He's asking $9100 for a modified Wal and can't be bothered to open the backplate? HELL NO! The crazies on Reverb keep on getting crazier each passing day.
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This is a passive Pro1 single pickup (reissue era) with a contoured body. Nothing unusual about that. But obviously someone added an Aria pickup to it.
So yes, there is no battery compartment on those; the RI passives only had that tear drop plate.
*To me* thats quite alot for a cut up Pro1
So yes, there is no battery compartment on those; the RI passives only had that tear drop plate.
*To me* thats quite alot for a cut up Pro1
ya looks like a modded reissue Pro I.
A HISTORY OF WAL BASSES: A minor diversion... (Reissue Passive Pro Basses)
Pro's have been weird lately and catching up to Mk1 prices. At least this one doesn't seem to be missing any original items but just adding a non-Wal neck pickup. IMO a bit overpriced.........
Lamination thickness in between core and facings is pointing in the direction that this body wasn't made by Wal? Looks thicker than normal.
The facings on this are gorgeous. What a beauty.
I’m rather mortified by the addition of what appears to be an Ibanez pickup.
Seems pricey, but haven’t been watching the “market” much.
I’d be dissatisfied overall.
That’s just the angle of the arm contour exposing “more” laminate. Mine is like that, too.
You don't see those one pickup Pro 1 basses with walnut too often. Too bad they installed that extra pickup and electronics. That makes it much less valuable. I wouldn't pay more than 3 or 4k for it.
The 4 that i've owned haven't had that exposure....and Wal is more consistent than any other builder/manufacturer that i've seen.
So hence my comment.
I'll take a picture of mine from that same angle as a comparison.
So hence my comment.
I'll take a picture of mine from that same angle as a comparison.
Looks like a three piece veneer to me, kinda hard to see but if you scroll through them again it looks like maple sandwiched between two darker veneers. I know @mikeswals verified for me a month or so ago that there were indeed wals made with 3 layers like that; one recently sold on reverb that I believe was an 82 or 83 paduak mk1 and it had 3 piece veneer which had me curious.
Ya that Wal Pro has nothing hokie about it. It's a real Wal body. I was about to mention the Paduak too;
Wal Pro Bass 1981 Padauk | DM Music | Reverb
It's a shame that the Pro got vandalized with that mod.
Wal Pro Bass 1981 Padauk | DM Music | Reverb
It's a shame that the Pro got vandalized with that mod.
Looks nice that Paduak with all those stripes. But more than 14k!!
Interesting bass there. I think that the consensus has nailed it. A transition period passive "reissue Pro" style body based around the Custom Series laminate body and the tear drop control plate on the front (the slightly clumsy, "not quite settled on a final design" headstock shape corroborates that). The pickup added is definitely an Aria MB series pickup from the SB series of basses (just like my Aria SB700) with an additional toggle added so that each of the pickups has its own series/parallel switch. Those are really great pickups in their own right but if I'd owned the bass maybe I would have chosen a different bass/body to add it into. But then again, back in the mid 80s those basses weren't attracting 7 grand (GBP) of anyone's money. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I do think it's a kinda cool(ish) and interesting mod to have done and it does make it a kinda cool(ish) and interesting bass (kinda).
However, given that degree of modding on a lower range passive Wal bass... I'd DEFINITELY be looking to knock 3 grand or so (GBP) off the asking price!
I do think it's a kinda cool(ish) and interesting mod to have done and it does make it a kinda cool(ish) and interesting bass (kinda).
However, given that degree of modding on a lower range passive Wal bass... I'd DEFINITELY be looking to knock 3 grand or so (GBP) off the asking price!
In a decade Wal will be the Stradivarius among basses!
as someone who has owned some of the best stuff from Fender Master Built, Spector USA, Alembic and Warwick, I have to say this is a very likely possibility ... God forbid Paul decides to quit, or gets to where he can't produce these, we'll look back at the prices today and miss them.
