Boy I had to dig, but I think I found at least one video with it being played for the first half of the set before he switched to the Stingray.
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Boy I had to dig, but I think I found at least one video with it being played for the first half of the set before he switched to the Stingray.
That's what I found as well and it's the only video I could find where it was clear that it was the Wal.
Totally forgot about that one! I saw it a few years ago and it's pretty cool to see Give It Away in its infancy.
You might be a Wal nut if:
You have a Yamaha MODX6 keyboard delivered and your first thought is: "OK how long do I have to let this thing sit in the box and acclimate?"
You have a Yamaha MODX6 keyboard delivered and your first thought is: "OK how long do I have to let this thing sit in the box and acclimate?"
Fantastic underrated band Killing Joke have influenced so many rock and metal musicians RIP Paul Raven. If the Tool tour comes close to me I will go more for Killing Joke, and thank you Tool for taking them out KJ deserve it!
Just a comment on 1. I’ve played a number of Paul’s post 2009 (when he took over the company) basses and, while I loved Pete, Paul’s basses are a shade above his best output in build and playability. Pretty much perfect basses!
On old ones, I really wouldn’t stress too much over the necks. You tend to hear lots of grief about 1 or 2 basses where an owner has problems but nothing about the vast majority which are super stable. Plus you don’t know the history. There was someone stressing about bodies delaminating on Facebook a while back coz he’d seen one where the top edge had started peeling away online somewhere. A bit of collective detective work showed that this bass had been stored for several years in an outdoor garage, no case and literally had water dripping over it! Lol! Yet now this guy was stressing that if he bought a Wal and sneezed, the front and back would literally fall off! (I exaggerate but not too much).
In my experience 99.99% of Wal necks are super stable, especially with the laminate structure and the care taken in building. In fact, in the mid 80s the company ditched English hornbeam as their centre laminates because they felt it was a shade too stiff!
Finally, one thing to remember is that as far as exchange rates are concerned, with Brexit tanking the value of the pound each of your dollars is worth literally twice what it was back in the mid-2000s when you got nearly 2$ to the £ instead of near parity as we have now ( $1.2 to £1 at the mo).
On comms, like others have said, it’s literally two men and a dog in the workshop. But we see plenty of part build photos being posted by folks along the way so they do their best to keep you updated.
Just a comment on 1. I’ve played a number of Paul’s post 2009 (when he took over the company) basses and, while I loved Pete, Paul’s basses are a shade above his best output in build and playability. Pretty much perfect basses!
On old ones, I really wouldn’t stress too much over the necks. You tend to hear lots of grief about 1 or 2 basses where an owner has problems but nothing about the vast majority which are super stable. Plus you don’t know the history. There was someone stressing about bodies delaminating on Facebook a while back coz he’d seen one where the top edge had started peeling away online somewhere. A bit of collective detective work showed that this bass had been stored for several years in an outdoor garage, no case and literally had water dripping over it! Lol! Yet now this guy was stressing that if he bought a Wal and sneezed, the front and back would literally fall off! (I exaggerate but not too much).
In my experience 99.99% of Wal necks are super stable, especially with the laminate structure and the care taken in building. In fact, in the mid 80s the company ditched English hornbeam as their centre laminates because they felt it was a shade too stiff!
Finally, one thing to remember is that as far as exchange rates are concerned, with Brexit tanking the value of the pound each of your dollars is worth literally twice what it was back in the mid-2000s when you got nearly 2$ to the £ instead of near parity as we have now ( $1.2 to £1 at the mo).
On comms, like others have said, it’s literally two men and a dog in the workshop. But we see plenty of part build photos being posted by folks along the way so they do their best to keep you updated.
Much appreciated! And from one P&W band bassist to another, it's very cool to see a Wal used in a church setting. I get enough looks and questions about my Modulus basses because just about everyone has never heard of them even though they've been around for 40ish years. I suspect Wal would have the same reaction. My Rick always wins for the cool factor though and it's far from being boutique or even expensive.
It's not so much a stress about the neck because it's exactly how you described it. So and so said this or that. You guys can set the record straight pretty quick and that's why I asked the questions.
The current exchange rate as of 09/05/19 in case anyone is keeping up -
1 USD = 0.810657 GBP
1 GBP = 1.23357 USD
The base price of a Mk 1 would start at $7,154.54
A purchase like this would be about 3-4 times my most expensive bass, so honestly a lot of this is just hot air filling the room because I'll be surprised if I could ever scrounge enough cash to even set it in motion, but I am looking to see what I can do. It's fun to think about! My wife is probably like
when it comes to something this pricy. She bought me a bass for Christmas (I love this woman!), and then I proceeded to buy...ahem...three more. I put money aside every paycheck into a "music" savings account and I pay for my GAS through that. Plus anything I earn through music goes right back into it. I try my best to not burn through cash that's marked for bills or general savings. A Wal bass would basically be like my holy grail. I can't think of any other bass that would do it for me even when Modulus was way, way up on my list until I managed to acquire three of them. I don't think I have an addiction to basses, but I certainly have one for tonal options and Wal is like no other.
