Finally got some downtime from grading papers, need a break, I figured I'd share my 'how I got my Wal' story here.
About 20 years ago, I was making that transition in terms of my abilities from amateur to semi-pro. I had an Ibanez (can't remember the model, now, bubinga body and a PJ setup), and although it served me well, I'd never been excited about it. One night I got invited to a party, and there was this young guy there, and he had a Wal 4 string. He let me play it, and it was the first time I'd ever played a bass that I could feel. I'm not kidding that I couldn't sleep that night, because I'd never had an instrument do that to me, before. Every note sounded and felt so present. It became an obsession. It kinda felt like the first time you had a great kiss.
Alas, I live in Vermont, and back then, as well as now, you simply don't have any stores up here that carry high end instruments, other than some acoustic guitars. You can find some of the high-end Yamahas, and a few other things, but all factory production stuff. Of course, at the time, I didn't realize that a Wal is generally something you're not going to walk into any place and find on the shelf (except for the occasional one at Bass Central). Ordering a new one simply wasn't in my budget at the time, but I ended up finding a 1990 Mark II 5 string on Ebay from Toronto for 1500 USD. Yeah, I know. Those were the days, right?
Took a gamble, got it, and it's outlived two of my marriages, it's still plays and sounds great. It starts conversations, and when I use it in the studio, the engineers are always shocked at how great it can sound going right into the board. I tell my wife I could be homeless, living in a shoebox, and I'll never get rid of this bass.
The only thing I'll say, in terms of the foibles of long term relationships is that, at 48, this thing is pretty damn heavy. I now know what Macca meant when he said it wore like a big log. That and occasionally that input jack gets lose (still trying to figure out the optimal way to tighten that thing, given the space restrictions). Anyways, if ya want a Wal, keep an eye out for my obituary some day, because I'll be buried with this thing!
Happy whatever-you-do-don't celebrate, folks.
About 20 years ago, I was making that transition in terms of my abilities from amateur to semi-pro. I had an Ibanez (can't remember the model, now, bubinga body and a PJ setup), and although it served me well, I'd never been excited about it. One night I got invited to a party, and there was this young guy there, and he had a Wal 4 string. He let me play it, and it was the first time I'd ever played a bass that I could feel. I'm not kidding that I couldn't sleep that night, because I'd never had an instrument do that to me, before. Every note sounded and felt so present. It became an obsession. It kinda felt like the first time you had a great kiss.
Alas, I live in Vermont, and back then, as well as now, you simply don't have any stores up here that carry high end instruments, other than some acoustic guitars. You can find some of the high-end Yamahas, and a few other things, but all factory production stuff. Of course, at the time, I didn't realize that a Wal is generally something you're not going to walk into any place and find on the shelf (except for the occasional one at Bass Central). Ordering a new one simply wasn't in my budget at the time, but I ended up finding a 1990 Mark II 5 string on Ebay from Toronto for 1500 USD. Yeah, I know. Those were the days, right?
Took a gamble, got it, and it's outlived two of my marriages, it's still plays and sounds great. It starts conversations, and when I use it in the studio, the engineers are always shocked at how great it can sound going right into the board. I tell my wife I could be homeless, living in a shoebox, and I'll never get rid of this bass.
The only thing I'll say, in terms of the foibles of long term relationships is that, at 48, this thing is pretty damn heavy. I now know what Macca meant when he said it wore like a big log. That and occasionally that input jack gets lose (still trying to figure out the optimal way to tighten that thing, given the space restrictions). Anyways, if ya want a Wal, keep an eye out for my obituary some day, because I'll be buried with this thing!
Happy whatever-you-do-don't celebrate, folks.
. I busted out the Allen Wrentch and the Wal plays like a dream very happy I got it Pleked!!
