Most people who’ve been in the Spector or Musicman threads know I’ve been lusting for a Wal.
There’s been arguments against, offered alternatives and arguments for, all of which I read and yay or nay that lust didn’t change.
This wasn’t sudden GAS this has been going on for years, but failing to act and cheaper impulse buys stopped me. Lately the £5,000 - £10,000 (yes 9.9k on eBay) has started to see my dream bass slip further into just that, a dream.
So, as with most of my purchases ‘it all happened so fast.’
I was searching the internet for “Wal for sale UK” and there it was, Bass Bros in Stratford upon Avon had a Wal Pro 1, Birds eye’s maple and not only that it was almost in my favourite colour ‘honey burst’ AND it had the single pickup at the Bridge end of the bass where it should be. (I love my stingrays and modulus FU)
But and this was a heart dropping moment , it was passive with just a volume, tone and series/parallel switch…
What the hell, a quick call to Will at Bass Bros and a chat about some gear I could part exchange had me promising to head down the next day (it was afternoon and late in the day I had things on) to:
1. Check the Wal out and
2. For him to check my gear out so I could haggle him up a bit more.
I got as far as the kitchen and was suddenly back on the phone to him making arrangements to be on the road within the next hour… (now the GAS had hit home.)
I took the Waza bass air with me as I didn’t think he’d have an all tube/Bag End setup and I’m familiar with how my other basses sound through the headphones.
I played it cool when I arrived, there it was sat on a stand but I ignored it while we passed the usual pleasantries, until, finally the time had come.
“Would you like to try it”
It had flats on and the action was high for me but as soon as I plucked the first note a huge grin I couldn’t stop appeared.
That Wal sound, punchy, loud, distinctive, beautiful.
It took me less than a minute to know I was going to take this bass home with me and after Sterling service by Will an exchange of gear and some funds I was on my way home.
Casting furtive glances in the rear view mirror at the Wal sat in its case, like it was some super model crossing and uncrossing her legs while she promised I was going to get some when I got to my destination those miles went by quickly.
photos courtesy Bass Bros