TrevorR

D’oh, for some reason all the other Tom Lehrer clips others had posted weren’t showing up on my iPad…d’oh!

Love the Barenaked Ladies… Brian Wilson, If I Had $1,000,000, Be My Yoko Ono and Grade 9 spring to mind. Or what about Mayor of Simpleton by XTC… humour in music doesn’t just need to be Flanders & Swan or Bernard Cribbins (though both are great)… ….and who couldn’t love…

John G Perry’s original was W1111. Then they used JG and PB prefixes for the next two models. The W numbers started again around 1981 when the Custom series was being created. Some of the first “Customs” still have PB numbers (usually referred to as “transition” basses) and then the numbering restarted from W11XX. So not super early in the history of Wal but definitely early in the Custom Series - although it’s effectively a back loaded Pro - and certainly very unusual… incidentally Steve Hackett’s bass player, Dik Cadbury, had his Pro converted to back loaded sometime around the same time. That’s my fault… a slip of the finger in that post talking about Johnny Gus’ first JG bass. Typed W1112 when I should have typed JG1112. Oops! Spreading fake news!

❤️ Oh I wish I had half the amount of talent in that guy’s pinkie finger nail… 😂

Played it many times. No need for bass chorus if you don’t want. Key is you and the drummer setting a good bouncy groove and that carries the song pretty much. Last time we played it the song kinda transformed into a S African/Paul Simon’s Graceland kinda feel… very nice!

Here’s another reason why this question makes little or no sense… let me tell you the story of two of my basses… I’m no Victor Wooten on the bass but a kinda competent pub rocker at best who’s done cover bands and the like in the past. Back in 1993 I saved up for a bass I really wanted. It cost me about £500 second hand. Less than a decent US P bass. Well built and well looked after but deeply unfashionable it was, nonetheless, a bass that I’d seen played a few times and I liked the look and the sound. It’s been my main bass ever since and has done the majority of gigs I’ve ever done - from stately homes to posh hotels to theatres and clubs to scummy pubs and flatbed lorry stages. But I love it. Then there’s my other bass. A hand built, boutique bass which would cost me over £5k to replace with a waiting list/lead time measured in years (if the company was taking orders at the moment). That means I could easily sell it for 6 grand second hand if I so desired. But I love that bass too, so it’s not for sale. So which one is the right bass for me, given my adequate hobbyist player status? So which one is the more appropriate for my level of player? Maybe it will help if I post a photo of each one to help you decide… Here’s the one I bought for 500 quid… And here’s the boutique one with a replacement value of 5 or 6 grand…

Aaaah, of course, makes sense… and looking again, there they are in the first pic!

Nice! But curious, what’s the micro switch for?

Radio alarm clock flicked on this morning to Radio 2 and Sounds of the Sixties with Tony Blackburn playing The Marvelettes and Please Mr Postman. Not the worst thing likely to happen this year, I suspect!

The way prices have gone recently you probably don’t want to know! Especially as you’ll not be able to keep the thought “…and these were the budget models…” out of your head! Always fancied one of these passive Pro reissue Wals. Still kick myself I never snapped up the one I saw in Langley Guitar Centre back in the 90s…

All the dancing in th streets may be premature… read the announcement again… “…stop making music AS A BAND…” Five words for you… “Four ex-Coldplay members’ solo careers”!

I won’t be queuing to with tenners clenched in my hand to buy one but at least it’s based around a guitar he owns and designed around a shape which is unique to him. The one that got me was when Martin issued the George Martin signature acoustic guitar… yes THAT George Martin the famous finger picker from The Beatles… hmmm…

If you want Paul from Wal’s view there are some thoughts in here… http://walbasshistory.blogspot.com/2016/10/wal-woods-part-2-bodies.html He does ascribe some tonal differences with different woods but also a warning to be realistic, “The standard bodies all have a central Mahogany core and the facings add character to the overall tone. So regardless of facing choice there is a consistency running through by using the same core timber. As a general rule, the harder facings such as wenge/padauk (wenge being slightly harder) tend to be slightly brighter and punchier giving more attack and reflection - often selected for fretted basses. At the other end of the scale are the softer/less dense timbers like American Walnut, which is favourite for fretless instruments and players who prefer a rounder less aggressive sound." "Yes, in general, but to counter the theory we’ve had some great sounding hard faced (like wenge) fretless basses through here – more aggressive sounding though. Also, you mustn’t forget that the density and grain structure can vary even from one end of a single board to the other. There can be a lot of variables even on two basses with exactly the same spec."

I think, reading various online references to this topic across a load of forums, that folks often forget that we didn't play big heavy cabs and amps because they were somehow "better" than lightweight gear. We played them because that was all that the amp and cab manufacturing companies actually made!!!!!! Personally I liked my original heavy old rough and ready Laney 1x15 combo, I loved my backbreaking old Trace Elliott gear that followed it before my amp got dropped and died (had it not done so I would probably still be playing it). Now I love my MarkBass lightweight gear.

Right down to copying the bridges… Looks like he’ll make you a Fakenfacker too!

Fascinating project, watching with interest!

You know the worship’s great but I reckon [it could be even better/we could take it to the next level] if… As with so much, context is everything!

Well, since this thread is back from the dead I’ll throw this in here… My bass collection as at 1 Jan 2021, and 1 Jan 2020, and 2019, and 2018, and 2017 and 2016… got the Faith acoustic bass in 2015.

That’s the fella… close up of Toshi’s in action…

You’re well covered for the funky side so I’ll throw in a few of my fave bass lines…

Oooooh, lovely flame on that shedua!

Remarkable condition for basses with that many miles on the clock! Enjoy! Though, I guess that goes without saying!

I use one of these with an iPad… very good and easy to use. AirTurn BT200S https://www.dawsons.co.uk/240877/airturn-bt200s-2-foot-switch-controller-atbt200s2?istCompanyId=f16c2387-744c-456f-941a-ef6c2f7c5239&istFeedId=55d15576-631e-4559-aefa-7460513112a8&istItemId=ialrwrlwx&istBid=t&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ouKBhC5ARIsAHXNMI8JtPgLD5PrBxUiKUGDqGYKHyQY7HRHA_TMnFcS-CA_r6Z478_k8gYaArb9EALw_wcB

Got mine over a decade ago when the UK/US exchange rate was ridiculously good. Ordered it straight from Audere and they sent it over. Don’t know if they still ship internationally. However, I think Bass Direct do them.

Big big fan of the Audere preamps. Got one in my Frankenjazz. Really well voiced with a distinct lack of unmusical settings. Definitely one to put on your shortlist. Mine is the three band Z series which allows you to load the pickups differently for different core tones with a little toggle switch. Mine came mounted on a plate with solderless connectors. So simple to install.