Carl again... Mk1 '87
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Club# 173 goes to Waler
saw this post in FB.... nice lil QandA with some dude with a peculiar instrument sitting next to him.
Hello. I have a question that I’m hoping some of you may have an answer to:
Those of you (if any of you) who have tried or owned Nordstrand Big Blademan pickups, how did they sound, in comparison the the Wal pickups they were inspired by?
Those of you (if any of you) who have tried or owned Nordstrand Big Blademan pickups, how did they sound, in comparison the the Wal pickups they were inspired by?
I'll poll the Wal Club audience again just to see if there is any interest...
I've got a few things for sale / trade if anything interests a possibly Wal 4 or 5 string owner...
For Sale/Trade - Alleva Coppolo KBP5 - P/J - NAMM Bass
For Sale/Trade - Aguilar DB680, Kern IP777, & Monique/Minnie 800D
I've got a few things for sale / trade if anything interests a possibly Wal 4 or 5 string owner...
For Sale/Trade - Alleva Coppolo KBP5 - P/J - NAMM Bass
For Sale/Trade - Aguilar DB680, Kern IP777, & Monique/Minnie 800D
I just had a custom bass built featuring the BBM pickup. Thread is here:
My latest build: The RBM Signature
I am going to cc @rojo412 as he built the bass and has also played a Wal so he might have a point of view about this.
As a Wal owner myself, I am not sure I see the BBM pickup as being inspired by the Wal pup as it is very different in its construction and design.
But just looking at that pickup on its own merits, what I will say is that the BBM is a FLAMETHROWER. That pickup is really powerful and responsive. So much so that Nordstrand recommends NOT using it in series mode. So of course, Rojo and I prefer to use it in series mode! If I dime the internal preamp trim (Nordy 3B preamp) I can actually get onboard distorion on my bass. Pretty badass.
So that pickup has tone for days. It is responsive just as a Wal pickup is as it carries a lot of "information." I really like the pickup and they are certainly worth checking out if you are curious.
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If your looking to get close to a Wal tone, without buying a Wal?
Save your money and buy a StingRay.
You’re not going to get any closer with another bass. Justin thought he would give the BB Nordy a shot and Carey built him a bass... didn’t even try it live, only to return it,and switch back to a StingRay.
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I have a Wal Mk1 (just got it, w00t!), a Stingray 4H, and a Warwick with two BigBladeMen and the JC-3b preamp in it (I like humbuckers guys leave me alone), and I agree that the Stingray is a pretty great approximation. I find the Wal to be a bit more treble heavy with a bit more growl if that's a word that makes sense to people. The Nordys are very articulate and punchy, hefty, but not Wal-ish, at least on my Warwick. Slightly darker perhaps. Though to be fair I might pick up all 3 and describe them differently on any given day.
Sidenote: I'm not saying don't film shows because there are benefits and pluses to that beyond the actual sound recording, but I am saying think twice about it, because the actual sound always sounds like actual butt, and you might be better off just being fully present in that moment. 
Yes the Wal has a certain 'shimmer' in its top-end.
I've owned tons of StingRays, but of all of them, the 30th Anniv Ray with that mahogany body had the most characteristic shimmer. Plus they're pretty easy to find.
I've owned tons of StingRays, but of all of them, the 30th Anniv Ray with that mahogany body had the most characteristic shimmer. Plus they're pretty easy to find.
Dunno if my (2-band) Stingray and my Wal are something special, but I don't think they sound alike at all. My Spector Rebop comes a lot closer, but it still sounds totally like a Spector... that said, played with a pick they can all approximate that Tool-ish sound. The Wal does it best obviously, it even sounds like that played DI.
The Stingray has a certain shimmer (if you dial in the EQ) and a very specific grunt and fretnoise. It also has a broad and deep bass range if I turn up the bass knob. Only my Rick neck PU comes close in that regard.
My Wal has tons more midrange content and a very unique voice on the G and D string. The grunt is meaner... but it does not have much in the deep bass register. It is basically all low mid to high mid. Treble only if I engage the pick attack. It can sound a bit Stingray like with the pick attack engaged and the tone knobs dialed back a tad to mask the unique Wal voice a bit.
The Stingray has a certain shimmer (if you dial in the EQ) and a very specific grunt and fretnoise. It also has a broad and deep bass range if I turn up the bass knob. Only my Rick neck PU comes close in that regard.
My Wal has tons more midrange content and a very unique voice on the G and D string. The grunt is meaner... but it does not have much in the deep bass register. It is basically all low mid to high mid. Treble only if I engage the pick attack. It can sound a bit Stingray like with the pick attack engaged and the tone knobs dialed back a tad to mask the unique Wal voice a bit.
I think this video was the first one that made me think there was a similarity.
Its not really a topic comparison of similarity. But a topic of how to get a Tool sound without a Wal.
I have a fretless StingRay and cannot get to sound like the two FL Mk1's I had before.
But if I plug in my 78 StingRay, I can sort of get it shimmery enough to cop one specific sound.
That slap video is literally perfect in every way.
....and a P and a Jazz sound nothing like eachother until you put some effort into it.
ie: early Zepplin recordings.
Its not an “out of the box” plug and play comparison.
Even Justin had to add another pedal and a third GK amp into the equation.
