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Won the Wal pickup on ebay!!!
- Thread starter WarriorJoe7
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- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
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- Owner, SGD Music Products
I think so. You know, I was quoting the spacing off the top of my head, so I was probably wrong! I think the real pickup is 17.5 or 18. I'm making them to fit current instruments as an aftermarket pickup, so it will fit the most common spacings.
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SGD Lutherie said:
If you're making them as replacements for 5 string MM sized enclosures, you'd probably have better luck matching the string spacing of those pickups (17.5mm). I don't know what percentage of your potential customer base will be willing to route instruments to accommodate v. wanting a drop in.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Yes, I think 17.5 is the norm. Also remember there are a lot of basses with MM style pickups these days, including some Fenders like the Jaguar.
Wow ...I have "quietly" pointed out in previous posts where David has avoided a direct question about release/sales and or timeline on the p/u's specifically, and it continues to happen. Just like the answer to the above question
According to his statement (that i just re-read) this should have been ready about 43 MONTHS ago.(post #134 dated 1/30/2009) (yadda yadda on re-design and moving delays....enough time has passed to avoid going into this again
In conjunction with me owning a MKII and going to buy back my MKI shortly....I am changing my build to incorporate Mike Lull p/u's. Im sorry but i just cant take the excuses on why this isnt ready....and feeling "led-along" (but thats just me)
I also think that if David had spent as much time working on the p/u as he has done writing about it, in this thread....everyone that wanted one would already have it in their build/customization.
Honestly there hasnt been a progress pic for a VERY long time and i would almost bet the cost of my Lull p/u's that it will never happen. Sorry
Un-subbed
Wow ...I have "quietly" pointed out in previous posts where David has avoided a direct question about release/sales and or timeline on the p/u's specifically, and it continues to happen. Just like the answer to the above question
According to his statement (that i just re-read) this should have been ready about 43 MONTHS ago.(post #134 dated 1/30/2009) (yadda yadda on re-design and moving delays....enough time has passed to avoid going into this again
In conjunction with me owning a MKII and going to buy back my MKI shortly....I am changing my build to incorporate Mike Lull p/u's. Im sorry but i just cant take the excuses on why this isnt ready....and feeling "led-along" (but thats just me)
I also think that if David had spent as much time working on the p/u as he has done writing about it, in this thread....everyone that wanted one would already have it in their build/customization.
Honestly there hasnt been a progress pic for a VERY long time and i would almost bet the cost of my Lull p/u's that it will never happen. Sorry
Un-subbed
Maybe you're right, I'm a skeptic by nature, but I have some hope. If I had the money for a Wal MK2, I'd have probably un-subbed as well, but while I gather my 5K+ I'll shut up and hope.
Wow ...I have "quietly" pointed out in previous posts where David has avoided a direct question about release/sales and or timeline on the p/u's specifically, and it continues to happen. Just like the answer to the above question
According to his statement (that i just re-read) this should have been ready about 43 MONTHS ago.(post #134 dated 1/30/2009) (yadda yadda on re-design and moving delays....enough time has passed to avoid going into this again
In conjunction with me owning a MKII and going to buy back my MKI shortly....I am changing my build to incorporate Mike Lull p/u's. Im sorry but i just cant take the excuses on why this isnt ready....and feeling "led-along" (but thats just me)
I also think that if David had spent as much time working on the p/u as he has done writing about it, in this thread....everyone that wanted one would already have it in their build/customization.
Honestly there hasnt been a progress pic for a VERY long time and i would almost bet the cost of my Lull p/u's that it will never happen. Sorry
Un-subbed
All I can say about this post is that David is under no obligation to produce these pickups, I don't recall anyone on this forum offering to fund his efforts? And on the reverse side, no one is obligated to wait and purchase these pickups from him either.
Personally, as much as I would love to have one, I don't have the 5k-10k cash for a real Wal, so I'm willing to wait and if/when David produces these pickups and pre-amp I think it will be the greatest thing since sliced bread for the bass guitar world. And of course with all the talk I will be a little disapointed if it doesn't happen, but I also understand this has to be a major undertaking for something that will only appeal to a small select market of bass players, and in the grand sceme of things David's first priority must be to keep his existing business and product line going and fill existing orders from already paying customers.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Hi,
Yes, it's been a very long time. If you can redesign some pickups in less time, feel free to do so.
