philw

[quote name='chardbass' timestamp='1387363052' post='2311025'] I love this thread. [/quote] Me too. I also love that fretless single pickup Wal. I too have great memories of a visit to Wal and Pete doing a service and set-up on my Mk 1 Custom (Pete was reluctant to take any money off me and I had almost to force £20 (I think) on him). And yes, High Wycombe was the centre of the UK furniture industry right up to the point when we all fell in love with crap from MFI and then Ikea - that all but ripped the heart out of the town. I worked in the UK hi-fi speaker industry in the 80s and vast numbers of the speaker cabinets for all the big brands at the time; KEF, Mordaunt-Short (who I worked for), Mission, Celestion, B&W, etc. etc. were made in High Wycombe. Phil

Hmmm, well I guess it's fine if it works, but duty and tax (VAT) alone on a £1k guitar import from the US would normally work out at around £243. So I've no idea how Musician's Friend manage it, or how they've done a deal with UK Customs & Excise for the duty and VAT (legally the responsibility of the importer) to be paid up-front. I wonder what the UK Lakland distributor think? "Curiouser and curiouser", said Alice…. P

[quote name='lee4' timestamp='1384199943' post='2273972'] True enough that there are differing grades in plywood(mainly to do with the timbers used),but birch ply is not marine grade. Marine ply has differing grades depending on the end useage(Lloyds and Anchor ratings are for boat hulls in salt water.Standard Marine ply is for making boxes etc which are above the waterline and not for immersion in salt or fresh water). If you want to build a body from ply,get something that is hardwood throughout and not softwood with a hardwood veneer.There will be less defects in hardwood ply. [/quote] Thanks Lee, I've learned some useful stuff there. Phil PS. Cobham Sound eh? I grew up in Oxshott. I guess you know that Paul Herman is building Wals only a couple of miles from you?

I think the issue here is that not all plywood is created equal... Pop down your local DIY store and buy a piece of generic ply and you'll probably have something not much better than chipboard for a bass body. It'll be made form who know what and be full of voids and badly glued layers. However, find yourself some high quality. void-free, birch ply (sometimes known as "marine play" cause it's traditionally in boat building) of the kind beloved of numerous Scandinavian furniture designers, and 1970s BBC loudspeaker designers, and you'll have something completely different and probably quite well suited to a bass body (although it'll be heavy I suspect). Phil

My first bass was something very similar, bought second-hand from ABC Music in Addlestone in, probably, 1978. Arbiter (named after iconic founder Ivor Arbiter) was a huge player in the 1950s/1960s/1970s beginnings of the UK music retail industry. Ivor was the first (I think) UK Fender distributor. Actually, think of him as a UK version of Leo Fender (except Arbiter's original speciality was drums) and you won't go far wrong. I met him a few time in the late 80s while I was working for a pro-audio PR company that had the Arbiter account. Boy, did he have some stories (not that I can remember any of them now). There's loads of info on t'web about Arbiter the company and Ivor the man, but this isn't a bad place to start: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ivor-arbiter-314771.html Phil

Nobody's mentioned Eberhard Weber. Double bass, well, electric upright, rather than conventional electric bass, but still a unique fretless bass player. He can be heard on a few Kate Bush tracks (try Houdini off The Dreaming), but his solo albums (Later That Evening is probably the best) and work in the Jan Garbarek group on ECM are where his really interesting work is to be found. P http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAdK90n5f4U

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1383816050' post='2269368'] Tesco is doing 'JOHN MARTYN - Sweet Little Mystery - The Essential' for £3. Well worth it. Doesn't say on the sleeve notes who played the fretless - no doubt someone here will tell us. Lovely subtle fretless stuff, though. G. [/quote][quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1383838748' post='2269843'] I'm thinking John Giblin as a likely candidate for the above. [/quote][quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1383838748' post='2269843'] I'm thinking John Giblin as a likely candidate for the above. [/quote] It was very much John Giblin. I've been impossibly lucky enough recorded twice in recent years with Martin Levan, who engineered and produced John Martyn's Grace and Danger sessions back in, I think, 82. Martin still talks about John G's fretless playing on those sessions. He loved that I play a fretless Wal like John's although he was always polite enough to talk only about the sound of the bass reminding him of Grace & Danger rather than my playing. P

