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I've decided to buy a Wal

#141
I sure someone else has said this but it's a long thread and easy to get hazy.

For that huge money treat yourself. Fly there, try one and take home the one you like?

Also,
Mk 1 big headstock & short upper horn maybe neck dive?
Mk 2 regular upper horn to 12th fret but big headstock so guessing maybe want to sit fairly horizontal on a strap?.
Mk 3 regular upper horn to 12th fret but tapered headstock so most suitable if you like your headstock up a bit?

The owners might be able to tell us about balance but given they have each in 4, 5 and 6 string that might be an important aspect in choosing.
 
#142
Just gonna reply to this in red........

Mk 1 big headstock & short upper horn maybe neck dive? nope, they are currently are fitted with M4S lights, since the standard M4S tuners are no longer available - this negates any possible neck dives that people "may" have experienced with older Wals - I for one had never experienced any noticeable neck dives with any Mk1's i own or owned in the past.

Mk 2 regular upper horn to 12th fret but big headstock so guessing maybe want to sit fairly horizontal on a strap?. not really. with any decent strap, it sits just fine without any issues

Mk 3 regular upper horn to 12th fret but tapered headstock so most suitable if you like your headstock up a bit? imo this is the most balanced of the three. has a deeper cut to up registers as well...

upload_2020-5-22_8-19-3.png


out of the 8 shown here i only still have 3......:rolleyes:
 
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#143
Zentner said:
Full disclosure: I haven't read this entire thread.

But I HAVE ordered a $10k bass without ever touching one, and I have zero regrets. Like some have said, at this level of bass (Wal, Fodera, CT, Alembic, Andre, etc.) they're all fantastic and all different—I would argue more different than many basses in the $2k-$4k range. These are niche instruments, not 'do everything under the sun' instruments.

If you've thought a lot about this and you've always wanted a Wal, then get a Wal. Don't let people take your dreams from you because you haven't played every bass there is out there. Yes, you will end up getting an instrument that doesn't do everything you want it to, but it will do everything it's built to do.

Wals are heavy, they don't balance well, they're expensive, and you'll spend more time playing with the preamp than playing the bass. But a Wal has it's own proprietary shape, hardware, pickups, preamp, case....everything is built for the Wal and the Wal only. This is not a $3k bass with the same bartolinis and aguilar preamp as everyone else, it's a Wal. If you want a Wal, nothing else will do what it does, so playing a million other basses or thinking it through will do you no good.

You want Wal? Order Wal.
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This, with the caveat that eventually you won't mess with the preamp as much, as you'll find your sweet spots. And when you get to that point, I think it is a very versatile bass, I've played just about every style of music with it, with no complaints. It is really heavy, though.

I lucked out and happened to play one at a party one night, owned by some rich kid punk who could barely play. I couldn't sleep that night, I was so blown away by how it sounded, and felt. I then bought a 1990 Mk2 5 string, sight unseen, on ebay from Toronto, for 1500 bucks. Yep, you read right, 1500 bucks (about 20 years ago). I can't believe how much they cost now, and if money was no object, I'd already have a Wal fretless.
 
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#144
Outbush said:
I sure someone else has said this but it's a long thread and easy to get hazy.

For that huge money treat yourself. Fly there, try one and take home the one you like?

Also,
Mk 1 big headstock & short upper horn maybe neck dive?
Mk 2 regular upper horn to 12th fret but big headstock so guessing maybe want to sit fairly horizontal on a strap?.
Mk 3 regular upper horn to 12th fret but tapered headstock so most suitable if you like your headstock up a bit?

The owners might be able to tell us about balance but given they have each in 4, 5 and 6 string that might be an important aspect in choosing.
Click to expand...

Be great to fly there but from I gather - it isn't some store with inventory - every build is already spoken for years in advance. You can fly there but you won't taking anything home with you.
 
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#145
Loring said:
Be great to fly there but from I gather - it isn't some store with inventory - every build is already spoken for years in advance. You can fly there but you won't taking anything home with you.
Click to expand...

indeed! however, sometimes Paul would have a "stock" one around if one is lucky....but flying nowadays i'd be reluctant to do especially with COVID still about. don't get me wrong....it would be "nice" to go there and talk to Paul regarding different builds and options, but if i had a choice, i'd rather fly and pickup up my bass when it's ready after the long wait.

if OP is serious about taking the plunge, my suggestion would be to try to connect with someone local that has a Wal. i haven't seen @casualmadness in the Wal Facebook group yet, but i'm sure there are a couple Wal owners in the VA area.

Wal Bass Lovers Of The World Unite!
 
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#147
Reiska said:
To each their own but for 10 grand one could get a fine carved double bass that would serve through a career in every style but classical, and would continue to do so for centuries if taken care of.
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ya, for $30k one could get a nice Alembic bass......believe their lead time is even longer.

upload_2020-5-22_9-52-35.png
 
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#148
Reiska said:
To each their own but for 10 grand one could get a fine carved double bass that would serve through a career in every style but classical, and would continue to do so for centuries if taken care of.
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This is kind of like recommending a boat to someone who’s asking about a particular car. And would you really suggest using an upright for every style besides classical? o_O
 
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#149
bass12 said:
This is kind of like recommending a boat to someone who’s asking about a particular car. And would you really suggest using an upright for every style besides classical? o_O
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Only thinking aloud here. Wals most propably are great and unique basses but 10 000? Well, at least it isn`t pre-scratched in a custom shop, as some multiple grand fender master builds are.
 
