Spoombung

Blimey. I actually saw one at the London Bass show for the first time yesterday (a year after their introduction). Couldn't tell what it sounded like due to the noise pollution but it sits up in the lap in the perfect playing position - just as others have said. Impressed! they brought the price down by £300 but i still feel £1500 is too much, somehow. There are still no shops that stock them - you have to [i]order[/i] them. That's a pain.

I actually went! First time I've been to one of these things. Christ, [i]what[/i] a racket. Impossible to tell what anything sounded like - but good to pick up basses and get a feel: [i]literally[/i]. I went along to say hello to Alan on the ACG stand, took an interest in Eve basses (right next door to him) and also chatted to the GMR guys who also make fabulous instruments. I also chatted to a very lonely looking guy called Franc who writes the the incredibly technical 'Bass and Beyond' column in Bass Guitar Magazine. Nice bloke. I enjoyed it... but I was only there for a couple of hours. Everyone was having trouble dealing with the noise. I imagine a whole day would be akin to water-boarding or H-block style violation of my Human Rights

[quote name='clarkpegasus4001' timestamp='1330616163' post='1560457'] Roundabout by Yes [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPOTg-7pV64[/media] [/quote] Same here.

I've had my fretless Wal for nearly 30 years and I've tinkered a lot with it over the years - changing the body etc and building up a 'bond' with it. I do love it. It's taken me a lot longer to know what i want from a [i]fretted [/i]bass, though, However it's important to GET ON WITH THE MUSIC even if you've got something you only half like, rather than constantly considering the next bass, IMO.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1330679728' post='1561323'] I'm in! L-R: 1971 Precision, 1971 fretless Precision, Roscoe Beck IV, 1971 Jazz. By the way, I'm happy to note the use of the word 'settee' on this thread, rather than 'couch' or 'sofa'. I approve. [/quote] Very impressive - by anyone's standards

Another agreement here after seeing him on BassTheWorld.com (who have been championing him for a while). He [i]does[/i] need to get on stage.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1330073171' post='1552170'] Rush, Xanadu, from the Exit Stage Left film. Plus you get a double-neck thrown in for good luck. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTD1QW3SM60[/media] [/quote] Hmmm, not for me. You've gotta play a Rick with a pick!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330011766' post='1551398'] Here's mine: [/quote] You know they put those wretched things at PRECISELY the point I want to dig in. The inconvenience of it all. Tut.

[quote name='blind pilot' timestamp='1329933029' post='1550008'] Im far from an expert, but I do seem to recall, someone on here being quoted around the £1000 mark for a new neck! [/quote] Yeah, that's what I read somewhere too. The[i] good old days[/i] have well and truly gone.

There you go; you don't need £3500 to sound like fretless bass superstar. Excellent.

[quote name='AndroWal' timestamp='1329464667' post='1542743'] I have both fretted and fretless Mark IIIs. They are the most comfortable basses I've ever played. They balance perfectly. Weights are not noticable during long gigs. They fit ones body very well. Access all the way to the 24th fret is unfettered. I also have two Mark IIs and although I love the way they sound, the ergonomics aren't as good due to some neck dive and they are heavier. I've spoken to Paul and I intend to send them to him to have lighter tuners installed as well as have general tune-ups as I've had them for 20 years. Paul said that new tuners remove a significant amount of weight and that this tends to be a good fix. I am also curious about moving the bottom strap button to the position on the Mark IIIs. On the IIs, it is centered on the bottom while on the IIIs it is a couple of inches above. I think this move would improve the ergonomics. [/quote] Now I'm very tempted - although obviously I wouldn't be pleased at having to sell two expensive basses to buy one extra special expensive bass. Wal were slow with ergonomics; you're right, the Mark 2's were very heavy and neck-divey. I [i]wish[/i] they would sought out the 4-string pickup and give it a proper shell like the 5-string. There is nothing to anchor your thumb on and the plastic case is the wrong height and dimension on the current one. I got around it by doing this: Chopped off another pickup part by Pete!

[quote name='jensenmann' timestamp='1329166109' post='1538325'] I used wo own a Mk3 6string fretless for some years. I sounded great, but hat some ugly deadspots. The neck was too thin for me and had a shape like a surfboard. From my other Wals I was used to having a chunk of wood in my hands while this neck was just too slim. Besides that ergonomics were great, though. [/quote] Interesting. I'm eager to try one out.

The weight of the bass is not related to the quality of tone it produces. A heavy bass is a poorly designed bass, IMO.

Hi Bass players. What nickel roundwounds would you recommend that feel like DR Sunbeams but are a lot cheaper? PS. I Don't like Rotosound nickels...

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1328617857' post='1529989'] The continuous fingerboard owes more than a little to the Marleaux Pagelli bass [/quote] I'm always waiting for you to trump me with your encyclopedic knowledge of bass design!

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1328603304' post='1529667'] Looks very similar to an ACG Gallus (sp?) crossed with a Sandberg [/quote] Yes I see that too. Bass design is becoming like car design; a big melting pot of generic shapes and concepts.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1328602197' post='1529649'] Member here "basstard" had the first one made (he's actually pictured in the catalogue - [url="http://www.marleaux-bass.de/fileadmin/download/Marleaux_Catalogue_2012.pdf"]http://www.marleaux-...alogue_2012.pdf[/url] ). It's a beauty. [/quote] I didn't know that. I'm very keen to have a play on these basses (not just the Diva) but haven't seen one in London or the UK yet

This by Marleaux. I can see it's got it's origins in the Ritter bass (with the fingerboard traveling up through the body) but all the same - stunning.

Does anybody have any experience with the Mk3 Wals, you know, the 'ergonomic' model? I'm curious about them in terms of balance, comfort weight etc...

His Ibanez tone can be good on some occasions. This a good example of the best it gets: [media]http://youtu.be/XTmke3BHyJA[/media] Wait for the solo in the middle of the track

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1328274551' post='1524746'] Well - yours is still the only "Fender" bodied Wal I've seen in twenty odd years of Wal spotting...and the body/weight/balance issues were the worst thing about the two I've owned. [/quote] I forgot to mention there is a guy on Talkbass who has the only other (so far as I know) Fender-bodied Wal:

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1328274551' post='1524746'] I heard in the old days it was tea and sandwiches. [/quote] Alas, you are absolutely right. *sigh*

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1328276377' post='1524791'] Rolf Spuler emailed y'day to say he's repaired the faulty piezo saddle and is posting back to me, so hopefully it will tickety-boo by end of next week Still wondering about whether it should be de-fretted .... [/quote] That's great news. Let me know how it goes.

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1328271109' post='1524682'] I think its high time there was an official Spoombung artist model in the Wal catalogue, with at least 50p going direct to the artist for every model sold. Shall we start one of those poll things? [/quote] 50p sounds very generous - especially considering Lady Gaga's alleged $169 for a million plays on Spotify! I'd [i]love[/i] my own Wal model. It's just wishful thinking...