bassjamm

[quote name='steve-soar' post='245203' date='Jul 22 2008, 11:11 AM']Hi Jamie have you thought about putting an ACG pre into one of your basses, it would give you that filter based control that the Wal and Alembic basses have. The pre in my ACG gives me an astounding range of tones but it gets a very nasty, hard edged tone, with a hugh low mid foundation, then all I do is dail in some top end zing with the treble stack and listen to my speakers just starting to break sweat. With your set up, you could get a really dirty, funky tone with the Ampeg SVP being driven by an ACG pre and I do mean filthy. [/quote] With the right bass i could mate, but what i have just aren't the sort of basses i'm prepared to start fiddling with. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[quote name='chris_b' post='245146' date='Jul 22 2008, 10:36 AM']Nine years ago Pete Stevens quoted about £2500 for a Custom 5 string, depending on what I wanted him to do, but I found a very nice American Walnut 5 string in a local shop for a lot less so I never got mine made! As most Wal owners seem to look after their basses, I think this makes the current second hand prices very reasonable.[/quote] Interesting stuff, thanks mate! I'm really looking forward to playing one and getting a feel for them. They're quite different from anything i've owned/player/considered before, but i view that as a good thing

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='245120' date='Jul 22 2008, 10:15 AM']Here's a link to a really good interview with him, it's very informative, I think anyway. [url="http://www.globalbass.com/archives/oct2001/janek_gwizdala.htm"]http://www.globalbass.com/archives/oct2001...ek_gwizdala.htm[/url][/quote] Hi Kevin, Yeah, read that a few times. I think it was done when he was a lot younger as both a player and person...new to the States etc. His attitude seems to have changed somewhat since. There's some wicked stuff of him on 'Bass Vault' if anyone's a member on there. He's a trully awesome musician, and i think he's a hugely understated composer. His albums are far more musical than any other bass players albums in my opinion. Thanks for the link though...i'd forgotten about it

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='245021' date='Jul 22 2008, 07:08 AM']Hi Jamie, It's not an exact science, but it goes something like this: The older Pro models started production around 1978 and continued until about 1981-2. The Custom models - with mahogany core bodies & multi-laminate facings, custom electronics and slimmed down headstock - appeared around 1982. But there are some hybrid models out there that have the old ash body and paddle shaped headstock but are fitted with the custom electronics.. The late 80's/early 90's Pro models vary; some have the custom electronics, some were completely passive and some had series/parallel switching that most other Wals were never fitted with.. So this particular batch is not easy to categorise. The custom electronics as a product in it's own right is almost impossible to get hold of and instal, as Wals have been out of production for at least 2 years now, hence the reason that s/h prices shot up! But the good news is that a deal appears to be close to completion whereby production is going to start up again under the control of one of the old Wal production team..[/quote] Thanks mate...that's most helpful! OOoooo...i'd spotted some kind of closer/re-opening looming about on the net. How much did custom Wal's cost then? As much as the current second hand prices?

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='244915' date='Jul 21 2008, 10:58 PM']Jamie The older Pro models didn't have the filter based electronics that the Customs have and I suspect the tone you're hearing on 'Mystery to Me' is that of a Custom model.. I'd agree with Warwickhunt that Wals have a very unique tone and certainly, they're a long way away from a Fender tonally. But, they do things that most basses just can't and that's what's so exciting about them IMO. The older pro models (all 4 string) were made mainly of ash and can approximate a Fender tone, especially a P Bass. Hope that helps.. Nik[/quote] By older Pro models, do you mean 70's/early 80's or what mate? Do the late 80's Pro models have that funky fliter thing? If not, are they easy to get hold of and install? [quote name='7string' post='244963' date='Jul 22 2008, 12:15 AM']Just a quick word to bear in mind that there could be a whole bunch of stuff between bass and recording stuff. Maybe there's something in his signal chain which is making the Wal sound like it does.[/quote] I appreciate that...but it was a live album to an extent, and it would have required some pretty hefty changes to create that sound. I think the bass used must have had a certain amount of awesomeness before being fandangled with!

I'm not really after getting a Fender tone if i have a bass tone that i like, that has the mid-range honk i love to hear...and the sound of Janek's Wal really does it for me. Do they have a lot of ballsyness about then at all? I guess i just need to play one to get a feel for them and to let my ears do the judging, not my eyes

Hi guys and gals, I've been listening to Janek Gwizdala's 'Mystery to Me' album a lot over the past year and really love his tone on it. I understand that he's using a Wal on this album, not his Fodera. I was wondering if this barky/grunty tone was typical of Wal basses? Also, being someone who's not really had any happenings with a Wal, nor any knowledge of them, what kind of different things can i expect from the Mach I, II and III models? And what's the difference between the pro's and the custom models etc? Any info on them would be great thanks. Jamie

Thanks