This will always be a source of amusement to me because I had to name one bassist who smothers his signal in so many effects as to shade the bass he's using, it's Justin Chancellor. To whit, I had always found it interesting that fans were so eager to buy a Wal bass themselves. I had heard, over the years, suggestions that a G & L L2000 or Musicman Bongo would be a passable alternative and I'm inclined to agree.
Which is not to say that Wal don't have a signature tone, they do. They almost stand out like a sore thumb through that unique 'quack' noise they make. I just find that quality almost entirely missing in the rather anonymous tones on Tool records.
As for the new Tool song, I think it's okay. It really doesn't sound like 13 years worth though, and that is following on from '10,000 Days' that was a weak followup to 'Lateralus', which was in turn pretty disappointing. I don't dislike the new song, but it sounds entirely like Tool by numbers, the sort of thing they could write and play in their sleep.
trolling, eh?
I keep reading that 'JC tone is smothered in effects', when it's actually not true. People seem to have no idea what a clean, unprocessed Wal sounds like. Songs like Reflection feature the tone nicely, that's just how my Wal sounds like, played with a pick in that certain way. One thing I love about it (and my Stingray, too) is that they sound so complete even when plugged in directly to the PA, no preamp whatsoever.
When using the filter knobs the tone surely becomes more processed and artificial, but that is still the bass guitar itself, like a baked in crunch tone. That's no pedal or production processing. Listen to the beginning of Disposition, the only effect there is a delay. Everything else is the Wal itself.
I've had several Bongos and I know the G&L L2000 quite well. They'll sound fitting if you play and EQ them correctly, but they won't sound like a Wal. The Bongo is a chameleon so you can try to mimic a Wal.
One of the things that stand out when playing a Wal is that every string has kinda it's own voice. That's true for most basses but the Wal is still something special in that regard. The Bongo is completely different here, it sounds very even all over the fretboard.
Depending on how compromising you are, most basses can get you in that territory. But I guess that is true for every bass tone out there... if you are not too keen about the details.
There are tons of people loving that 'anonymous' tone, I guess it's just not for you. I can't understand the hype for that Jamerson 'gnub gnub gnub'- tone either. That guy played godlike and had an impeccable taste for interesting basslines, but the tone is - to me - completely uninteresting and dull. Still, thousands of bassist strive to sound like him.
Can you identify the songs Justin played on Ænima with the Stingray? Without googling
I think they are easily spotted if you have an ear for it. I hear the 'quack' in just about every single song he used the Wal just fine.
Different people look for different things in a bass guitars tone though.
Can any song really ever justify a 13 years wait? I've glanced over the new stuff, but I am waiting for the album to come out. I don't expect it to be as good as Lateralus, my favorite album ever. What I heard so far sounds solid. I'll make up my mind after hearing the album several times. Lateralus took me years to truly appreciate it.
