SFX83

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='1221249' date='May 5 2011, 04:48 PM']+1 They're very different sounding basses; unlike the Custom models which all have a mahogony core, the Pro basses were Ash bodies with no multi-laminate facings. That , plus very different circuitry makes them quite different animals.. Like 4000, I prefer the Pro models but the first Custom I ever had made for me in 1983 (and which was stolen sadly in 1987), was a fabulous bass and one of the few basses i really miss today! Gwilym: I'm still surprised I sold it on too!! Seriously, I had virtually stopped using it having moved almost exclusively to 5 string basses, I kind of fell out of love with it.. It's great to hear this story though and also, to know that it's been restored to it's former glory by Paul herman at Wal.[/quote] WOW, it's many years since I watched that Too shy video. Probably on VHS, lol If you pause it at 2.34, you can see the Wal headstock with that cigerette burn above the E string. To finish off that story, I was down in London in 1989 and loved to visit the Bass Centre, in Wapping. It was a strange day, first we saw John Entwistle, in there then I saw this black Wal bass hanging on the wall, it really stood out from all the other basses next to it. I remember seeing the cigerette burn on the head stock. I knew Nick Beggs used a pro2E because I'd seen him playing one live in 1984. But anyway on retuning home forgot about it. A couple of weeks later I was looking through some pictures in the Kajagoogoo, lyrics book and saw NB playing his black Wal and straight away noticed the cigerette burn on the headstock. So I phoned the the Bass Centre to get some info and they said they were selling some basses for him. So I spoke to Barry Moorhouse and struck up a deal, to part ex my Jaydee Roadie, so I had to go back down to London to do the deal. In those days I could only afford one bass, so had to trade one bass for another. As I mentioned in my earlier posts, after traveling on the coach for 7 hours, got to the Bass Centre to find they'd hired the Wal to Black Sabbath, who were shooting the Headless cross vid. When they eventually got it back from laurence they tried to say that the Wal case it was in, was off another bass and not included! So after a huge argument and a phone call to Barry, they gave me the case. On the side of the case was a strip of gaffa tape reading, N. Beggs - Commission sale.

[quote name='barend' post='1220637' date='May 5 2011, 09:19 AM']I have had two Mk1's (still have one). But I can not get that kind of slap sound out of it. It has a really nice slap sound but different then what I hear on Too Shy. But a Pro bass sounds different than a Mk1 anyway. I can't help thinking he dubbed some pops on a Stingray, like in 0:29, but it can also be a synth bass slap sound. The later slapped part sounds more Wal like to me though: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16EmCjup5LM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16EmCjup5LM[/url][/quote] I know exactly what you mean, it is over dubbed though. If you played that bass you would know what I mean. I think the Pro2E has a much crisper top end than the Mk1 custom.

[quote name='Clarky' post='1220421' date='May 4 2011, 11:25 PM']This is the chap I sold it to, in case you wanted to contact him [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showuser=4785"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showuser=4785[/url] He is a session bass player, based in London[/quote] Cheers Mate

[quote name='Gwilym' post='1220328' date='May 4 2011, 09:50 PM']My, my! This bass has come a long way since I found it tucked at the back (too shy? ) of GAK in Brighton a few years ago (summer 2004 I think). I wonder how it fell on those hard times? A very nice bass, and one of the nicest slap tones I've heard - quite surprised that Nik sold it on! I only moved it because I was starting to play 5 stringers and wanted to focus on that. I'm sure that whoever has it now will be enjoying it too.[/quote] Yes, I know what you mean. I really wish I hadn't sold it. Nick sold a few basses at the time including his old pre Ernie ball, Musicman stingray, his 2 white Vigier Arpeges and of course the Wal pro2E. Like you he moved on to 5 strings and bought his Wal Mk2 5 string in 1987, when he formed Ellis, Beggs & Howard. I do think I'll buy it back one day, that is if the price isn't too silly.

[quote name='barend' post='1219392' date='May 4 2011, 12:33 AM']Great story. And great bass line on Too Shy! I think I hear two distinct bass sounds and (at least) two bass lines on the song. Some slapped parts sound more like a Stingray to me. I think he overdubbed some bass lines on that song (with another bass)?[/quote] No, Too shy was all done with the Wal. (Nick told me) I used to have that bass and if you mix the 2 pickups and get the tone controls set right, you can get very close to a stingray sound, believe me. But if you listen to the instrumental version (B side 7") or the 12" mix, you can hear clearly, just the Wal on it's own. The only other bass you can hear is, where they've double tracked some parts with a synth.

