Wal Bass Club.

[bassballs27]

Do the pole pieces of the Wal pickups have a pretty narrow field? I notice on all Wals when doing string bendings the volume drops when bending up. Never noticed this on other basses. You can check that on your Wal. I was wondering why that is?

You might have bad pickups in your Wal too. Have you checked the control cavity for loose connections? It’s amazing what vibrations can do to fine connections.
The reason I ask is I had volume reduction in one of my Wals and the correction was in fact a loose wire.
A bad battery could be another...always great to check the 9V battery voltage.

 

[purpleflyhunter]

For the love of god, would someone please buy blackhawks55’s Black Wal Mk1, to save me time from scheming!

???

De donde?

 

[Blackhawks55]

Well. The tone and playability are killer. But.. I was apprehensive buying a Mk1 to begin with regarding the neck profile and some people not liking it. I have put 10 hours of playtime on it the past 2 days and the neck is definitely a deal breaker for me. If anybody is interested in a mint 2017 “Geddy” Mk1, please message me. I am very set in my ways with neck profiles. I am very much acclimated to my pencil thin Geddy Lee Jazz Bass necks and Rickenbackers. Very disappointed it didn’t work out.. Again, the tone was KILLER!

 

[purpleflyhunter]

Is this that beautiful one you just bought? With all the stunning pictures, and such??

 

[Blackhawks55]

I realized it on the drive home from practice. Is it worth it to have to fight against an instrument? I enjoyed playing it sitting down. But neck is an absolute baseball bat for me. I can't speak highly enough about the tone and playabiltiy. It was world class. Very disappointed!

 

[Blackhawks55]

I have been chasing the dragon with vintage Rickenbackers the past 2 years. Bought over 15 of them trying to find one exactly like my '83 neck profile. With there being no CNC, they are all over the place in terms of profile. The Wal necks are pretty consistent from what I've heard. I went into this one knowing very well I might not bond with the neck. I saw several people who said it just wasn't for them. Surely enough, it's not for me either.

 

[graphics1988]

I have been chasing the dragon with vintage Rickenbackers the past 2 years. Bought over 15 of them trying to find one exactly like my '83 neck profile. With there being no CNC, they are all over the place in terms of profile. The Wal necks are pretty consistent from what I've heard. I went into this one knowing very well I might not bond with the neck. I saw several people who said it just wasn't for them. Surely enough, it's not for me either.

I think I know a Rick and Wal fanatic - may be of some help. @kulit17

 

[Les Fret]

You might have bad pickups in your Wal too. Have you checked the control cavity for loose connections? It’s amazing what vibrations can do to fine connections.
The reason I ask is I had volume reduction in one of my Wals and the correction was in fact a loose wire.
A bad battery could be another...always great to check the 9V battery voltage.

No it doesn’t have to do with bad pickups at all. It is just the way Wal pickups are build I think. I have played many Wals and they all have that slight volume drop when doing bendings. I think it is because the pole pieces are very small and far apart from string to string. Try to do you Stanley Clarke impressions of bending at least a half step higher on the neck and you will hear what I mean.

 

[Les Fret]

I realized it on the drive home from practice. Is it worth it to have to fight against an instrument? I enjoyed playing it sitting down. But neck is an absolute baseball bat for me. I can't speak highly enough about the tone and playabiltiy. It was world class. Very disappointed!

You spend a lot of money and now you’re disappointed. I feel for you. Have you played Wals before? The neck on a Wal sometimes needs some time to get used to. Also depending on the neck profile. I would suggest sticking with it for a few months before selling it again. You only have it for a few days now. Why sell it right away? What neck profile does it have? some have an exaggerated V shape others a C shape.

 

[bassballs27]

I have been chasing the dragon with vintage Rickenbackers the past 2 years. Bought over 15 of them trying to find one exactly like my '83 neck profile. With there being no CNC, they are all over the place in terms of profile. The Wal necks are pretty consistent from what I've heard. I went into this one knowing very well I might not bond with the neck. I saw several people who said it just wasn't for them. Surely enough, it's not for me either.

Yeah, the 4 string Wals definitely have the pronounced V and enhances the baseball bat neck feel. Sort of like a Musicman does too.

The 5 strings definitely have a different shape to me as the extra string obviously changes the neck width.

If you’re stuck on wanting to play 4, I doubt any others will be better.
You probably need one with a greater nut width or basically need a custom neck made. And to go that route, you might as well buy a brand new Wal.

 

[bassballs27]

No it doesn’t have to do with bad pickups at all. It is just the way Wal pickups are build I think. I have played many Wals and they all have that slight volume drop when doing bendings. I think it is because the pole pieces are very small and far apart from string to string. Try to do you Stanley Clarke impressions of bending at least a half step higher on the neck and you will hear what I mean.

Ah, basically playing above the nut like SC. I’ll try that on my two Wals and see what happens. If anything by pressing down / hammering the string above the nut, it’s a good test of the instruments neck, setup, and pickups.

 

[Les Fret]

Ah, basically playing above the nut like SC. I’ll try that on my two Wals and see what happens. If anything by pressing down / hammering the string above the nut, it’s a good test of the instruments neck, setup, and pickups.

No I mean just normal bending strings up half a tone or so. Has nothing to do with the nut.

 

[bassballs27]

No I mean just normal bending strings up half a tone or so. Has nothing to do with the nut.

Ok. Here's Stanley Clarke performing lots of bending including what I was mentioning:


And of course, for those following and a refresher for me.....here's the basics:

 

[HeavyJazz]

In dire need of a fret job. Was thinking of sending to Sweetwater to get it Plek'd w/ stainless steel frets and maybe planed a little flatter.

Sweetwater does refretting jobs? First I've heard of that.

 

[LowEndHum]

Oh man I feel for you blackhawk. I was afraid of that exact same situation when I first ordered my Wal 2 years ago. I ended up buying an Mk2 before they started shaping the neck, just in case I could ask to change the specs to something to my liking. The neck shape was certainly different but my hands never complained. I love the neck 100%.

 

[Blackhawks55]

Having second thoughts. The tone is too killer!

 

[bassballs27]

Having second thoughts. The tone is too killer!

I’d try my best to keep that bass!
Give it a little more time, change the strings, focus on your technique, and see if you can work with it.
They’re such a pain to acquire and you have virtually a brand new one. It’s a very long road to getting another due to high demand and low supply.

 

[purpleflyhunter]

^^^
This is terrible advise.

Instead, sell it to me at a huge discount so you can rid yourself of the frustration, pain, and suffering.
This is what a true friend says. Someone who’s really looking out for your happiness.

 

[Blackhawks55]

^^^
This is terrible advise.

Instead, sell it to me at a huge discount so you can rid yourself of the frustration, pain, and suffering.
This is what a true friend says. Someone who’s really looking out for your happiness.

LOL!!!

 

[bassballs27]

^^^
This is terrible advise.

Instead, sell it to me at a huge discount so you can rid yourself of the frustration, pain, and suffering.
This is what a true friend says. Someone who’s really looking out for your happiness.

Thats the advice of about 98% of individuals on this site...and probably even higher in the Wal club!

I get why people own a bunch of them, heck I own two right now. Even during an international pandemic of unprecedented proportions Wal basses are continuing to sell like hot cakes!
So what about a potential mega recession or greatest depression we’ve ever experienced, these basses make a ton of people happy. We are very fortunate!