suppose.
Click to expand...

?? this comment makes no sense at all

"They can produce a lot of different sounds" "but dont seem focused"? What do you mean exactly by focused?

Im sorry but the Wal has a unique sound that is "variable" .......not alot of different sounds

Maybe a Wal is something YOU love or hate but i havent seen ANYONE say they have "hated a Wal" after playing one....not on this site or any site i have been to that have had discussions about Wals over the last few years.

My Wal(s) blow away my StingRay in every way possible.

Scratches his head in amazement :rollno:
 
#23
Toolmybass said:
?? this comment makes no sense at all

"They can produce a lot of different sounds" "but dont seem focused"? What do you mean exactly by focused?

Im sorry but the Wal has a unique sound that is "variable" .......not alot of different sounds

Maybe a Wal is something YOU love or hate but i havent seen ANYONE say they have "hated a Wal" after playing one....not on this site or any site i have been to that have had discussions about Wals over the last few years.

My Wal(s) blow away my StingRay in every way possible.

Scratches his head in amazement :rollno:
Click to expand...


Only people I know who had bad things to say about Wals were the ones that did not spend enough time with them or could not figure out how the controls work.

Cant wait to get my new Wal.:bassist:
 
#25
I own a great Wal 5 string, and I have many friends who have owned EVERYTHING bass-wise, who are incredible players miles from my "talent" and all have been pretty much blown away by the Wal bass

Of course, never a guarantee all would agree, as stated in this thread. To me the difference is when you play a "fender-type" bass that goes for around a thousand dollars, give or take a few hundred, THEN play an Alleva-Coppola or a Sadowsky or something along those lines. The "thousand dollar" bass doesn't instantly become garbage, but most of those instruments are on another level. The Wal is such an instrument, to many.

I've got a gread Stingray, really nice neck, solid instrument. Then I pull out the Wal and really nice becomes...."yeaaaahhh"

For what it's worth, Paul Herman, who has taken over the production of Wal basses is MORE than capable, just to clarify things here; he worked with Pete Stevens for years and is know for his fine neck work, amongst his other skills. The only thing that may be giving the new production any problems are a healthy backlog of orders, as Pete's health toward the end really slowed production as he was those last couple of years a one man show.

Production is at the moment closer to 11 months on an order, but will likely shorten as things get caught up, and Paul has at least one or two other skilled craftsman working with him, and all reports on new instrument quality have been a big thumbs up.
 
#26
jgroh said:
+1

Ive wanted a Wal ever since I heard Geddy on Power Windows back in the 80's. Love his tone with that bass! I came across G&L basses and now I have one getting a ACG preamp installed. As some else said, its a "poor mans" Wal lol

The Tool sound to me isnt all that even though I am a big Tool fan. It definitely not a traditional Wal tone.
Click to expand...

imho Geddys best work was on a Wal and that alone made me want one but the price keeps us apart:bawl:
 
#27
Justin did play a stingray on quite a few takes in studio, and very rarely, he does live as well. If you are looking for that tone though, I have to agree that a G&L L2000 is truly the way to go. A stingray would be my next choice, But I have pulled insane JC tone out of my G&Ls. Check them out bruddah! Most versatile bass on the market, hands down!
 
#28
For what it's worth, Justin Chancellor's tone has roots not only in his original band Peach, but also in Paul d'Amour's tonal pioneering from Tool's Undertow, which was a Rickenbacker 4001CS. Paul also played a Stingray and an Ovation on the EP, but Undertow was 100% Ric, and it is also the album that put Tool and their sound on the map. I have nothing against Wal basses (would certainly like to own one if the chance ever comes along), but I feel like my 2009 Ric completely and utterly nails Tool's sound both old and new. YMMV.
 
#29
cassius987 said:
For what it's worth, Justin Chancellor's tone has roots not only in his original band Peach, but also in Paul d'Amour's tonal pioneering from Tool's Undertow, which was a Rickenbacker 4001CS. Paul also played a Stingray and an Ovation on the EP, but Undertow was 100% Ric, and it is also the album that put Tool and their sound on the map. I have nothing against Wal basses (would certainly like to own one if the chance ever comes along), but I feel like my 2009 Ric completely and utterly nails Tool's sound both old and new. YMMV.
Click to expand...

Where are you getting your info from? Obviously not from record. Let me try to shine some light on this subject for you

1.Ep was recorded with an Magnum and a Ric (no appearance from an ErniBall here) also "at this time" it WASNT a 4001CS....It was an early to mid 80's 4001


2.Yes Undertow was all Ric, but through investigation (from alot of people) there is no concrete evidence if he used the 4001 or the 4001CS or BOTH


3.As the 2 statements above this is ALSO common knowledge. The Ric(s) were not used for very long. Obviously recorded Undertow with it/them but once the recording was done the Rics were out the window and replaced by the EBMM. After recording his Ric(s) only lasted about 8months (this has been PROVEN by video evidence, and records of the dates of certain shows) Most are on youtube have a look. Why did he decide to go with a EBMM so fast? Who knows and who cares, maybe he decided that he liked the EB better and it was more reliable on the road. (they stay in tune for an incredibly long time) :bassist:
 
#31
cassius987 said:
For what it's worth, Justin Chancellor's tone has roots not only in his original band Peach, but also in Paul d'Amour's tonal pioneering from Tool's Undertow, which was a Rickenbacker 4001CS. Paul also played a Stingray and an Ovation on the EP, but Undertow was 100% Ric, and it is also the album that put Tool and their sound on the map. I have nothing against Wal basses (would certainly like to own one if the chance ever comes along), but I feel like my 2009 Ric completely and utterly nails Tool's sound both old and new. YMMV.
Click to expand...

