Bass Culture

Bought it from the Thomann UK website, which includes VAT in the purchase price. I don't expect there to be import duties if it's from their UK site, but here's hoping I don't have a nasty surprise in that regard.

Had an accident which resulted in cracking the (glass) front panel of my TC RH-750 last week, which inspired me to cast eyes around for a potential suitable replacement if it were not possible to replace/repair it. Repair be damned - just seen that Thomann have reduced the Katana-500 Bass to £499, a price drop which I've found impossible to resist, even though I've presently no band! But, hell, you can't take it with you, can you? 😁

Hmmm, can't see any prices mentioned...

Fantastic band. Hugely under rated. Championed by no less an authority than one Mr D. Bowie: "One of the most important female bands in American rock has been buried without a trace. And that is Fanny." Check out their performance of 'Ain't That Peculiar' from the same Beat Club session. Superb playing and musicianship, and harmonies to die for:

I don't have a Sei but I do have 5 Zoots which you are more than welcome to try. These include two Wal-a-likes (a passive and an active 'full Wal' with the Lusithand filter pre), a ZB1000 (based on an Aria SB 1000), a fretless and a passive. I'm in Chester. PM me if you'd like to pop over.

Should have put my hand in my pocket last Saturday! 😁

Yep, the stock was impressive, the prices less so - apart from the mispriced Wal, anyway!

I thought it had some incredible stock - g**tars especially. The owner's Dad told us they'd shifted a '55 Precision a short while before, and sent an Ibanez double-neck guitar out to the states a couple of weeks back too. I was with a guitarist mate when I went in, saw the Wal and said 'let's guess how much' to him. I said about £6k and he had no idea, so you can guess how surprised I was when I was told £3k. I suspect, more and more, that he simply quoted me an incorrect price. If I'd said there and then 'I'll have it', I'd imagine a call to his son to double check would have ended up with it being corrected. Still, who knows?

Hmmm, maybe the guy in the shop on Saturday got the price wrong too then.

The guy in the shop on Saturday also mentioned that they had a second Wal too, that wasn't on display yet. He thought that one was already priced higher, so I'd guess that'll go out at north of £6k if so!

Jeez - did you get the impression he'd put the price up? I mean, as opposed to me being quoted an incorrect price in the first place on Saturday (the person in the shop at the weekend wasn't the owner)?

I was very near to buying it myself to sell on immediately, but thought I might be too tempted to keep hold of it! And seeing as I am recently retired and presently band-less, that would have plain stupid.

Mrs BC and I were in Hay-on-Wye for a break over the weekend and I happened to chance upon a guitar shop (predominantly second-hand stock) that had opened since the previous time we'd visited (2021). In the window there was a lovely Yammie SG, and a couple of nice PRS's, so I ventured in, not expecting much bass-wise. However, there was a really nice Wal sitting on a stand right in the middle of the shop floor. There was no price ticket on it, so I tentatively inquired, expecting to be told it would be in the £4-5k ball park, only to be told that one was about £3k, and that they had another that had not yet made it's way into the shop that was a little under £4k. The one I saw was a four string fretted Mark 2. Looked to be in pretty nice condition, though it needed a set up. Anyway, to anyone who's in the market, it might be worth a trip. It's not on their website yet either. I have no affiliation or connection with the shop, but thought someone amongst the BC fraternity might be in the market, and this one seemed to me quite reasonably priced in comparison to some of the daft prices being asked. The shop is called Wye Fret.

Apropos of these videos - why do reviewers hardly ever mention what strings they have on the demo bass?! Drives me nuts. Strings have a fundamental impact on your basic sound and they are hardly ever mentioned, so you have no idea to what extent you need to factor them into your response to the particular amp under review. Clearly, light, steel round wounds are going to present a completely different sound to the amp compared to heavier flats (for example).

I think Mike wants to record some vid and sound samples when I collect it, so I'll post a link if we get that sorted.

Welll this has been the very pleasantist of surprises, and quite made my day! Absolutely stunning work, @Cosmicrain - thank you! Bring on Friday!

Latest batch of update photos from Mike, and time to start getting proper excited now, I think! 😊 Scheduled to pick up next weekend at present. Mike's been testing the various pickup connections at each stage of assembly, but has not so far been able to sound test them. I can't wait to hear them. He's a true artist and I've no doubt at all they'll sound every bit as good as they and the bass looks.

New wiring and old wiring are referred to in the Turner (I think, could be Herrick though) multicoil (I.e. 'Wal-type) pickup blurb and, I think, the Lusithand preamp copy too. I assumed it referred to Wal's wiring as these products are presented as very close alternatives to the Wal components on which they are obviously based. Funkle also refers to new wiring in his epic Building a Wal-a-like thread. Maybe I've misunderstood though, and these alternative wiring options apply to these new items only and not the Wal originals?

It undoubtedly makes a significant contribution, but seeing as passive Wal's reportedly also have the same characteristic 'core tone', I believe the pickups (and how they are wired?) make an equal or possibly even greater contribution.

I'm sure the hive mind will prevail, Mike! 😊

Can anyone explain to me how the so-called new wiring for Wal pickups differs from the old wiring, and when it changed? Also, what difference does it make in terms of tone? I found myself pondering on this question when reading the various threads on BC that reference the characteristic Wal tone, and it occured to me that, given this change in how the pickups are wired, is the Wal tone the same now as it was pre-change? EDIT - Mods, please move to Repairs/Technical if you think that's the more appropriate location.

Couple more photos which show the body after three (I think) coats of Mike's wax and oil mix.

More like a V where the pointy bit is less pointy, with a softer/gentler curve, but still provides a definite reference point for your thumb.