Wal bass specifications (can't find them anywhere)

[Presto2112]

I'm currently shadowing a luthier. Might as well come here to ask some measurement questions about a wal mk1.

Scale length
String spacing at nut
string spacing at bridge
radius
neck profile
neck thickness at 1st and 16th fret

these are the specific ones I need, but anything else would be much appreciated!

 

[GMC]

You might be able to make a neck which feels simular to a Wal but at the moment there is nothing else which sounds like one.
The combination of pickups and electronics is not available outside of Wal and they don't supply spare parts. If you want THAT sound, then you buy a used or new Wal. I think the current waiting list is around 18 months for a new build. If I had the money....I would buy a sixer in an instant.
There's been some attempts to re-create the pickups and electronics over the years with varing degrees of success. The electronics use a filter network to modify the mids which is a unique approach. John East makes a simular circuit but it's not the same. The pickups as far as I know, no one has come close. Each string has seperate coils and windings. 2 per string and no one knows the exact windings or wiring. There's been a few simular designs but these sound a lot darker than the Wal pickups and so far no one has come close.

 

[MPU]

As for pickups there are people who make very, very close copies of Wal-style multicoil pickups. After all they are just copper, steel and magnets. The info about coil sizes and rounds per coil and wire AWG And wiring the coils is available in the net.

 

[nopalfunk]

I made my own wal tribute, but since my only reference of the wal sound are some records and bands (rush, rhcp bssm, tool, failure) I can't assume that my tribute sounds exactly, but pretty damn close IMO, I installed an ACG preamp and a pair of multicoils pups walish copies, they are so hot and sound great. Regarding the measurements if I'm not wrong the MKII wal it's a 34" and from this you can start, with some CAD program you can place some pictures and scale them to 34" and the rest it's simple, and also you can find a lot of information on the Web, for example the tuner pegs specifications it's there...the main issue you will have is the rest of the hardware, there is no way to find a wal bridge and knobs, for the pickups I would like to recommend you the music man style covers and for the bridge a G&L....you will find very interesting this project once you're immersed on, it'll be great to have a very custom bass inspired on a Wal bass, don't get mad if you can't do an exact réplica, PM'd me and maybe I can send you some information I found for my project, I made some mods on the body I prefer to put a thicker wood inlay instead the thinner inlay like wal's, more like a Zon bass detail. For me looks pretty handsome, Lol.

 

[Presto2112]

Link Removed

this is the luthier I'm shadowing, so hardware won't be an issue, so far he's given me wal pickup bobbins (well very close replicas given to him by someone in Canada I think). I was planning on using an ACG as well. I'm still debating whether to use a lovely wood which I'd prefer, the bass's birthmark, but I LOVE Geddy Lee's red mkII that he used on roll the bones. So many decisions. Nopalfunk, post a sound clip! You have me very curious

 

[Triad]

On a 4 strings (I'm remembering as I don't actually own one but owned several of them):

Scale length: 34"
String spacing at nut: I think they were 40mm wide at the nut, so approx. 12mm spacing
string spacing at bridge: 19mm
radius: it felt like 12" to me but I could be wrong.
neck profile: V shape, like the bottom of a boat.
neck thickness at 1st and 16th fret: I think they were only a bit thicker front to back than a Fender.

 

[Skelf]

FYI I have just changed the spec on the EQ01 filters to bring them into line with the new DFM pre-amp. The lowpass filter range has been reduced which brings it much more in line with the Wal spec.

 

[Presto2112]

Is there a huge difference between the DFM and EQ01? Whatever helps obtain the walish sound easier would obviously be my go to

 

[Skelf]

The DFM has several features not present in the EQ01 however I don't sell the DFM it is only available in my own instruments.