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Remember selling my Wal bass for £350 bought for £400!!!


wright/watt
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I remember in the year 2000 buying a Wal mk1 fretless (defretted bass) for the nominal sum of £400 of a bassist in Kirkcaldy.I do remember seeing this bass sell on ebay for the princely sum of £3000 four years ago,cest la vie.I loved the pickups and the eq on the bass but after that it was the weight of a sherman tank
and sorry to say in my opinion had no great playability(can see bassist's up and down the country hackles rise at this) sorry lads and lassies just my opinion (35 years bass playing later)I have no regrets or sour grapes on this(seriously) but just do not know why people find these handbuilt basses a must own bass.Sei,GB,Status,Eve all IMHO make more
(A) beautiful looking instruments and (B)
More playable ones.I was wanting to know whether any of you bass chatters have a similar expierience of selling a prized bass (alledgedly) for a nominal price?


Sorry to the good people at Wal and for upsetting the bass gods

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I had a Kingbass and found it just about unplayable. I've owned about 100 basses and it was the only bass that I couldn't play due to ergonomics.

Other Status were much better.

I know a bass builder who was underwhelmed by the reality of owning a Wal vs the dream. I'd not turn one away.

Edited by GreeneKing
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From the other point of view, I really hope Lucas (of this parish) doesn't regret selling me two GMRs, each for half to a third of what they're worth. If it's any comfort to him, I'm in love with both, and the only time they're going anywhere else is as named items in my will.

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[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1485195269' post='3222001']
Same with Rickenbacker for me
[/quote]
Me too - had one for 20 years and sold it for £400. It had neck issues and they were going for £500-600 on ebay at the time.

Never missed it but I still sometimes see one for sale and get tempted.

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Yes, we'd all be millionaires with the benefit of hindsight because at the time that we sold all these great basses/guitars/cars/watches/houses etc, we all assumed we could always replace it for the same price.

By way of example, if I add the four selling prices of my 76 Gold top, 76 Explorer Ltd edition, my 1966 E-type and my Rolex GMT, they total £1,900 About half the price of a Wal today.

And so we move on in life. Hopefully, without regrets.

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[quote name='skb558' timestamp='1485195042' post='3221995']
I hope TrevorR doesn't see this :shok:
[/quote]

:D Don't worry, I'm not (too) traumatised! I'm more than aware that some folks won't love Wals as much as I do. I can even (sorta) understand that position. After all I have literally never played a Warwick neck that I could abide but unaccountably some other folks seem to like them! ;)

I'm just thinking of the chap who bought the bass for £350 in 2000 and something. When I bought my Mk 1 Custom in 1992 for £500 I was getting an absolute bargain. In the early 2000s the second hand price was starting to approach a grand. No, I'm not dismayed that w/w sold the Wal bass, I'm stunned that he sold it for a half of or a third of what he could have sold it for!!!!

One day soon after the millennium some lucky bassist got themselves a PROPER bargain!!!

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[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1485205462' post='3222149']
I can completely relate to this; my Wal custom was the best sounding bass that I have ever owned - but also one of the heaviest and uncomfortable to play.

I would however love another one though ...just to confirm or negate my original findings ;)
[/quote]

Oooooh, beware. Paul is making some beautiful Wals and choosing woods which are both resonant and featherlight. There was one at the Bass Bash - a 5 string which I accused him of making from balsa wood. Played and sounded great too. You have been warned!

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On a side note, a pal of mine who no longer lives in this country ( he married his french wife here and then moved to france )
owns an original Les Paul Gold Top 1957

He had this when i first met him in 1980, so how long he owned it before then i have no idea ... and he still has it. Wonder what thats worth now ?

Edited by fleabag
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[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1485201439' post='3222079']

By way of example, if I add the four selling prices of my 76 Gold top, 76 Explorer Ltd edition, my 1966 E-type and my Rolex GMT, they total £1,900.
[/quote]

In all fairness, the 1966 E-type suffered from dreadful neck dive. The XJ12 sat far better on a strap.

:mellow:

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1992 sold my birdseye maple faced MK1 fretless for £350, it was unlined and my intonation was crap. :(
Now own a MK2 5 and a MK1 custom fretless...lined lol.

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Traded a burgundy Ric and a fretless SB1000 for a new birdseye maple Wal fretless in the mid 80's
Didn't think it was that heavy to be honest
Later traded it for a Strat and a Vox amp in a moment of madness
Don't have either any more, don't miss them, but every time I pick up a bass I wish it was that Wal.....or any Wal

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Had a few but most memorable ones :-

WAL Custom fretless bought £740 back early 80's. Traded for a Ric if i remember right cause it had a dead spot on G string around Eb. WAL weren't interested even tho it was a new bass. Guess i wasn't famous enough for them.
Gorgeous flame sycamore lined fretless too.
Swore i wouldn't buy another but then again i'm older and wiser now.

Also had a Shergold twin neck 4 & 8 string. (£630) This was the 1st 8 string they made and was based on their 6 string bass at the time. Traded in for an Aria SB1000.


Dave

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Saw a pre-Ernie Ball Stingray for sale for £250 many years ago. Went 'hmmm' and walked away from it.
Saw a Shergold Marathon 8-string for sale for £195 many years ago. Went 'hmmm' and walked away from it.
Yes. I Am An Idiot. :(

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