I can make one of these pickups today. I could have it ready in a few hours. But when you scale that up to having to make them on a regular basis, things get more complicated. So a lot of the time since this project started was trying to source usable parts without having to have custom injection molded parts made, etc., and to redesign the pickup to be easier to make, and have a smaller footprint. Therefore it's been redesigned about 3 times, with prototypes made etc. So as I thought I was about ready, I'd run into a situation where I felt I can make a certain aspect better, and I'd start over again.
Also, this has not been a full time project, since I have regular orders to fill, and still spend some time on R&D for other pickup models, answering emails (which is when you find me online here), etc.
So that's why I avoid giving direct answers on when the pickups will be ready, because I don't have an answer. Manufacturing something is tricky. A couple of years went into my neo pickups, and they are fairly simple compared to this thing. But things evolve when you start making them on a regular basis.
So, the current status is I've finalized the design of the pickup, and am having some custom parts laser cut. I should be ready with these by the end of July.
The preamp is obviously more complicated, but that's coming along much faster than expected. So the pickups will likely be ready first. No corners are being cut here with the pickups or preamp.
You can use what ever pickup you like in your build. Nothing really sounds like these pickups though. If you are really in a hurry MPU can make you one.
I would have liked to have been selling these a few years already. But I'm taking my time to make them right.
Also regarding progress picts.... I don't post any photos of any uncompleted pickups. I had posted photos of the real pickup and some of my bobbins, but I prefer to keep the inner workings of things under wraps.
When I have a finished pickup I will post photos.
Yes, it's been a very long time. If you can redesign some pickups in less time, feel free to do so.
I can make one of these pickups today. I could have it ready in a few hours. But when you scale that up to having to make them on a regular basis, things get more complicated. So a lot of the time since this project started was trying to source usable parts without having to have custom injection molded parts made, etc., and to redesign the pickup to be easier to make, and have a smaller footprint. Therefore it's been redesigned about 3 times, with prototypes made etc. So as I thought I was about ready, I'd run into a situation where I felt I can make a certain aspect better, and I'd start over again.
Also, this has not been a full time project, since I have regular orders to fill, and still spend some time on R&D for other pickup models, answering emails (which is when you find me online here), etc.
So that's why I avoid giving direct answers on when the pickups will be ready, because I don't have an answer. Manufacturing something is tricky. A couple of years went into my neo pickups, and they are fairly simple compared to this thing. But things evolve when you start making them on a regular basis.
So, the current status is I've finalized the design of the pickup, and am having some custom parts laser cut. I should be ready with these by the end of July.
The preamp is obviously more complicated, but that's coming along much faster than expected. So the pickups will likely be ready first. No corners are being cut here with the pickups or preamp.
You can use what ever pickup you like in your build. Nothing really sounds like these pickups though. If you are really in a hurry MPU can make you one.
I would have liked to have been selling these a few years already. But I'm taking my time to make them right.
Also regarding progress picts.... I don't post any photos of any uncompleted pickups. I had posted photos of the real pickup and some of my bobbins, but I prefer to keep the inner workings of things under wraps.
When I have a finished pickup I will post photos.
Wow ...I have "quietly" pointed out in previous posts where David has avoided a direct question about release/sales and or timeline on the p/u's specifically, and it continues to happen. Just like the answer to the above question
According to his statement (that i just re-read) this should have been ready about 43 MONTHS ago.(post #134 dated 1/30/2009) (yadda yadda on re-design and moving delays....enough time has passed to avoid going into this again
In conjunction with me owning a MKII and going to buy back my MKI shortly....I am changing my build to incorporate Mike Lull p/u's. Im sorry but i just cant take the excuses on why this isnt ready....and feeling "led-along" (but thats just me)
I also think that if David had spent as much time working on the p/u as he has done writing about it, in this thread....everyone that wanted one would already have it in their build/customization.
Honestly there hasnt been a progress pic for a VERY long time and i would almost bet the cost of my Lull p/u's that it will never happen. Sorry
Un-subbed
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Bingo! There lies one of the issues. You can build anything if you have the funds to have parts made. Otherwise if working on a shoestring, you have to be more inventive.
