CamdenRob

How does it work?

I've not tried one but they are definitely a contender for the most ridiculously named piece of bass equipment...

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1434982791' post='2804385'] any pickups that mimic Wal ones? Glockenklang for example? [/quote] I don't know if Glockenklang do pickups? They make fantastic amps though... There are obviously many quality pickup manufacturers out there but the Wal pickups are fairly unique in that they have an individual coil for each pole piece... for me this is what gives the instruments their unique voice. A few other manufacturers do something similar (ACG being one) but as far as I know you cannot buy a set of multicoil pickups from anyone without buying one of their instruments? I may be wrong and others may know otherwise?

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1434982305' post='2804377'] Cheers yes I'm looking at ACG, just seeing what kind of wood I need and pickup configaration!! [/quote] IMHO... and you'll get lots of opinions here on BC so take everything with a pinch of salt. The woods you use won't make that much of a difference. That growl comes from the multicoil pickups and if you want to get in the Wal ballpark that would be the only thing you don't want to compromise. Everything else, woods, preamps, neck etc is down to personal preference.

If I was looking for that sort of tone on a budget I'd be asking Alan at ACG what he could do for me... Alan builds his own multicoil pickups which are only available in ACG instruments (like Wal). A top spec ACG will cost you well under half the price of a new Wal even before the impending price increase. ... but if you really must have that exact tone, save the pennies and look secondhand. some bargains can be had for fretless instruments that are generally a little harder to sell than their fretted counterparts.

I coordinate my stage outfits for each song and certain basses clash with certain outfits... I have to change guitars often or I'd just look silly.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1434931544' post='2803977'] Wow where do I start ? Best value has to be my 5 string Peavey Foundation,bought last year for £50. Photo is reversed for some reason [attachment=194805:Peavey 5 (3).jpg] It was crazy cheap and I felt obliged to send the fella more money when it arrived I spend a lot of time playing the Harley Benton PB-50 though, £60 and strung with Status nylons £15 here's its mocked up with a Retrovibe toaster,it plays and sounds too good so I got another for that mod. [attachment=194806:Cabronita (1).jpg] If folk don't mind me posting I've plenty more had for less than the price limit. [/quote] I'd love to see a catalog of your collection, photos and all... I aspire to some day have the space for a collection as mighty as yours.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1434918062' post='2803878'] Biro, The problem with doing the filter processing outside of the bass is that you miss out on one of the most import aspects of the sound which is that there are separate filters for each pickup. [/quote] [quote name='biro' timestamp='1434973894' post='2804249'] Yours is a very valid point. I wonder if I could mimic that by using a dry / wet control on the low pass filter plugin. [/quote] it is a very valid point and one I hadn't thought of... whatever you do you will be effecting the combined signal from both pickups rather than an independent filter in the signal path from each pickup, which can only be done from onboard the bass. I like to use a sound under acoustic songs where I roll the filter for the neck pickup down to give a nice plump round tone, but I keep the bridge pickup filter fully open to add some deifnition and clarity. You couldn't achieve this by just applying a filter to the entire signal.

[quote name='juliusmonk' timestamp='1434894795' post='2803629'] ...brain-fingers-bass-amp-[b]sound man who has only ever listened to Metallica[/b]-sound.. [/quote] You missed a step... I've added it in for you.

I hardly ever listen to music, I certainly never choose to have it on. I carry an ipod but I only use it when I'm stuck on public transoprt with some muppet bellowing to his mates about the football and I need something to block them out. I listen to tracks I'm working on my parts for for the bands I'm in, but i havent really listened to anyone elses music since I was a teenager.

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1434961593' post='2804091'] (amazingly it was the drummer who made the only glaring cock up)... [/quote] Tis the curse of being a drummer... No-one notices the odd bum note on bass but when the drummer cocks up everyone notices... in fact uaually everyone else stops turns round and stares at them.

I think it's one of those things that is very easy to do badly, but requires a level of skill to do properly.