I find it funny that with Ric's costing as much as they do, JC was trying to copy their sound and did it with the other most expensive semi-mass produced bass on the market. Could have just snagged a ric and nailed it first try. He also messed with a T-bird very early and very briefly. One of the live videos from the Aenima era has him playing that t-bird in it. The secret is simply double-humbuckers. Huge sound. The rest is amps and effects.

To top it off, that's not even just the way with JC. So many other bassists in the prog-rock and metal scene go by the same idea. Double humbucker basses have a lot of tonal ability and range. I find it quite odd that Geddy Lee settled on a Jazz after messing with a ric, steinberger, and Wal for so long.
 
#32
Getaway Driver said:
JC was trying to copy their sound and did it with the other most expensive semi-mass produced bass on the market.
Click to expand...

This wasnt the case. JC was already playing a EBMM in Peach even before joining Tool. It was also a coincidence that Paul had already switched to the EBMM and probably would have used it to record Aenema, since the speculation that a couple of the songs and or bass lines had been written or started by Paul on the EB, ....that it just naturally continued to be a EB until JC got his first taste of the Wal. Which supposedly was near the start of the recording of Aenema and that was the reason why only a couple of the tunes on that album were kept with the EB as the recording and the rest with the Wal

I hope this helps
 
#33
Toolmybass, loving the vic vid (i kinda always preferred your vids to brads) and even though i think copying your favourite bassists rigs is kinda lame, JC and a couple of others are my exceptions.

i just LOVE his wal tone. its the sound i want, not because its his, its because its damn sexy But i've moved on, if i hit the lotto i'll buy a wal in a heartbeat, but i'm happy with what i have.

no flaming please but here's me playing The Pot

*excuse alert* its played fingerstyle, i dont play pick a lot, but i can. i didnt do the solo as didnt have the pedals set up, and the recording aint great, AND i'm not trying to emulate justins sound too much.
 
#34
Bassmingo said:
Toolmybass, loving the vic vid (i kinda always preferred your vids to brads) and even though i think copying your favourite bassists rigs is kinda lame, JC and a couple of others are my exceptions.

i just LOVE his wal tone. its the sound i want, not because its his, its because its damn sexy But i've moved on, if i hit the lotto i'll buy a wal in a heartbeat, but i'm happy with what i have.

no flaming please but here's me playing The Pot

*excuse alert* its played fingerstyle, i dont play pick a lot, but i can. i didnt do the solo as didnt have the pedals set up, and the recording aint great, AND i'm not trying to emulate justins sound too much.
Click to expand...

Hey yes i have seen this vid!. Pretty good considering no pick. What year is your EB?

I agree somewhat with your bassist emulation/copying bassist rigs....but im in a Tool Tribute so the closer i can get the better....right?

BTW im working on Jambi and did some audio recording to see if i need to tweak anything, and its sounding killa! Will be posting some new vids soon!

TMB
 
#37
Toolmybass said:
Where are you getting your info from? Obviously not from record. Let me try to shine some light on this subject for you

1.Ep was recorded with an Magnum and a Ric (no appearance from an ErniBall here) also "at this time" it WASNT a 4001CS....It was an early to mid 80's 4001


2.Yes Undertow was all Ric, but through investigation (from alot of people) there is no concrete evidence if he used the 4001 or the 4001CS or BOTH


3.As the 2 statements above this is ALSO common knowledge. The Ric(s) were not used for very long. Obviously recorded Undertow with it/them but once the recording was done the Rics were out the window and replaced by the EBMM. After recording his Ric(s) only lasted about 8months (this has been PROVEN by video evidence, and records of the dates of certain shows) Most are on youtube have a look. Why did he decide to go with a EBMM so fast? Who knows and who cares, maybe he decided that he liked the EB better and it was more reliable on the road. (they stay in tune for an incredibly long time) :bassist:
Click to expand...



Agreed. except it was definitely a 4001 cs I believe a Chris Squire edition? AND he only switched to an EBMM Stingray about two months before he left Tool for Lusk in 1995. nearly every Tool concert he ever played was done with a ric.
 
#39
engage757 said:
AND he only switched to an EBMM Stingray about two months before he left Tool for Lusk in 1995. nearly every Tool concert he ever played was done with a ric.
Click to expand...

Sorry Belgium 1994

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6m1bYkD3qY

already playing the EB......and if i can find someone in Belgium that went to this show i can prove that the Ric didnt last longer than from late '92 to '93 sometime.

You still have lots of research left Daniel-son.....You soon will know the way of the darkside of Tool :ninja:
 

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