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Wal Bass Club.

#13,921
mikeswals said:
What exactly did the rod do?

Several of these let go at the truss anchor (up near the 1st fret area), and Lull repaired many by just removing the wood block under the 1st fret.
Click to expand...

The short answer is I'm not sure.

The truss was always difficult ever since I got it. Like, it was as tight as it was going to go when it really needed to go further. It would move a little bit when I adjusted but not much. I was (almost) always very careful not to push it. After the initial repair to the fretboard it was actually pretty playable.

But after the season changed it needed to be tightened again and that's when it happened. It sounded like the wood cracked (my first thought) but as the neck immediately bowed I knew what it was. Well, I had never broken a truss before but that was the result.

So I do suppose it's possible that it was the wood anchor rather than the truss itself? Either way, it was always an issue and the twisted neck doesn't make it any easier since if it was just the truss that might be something any (totally competent and trustworthy) luthier could handle. I'll be really interested to see if Wal responds.

I'm already dreaming of a new neck and additionally seeing if this one is salvageable and could be made into a fretless lol
 
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#13,922
Just as a preemptive measure, make sure to back off the truss rod entirely to ensure the rod itself isn’t cross threaded. This has happened to a few basses of mine. Ideally, the truss rod on a Wal should be barely engaged unless heavy flats or rounds are being used. The wood should naturally not want to be a tree again.
 
#13,927
Hi all! I think I found the issue to my problem with thanks to @mikeswals , but I wanted to ask if any other Wal owners have had issues with the preamp shorting out intermittently and then coming back? It's done it with a fresh battery, you name it.. But it happens every so often. My Wal is a 2017 so the boards shouldn't need servicing of any kind. The bass will literally sound lifeless when this happens. It will have a super low output with only a dub reggae tone. Whenever this happens, I take off the control plate and wiggle some wires around, sometimes even the input jack, and then BAM! The preamp is back in action. Mike & I think my main harness was wrapped a little too tightly and not seated the best and feel like this might've been causing the issue. I had to tighten the socket for a loose input jack not too long ago and the harness got tighter as well from that.
 
#13,928
W2928 in action at Tally Ho Theater, 8/12/2022...
Still digging this bass SO much...

20220812 U2topia 1786 7.jpg


20220812 U2topia 1743 7.jpg



20220812 U2topia 4536 7.jpg
 
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#13,932
Blackhawks55 said:
Hi all! I think I found the issue to my problem with thanks to @mikeswals , but I wanted to ask if any other Wal owners have had issues with the preamp shorting out intermittently and then coming back? It's done it with a fresh battery, you name it.. But it happens every so often. My Wal is a 2017 so the boards shouldn't need servicing of any kind. The bass will literally sound lifeless when this happens. It will have a super low output with only a dub reggae tone. Whenever this happens, I take off the control plate and wiggle some wires around, sometimes even the input jack, and then BAM! The preamp is back in action. Mike & I think my main harness was wrapped a little too tightly and not seated the best and feel like this might've been causing the issue. I had to tighten the socket for a loose input jack not too long ago and the harness got tighter as well from that.
Click to expand...


I'll get the dubby tone sometimes when I jack in. I'll wiggle the instrument cord a bit and then pull it out and back in - back to normal. Really only affects (or is most noticeable) on my low E. Mine is an '82 so it would make sense a 40 year old input jack would be a little funky.
 
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#13,938
Khrist92 said:
I'll get the dubby tone sometimes when I jack in. I'll wiggle the instrument cord a bit and then pull it out and back in - back to normal. Really only affects (or is most noticeable) on my low E. Mine is an '82 so it would make sense a 40 year old input jack would be a little funky.
Click to expand...
That's very interesting I've wiggled the cord a bit too and that has also worked. It affected all my strings though it literally sounded like the battery was totally fried until it kicks back on. I have a spare input jack that I will install if the issue arises again but it happens so randomly. Definitely trying to avoid it happening at the most inopportune time.. Murphy's law
 
#13,940
ModuMan said:
Wal friends, I need luthier help!

My Mk3 5-string has a broken truss rod. My luthier is swamped and while he has offered to take the bass in he has no expectation of when it might get out. Easily into next year.

I am looking for someone who preferably has previous experience with Wal necks. I will need a new fretboard as the current one has been re-planed to a flatter radius to preserve material after finding a small twist as well. So, the works.

I'm in Connecticut so local-ish would be outstanding but preferably on the East Coast to minimize shipping.

Help! And thanks! Feel free to PM if you like
Click to expand...
A bit late, but Strange Guitar Works here in New Orleans could most likely do it. They've brought several instruments of mine back from the grave. One of the guys used to build basses at Fodera.

Home - Strange Guitarworks
 
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