wombatboter

I visited a couple of bass-shops in London years ago...in Denmark Street, the Bass Centre in Wapping, etc.. On the whole, I can't really say it was a nice experience.. Especially when they detect through my accent (although it's not too bad :-)) that I'm "foreign" the willingness to help or inform decreases.. It's as if I hear them think "Bloody tourists, just looking...never buying" (although I bought a Jaydee in the Bass-centre but still they treated me as if they were doing mé a favour..) and I can't say I ever met a salesman in those bass-shops who can compete with the polite attitude we have around here in Belgium. I used to work in a bass-shop myself and whoever the customer was or where he came from (British, German, French) I treated them like I would want to be treated myself.. Depends on the customer of course (some of them can indeed turn out to be pain in the asses) but whenever I detected enthusiasm in their attitude or playing I suggested myself to try out that nice Ken Smith, Wal or Alembic which they were afraid to touch... Even though I knew sometimes that they didn't have the funds to pay it (but just remember how yoù used to be and could go on dreaming about a certain bass) It's part of the magic of a shop and sometimes I noticed that those customers came back much later to buy those things I had shown them without being too pushy...

That's the sort of thing you do when you have a réally good looking bass : you put it in a stand next to the television and from time you just throw a peep at it..Some people just don't understand that but we do :-)

Owned during the last 30 years..now only six in my collection. Fender Jazz bass Marcus Miller Fender Jazz 1966 Fender Precision (white) Fender Precision 1974 (purple sunburst) Fender Jazz 1977 (natural-maple hals) Fender Jazz 1974 (sunburst -rosewood) Fender Jazz 1973/74 (brown) Fender Jazz bass deluxe (white) Fender Jazz Mark King Fender 1976 Jazz (olympic white) Fender Roscoe Beck Squier Jazz (red) Ken Smith 5 Chuck Rainey Ken Smith 5 BSR Ken Smith 4 BSR Sei 5 Jazz Sadowsky NY MV24 Peavey Cirrus 5 Wal Custom MKI Wal Custom MKI Wal Custom MKI Wal MKII midi Wal Pro 1 Wal MKII 5 Wal MKI blue Wal Pro II sunburst Wal Pro 1984 Kubicki Factor Bass Jaydee Supernatural (white) Jaydee Supernatural (pink) Jaydee Roadie Music Man Stingray (brown) Music Man Stingray (black) Music Man Stingray (bordeaux) Music Man Bongo Music Man Sterling (green) Yamaha Attitude Billy Sheehan Yamaha BB300 Yamaha Nathan East Yamaha 6 -string Yamaha 1500 Warwick Shack Chapman Stick Chapman Stick Burns bass Ibanez blazer Ibanez Musician 924 Ibanez Roadster Danelectro (black) Hofner Ashbory Guild Ashbory Music Man Tanglewood (Hofner copy) Kaas-jazzbas Spiderbas (heart-shaped) Bruine hybride bass Westone Thunder Stagg Rickenbacker copy Fender Jazz bass copy (white) Fodera Monarch Pedulla MVP series 2 Status king bass dolphin leds Alembic Spoiler Alembic Mark King signature Clover 5 Zon Sonus 5 Acoustic dubbelneck Tennessee 5 and fretless Twostring Xtravaganza Punkbass Precision Xtravanganza Purple Xtravanganza Rickenbacker 4003 Bruno Traversi Singlecut Thomas Germann Singlecut Sandberg JM California 4 Herom 5 Celinder J4 Update (from the Bass.chat banner) Jonas Hellborg bass Status series 2000 Pedulla MVP Danelectro green-ish Tokai Adamovic Jupiter Adamovic FBC Fender All Parts Sandberg MM Belgrado headless 4 Belgrado double neck (5 en 5 fretless) Belgrado jazz bass Belgrado headless 4 Belgrado 8 string Belgrado 5 Belgrado 5 bordeaux Belgrado headless 5 Fretless : Wal MK I Wal MK I Wal pro Wal pro Le Fay Remington steel 4 Le Fay Remington steel 5 Ken Smith BSR Yamaha 5000 Warwick Streamer Collier Jazz bass Belgrado Jazz Bass Belgrado headless graphite 5 Ibanez Musician Yamaha 1100 Fender Jazz Fender Jazz Fender jazz Ibanez Blazer Pedulla Buzz Tokai fretless F Bass BN5

An old clip with the Wal Pro II I bought from Gareth...Hard to keep it going and in the end it's a bit of too much the same thing.

I've got the fourstring-version of this bass and it's one of the best basses I have ever had (and I've owned more than a hundred). I have played it on several occasions and each time sound-engineers are very enthusiastic.. It even competes with the Wal-bass I have..

Nice collection..good taste !

I really dig that green jazz bass...gorgeous.

My two Wal basses... an 89 MKI and a Pro 84 (which will be made fretless next week)

I've used Wal basses in different bands and each time I'm really pleased with the fact that it cuts through anything while maintaining deepness and character. It just has a sound of its own and it works for me. This is a youtube-thing of me playing my Wal-bass in a straight forward rock-band. The clip doesn't have the best sound-quality but it's imo a good example of the bass keeping its definition even in the worst circumstances.. I heard from lots of sound-engineers that they love it in live situations..

Also nice...

I bought a new Wal bass in 1993 but at the time I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have (I was in a Mark King mood and Wal-basses didn't sound like Jaydees etc..). So I sold it too quickly to a fellow bass-player. That person came home with his new Wal and wanted to play it but his wife insisted that he first took care of the grass in the garden which was too long. While cutting the grass he cut off his finger.. they could put it back on but it took a couple of weeks-months before he could play bass again. After a while he sold it to another bass-player who hasn't been using this bass for the last ten years. The Wal just lies in its case in a cellar for more than a decade without being touched. I wanted to buy it back but the owner insists on keeping it although he never plays it (he is a heavy alcoholic and has extreme moodswings so if you keep on asking for the Wal he gets very angry). Bidding a lot of money also doesn't help since he is very rich and doesn't need cash..it will probably never be played again. I'm still working on getting it back but it doesn't seem to look that way.. I would love to have it back... this is the only picture I have of me and that Wal.

Great playing ! Makes me realise how limited I am but this urges me to get myself started :-)

Just received this Wal Pro from 1984... W2324 Bought if on ebay.uk and was really lucky since the seller wanted a pick-up only and was very reluctant to send it to any buyer. I was able to convince him to send it to Belgium and it arrived here today.. The intention is to make it fretless so I can have the dots and the lines on the "normal" places.. Pity since this bass is in excellent shape and any change seems like blasphemy..

Liked it !

Thanks...I "stalked" the seller a bit and after I won the auction the seller very kindly agreed to send it to me. Looking forward to it... thanks for the feedback anyway..

Great story, Warwickhunt...I just love revenge (I'm Scorpio)

Beautiful fretless, man.....congratulations !

Yes, always loved the looks of this one and since I could have it in a straight trade I didn't hesitate.. The muting is still hard for me, I have a rather sloppy left thumb and that works on a four string but on a five it's much harder. But it keeps me busy.

Recorded a YT clip with the bass... still having trouble to master five again but this bass is very rewarding

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WAL-PRO-1-Passive-/260825883358?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3cba6f22de"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WAL-PRO-1-Passiv...=item3cba6f22de[/url] I would just love to buy this bass.. unfortunately it's pick-up only and a trip from Belgium to wherever this is is not possible for the moment. I contacted the seller but he says that he doesn't want to ship it to Belgium.. Wish there was a way to get this one... was already thinking of looking for someone whom I would pay for picking it up and sending it. Bugger...