Reverend Mike Watt sig...

[portaflexer]

So... I had the chance to play a Wattplower at the Dallas Intl Guitar Festival a couple weeks back. Fortunately, it was everything I thought it would be and more. Unfortunately, my wallet (and my marriage) can't handle another instrument right now. Ugh. Such a great bass though.

Here's a snapshot of me putting it back on the rack. The tattoo is dedicated to the man who makes the low flow, the one who inspired me to pick up the bass in the first place. Thanks for all of it Watt!

 

[watt]

brother spatch,

sorry to space - forgot to mention left-handed wattplowers in maybe september.

so glad you’re still working bass.

steve mcclellan was the boss there then and I love that man.




on bass, watt





mike watt's hoot page

View attachment 3024282 Mike if You would ,put a bug in Reverend’s ear for a lefty model.I played this one from 81 to ?,I don’t think I was playing it in 86 or 87 when we opened for you guys at the 7th street entry in Mpls.Just a side note ,thank you all these years later,We were a lowly opening band ,scared as heck opening for you guys,you guys watched our whole set and were very encouraging after.You didn’t have to do that,but you did ,and it’s still the highlight of my career.

 

[spatchthepunk]

brother spatch,

sorry to space - forgot to mention left-handed wattplowers in maybe september.

so glad you’re still working bass.

steve mcclellan was the boss there then and I love that man.




on bass, watt





mike watt's hoot page

Good to know on the lefty.Steve M Introduces us every year at our Christmas reunion show,He's looking a little rough but is the same great guy you remember.He sells records part time at a place called HI FI hair in Mpls,swing by next time you are in town ,he would love to see you.

 

[GregT]

Is the pickup a regular size so other pickups could be substituted? A lot of us have our favorites.

 

[Plake]

From Watt’s Hootpage
Red looks killer

 

[JIO]

View attachment 3050618
From Watt’s Hootpage
Red looks killer

It's a classic!

 

[Plake]

brother spatch,

sorry to space - forgot to mention left-handed wattplowers in maybe september.

so glad you’re still working bass.

steve mcclellan was the boss there then and I love that man.




on bass, watt






mike watt's hoot page

Just curious if you have any info on the new yellow proto? Cant find a good photo of the pickup. Thanks.

 

[watt]

hey there,

"the minutemen" huh? I don't even call myself that and I was a minuteman, still am!

anyway, the reverend guitar people sent me a wattplower w/a big cut-out midships so I could experiment for a mark II model... what I did was reverse the coil positions for the pickup - it's the same pickup (joe naylor pblade wound to twelve k ohhms dc resistance) but w/coil positions reversed relative to each other and then moved a little closer to the bridge, after experimenting w/different locations, I settled at the pickup's centerline being about 10 3/4 inches from the twelfth fret. for watt's kind of playing, this really helps w/the low strings being tighter and the high strings being thicker (soundwise), better balance for me between the four. my band guys at the gigs have really been digging it, more definition for my way of bass wrasslin.

next experiement for this prototype I'm gonna try is a front pickup (joe naylor jblade) to try and get as close to the wattplower mark I sound as I can so folks will have that option. I'll put a three-way switch even though I'm more either/or person when it comes to pickup choice cuz some folks might want both on at the same time. I'll stick w/one volume and one tone.


on bass, watt




mike watt's hoot page

 

[Plake]

Thanks for the info. Fixed my name too. Peace.

 

[redstrand]

Holy cow, kinda glad I waited, this looks like even more fun

 

[watt]

mr,

it’s ok! no prob.



on bass, watt



mike watt's hoot page

...Fixed my name too. Peace.

 

[watt]

here's the next experiment for this wattplower mark II prototype, adding a joe naylor jrail as a front pickup along w/a three-way selector switch. it's a 7.45 k ohm dc resistance jrail now but wanna try different values to get it somewhere in the ballpark of a wattplower mark I sound so it's ain't so much either/or between a I and a II in that position. I was surprised by middle position (I'm more into one pickup or the other) having it's own distinct trip, especially w/the 'e' and 'a' strings. the back pickup really has more definition (tighter lows/thicker highs comparatively) and fits lots of watt-style stuff but what I really like is it's still far enough way from the bridge so not so much "nasal" effect. w/the more rounded and traditional front pickup option also here I got more vocabulary of sounds w/the mark II, interesting!



on bass, watt





mike watt's hoot page

 

[jhb138]

I'm sure it's just for the prototype, but do your fingers get caught in the open routes while you play?

 

[redstrand]

here's the next experiment for this wattplower mark II prototype, adding a joe naylor jrail as a front pickup along w/a three-way selector switch. it's a 7.45 k ohm dc resistance jrail now but wanna try different values to get it somewhere in the ballpark of a wattplower mark I sound so it's ain't so much either/or between a I and a II in that position. I was surprised by middle position (I'm more into one pickup or the other) having it's own distinct trip, especially w/the 'e' and 'a' strings. the back pickup really has more definition (tighter lows/thicker highs comparatively) and fits lots of watt-style stuff but what I really like is it's still far enough way from the bridge so not so much "nasal" effect. w/the more rounded and traditional front pickup option also here I got more vocabulary of sounds w/the mark II, interesting!



on bass, watt





mike watt's hoot page




View attachment 3156946

You had me at vocabulary, Mike you're the dude, can't wait to see the Mark II when it gets done. I'm all about different sounds, we all need more paint brushes to finish the painting

 

[BeauZooka]

Reverend just announced the LEFTY Wattplower on instagram. The pics show it in green.

 

[chanson]

New colors for 2019...they make this bass even more tempting!

 

[watt]

interested people,

here's me w/the wattplower mark II third prototype, I used the auto-timer on my camera yesterday to get this. pblades are about 5.4 k ohms each, neck is a rio grande pitbull at 16.5 k ohms. switch is middle: regular pbass oriented only, towards bridge: inverted pbass oriented only and towards neck: pitbull only. pblades on only two at a time, no threefer!


on bass, watt




mike watt's hoot page

 

[JIO]

interested people,

here's me w/the wattplower mark II third prototype, I used the auto-timer on my camera yesterday to get this. pblades are about 5.4 k ohms each, neck is a rio grande pitbull at 16.5 k ohms. switch is middle: regular pbass oriented only, towards bridge: inverted pbass oriented only and towards neck: pitbull only. pblades on only two at a time, no threefer!


on bass, watt




mike watt's hoot page


View attachment 3450049

Awesome - figures your bass would continue to morph!

 

[redstrand]

interested people,

here's me w/the wattplower mark II third prototype, I used the auto-timer on my camera yesterday to get this. pblades are about 5.4 k ohms each, neck is a rio grande pitbull at 16.5 k ohms. switch is middle: regular pbass oriented only, towards bridge: inverted pbass oriented only and towards neck: pitbull only. pblades on only two at a time, no threefer!


on bass, watt




mike watt's hoot page


View attachment 3450049

Man that’s too cool! Tone tone tone!

 

[tmack000]

Heck yeah, gonna have to buy another wattplower. I love my markI!