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Wal tone

#22
IronSpatula said:
The pre is for sure a big part of it. ACG guitars ( @Skelf here) sometimes has dual filter preamps available to order. There's also a guy building modular onboard filters under the brand lusithand IIRC.

People often say an L2000 or a Musicman can get close. I think they (as well as many other basses) can get the job done but I've never heard them sound super similar TBH. But has anyone ever put a dual filter pre in one? Seems like it could get you that many % closer.
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I put an ACG filter pre in a G&L L2000 years ago. Did not get me any closer.
 
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#24
G&L’s sound great but they don’t really sound like a Wal to me.

Wals have a compressed full range tone and the filter preamp gives a really pronounced resonant spike in the upper mids that I haven’t been able to replicate with another bass.

I think Ken Smith gets pretty close to the non boosted Wal tone. But they’re not much cheaper or any more attainable.
 
#25
j.kernodle said:
the filter preamp gives a really pronounced resonant spike in the upper mids that I haven’t been able to replicate with another bass.
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If I am correct in recalling that Wal's "Pick Attack" parameter is a resonant boost at the low-pass filter's cutoff frequency (right?) then it stands to reason that an Alembic Series I or Series II bass could maybe emulate the Wal sound, no? Separate low pass filters per pickup, check. Resonant boost at the LPF's cutoff frequency, check.

And if anyone thinks the Series bass' neck-thru design or single coil pickups would be antithetical to the Wal recipe...how about the aforementioned G&L L-2000 (humbucking pickups and bolt-on neck, like a Wal) run through an Alembic SF-2 SuperFilter, which gives you the LPFs and adjustable resonance in an outboard EQ.

...and if you're a real stickler for details: Modify the L-2000 to provide separate outputs for each pickup, and run each pickup through its own independant SF-2!!!
 
#26
Bob_Ross said:
If I am correct in recalling that Wal's "Pick Attack" parameter is a resonant boost at the low-pass filter's cutoff frequency (right?) then it stands to reason that an Alembic Series I or Series II bass could maybe emulate the Wal sound, no? Separate low pass filters per pickup, check. Resonant boost at the LPF's cutoff frequency, check.

And if anyone thinks the Series bass' neck-thru design or single coil pickups would be antithetical to the Wal recipe...how about the aforementioned G&L L-2000 (humbucking pickups and bolt-on neck, like a Wal) run through an Alembic SF-2 SuperFilter, which gives you the LPFs and adjustable resonance in an outboard EQ.

...and if you're a real stickler for details: Modify the L-2000 to provide separate outputs for each pickup, and run each pickup through its own independant SF-2!!!
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Arent Superfilters something like $3800? Wouldnt meet the OPs "inexpensive" criteria. Has OP responded at all as to what Wal tone he is looking for? I wanted the Geddy Wal tone and the rubbery resonant filter sound. Now that I can get it, that tone doesnt work that well in the context of my band (doing rock and pop covers) since it doesnt have enough lows in it. I can also easily dial in the Tool JC sound and that works well for some stuff where I play with a pick. And, I can get pretty close to both of those with my Stingray for about $12K less.
 
#27
I am in no way comparing an EBMM Stingray to a Wal, but when I finally decided to buy one of the 'classics',(to me P, J, MM or Rick), the MM seemed closest in tone to my Wal MkII 5. Not 'as in sounds like a Wal' but in terms of the freq's and such, a MM was much more in the ballpark than the other three. I wanted to have at least some sort of inkling of consistency.

Just figured I'd throw that out there.
 
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#29
lordradish said:
I am in no way comparing an EBMM Stingray to a Wal, but when I finally decided to buy one of the 'classics',(to me P, J, MM or Rick), the MM seemed closest in tone to my Wal MkII 5. Not 'as in sounds like a Wal' but in terms of the freq's and such, a MM was much more in the ballpark than the other three. I wanted to have at least some sort of inkling of consistency.

Just figured I'd throw that out there.
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Which PUP(s) do you use on your SR to get close to a Wal tone?
 
#38
Chrisk-K said:
There is no definitive Wal tone. Geddy, Flea, Illsley, Karn & Macca got totally different tones from their Wal basses.
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pablohonig said:
THIS! Which is precisely what makes the Wal a difficult beast to copy. The versatility - which can absolutely be its downfall in live situations juggling two different filters and the rest.
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IronSpatula said:
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
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My guess is that the OP is looking for the Justin Chancellor tone. There's a pick, GK head, and not sure what bass he's primarily playing now, but it's not a Wal or Warwick.
 
#40
songwriter21 said:
My guess is that the OP is looking for the Justin Chancellor tone. There's a pick, GK head, and not sure what bass he's primarily playing now, but it's not a Wal or Warwick.
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Totally agree on the GK head. He absolutely is still rocking a Wal though (primarily). Though that said I think he did say, semi recently, he's using a Stingray for parts of some songs from the new album.
I didn't really subscribe until I bought a GK1001RB. Well actually I bought an 800RB and the next day bought the 1001. They really are a big piece of the puzzle. Excellent pieces of kit. Makes my Ric really sound like a Ric too...
 

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