cool bass. If you ever decide to sell it let me know
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This sure looks like a Wal!
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
cool bass. If you ever decide to sell it let me know
Quadzilla
Supporting Member
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
My exact feelings and that bass had every option you could think of but I spent too much time fooling around with the pickups to get a decent sound.
I was exactly the same with an ACG that had multicoil pickups and a filter based preamp with various switches and controls. In that case, it produced many amazing sounds (so different from the Sims Super Quads in that respect). However, such was the rich palette available to tweak, I often seemed to spend more time fussing about with the controls seeing what sounds I could come up with in any given musical situation.
I generally love having loads of controls to hand but sometimes a little simplicity can help you just get on with the problem of playing the damn thing.
Anyone remember this bass? It was for sale pre-owned on the Bass Northwest website. I saved these pics in November 2010. It definitely reminded me of a Wal. Made by a fellow by the name of Helms. I seriously considered buying it. Have no idea what kind of pickups and electronics it had. It may have been over my weight limit. Can't recall for sure.
M. M.
M. M.
Hmm. Definitely Wal Mark II inspired, but the tilt-back headstock and weird tuner placement...nope.
Agreed that the tuner placement is different. That wouldn't have stopped me from buying it. As for the tilt-back headstock that was a big plus for me. Why, you ask? Because I won't own a bass that doesn't have a tilt-back headstock. It's been nearly 12 years since that bass was on the Bass Northwest site. Sure wish I could remember exactly why I didn't purchase it. Maybe because it looks like it weighs 12 lbs.
M. M.
Sounds good but doesn’t sound like a Wal at all. I don’t like the looks so much. I haven’t seen any Wal copy that I liked. I am glad I have the real thing.
I get the feeling most owners of Wal (and soon to be owners) will have this opinion. I'm actually a previous owner of a wal and I am slowly coming to the conclusion that in 2023 there are enough aftermarket manufacturers of preamps (Lusithand, John East, Noll and Nordstand to some extent) that make something that can convincingly emulate a Wal preamp(imho sound better). Pickups same (Turner, hotwire).
Probably so. But personally I have never heard it. But that doesn't mean it's not there. And is it only the pickups and electronics that defines that sound? That's the question....
Valid question...as I understand it, they all have mahogany core. Too much variation on face woods...so even in that case one could argue that based on such variation, every wal would sound different. But they don't...they all have that "wal" sound, even with the variety of woods. Most folks would be very hard pressed to actually tell the difference between wood variations. I think preamp, pickups, playing style and even neck woods are the biggest determining factor in tone.
...and I would argue that the current aftermarket preamps are actually better in concept than the Wal's.
Maybe its just me getting old, but I think the hype has been overblown the past few years. And I am a big fan of them. One could get a much better bass at a much better price. Just my .02. I would still buy one, so dont get me wrong...
Maybe its just me getting old, but I think the hype has been overblown the past few years. And I am a big fan of them. One could get a much better bass at a much better price. Just my .02. I would still buy one, so dont get me wrong...