I have been thinking about starting a kickstarter project to help fund the preamp in particular, because having resources like that would make things go a lot faster. Just buying the pots needed for this preamp in quantity is very costly.
So everyone just hang tight and it won't be long now. I'm looking forward to these being done as much as everyone else.
kickstarter is a great idea! please keep us posted, and if you need parts laser-cut, please let me know, i have a couple of lasers to my disposition
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
One of the things that struck me now, is that WAL must have gotten something right; for people to be soooooooooo ready to buy these pickups and preamps separately, or even copies of them!! 
What is it about the WAL sound do y'all think? How about the woods used in the WAL basses, not so important then?
What is it about the WAL sound do y'all think? How about the woods used in the WAL basses, not so important then?
One of the things that struck me now, is that WAL must have gotten something right; for people to be soooooooooo ready to buy these pickups and preamps separately, or even copies of them!!
What is it about the WAL sound do y'all think? How about the woods used in the WAL basses, not so important then?
Wood does effect sustain, but I don't believe it effects sound.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Why wouldn't it?
Sustain is based on how much energy is being taken from the string and converted to acoustic output (and heat).
Something like a banjo has a lot of acoustic output, and very little sustain.
A stiff ridged instrument will have a lot of sustain and very little acoustic output.
A stiff ridged solid body bass also sound very different from a lightweight hollow body. Why is that? because wood doesn't absorb the vibrations of the strings evenly. Wood has resonant frequencies, and at that frequency the wood will vibrate the most and absorb the most energy. That gives you a notched frequency response from the strings.
Therefore different types of wood will give a different tone from the bass.
When it comes to a solid body like a jazz bass, I don't really believe that if the bass is made of ash or alder the sound will change, same about maple and ebony fingerboards.
I think when people they that they can hear a change in the sound, it's just in their head, I don't think a human ear can notice the change.
How many similar basses have you made with different body woods? With about 25 basses made I can say that alder and ash have so much different weight and stiffness that they do sound different. As do maple and alder. Neck has even more influence. If the neck is very flexy and resonates a lot with the strings it sure does sound different than a stiffer, nonresonating neck. I can't identify the woods by listening the bass but I can hear differences between similar basses with different woods or even same woods. So I'd say wood does effect the sound.
Marko
Marko
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 252
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Try building some basses and see for yourself. In fact just talk to a few experienced luthiers.
Hard white ash sounds very different from alder. Same with pumpkin, a.k.a. swamp ash. That's why people like swamp ask. It's warm sounding. That's because it's light and soft. Same thing with basswood and poplar. Try building a Rickenbacker out of mahogany instead of maple and see if it sounds the same.
Here's an example. These two basses used the same woods except for the tops. The rest of the wood, which was cherry for the bodies, maple and purpleheart for the necks, actually came from the same boards. The only difference was the tops. They weigh the same.
(very old photo with different pickups and hardware then as appear today)
Note how one end of the cherry board was highly figured.
The two basses sound like night and day, and that's mostly just from the tops. The maple top bass is noticeably brighter. The zebra wood bass is very warm sounding. That's why I had added a third pickup near the bridge at one time.
Regarding fingerboards, once again very noticeable. Those basses have phenolic finbergoards. It has a certain characteristic "chirp" to the notes. On the other instruments I have built, rosewood is warmer than maple, and ebony is actually the brightest, but it has a higher resonant frequency than maple because it's harder. But you can hear it, it has a clacky type of high end.
Sometimes you use have to try things and see. But even using science, it's very apparent why different woods, or any material, would sound different. The fact that you can have dead spots in bolt on necks proves that the resonance of the wood affects your tone and sustain.
I don't want to side track this subject, but thought I would throw in my 2 cents on how much difference wood makes... I also play drums and own 3 Tama Starclassic kits, all are built with same hoops and hardware, I use the same drum heads on all the kits, and except for a few drums they are all the same sizes. One kit is Maple, the other Birch, and the 3rd is Bubinga (african rosewood). Each kit has a completely different sound and completely different characteristics (warmth, tone, sustain and resonance), even in the studio there is no way you could ever get these kits to sound the same. Although it might not be as apparent on other instruments, wood absolutely makes a difference in sound!
I'm just looking forward to the results to all this development work.
Stupid question: Wal pickups are basically active only, right?
Stupid question: Wal pickups are basically active only, right?
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