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#150
Reiska said:
To each their own but for 10 grand one could get a fine carved double bass that would serve through a career in every style but classical, and would continue to do so for centuries if taken care of.
Click to expand...
Except an upright is not even the same animal as an electric bass. Maybe you missed th part where I talked about the Wal sound being what I wanted.
 
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#151
kulit17 said:
indeed! however, sometimes Paul would have a "stock" one around if one is lucky....but flying nowadays i'd be reluctant to do especially with COVID still about. don't get me wrong....it would be "nice" to go there and talk to Paul regarding different builds and options, but if i had a choice, i'd rather fly and pickup up my bass when it's ready after the long wait.

if OP is serious about taking the plunge, my suggestion would be to try to connect with someone local that has a Wal. i haven't seen @casualmadness in the Wal Facebook group yet, but i'm sure there are a couple Wal owners in the VA area.

Wal Bass Lovers Of The World Unite!
Click to expand...
Yeah when I have some time, I’ll get in there and look around. I do want one and am looking used and will continue to look for used. But within 6 months or so, if I haven’t found a used one, I will probably go ahead and order a new one so it arrives on that milestone birthday. As many owners have said, if I don’t like it, it can be sold easily.
 
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#152
casualmadness said:
Yeah when I have some time, I’ll get in there and look around. I do want one and am looking used and will continue to look for used. But within 6 months or so, if I haven’t found a used one, I will probably go ahead and order a new one so it arrives on that milestone birthday. As many owners have said, if I don’t like it, it can be sold easily.
Click to expand...
The point regarding the importance of trying out an expensive bass before buying (if not the exact bass then at least one with the same general specs ergonomics-wise) certainly has merit. Buying without trying - even if you are familiar with the model in question can lead to unpleasant surprises. I've special ordered a number of basses and they have never ended up meeting my expectations 100%. Having said that, the process of ordering a custom build can, in and of itself, be a wonderful experience. Who knows, that experience - especially given that you see this particular upcoming birthday as being a milestone - might be worth the extra money to you. And some people get a thrill out of the "chance" aspect of custom builds. Just a couple of things to take into consideration...
 
#153
casualmadness said:
Yeah when I have some time, I’ll get in there and look around. I do want one and am looking used and will continue to look for used. But within 6 months or so, if I haven’t found a used one, I will probably go ahead and order a new one so it arrives on that milestone birthday. As many owners have said, if I don’t like it, it can be sold easily.
Click to expand...

Well if used is an option for you and you do join the FB Wal page, yesterday Marco posted a Mk1 for sale at a shop in Italy they are willing to ship.
 
#155
casualmadness said:
Well I'm certainly not a rich man but I'm frugal with a lot of things. I drive a 15 year old truck that I paid cash for and have a 9 year old daily driver that wasn't super expensive to begin with (it's a Kia.) I never eat lunch out at work. I'm 100% a brown bagger. I buy most of my clothes from thrift stores save shoes, undergarments, and a few suits I bought for work. I don't have a lot of hobbies. Aside from Scuba diving, music is really the only thing that I do regularly.
The replies here make me want to do a little more soul searching on this. I would really hate to spend $10-$12K for something that doesn't really work for me. That would be hard to recover from.
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We are of a similar ilk, my friend. My formative college and 20's years were as a poor college student and as a full time musician who eeked out a living without having a "day gig" and never had to write home for money. Owned used everything, always hadda ancient car, gotta mattress to put on the floor and a dresser from the local Goodwill in any new town I moved to, always ate at the club if it was free or got the blue plate special when eating out on the road. My only non-music hobby was owning motorcycles which I always bought used and kept for a long time. After I quit playing music for a living @ age 30, I went back to school to get a computer science degree and by luck, got into a relatively lucrative specialty. While I did begin to live better after I started making decent coin, I generally held onto the frugal ways of my formative years and saved and invested. I was eventually able to retire early at age 51 and live out my slacker fantasy for 15 years and counting. While I could've gone the way of many of my co-workers and bought expensive cars or owned boats and had expensive hobbies like golfing or skiing, I kept it simple with an all consuming hobby as a "weekend warrior" musician and actually made a little money on the side. My eventual freedom was worth WWWAAAYYY more to me than any expensive material toys ever could have been.
 
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#158
bass12 said:
The point regarding the importance of trying out an expensive bass before buying (if not the exact bass then at least one with the same general specs ergonomics-wise) certainly has merit. Buying without trying - even if you are familiar with the model in question can lead to unpleasant surprises. I've special ordered a number of basses and they have never ended up meeting my expectations 100%. Having said that, the process of ordering a custom build can, in and of itself, be a wonderful experience. Who knows, that experience - especially given that you see this particular upcoming birthday as being a milestone - might be worth the extra money to you. And some people get a thrill out of the "chance" aspect of custom builds. Just a couple of things to take into consideration...
Click to expand...

Yes this all makes perfect sense. I have purchased several basses without trying them first. The only one that really worried me was my Fodera. It was very expensive and I had never had played one. Had never even seen one in the wild. So I was terrified but did it anyway. I've bought others that were less stressful as they were less expensive. I have a Mike Lull that I'm absolutely crazy about. I think it may even surpass my Fodera. But the Wal will cost me in the neighborhood of what I paid for my Fodera. So I'm a little hesitant but in the end, I believe life is short and I probably have more yesterdays that tomorrows. So I will hopefully get my hands on one to try out but if not, I'll likely still pull the trigger. As many owners have said; they can easily be sold.
 
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