$7,154.54! 
katching!
Nice find. Is that a blue Mk2? hard to see in the video. I always wondered which songs on BSSM are actually played on that Wal? Not all songs I think? Can someone say for sure? I don't think that is a typical or recognizable Wal sound.
katching!Nice find. Is that a blue Mk2? hard to see in the video. I always wondered which songs on BSSM are actually played on that Wal? Not all songs I think? Can someone say for sure? I don't think that is a typical or recognizable Wal sound.
$7,154.54!
Nice find. Is that a blue Mk2? hard to see in the video. I always wondered which songs on BSSM are actually played on that Wal? Not all songs I think? Can someone say for sure? I don't think that is a typical or recognizable Wal sound.
Yes, blue body with a natural neck.
There are only two songs that weren't Wal, he played a StingRay 5 on those two (Righteous & The Wicked, and Funky Monks)
Modulus are fab basses. Always loved the ones that Steve Lawson used to play - beautiful in every way but chalk and cheese with a Wal! Certainly my Wal sounds grab through the PA at church, and pretty darned good everywhere else.Much appreciated! And from one P&W band bassist to another, it's very cool to see a Wal used in a church setting. I get enough looks and questions about my Modulus basses because just about everyone has never heard of them even though they've been around for 40ish years. I suspect Wal would have the same reaction. My Rick always wins for the cool factor though and it's far from being boutique or even expensive.
It's not so much a stress about the neck because it's exactly how you described it. So and so said this or that. You guys can set the record straight pretty quick and that's why I asked the questions.
The current exchange rate as of 09/05/19 in case anyone is keeping up -
1 USD = 0.810657 GBP
1 GBP = 1.23357 USD
The base price of a Mk 1 would start at $7,154.54
A purchase like this would be about 3-4 times my most expensive bass, so honestly a lot of this is just hot air filling the room because I'll be surprised if I could ever scrounge enough cash to even set it in motion, but I am looking to see what I can do. It's fun to think about! My wife is probably like
Of course to completely spec your own Wal has a monetary and time cost - at a premium because of the nature of the beast. However, don’t necessarily poo poo second hand, especially within the States where they come up a bit regularly. You’ll save 50% on the new price after shipping, tax etc. which takes them into new Fender Custom Shop territory (or you can buy 2 Wals for the price of a Phil Lynott sig P- Bass!!!!!) The thing is a Wal basically sounds and performs like a Wal - notwithstanding that there will be subtle variations in the facing woods (and between any two similar bass anyway). The core sound from the pickups, electronics and the mahogany core and neck design is pretty constant across the range. If you see a second hand one which is the right number of strings, the right model, broadly fits your aesthetic preferences and the seller checks out I’d guess that it’s no more risky than any other second hand bass transaction. The other thing to remember is that on a second hand Wal you’re highly unlikely to lose money should you decide it’s not for you. That said, I bought my two Wals secondhand in 1992 and 2001 respectively and I’m not going to make any money on them... coz they ain’t going anywhere!!!!!! Lol!
If you’re on Facebook why not pop over and join up to the Wal fans group there...
Wal Bass Lovers Of The World Unite! Public Group | Facebook
Most of us here hang there too and it’s quite common to see posts along the lines of, “This will be going up on Reverb/Talkbass/Basschat next week but I wanted to give the Wal massive first refusal before that...” when members are selling their basses.
I definitely won't disregard a used Wal if one happens to show up with the specs I want. I think the whole new aspect has such an appeal because it would be "my" bass, but it also might be unobtanium.
Oh geez...the Phil Lynott bass. There is no way in h-e double hockey sticks that I would pay that much for a new P bass - master built or not! I get the hands on aspect, I get the time involved, I get the extreme attention to detail, but without trying to poo on Fender...it's a flippin' Fender P-bass! Pushing that over $10k is beyond insanity.
I appreciate the invite to the Facebook group, but I recently deactivated my account and I'm very happy to be away from that highly toxic social media environment. However, the groups is what I miss the most because there were some great people who shared similar passions.
Agree here... a $10k P is definitely not for me. I get get everything I could possibly want from my Mexican P's in terms of build, playability, reliability, and sound and they cost me less than $800 each with third-party pickups. For that $10k I could own 3 of my P's and still have enough leftover to buy a really nice Wal lol.
Just Paul & Philip I believe. Reply time for emails has been 7-8 days for me.
I have the funky monks dvd and I do remember seeing a black headless bass in it..I don’t know what was recorded on it though.
