Clarky Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 [quote name='SFX83' post='1220411' date='May 4 2011, 11:17 PM']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] 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barend Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) [quote name='SFX83' post='1219681' date='May 4 2011, 11:43 AM']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.[/quote] 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] Edited May 5, 2011 by barend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFX83 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 [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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFX83 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) [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. Edited May 6, 2011 by SFX83 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) Having played both and owned a Custom I'd say they were quite different-sounding basses in many ways. I prefer the Pro. Edited May 5, 2011 by 4000 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 [quote name='4000' post='1220941' date='May 5 2011, 12:46 PM']Having played both and owned a Custom I'd say they were quite different-sounding basses in many ways. I prefer the Pro.[/quote] +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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Having owned this bass for just six months, and wondered frequently why on earth I traded it (for a bass which I then decided I didn't like!), I am hugely relieved to discover the provenance of this bass. Absolutely no disrespect intended towards anyone (including Nick Beggs), but I'm a child of the 60's/70's. I more-or-less gave up listening to current bands from the early 80's onwards and, had you asked me "why?" at the time, I would have cited bands like Kajagoogoo as one of the reasons. That plus the keyboard/synth-driven electronic nonsense that swept the charts at about the same time. Had the story now emerged that this was Trevor Bolder's favourite studio bass (or something) I would have been mortified at letting it go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 Just for you Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 [quote name='Happy Jack' post='1221267' date='May 5 2011, 05:00 PM']Having owned this bass for just six months, and wondered frequently why on earth I traded it (for a bass which I then decided I didn't like!), I am hugely relieved to discover the provenance of this bass. Absolutely no disrespect intended towards anyone (including Nick Beggs), but I'm a child of the 60's/70's. I more-or-less gave up listening to current bands from the early 80's onwards and, had you asked me "why?" at the time, I would have cited bands like Kajagoogoo as one of the reasons. That plus the keyboard/synth-driven electronic nonsense that swept the charts at about the same time. Had the story now emerged that this was Trevor Bolder's favourite studio bass (or something) I would have been mortified at letting it go. [/quote] Are you a Trevor Bolder fan Jack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Hunky Dory & Aladdin Sane contain some of the finest bass-playing of the 70's. IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 [quote name='Clarky' post='1221281' date='May 5 2011, 05:06 PM']Just for you Jack [/quote] Thanks Clarky, sat all the way through it just to watch the Wal in action ... but that video just re-confirms what I thought about that song (and the performers) 28 years ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFX83 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) [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. Edited May 8, 2011 by SFX83 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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