4000

Weeeellll......most of the music I love (and write) has a lot of vocal harmonies. There aren’t many bands I love where there is just a singer. Ok, most of the bands I like with harmony vocals, the other vocalists also play an instrument, but I can tell you now, if I had the budget for it, one of the first things I’d do at every recording session and gig is get a bunch of backing singers who can really sing. Because then you’ve got almost limitless scope for vocal composition. Why limit yourself?

Mark King said he tried one too, when he was looking for his first proper bass, but wasn’t keen. Then he found the Jaydee, and the rest is history.

A friend of mine is similar. He just dissolves stuff, including the hardware on his guitars. I think he might be part Alien.😉

One I tried in The Bass Gallery a few years ago, possibly a ‘65, refinished black IIRC, that was later stolen from the shop. It weighed nothing and felt and sounded amazing.

Things like this (before I read about your fix) and the potential for issues with the electronics were other reasons why I sold mine, in addition to the weight. If I do manage to get another though (pretty please) that won’t put me off.

Hmmm, yes that Wal is exactly what I had been looking for....timing is likely bad as usual, not that he’s probably wanting to sell.

Thing is, with a Roadworn or similar, the finish is thin enough that after a while playing & gigging they start to take on their own personality. Here’s a Nate Mendel I nearly bought before I found out it weighed over 10lbs.

I don’t think there is at the moment; the old website appears, as you say, to be in the process of being replaced. You could always email The Bass Gallery and ask. One thing I noticed earlier in the thread where someone said Sei were slower to respond to queries (current circumstances and lockdown aside), please bear in mind they are often extremely busy as they’re the repair people of choice for a great many of London’s (and elsewhere, as in my case) bassists. And of course The Gallery is a shop too. The shop, so far as I’m concerned.😉

A Wal is also now something like twice the price of a Sei, GB or top flight ACG or Everson (probably more than twice the price of the Everson) and that I just struggle to justify. Paul can charge what he wants, obviously, but I don’t really see it.

£2k for a neck? 😳

Sounds like that to me too. FWIW I had a ‘68 Tele bass with the same pickup configuration, bought online. I thought the sound would suit me based on clips I’d heard, but it really, really didn’t. In fact nothing about it suited me, neck, ergonomics, tone. It went straight back.

Yep.

I don’t think anyone was suggesting that a “budget” Wal wouldn’t retain the pickups, at the very least. If they were I must have missed it. FWIW, Leigh Gorman’s Wal is passive; yet it sounds as Wal as Wal can be.

QC or no, that’s guitars for you. No two are exactly the same. And that’s one thing buying online doesn’t give you chance to do, try various examples against each other. No matter what the make or model, I’ve never tried 2 Or more examples of the same instrument together and not been able to discern differences.

I think the early 4s at the very least sound wonderful, and probably don’t suffer the balance issues of the 5s. The 5s and 6s I’ve played have generally been very heavy and very unbalanced. As for the just-a-nut, I’ve loved them on the 4s I’ve had (in fact I wish everyone would use something similar) but have never had a 5 so can’t comment on that.

I’d really like to try one of those Barcelona’s. With the possible exception of the flat board I think it would suit me. I love flamenco. When I was small we used to go on regular holidays to Mallorca and Spain and it really stuck with me, it always feels like home.

This always amuses me because in all my dealings with her - quite a lot at one time - she was the exact opposite! Maybe I was just unlucky.

Interesting. I think the Thumb (certainly the early ones from the ‘80s) is my favourite Warwick, and ironically one of the few I haven’t had. What did you hate about it? Been watching the TTD gig quite a bit recently on YouTube. I’ve had loads of basses I miss. Most of them, in fact. 😂

I remember back in about ‘84 talking to Wal about buying some pickups; at the time they were happy to sell them (and the electronics) and they weren’t that expensive, but the project they were for (a Rickenwaller😁) never got off the ground - somebody stole my Ric, so I never bothered buying any. Wish I’d bought a bunch now. Hindsight eh?

My worst involves trading my Pedulla MVP - a fantastic bass - for a Wal Custom in Music Ground. Got £475 for the Pedulla against £895 for the Wal. Unfortunately I found the Wal nowhere near as good live as the Pedulla (IMO) and soon after (‘96-ish?) I sold it to a friend for £550, IIRC. That’s bad enough, but with the money I bought a Marshall Dynamic 200w bass head and 1x15 cab, which turned out to be pants. 🙄 I then swapped those for a Marshall Superbass (which was great actually) and matching 4x12 (which wasn’t), later selling them for a combined £250. So in effect I let my Wal Custom go for £250, as if £550 wasn’t bad enough! Luckily my friend loved the Wal Custom and so far as I’m aware still has it. I much preferred the Pro if I’m honest, although I’d be interested to try the Custom again as there’s been a lot of water (and basses) under the bridge since ‘96!

One thing I’ve noticed is the basses you let go and then regret getting rid of always cost about 5 times as much to replace as when you let them go. 😂

And for those of us suffering with mental health issues it’s one of the few things that keep us going. ☹️