Guess whos just got a new Wal 5 string bass?? My Facebook friend, recently collected his new Wal 5 string at the same time as Laurence Cottle, was collecting his. Small world eh!

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='1209939' date='Apr 24 2011, 12:02 PM']Agreed. LC's style these days hardly shouts Sab does it! I just googled the vid on YouTube to see it with my own eyes… you're not wrong![/quote] Thanks for all the replies. I posted this on the Talk Bass site, but no one seemed interested at all. I've spoken to Nick a couple of times about the bass, but he never said anything about wanting it back. He's got his Wal 5 sting now, which he said he loves. You know the crazy thing about Ebay, is you never know what you will find next. look what I've just found, below. (Yours to bid on at £4.99) lol He looks like Freddie Boswell, out of "Bread" (1980s TV show) These were taken in 1984 on the Kajagoogoo, Islands tour, Hammersmith Odean London. I had some great photos I took at Newcastle city hall, same tour. But I gave most of them to the buyer, when I sold the bass. I can remember being really disappointed at the gig, cos at the the time Nick couldn't sing and play bass at the same time. so they had session player (John Mckenzie) playing most of the basslines. I remember saying to Nick, afterwards, funny how you can sing and play at the same time, when you're on top pf the pops. lol Here's one I took, May-19-1984..... Again, sorry about the poor picture quality.

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='1208713' date='Apr 22 2011, 10:25 PM']yes please! It was mine for a while too...[/quote] Wal Pro2E Bass, PB.1354 (ex Nick Beggs) This bass was played on the 1983 No1 hit, Too Shy (Kajagoogoo) and various other tracks on thier White feathers and Islands albums, along with the Musicman Stingray. This bass also apeared on the videos of Too shy (Kajagoogoo 1983) and Headless Cross (Black Sabbath 1989) Nick sold it through the Bass Centre (London) on commission, in 1989. I travelled down from Newcastle on the coach ( 7 hours) to London to collect it. I got to the shop to find the cheeky f***as had hired it out to the then bass player of Black Sabbath (Laurance Cottle) who were shooting a video that day, for (Headless Cross) single. So one of the guys from the shop had to go get it back. I bet Nick didn't know about that! I saw the video a month later, on tv and there it was. You can always recognise this bass, by a cigerette burn on the headstock, just above the E string. I tried to polish it out, but it's visable if you look for it. I changed the original control knobs, for the newer Wal aluminium ones. But kept the old ones and gave them to the buyer, when I sold it. I kept it from 1989, until 1992. I sold it to someone in Macclesfield, for £475 the same price I paid for it. It's a great bass, wish I still had it. The Wal Pro bass range, were first intoduced in 1978 (PB.1111) and ran untill 1981 (PB.1859) So this particular bass (PB.1354) was probably made in 1980. Sorry about the poor quality pic, but it's a very old photo and the only one I have.

[quote name='Clarky' post='990475' date='Oct 16 2010, 06:40 PM']I only got this a couple of weeks ago in a trade with Happy Jack but - though its a gorgeous bass - something has to give as I have just splurged on a couple more basses (including a Fender Pino, which I have long coveted) and I really don't want to sell my lovely Alembic. It was valued in our trade at £1750, including a new Wal embossed Hiscox case, and thats what I would like for it. It spent a few months with Paul Herman this summer being restored to its former glory (electrics, hardware etc) and is in superb condition, especially considering its a 1978 (9?) bass. The only non-stock feature, as far as I am aware, is the ebony thumb-rest Jack had made for the bass. I am taking the liberty of including a couple of Jack's highly professional photos. Hope thats OK Jack? Edit: just spotted that the knobs in these photos are different to the ones on the bass now. Paul Herman put original-type black-and-clear plastic calibrated knobs on the bass. Plus, as I couldn't locate a black tipped pickup selector switch (PH has not responded to my emails) I coloured the existing (incorrect) white one in black with a permanent marker pen - it works! [attachment=61553:eb21yf.jpg] [attachment=61552:5zf9ud.jpg][/quote] Well, well, well. This bass used to belong to me. I sold it in 1992, to a guy in Macclesfield. It's got a quite a special history, if anyone is interested?