p90fool Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Hi all, I'm a new member here but a long-standing member of a few guitar forums. I am a guitar player, but I've played bass for around half of the bands I've gigged with over the last 38 years, indeed that's how I started. My interest has been rekindled this year because a hand injury in February prevents me from playing a few chord shapes on guitar, but my (honestly rather pedestrian) bass playing is unaffected and I'm thoroughly enjoying the change. Anyway, long story short, here's my Wal, it's an early Custom fretless with paddle headstock, and what I think is a walnut body with maple stripes and no veneer. I bought it used in early '82, it has no label in the control cavity and has the serial number PB1813. Some sort of Custom prototype maybe? I've never seen another without veneer body facings. I wonder if the previous owner is a member here and knows more about it? I never actually met them, I was away gigging in the spring/summer of '82 and sent my girlfriend of the time to collect it, or perhaps some of the Wal experts on here might have a little info in it. [attachment=249527:wal.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Hi and welcome to the lowend. Nice bass and you must be doing ok if you go fretless No idea about your bass but can post a link to the Wal data bass for you (if you haven't seen it before) Sure someone will have some info for you . http://www4.cs.fau.de/~koesters/Privat/Wal/walspec.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Very nice bass. Yes they do come in solid wood bodies, so that looks like a regular mk1 Custom. Sorry to hear about your hand injury. The only 2 guitarists I know of who had hand injuries and developed great and unique styles around those problems, were Tommy Iommi and Django Reinhardt. Good luck for your recovery to guitar playing greatness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineweasel Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Ah, that's interesting to see. It's almost the mirror image of mine, PB1805, which also has the paddle headstock, and no label in the cavity: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4aut8983jh1zilf/Wal.jpg?dl=0 They must have been built together, around 1980 I think. Certainly very early Custom models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p90fool Posted July 22, 2017 Author Share Posted July 22, 2017 Wow @pineweasel, I've never seen one so similar to mine in all the years I've owned it! I have a nice letter from Pete somewhere after he changed the worn volume pot, where he describes it as one of the first circuits of that type they made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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