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This sure looks like a Wal!
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
I find it really interesting that you only have to deviate a few mm from a classic body shape - a distance here, a radius there - and you end up with something that looks like it was made by a guy in a shed after a few evening classes.
This is the bass equivalent of those Disney characters you see painted on ice cream vans. Recognisable, but just... somehow... slightly off.
Sounds good, though
This is the bass equivalent of those Disney characters you see painted on ice cream vans. Recognisable, but just... somehow... slightly off.
Sounds good, though
Dunno what it is. But it has a great combination of clarity and a good "woody" tone that I love.
funnily enough I was going to make a "did Wal have a patent on their body design that is now up?" thread I forgot to.
Because it seems like 2 brands have begun making Wal body style basses in the last few years
This brand: Form Factor Audio, which seems to have been in the high end amp and cabinet business for some time
And another brand Valiant Guitars from Ukraine, which seems to have a "you don't have to pay for the guitar until you receive it" policy? I guess because people were wary of getting a bass shipped from Ukraine or something?
Because it seems like 2 brands have begun making Wal body style basses in the last few years
This brand: Form Factor Audio, which seems to have been in the high end amp and cabinet business for some time
And another brand Valiant Guitars from Ukraine, which seems to have a "you don't have to pay for the guitar until you receive it" policy? I guess because people were wary of getting a bass shipped from Ukraine or something?
I find it really interesting that you only have to deviate a few mm from a classic body shape - a distance here, a radius there - and you end up with something that looks like it was made by a guy in a shed after a few evening classes.
This is the bass equivalent of those Disney characters you see painted on ice cream vans. Recognisable, but just... somehow... slightly off.
Sounds good, though
Yeah, this is the thing with any industrial design, proportions and curve matching are really, really important. On one axis, you have "lumpy" to "spindly", and on the other, "harmonious" to "discordant." Like, there's always something a little off when a line doesn't continue across the body, or a horn curve angle is too narrow or wide, or the headstock isn't related to the body shape.
For instance, Jony Ive used to get really obsessed with tangency breaks (i.e. where curves meet straight lines), and you can see that in the difference between Apple's designs and, say, older Samsung Galaxy or Motorola phones where the inner curves didn't match the outer curves. (Something they finally solved with the latest series)
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I wouldn’t call this a copy or a counterfeit but rather a bass that’s design is inspired by Wal.
Check out Enfield Lionheart basses. Similar execution but more based on an MK2 than an MK1.
Check out Enfield Lionheart basses. Similar execution but more based on an MK2 than an MK1.
In the States, at least, body design is off the table for copyright. Make what you like. Headstock design is another story. I am not a lawyer but even the ones I’ve talked to cannot provide a sensible explanation for the difference, only a legal one.
Also, in my opinion, which means nothing, the Wal body looks pretty much like a Precision body cut for 24 frets. It feels nothing like that when you play it, but it sure looks like that.
Trade dress can be registered, such as logos and headstock designs. Body shapes may be, but often are not (see, however, Gibson now suing anyone making instruments inspired by their designs) and it's hard to enforce in court. Ibanez's 'lawsuit' era instruments infringed on headstock design trade dress more than anything else.
I've always thought that Wal bodies look like what would happen if a Jazz Bass were made of soft material and left to melt a bit. Or a bit of a cross between the lower bout of an SG and the upper horns of a J.
The sound of a Wal is really partly construction, but mostly down to their unique "one coil pair per pickup" design and filter-based preamp system.
John East sells a version of their filter preamp that was made for ACG: East/ACG EQ-01 Filter Style Bass Preamp
As mentioned earlier, the HotWire W-Bucker is a multicoil similar to the Wal pickups: HotWire Pickups — Hot Wire Bass
Scott Lawing makes multicoil strat pickups (favoured by the late Lou Reed) and also has a J-bass version - with two coils per string. I used to have his Z-Core strat pickups in a guitar and they really provide great clarity. Lawing Musical Products — Zexcoil Replacement Pickups for J Bass
So what you are saying is that if I take my ACG filter pre amp and install it in this Form Factor creation I will have a Wal clone for half the price!
The ACG pre is really nice but can't say it is nailing a Wal tone for me. Although that wasn't my goal.
It sounds really good to me. I particularly like the bridge pickup tones. I'd like to hear a fretless version.
Quadzilla
Supporting Member
But I don't even believe in Jazzus
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
So what you are saying is that if I take my ACG filter pre amp and install it in this Form Factor creation I will have a Wal clone for half the price!
The ACG pre is really nice but can't say it is nailing a Wal tone for me. Although that wasn't my goal.
At a certain point it's splitting hairs. A ton of people bought Wals to get those "Mick Karn" sounds, but most of the iconic Japan records were done on his aluminum-neck Travis Bean, so :shrug: And in addition he double-tracked / used a chorus pedal etc. In the end that tone came from Mick, and probably would have been similar if he'd been using a Steinberger, Zon, etc...
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
Martin Sims announced earlier this year that production for Enfield basses was ending as he was going to focus on the SIMS business. You'll know SIMS for their excellent paintwork and LED installation. They also make a range of pickups that are quite well regarded.
I liked the Enfield basses although I've never had a chance to play one. I've heard although they look like a Wal they feel more sleek and modern. They don't sound like Wal basses though as they were never fitted with a filter based preamp. There was no unique magic in the Wal electronics, but the filters give that 'quack' sound that you just can't get with cut and boost only preamps. For a long time, Wal were an outlier in that regard but several guys have since made pickups and preamps which do what the Wal gear does.
The bass shown below is an interesting curio when talking about Wal and SIMS basses. It is a Wal bass with SIMS Super Quad pickups fitted. I can't recall the preamp that was fitted but it wasn't a Wal piece. I'm not sure if Alberto has it anymore as he had it listed for sale for £8000 a couple of years ago.
I had the super sims in this bass and I wasn't impressed could have just been the preamp?
Link Removed
I guess Stingrays sounding the same whether they are ash, alder, poplar, or okume is just our ears playing tricks on us too.
Wow… I never thought 2 basses of the same model from the same manufacturer sounded the same. That’s fascinating that you would. Did I misunderstand?
slowburnaz
Commercial User
No, I totally get that. As much I like Enfield basses and SIMS stuff general, I thought the basses sounded better before they made the Super Quad pickups the standard items. My overall impression of the Super Quads was that they were very versatile with the splitting options and usefully designed with the LEDs to show which coils are active, but despite being flexible the tones they made never blew me away.
They'd be an ideal fit if you could only take one bass to a gig and you needed all those sounds but absolute tonal perfection wasn't needed. However, when I pluck a note on my bass I want the tone to 'wow' me. I haven't played a bass with them fitted myself though, so I could change my mind entirely if I had one in front of me. And believe me, I'd like to!
I did not know Karn recorded with a non-Wal bass. Just assumed most of it was the Wal. Don't forget the legions that are going for either Justin Chancellor or Geddy Lee tones. There is a certain pop to the Wal but the player is making it sing in all cases.
