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The official "Show your basses" thread part 19!

#5,381
Absolutely, positively not a Wal. I'd guess it's a home build which someone has just applied the logo to. There are too many non-Wal things going on. I recognise the bridge, at least, it's a pig-metal Chinese bridge you could get off ebay cheap about 10 years ago. I have one of them here.
 
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#5,382
BrickTopBassist said:
Can anyone help me identify this bass? It has a very convincing "Wal" trademark on it, but it doesn't have a body or head that look anything like the Mk 1-3. It also does not have the signature electronics. Either this bass was owned by a complete moron who removed the stock Wal electronics, is a fake or some sort of prototype (not likely, I know). There are no other identifying markings or etchings on it at all. The Wal mark is not poorly done, it doesn't scrape off or look like it was painted after production or stamped or anything like that.

Even if its a fake, its a nice piece. Its neck through, the strings anchor through the neck wood piece, not on the bridge. It plays well, like a fat PBass.

Even if it isn't a Wal, does anyone recognize the body shape or headstock so I can with good conscience try to remove the Wal mark and get this bass back under the trademark it belongs to?
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It is absolutely fake. The only thing Wal about it is the decal. Someone’s idea of an amusing joke at some point.
 
#5,383
Bigbri said:
Wouldn't it be nice to have a Wal prototype. It looks like a nice bass either way. Don't see too many roller string trees. It looks like a laminated neck but you can only see the laminates behind the bridge. Could there be a piece of wood glued covering older pickup routes?
This is one of the first Wal prototypes so you never know.
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Nope we ABSOLUTELY know!!! Not even a fake... for it to be a fake it would need to be trying much harder to have any Wal characteristics at all... LOL!
 
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#5,385
BassAgent said:
Modded my Geddy, so I present to you: the tort sisters.
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And here's the complete stable...
D879kzY.jpg
 
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#5,388
Artman said:
I have only one bass..but I love it. 1982 Pedulla MVP Buzz. All Bartolini.
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I had one of those too in '90 but a fretted. Eventually traded in for a spector but I loved it with the Bartolini's. Love Bartolini's. How is the fretboard holding up? A couple years ago at Olivia's vintage, which is an awesome vintage dealer, they had a very early prototype-ish Pedulla bass for 950. for the life of me I can't figure out why I didn't buy it.
 
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#5,391
Bigbri said:
I had one of those too in '90 but a fretted. Eventually traded in for a spector but I loved it with the Bartolini's. Love Bartolini's. How is the fretboard holding up? A couple years ago at Olivia's vintage, which is an awesome vintage dealer, they had a very early prototype-ish Pedulla bass for 950. for the life of me I can't figure out why I didn't buy it.
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In the mid 90’s the finish was wearing through under the strings. I had Mark Earlwine in Austin, TX refinish the fretboard then and it’s been bulletproof ever since.
Great bass. Wish I could afford a fretted one exactly like it to switch between them
 
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#5,393
Artman said:
In the mid 90’s the finish was wearing through under the strings. I had Mark Earlwine in Austin, TX refinish the fretboard then and it’s been bulletproof ever since.
Great bass. Wish I could afford a fretted one exactly like it to switch between them
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That's the idea. they're beautiful basses. I'm wanting a 5 and liking the pentbuzzes. For fretless lately I am using a heavy walnut/ebony 1off jazz with emg's but Pedulla really did the fretless well.
 
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#5,398
BrickTopBassist said:
Can anyone help me identify this bass? It has a very convincing "Wal" trademark on it, but it doesn't have a body or head that look anything like the Mk 1-3. It also does not have the signature electronics. Either this bass was owned by a complete moron who removed the stock Wal electronics, is a fake or some sort of prototype (not likely, I know). There are no other identifying markings or etchings on it at all. The Wal mark is not poorly done, it doesn't scrape off or look like it was painted after production or stamped or anything like that.

Even if its a fake, its a nice piece. Its neck through, the strings anchor through the neck wood piece, not on the bridge. It plays well, like a fat PBass.

Even if it isn't a Wal, does anyone recognize the body shape or headstock so I can with good conscience try to remove the Wal mark and get this bass back under the trademark it belongs to?
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Having, thus far, mostly just gone "LOL, LOL, LOL" I thought folks might be interested in a more considered analysis of why it's DEFFO not a Wal. Here goes...

Body shape. Wal have never made this sort of shape and any of their designs have been logical progressions from existing shapes. This steps way outside this. The shape says "Ken Smith inspired" to me and I suspect that it is a generic mid range far eastern bass - which suggests that it would be a pretty decent playing and sounding bass in its own right, irrespective of the decal. Some have suggested Peavey - I don't know the range of their basses well enough to comment but it does have a bit of a chum's Cirrus shape wise.

The headstock shape is wrong too. Wal have only used 4 basic headstocks - the paddle shape of the JG and Pro series, the slimmed down Mk 1 shape, the asymmetric Mk 2 and Mk 3 headstock, and the 4 a side headstock used on double necks.

The bass looks to be a thru-neck. Wal have only ever made bolt on necks - no thru's and no set necks. Funnily enough they have often done a little woodworking trick which makes it look like they HAVE made thru necks - mine is a case in point.

Hardware - Wal use all hardware which are bespoke to the brand other than tuning heads. The bass looks like having standard enclosed Gotoh-style tuners which are pretty generic to far eastern basses. Wal only use Schaller MB4s and Hipshot Ultralites. There's no reason why they would do otherwise even for a prototype.

Pickups are generic humbucking soapbars not Wal pick ups. Similarly the bridge - OK, it's been replaced but the original was clearly recessed and rectangular. Wal bridges are not recessed and are custom made with a rounded, "open mouth (??) shape". Ian and Pete did quite regularly (where they had a top that featured both hard and sap wood of differeny colours) bookmatch the lighter sap wood in the middle to give a feel like it’s a neck thru with glued on wings...

Ditto the control knobs, string tree etc etc etc...

So very clearly not a Wal but looks like a pretty nice bass otherwise and it's certainly a talking point...
 
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#5,400
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