[quote name='Shockwave' timestamp='1434961129' post='2804084'] Thing is, I had been trying my hardest form a band like this with these specific influences for nearly a decade and I could never get the right people. About ready to throw in the towel at the moment! [/quote] It's crap isn't it... especially when the project was your initial idea and you're the one driving it. It'll work out though

it's rubbish... putting bands together is such a painful experience, just as everything comes together someone ends up leaving. There really is no option but to just keep on going, try new people and keep trying to make it work... Stay positive . I sympathise though, there is nothing worse than getting the set together then having to start at square one again with new people.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1434958689' post='2804039'] Indeed, I have felt like doing that on a fair few occasions. [/quote] I have done on multiple occasions... trouble is i'm not a multi-million album selling global megastar, so I doubt my indignation would affect their bottom line.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1434882470' post='2803509'] I too only recently bought a guitar to lay down guide tracks, bit of noodling, etc... then realised I can't play it. Bugger! [/quote] Me neither... I can't hold a pick properly, it keeps slipping round my hand and I end up with the pointy bit facing away from the strings. Also, after this weeks first rehearsal on guitar it turns out I have a lot to learn about controlling feedback.

That's nothing... I bought a guitar (which I can't play properly) and a stack for a band I wanted to start before I'd written any material or found any band mates... ... Tis GAS and fighting it is futile.

[quote name='biro' timestamp='1434878792' post='2803448'] I absolutely agree. I think it would be possible to approximate that sound even further by employing different pick ups, yet I believe this simple experiment is interesting in that it shows that esoteric preamps results are actually rather easy to mimic, if not to achieve altogether. [/quote] Yes definitely, a low pass filter in the signal path is a low pass filter, be it onboard the bass or a software equilivent.

[quote name='spiritchaser' timestamp='1434786513' post='2802755'] Hey Rob, haven't been on the show your Wals thread for a long time - wow - your sixer's going to be absolutely awesome! That ziricote looks fantastic! Yes - the MK I fretless is mine a wonderful instrument with a great tone and playability - I reckoned that since I purchased a fretless MKII fiver Wal from 1995 in mint condition while waiting for the new one to arrive (guess a lot of us does that to pass the time until that new one arrives ...) I should sell on the new MKI to get some money together for your lovely shedua sixer, since no one seems interested in buying my Taylor AB4 acoustic bass. Can hardly wait for the sixer now - having owned two sixers already: jensenmann's fretless one and little eel's one which had been fretted. I know I shouldn't have sold them at that time ... [/quote] I'm very much looking forward to the trade for your mk1 fretless, I'm glad it worked out the way it has. I wish I was in a position to keep the shedua sixer but alas I must move it on and trading it for another Wal makes it seem much less painful. I will be dropping the shedua sixer off for its service \ setup a week on Wednesday so hopefully it won't be too long after that I can get it sent out to you. I will shortly be very lucky to own two wals that will cover all my playing needs, but I can see how some of the guys across the pond have ended up with mighty collections... I'm already thinking about ordering a fretted mk1 when I pick my ziricote sixer up just to get in before the rumered price hike.

IMHO the Wal sound has very little to do with the filter preamp... Whilst I find it an intuitive and versatile control system, for me it's the multicoil pickups that give the instruments their distinctive voice.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1434786605' post='2802757'] Are we married to the same woman?? That's really, really weird. And would explain a lot. [/quote] It's possible... She does disappear for long periods during the day.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1434733097' post='2802355'] Apart from other bass players who stare intently at one's amp settings, turn to their wives and observe that 'the sound is too scooped and needs more low mids'. [/quote] Mrs c nods and says "yes dear" when i say things like this... I do the same when she's talking about feminism, social justice or inequality...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1434723146' post='2802225'] I'd never get a turn, would I? As you pointed out, I've already got one! [/quote] this is true... and yours isn't a refin.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1434722894' post='2802219'] Swap you for one of your Wals..! [/quote] Maybe we should all chip in and group buy it... *edit* the Marathon obviously... not the Wal!

[quote name='Adrenochrome' timestamp='1434722351' post='2802211'] FWIW I'd happily use basses with just a killswitch, or volume knob 'just in case'. I think I'd be happy to have an amp with some kind of high pass filter/control, only to tame bass boom. [/quote] I run my amp flat too... my point was more that if you were to split the signal coming from your bass and send one half to your usual rig and the other to a 5 watt guitar amp with the treble on 10 and bass on 0 then they would not sound the same... if it really was "all in the fingers" then both amps would sound identical. This is an over simplification obviously but this is the general point i'm trying to make.