To defret or not to defret my Wal Custom Mk1

[bassatnight]

Ok so here's the deal, I want a Wal fretless but have a limited budget of £1500 so do I go for something else or get my fretted mk1 defretted? Tough call!

Edited December 22, 2011 by bassatnight

[leftyhook]

Been listening to Percy Edwards? Mick Karn? He's the reason I went to the factory in' 83 to meet Wal and Pete, had a coffee while they put together a left handed fretless just for me to see what a Wal was like. They made me feel worthy of their craftsmanship.
I ordered a Shedua faced Custom fretless. Sh is beautiful. but I did something very bad....

About 7 years ago I had my Wal 1984 custom fretted, having worn the fretless fingerboard down 3 times and there wasn't enough ebony left to take another layer off (roundwounds and agressive grip)
Couldn't afford a new fingerboard so £70 got me some frets.

I regret it. Sounds great, but I messed with a work of art.
Don't do it! why not have a fretless neck made for it? then yo have the original should you get bored with fretless.
I think it would take a long time for the guy now making Wal basses. he is snowed under and always will be.
Anyone you know who could make a replica neck?

Edited December 23, 2011 by leftyhook

[throwoff]

There are a lot of good basses in the 1500 price range especially second hand.

I have seen more than a few fretless Warwick thumb NT's go for that kind of money over the past 12 months.

[leftyhook]

[quote name='throwoff' timestamp='1324630772' post='1476358']
There are a lot of good basses in the 1500 price range especially second hand.

I have seen more than a few fretless Warwick thumb NT's go for that kind of money over the past 12 months.
[/quote]Absolutely. Chances of a Wal fretless turning are not impossible, but slim. You could wait........................................................................... .....................................................................................or.............................take on board what Throwoff said. Even my W. Rockbass has a lovely singing tone to it, so a Thumb will be awesome.
I already said that I feel I have stripped my Wal of it's originality. And conversions don't always work. Wal and his team would have suggested specific woods
to get an nice fretless sound. Mine hasn't really got the fretted sound I wanted as it is designed as a fretless ( I may be shot down for this!), although it has
the Wal sound, it is a little darker than the sound I was hoping for with frets on.
Whatever you choose mate, please use flats. You will end up with nasty buzz spots unless you are a really light player.
I highly recommend d'addario Chromes. forget £40 from the high street. go to Stringsandbeyond. half the price from the USA
.

[henry norton]

Would you consider selling your Mk1 and ordering a new fretless using the profits plus your £1500? I would buy a new Wal if I had the cash. From what I've seen buying a new Wal is a unique experience.

[bassatnight]

Cheers guy's, I love my fretted Wal and it woul be a last resort to change her. I have played a ton of fretlesses but the Wal is by far the sweetest I have played I just love that woody sound. Might look out for a fretless Thumb.

I missed out on a Wal Fretless a few weeks back for £1,500 at Bass Direct but it was the cheaper passive pro and I though £1,500 was a little steep.

I then thought sod it and it was sold!

A wal Fretless neck would put me back some £850!

[brensabre79]

I think you may regret it if you mess with your favourite bass. If you come across another passive fretless you should grab it. Making a passive bass active is far better than defretting IMHO. You could probably even get Wal to supply the guts to convert a passive one.