Wal Bass Club.

[Chickenwheels]

Having a ball by the look of it!

 

[2112]

Why do you say that?

I would like to hear about this, too.

 

[TrevorR]

His live bassist liked the Jaydee, but the Wal always lurked nearby!
Some strong Wal sounds in both albums, but the Jaydee bridge pickup ain’t a slouch either!

Yes, if you watch VERY carefully at the NK Live Aid set the bass player is playing their Jaydee but there's a Wal leaning up against the drum riser!

 

[TrevorR]

Zombie sounds wayyyy more like a wal than a stingray in my opinion

And let's face it a lot of the less discerning bass player community (i.e. all those around here excepted) "know" what Stingray 4 string basses sound like (and Modulus too, I guess) because they've listened to all the famous songs on The Red Hot Chili Peppers' BSSM album!

 

[mikeswals]

Why do you say that?

Look at my explanation in this post you quoted.

Ive heard of guys around Nashville getting it done for 450-500 bucks.

I had Mike Lull do one (Mk1) and he charged me 900. Never again will I take it to that shop.

He charged me twice as much as I could have done it anywhere else, even from other shops here in Seattle area. I didnt get an estimate, he just did the job and handed me the bill at the end, and boy he saw me coming, it was actually $983 and that was over 10 years ago. All his prices are high. I imagine its 1100-1200 now.
I'd since found other luthiers around here that run the going rate compared to others across the country.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Look at my explanation in this post you quoted.



He charged me twice as much as I could have done it anywhere else, even from other shops here in Seattle area. I didnt get an estimate, he just did the job and handed me the bill at the end, and boy he saw me coming, it was actually $983 and that was over 10 years ago. All his prices are high. I imagine its 1100-1200 now.
I'd since found other luthiers around here that run the going rate compared to others across the country.

You gotta shop around, which is annoying if you’ve used someone in the past who has done an amazing job but is now charging rockstar rates. I’ve had this experience also.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I’ve been getting the hang of the filters over the last few months. I’ve been loving:
Vol: 6
B/T: centred
B filter: down, 6
T filter: down, 2
Growly, fat, punchy, open trad tone. Leave the P bass at home!
(Or)
B filter: down, 2
T filter: down, 6
Smooth, singing, and yet super fat and clean bridge tone.

 

[Les Fret]

I’ve been getting the hang of the filters over the last few months. I’ve been loving:
Vol: 6
B/T: centred
B filter: down, 6
T filter: down, 2
Growly, fat, punchy, open trad tone. Leave the P bass at home!
(Or)
B filter: down, 2
T filter: down, 6
Smooth, singing, and yet super fat and clean bridge tone.

Setting the filters below 5 in down position or so sounds to muffled for me. Sometimes I even set them fully open. Depending on the amp.

I think a Wal never really sounds like a P bass though. Not that it should be.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Yeah, it’s funny, I never thought going below 4 with the filters would be remotely useful. But if the pickups are both on full, you can almost use one pickup as a woofer and the other as the predominant voice. I’ve been surprised at how useful this has been. And tone is so much smoother and cleaner, too. And this is gigging...loud.
My other basses are getting less and less useful.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I should add, when I say “leave the Fender at home”, I mean you get that “sweet spot in the mix” tone that Wal Basses aren’t typically associated with. A nice, fat low-mid focus.

 

[Musician924]

dear all
looking for a left handed 4 string WAL custom, mk1, or mk2. Please drop me a line here to start if you are interested in selling yours.

Thanks a lot

 

[syntap]

There's a lefty Mk1 on Reverb now and has been up for a while:

https://reverb.com/item/45291157-1983-left-handed-wal-mk1-mark-1-4-string-bass-guitar

 

[kulit17]

There's a lefty Mk1 on Reverb now and has been up for a while:

https://reverb.com/item/45291157-1983-left-handed-wal-mk1-mark-1-4-string-bass-guitar

Yup! Awhile is the key word here. Priced way to high for a lefty Wal IMO. Last couple of LH Wals that were sold in Bassdirect and Bassgallery sat for awhile too until it went down in price - there is less of a demand on lefties.

 

[HotelX]

there are several on reverb that have been there a while.

In Italy:

https://reverb.com/item/27780262-wal-pro-bass-1979-natural-1-pickup-rare

and Brazil:

https://reverb.com/item/41085805-wal-pro-2-eb-79-natural

Are they just overpriced or what?

 

[Les Fret]

Yeah, it’s funny, I never thought going below 4 with the filters would be remotely useful. But if the pickups are both on full, you can almost use one pickup as a woofer and the other as the predominant voice. I’ve been surprised at how useful this has been. And tone is so much smoother and cleaner, too. And this is gigging...loud.
My other basses are getting less and less useful.

True it can be used as a sort of subwoofer that way, although I don't use it that way myself. I think it sounds a bit better if you just add lows from your amp. But that is just a matter of taste I guess.

 

[SamJ]

Yup! Awhile is the key word here. Priced way to high for a lefty Wal IMO. Last couple of LH Wals that were sold in Bassdirect and Bassgallery sat for awhile too until it went down in price - there is less of a demand on lefties.

the lefty market is strange... stuff can sit forever, but then when a buyer is out there, he's pay almost anything to get what he wants.

 

[syntap]

One can always message the seller and make an offer... if the bass has been up a while, that may be reason for a seller to take lower. I think I posted many months ago here that when my young lefty son took up guitar I had him learn on a righty, these kinds of problems with lefty instruments were a big reason why!

 

[MPU]

Just a quick question; do Wals have single or dual action truss rods?

 

[Les Fret]

Single. Not sure about the six stringers though.

 

[TrevorR]

Yeah, it’s funny, I never thought going below 4 with the filters would be remotely useful. But if the pickups are both on full, you can almost use one pickup as a woofer and the other as the predominant voice. I’ve been surprised at how useful this has been. And tone is so much smoother and cleaner, too. And this is gigging...loud.
My other basses are getting less and less useful.

I always enjoyed… [vol 100%, neck 2 (boosted), bridge 8 (not boosted), 70% neck/30% bridge, pick attack optional] as a fab, rounded reggae tone but with loads of definition. Great in the covers band days for doing Roxanne, Dreadlock Holiday and the Madness version of It Must Be Love!