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Actually it wasn't a limited time. Prior to Paul taking the reigns of electric wood, Wal was in collaboration with Martin Sims. Pete had LEDs as an option and sent it to SIMs during the build. If you look at the Wal data base you can see quite a few Wals with SIMs LEDs. (Both my black Wals have SIMs LEDs). After Pete stepped down cause of his health and Paul took over, Paul took that option off - reasons unknown.
(not mine, but sure looks cool)
As far as signature, it was probably the original owner who had it built. From what I'm aware off, I was the fourth owner. Last owner was originally from the UK who no longer played bass, but lived here in the states. Don't know much passed that though :/
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Actually it wasn't a limited time. Prior to Paul taking the reigns of electric wood, Wal was in collaboration with Martin Sims. Pete had LEDs as an option and sent it to SIMs during the build. If you look at the Wal data base you can see quite a few Wals with SIMs LEDs. (Both my black Wals have SIMs LEDs). After Pete stepped down cause of his health and Paul took over, Paul took that option off - reasons unknown.
(not mine, but sure looks cool)
As far as signature, it was probably the original owner who had it built. From what I'm aware off, I was the fourth owner. Last owner was originally from the UK who no longer played bass, but lived here in the states. Don't know much passed that though :/
Those LED's look amazing!
As for previous history, that's still more than what I knew before. Thanks for that.
Any guesses to what the surname in the signature says? I can't understand the handwriting.
I was going to google the name the name to see if I could find more info on this Mk1....not a huge deal if it's a dead end.. just my curiosity kicking in.
I looked in the Wal data bass, but this serial number isn't in there.
i did the same thing when i got it and got to the same point as you
no luck with google and database
When you do, you won't look back!
I have had...
Ibanez Blazer (first bass)
Fender Jazz 1972
Fender Jazz Plus 1992?
Fender Jazz Jaco 2002 fretted
Fender P/J 1968 modded fretless
Fender Deluxe Precision 2004
G&L L-2000
Carvin fretless 5
Kramer Forum I modded natural/black neckthru 1988
Kramer Forum I surf green neckthru 1989
Kramer Forum I metallic blue neckthru 1988
Yamaha John Myung RBX6JM
Ashbory fretless
SSD NS2000-4 (modded fretless)
Modulus QW5-19TBX neckthru
Modulus VJ4
Plus, as I have been working in a music shop for the last 14 years, I have played, repaired, setup and serviced an unknown number of basses of most brands over the years...and gone to trade shows and product launches all over the eastern half of Australia...
....but nothing even comes even slightly close to Wal MK1 1984. A whole new level.
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Congrats, Lang! I agree about the tone. Very unique! When Jim sold me his W3619 MkI (pics at the beginning of this Part IV thread), I only knew what the Wal sounded like on Rush, Tool, and Failure albums. But it wasn't until I showed up to audition it, when Jim first played it through his MB400+ tube head, that I realized just HOW unique and undeniably Wal the tone really is! I've read where people have tweaked their heart and souls out to emulate this tone, but it's amazing when it's the real thing exactly how effortlessly that tone comes out. I'm also a fellow SWR player. The Goliath Sr 6x10 is a cab to recon with. I recently played the Wal through my new Peavey VB-3 head and my trusty Goliath III 4-ohm 4x10" cabinet. Tube amps LOVE the Wal! Push the 12AX7 Gain on that 550x and it also sounds great! Welcome to the club!!I'm very proud to say that I'm the new owner of W2458 - 1984 Wal Mk1. I have owned many basses over the years chasing the tone in my head and I have finally found it! I would like to thank Brad "bdgotoh" for being honest and helpful during the whole process which included shipping from Seattle to Sydney Australia.
I hadn't played a Wal before, but loved the sound so much that I thought after lots of research, I would take the plunge. As soon as I picked the Wal up out of the case after opening the box, it felt like I had come home.....the neck felt like it was made for me and the body sat just right. After a tweak and a tune.....the tone....almost beyond belief far exceeding my expectations.
My only regret was that I didn't know about Wal basses years ago!
Until recently I had a S
Until recently I had an SWR SM-1500 and a Megoliath 810. (The head weighed around 95 pounds in its rack case!)
I saw the 610 on Gumtree at a good price (I couldn't resist) and took it home and compared the two cabs extensively. I found that although the 810 had more bottom end cab resonance, the 610 had only slightly less.. but had a way more focused/punchier sound than the 810.
As my partner also plays bass (she owns the SWR-550x head and a SWR Big Bertha 215), I decided to sell the big rig and share her amp head. I have been thinking about possibly the Aguilar DB-751....but for the moment find the 550x has an almost identical tone (minus the extra 950 watts) and after the purchase of my Wal Mk1, I shouldn't buy anything for a little while.
I would like to hear it through a full tube head....though I imagine that a Wal will sound amazing through almost any rig
In regards to the Wal Pro I and Pro II...I have read everything I can find and understand that the switches under each pickup are series/parallel, but was wondering if the tone controls on the Pro I and Pro II are just regular passive tone controls.
I see that there was a reissue in the late 80's of some Pro I basses that had a passive tone circuit... I assume the original series had the same?
I see that there was a reissue in the late 80's of some Pro I basses that had a passive tone circuit... I assume the original series had the same?
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The original 78-81 Pro Bass could be ordered in either passive or active(E), and either single pickup or dual pickup.
The other model in the 80's called the Pro was only offered in passive and you only got one pickup, but your choice was to have it in either the neck position or the bridge position. It wasn't a reissue as it looked nothing like the original Pro...it also had no body contours. seems they just reused an existing name.
I understand all the different models offered in the original Pro series, but I didn't know all the extra details about the later Pro type single pickup only models. Cool. I was only referring to the later Pro type single pickup basses as I saw it written that the tone control was passive, but can't find a description of the original passive Pro models tone controls.
What I'm mainly asking about is the tone controls on the passive Pro I/Pro II....I assume that they are normal passive tone controls?
