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Wal Bass Club.

#15,641
GHOST AT said:
I beg to differ 😆. Seriously there was a reason in choosing a satin finish. I was going to get this Mk3 refinished in a PRS color Frostbite Glow. The pictures looked great, but seeing the finish on YouTube gave me doubts. I realized I would have to see the finish in person to make a decision. More than likely will now keep the satin.
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Well, when you put it like that :D

Did yours have any contrast dye treatment to enhance that admittedly awesome deep figuring?
 
#15,642
GHOST AT said:
I beg to differ 😆. Seriously there was a reason in choosing a satin finish. I was going to get this Mk3 refinished in a PRS color Frostbite Glow. The pictures looked great, but seeing the finish on YouTube gave me doubts. I realized I would have to see the finish in person to make a decision. More than likely will now keep the satin.View attachment 7315318
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Looks really awesome with those bright shiny stripes. Is that satin?
 
#15,644
simisker said:
Well, when you put it like that :D

Did yours have any contrast dye treatment to enhance that admittedly awesome deep figuring?
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No just satin. I had mind set on Zebrano the ones Paul sent were cool but none of them were " that's the one" .
I asked for Quilted Maple and Paul sent some cool facings. I sent him a recent example of a MK2 with highly figured facings and Paul sent the facing I now have on my bass. Wasn't cheap but so worth it!
 
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#15,647
#1 is original but could be a bit better
#2 is meh for such a bass
#3 is beautiful but not as #4
#4 looks great but is common

I would hesitate between #1 and #4 and would probably end up with #1 just because there are already many Wals with quilted maple and I would want something different.
 
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#15,648
bass08053 said:
So here it is! A 2001 Mk3 fretless 5 that was owned by one person until today. Mahogany with Shedua facings. I saw this on an old Wal page as the owner personally picked this up from Pete and posted a few photos way back when. My mk2 5 prototype that our dear @mikeswals sold me has an equally beautiful friend. I just need to get some different strings on there. The DR’s are not doing it for me. I’ll take more photos sometime soon.
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What a fabulous piece of schedua. That flame is going to pop like crazy under lights. Gorgeous!
 
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#15,650
Les Fret said:
Just curious; is a gloss finish more expensive on a Wal? and does it have any noticeable negative effect on the tone as opposed to a satin finish?
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Gloss is very expensive, and the body and neck are separate charges.
The charge can be 550 to 850 just for body depending on clear or color.

I prefer gloss, its very tough. I've had plenty of satin Wals and my dress shirt buttons mar up the backs of the bodies. None of that happens with my gloss ones.
My satin quilt Mk2 pictured above is especially bad....you just look at it crosseyed and a new mark appears.
 
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#15,655
Back when I got mine (an ‘83 & an ‘85, both bought new) there was no price difference between satin or gloss finish on the body. And I had no idea, until just now, that they even came with satin necks.

The only Wals I’ve ever seen in the flesh were either played on concert stages by pros, or the ones I owned (my ‘83 which was stolen in ‘85, and my ‘85 which replaced the stolen one). Never had the opportunity to play any others, nor have I ever even seen any other local players playing a Wal. I always thought it would be cool to take a MkIII for a spin, just to experience the difference in ergonomics, even though I could never afford one at today’s prices. It’s probably good that I don’t know what I’m missing, lol.

Sorry for rambling, but I guess my main point is that I’m quite astounded by the upcharge for a gloss finish these days.
 
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#15,656
Smooth Operator said:
Paul sent me 4 facing options for my Mk2 4string build. They are out of Buckeye Burl, my favorite. I've narrowed it down to these 4 options. This will be getting clear gloss finish and ebony board. What do you guys think?
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Sorry this is late, but here's a cutout simulation. I like #4 best, mostly because I got quilted maple with gloss for my own build and it is really nice. #4 is closest to what I got for mine (with blue burst though).

These options (like premium woods and gloss) are pricey, I checked just about every box on mine. But looking back a couple of years later I'm glad I got what I wanted, there's no element of my build that I look at and say I wish I'd done differently or dropped this or that option.

TalkBass - Smooth Operator facings.png
 
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#15,658
Just putting this here...
Wal MK1 Fretless in New England

For sale Wal MK1 Fretless in New England

Hi Talkbassers, I want to put this here before I attempt to sell on FB or Reverb... (It’s up there now too but you get a better price if you buy it through here since we can avoid the Reverb tax) I’m selling this lovely Walnut 1989 fretless 4 string Wal MK1. Why would I do such a thing? Wal...
$6,800.00
14 watching
 
#15,659
Elderly Instruments in Michigan has a pretty nice looking MkII for anyone interested.
www.elderly.com

Wal Mk II 4-String Electric Bass (1999)

A sought-after, high-end instrument, this Wal Mk II is known for its superb craftsmanship and big, spanking tone. Features include a mahogany body core, walnut top and back, 5-piece maple/mahogany neck, and a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard. Equipped with dual humbucking pickups. Sadowsky padded...
www.elderly.com www.elderly.com
 

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