Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Feels nice. Fast neck for a 5. The tone is what I remembered...maybe a slight bit more midrange burpy (different amp than I used to have though). Sounds great actually.
I was told there are truss rod issues, but it is completely playable. It might have a slight bow, but I only notice it up above the 18 feet or so. Could have adjusted while shipped, I dunno. I am going to have it looked at before I decide what to do.
I am glad to have that Wal responsive voice the I remember.
I was told there are truss rod issues, but it is completely playable. It might have a slight bow, but I only notice it up above the 18 feet or so. Could have adjusted while shipped, I dunno. I am going to have it looked at before I decide what to do.
I am glad to have that Wal responsive voice the I remember.
Oooooooh...
Gotta take this bass for a truss rod repair. I knew it had an issue when I bought it. Took it to a shop to look it over. Have only a couple choices, some waaaay more costly than the others.
Knew what I was getting into. This bass will have a restored neck before you know it.
Gotta take this bass for a truss rod repair. I knew it had an issue when I bought it. Took it to a shop to look it over. Have only a couple choices, some waaaay more costly than the others.
Knew what I was getting into. This bass will have a restored neck before you know it.
So, I infer you owned this one as well. I'd be curious to do some geneology on it, but I would fear somehow, 12+ owners ago it was lifted. haha.
The Haircut 100 story is false, btw. From Les Nemes, himself: "It's not mine. I've never owned a Wal." So, even the other older fretless people have quoted him of using wasn't his, apparently. That's not to say he didn't use one for older recordings, but he claims he never owned one.
This one, to me now has a really crazy story behind it, and even one of a risky quest to pick it up. 50% of me believes in destiny, so the timing, the people, and location, everything was like stars aligning for me to get this one. I'm not terribly keen on the pickguard, which it doesn't wear, and the screw-holes left behind when it's not mounted, but I forget about those quickly. The neck pickup went out, requiring an exact transistor replacement in the first-stage of the pre-amp (common-emmitter before the OP-AMP), so it's now got my own repair. Jim had it re-fretted with Wal's own supplied wire, the stripe is almost perfectly situated and looks quite rare to be that exact, and the bass needs someone to love it, dearly. I think it's a great one to have, so it's living with me indefinitely! I can say, thanks for selling it, so that I would eventually own it.
It gets some good attention around Nashville. Even at GC once, I brought it in an plugged it into an Ampeg 8x10. It was hilarious the attention that got!
- Nov 6, 2012
- 954
- 246
- Disclosures
- Endorsing : Elixir Strings, Digitech , Eden Amplification
- Nov 6, 2012
- 954
- 246
- Disclosures
- Endorsing : Elixir Strings, Digitech , Eden Amplification
Sent my Mk 3 to Mike Lull to fix the truss rod. Very few shops were even interested in taking the job. One even suggested that I just get an All Parts neck!
Mike said he's had to fix more than a dozen Wals with truss rod problems. I guess they used brass fittings that can break too easily.
So, they're going to pull up the wood near the nut and see if they can repair from there where they usually break.
If not, they may have to pull the whole fretboard and replace the whole truss rod.
After that, I guess they will level everything out and refinish the neck
Then, it may get a Plek set up.
Don't know how long or how much yet.
Mike said he's had to fix more than a dozen Wals with truss rod problems. I guess they used brass fittings that can break too easily.
So, they're going to pull up the wood near the nut and see if they can repair from there where they usually break.
If not, they may have to pull the whole fretboard and replace the whole truss rod.
After that, I guess they will level everything out and refinish the neck
Then, it may get a Plek set up.
Don't know how long or how much yet.
It'll be worth it even if it's 2000 bucks IMO. It's a great looking bass that would cost you over $8k to have built and delivered.