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1383773280' post='2269044'] My all time favourite British bassist, the great Welsh fretless genius Percy Jones. Ground breaking, innovative, unique...even Jaco was blown away when he overheard Percy practicing! A word to the wise - seek the Brand X album "Masques" ...so many great examples of Percy playing his Wal fretless..."The ghost of mayfield lodge" in particular.... [/quote] Percy is the main reason I play bass. I got to Brand X via Genesis (Brand X was Phil Collins' entertainment during Genesis down-time) and I was so blown away by Percy's playing I decided there and then I was going to learn to play bass. That was maybe 1980. I had a Wal by 1983. White Cloud is spot on: the Masques album is brilliant, and it's peppered with the most innovative, unique, and sublime fretless playing. It's required listening I'd say for anybody who wants to play fretless. P

Hmmm, they look gorgeous. Anybody have any rough ideas on price? P

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1380716451' post='2229377'] Hi Phil funded by my Mum and Mrs Walbassist. [/quote] Just spotted a guy on the forum mulling over selling his Tacoma Thunderchief Fretless 5 and I've always wanted one of those. Don't 'spose your Mum and Mrs. have caught the bass buying habit have they? They missed my 50th birthday too (by err, four years).

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1380716767' post='2229386'] Erm ... you're sure about that. [/quote] My immediate thought too. Has anybody ever before referred to a Wal with the phrase "ahead of schedule"? :-)

If only I had the dosh Saul I'd probably make you quite a silly offer for it. Thunderchiefs, as you've discovered are pretty rare and, if the one I once played was anything to go by, they are truly lovely instruments. Some say they are the best of the ABG breed (although I'd say that honour goes either to my current Veillette or the Ribbecke Halfling Boby Vega I once played). The problem of course with valuing anything "niche" is that to some extent it's worth is defined simply by what somebody is willing to pay. If it were me, and I had the spare dosh, I wouldn't balk at something way north of £500, but that's because I've always wanted a fretless Thunderchief. Others of course, either because they've not been previously seduced by a Thunderchief, or because they want one even more than me, might be of a completely different opinion. Can you post some pictures just so I can drool/dream a bit? Phil

That's very exciting Gareth and I guess goes some way to explaining why I can't tempt you with another of Joe's exotic creations :-) You'll have to bring the Wal to Brighton when it's in your grubby mits. Phil

You're right! Looks like a GB7 will do the job. Thanks, Phil

All, One of the tuning machines died (it turns for a while then just clicks) on one of my Yamaha BEX4s in the midst of an album tracking session the other day. So does anybody have any idea where I might get a replacement or two? I've uploaded a couple of pictures of the dead tuner - it's a pretty generic kind of thing that needs a 14mm hole in the headstock with the securing screw 11.5mm from the centre of the hole. Any suggestions gratefully received. Phil [attachment=133569:Tuning Machine 2.jpg] [attachment=133570:Tuning Machine 1.jpg]

Hmmm, I actually love that. Needs a maple fingerboard though to be fully lush. P

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1364556090' post='2028073'] I have been reflecting on this thread for a couple of days; I personally feel on balance that the XL2 is, for me, the greatest bass design of all time. [/quote] I'll concur with that - although I think the plug-in leg rest of the L2 was functionally better than the XL2's folding item. And if there's one bass I've owned and sold but which I'd have back if I could, it'd be my old L2. P

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1364385026' post='2025645'] I remember seeing a custom ( and very rare ) Carl Thompson bass for sale at the Bass Centre at Wapping in about 1986/87 that had Wal pickups and electronics , presumably fitted by Wal themselves . I seem to remember it was a left- handed model , but I could be wrong about that after all this time . [/quote] A Carl Thompson with Wal electronics? Now that's both hens' teeth and rocking-horse poo rare! I wonder where it is, and what it'd be worth? Seems to me from what's being said here that Pete and Wal were perfectly happy to sell electronics to other luthiers during the first Wal boom, so I guess there's likely to be a few interesting Wal hybrids basses out there. Slightly OT, but back when I ordered my Wal in '83 one of the standard options was a Precision body profile. I remember being tempted (it was no extra cost) but went with the standard Mk 1 shape in the end (I wanted a Wal after all!). I sometimes wish I had gone for the Precision profile though - I've only ever seen one like it. Phil

I know of at least one "hybrid" Wal - a bass made by Hugh and Andy Manson (http://www.mansonguitars.co.uk) back in the day that had Wal pickups and electronics fitted (with Pete and Wal's blessing I believe). I wonder where it is now? For what it's worth, I reckon it's the pickup that's primarily responsible for the Wal tone. P

Very, very sad. Why do the good guys always seem to be taken too soon. P