what to know about a wal mach 2?

[MiltyG565]

So the Wal Mach 2 is a bassi haven't given much time to looking at/researching, but so far as i can tell, they sound great! so i was looking as some pictures, and they seem quite technical, especially the preamp. So can anybody impart to me their wisdom on the fantastic things? i understand there is something different about the pickup too, in that each pole piece has its own coil? what's the advantage/characteristics of that? also, what style of neck is the neck on the Wal closest to?

Would love to own one, but looks like it will be well beyond any budget i have for a bass in the next 5-50 years but still would love to know all about it!

Cheers for any info

[louisthebass]

Thread on Talkbass:

[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/my-2010-wal-mach-ii-tons-hi-res-pics-638638/"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/my-2010-wal-mach-ii-tons-hi-res-pics-638638/[/url]

Enjoy!

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='louisthebass' timestamp='1356182260' post='1907692']
Thread on Talkbass:

[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/my-2010-wal-mach-ii-tons-hi-res-pics-638638/"]http://www.talkbass....es-pics-638638/[/url]

Enjoy!
[/quote]

ha! i was just reading that!

[White Cloud]

The elecs are indeed complex but as a non tech guy all I cared about was that mine sounded AMAZING. Very huge and dramatic tones available via the filters. Loved the "pick attack" available when the vol was pulled out. The neck is quite meaty...kinda old school "V" precision'y type!?!?

Mine looked and sounded incredible. Playability on mine was good as opposed to fantastic...took a bit of getting used to, but worth it. The action went quite low but not mega low.

Dowbside; mine weighed almost the same as my family car at the time & hurt my shoulder after each gig.

Despite that I still consider trading it against a Jaydee as the single biggest folly of my entire life (the neck on the Jaydee failed and ended up with a back bow to rival Robin hoods weapon of choice).

Great basses. Sublime tonality!

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1356182972' post='1907706']
The elecs are indeed complex but as a non tech guy all I cared about was that mine sounded AMAZING. Very huge and dramatic tones available via the filters. Loved the "pick attack" available when the vol was pulled out. The neck is quite meaty...kinda old school "V" precision'y type!?!?

Mine looked and sounded incredible. Playability on mine was good as opposed to fantastic...took a bit of getting used to, but worth it. The action went quite low but not mega low.

Dowbside; mine weighed almost the same as my family car at the time & hurt my shoulder after each gig.

Despite that I still consider trading it against a Jaydee as the single biggest folly of my entire life (the neck on the Jaydee failed and ended up with a back bow to rival Robin hoods weapon of choice).

Great basses. Sublime tonality!
[/quote]

That's great! so they weigh a bit then? i wouldn't be surprised with all the gear they have stuffed in it, and the body is a bit bigger than say, a jazz or P isn't it?

Is it well balanced? it has quite a wide P-style neck then?

[Happy Jack]

Weight varies, of course. My 4-string fretless weighs about 10lbs, my 5-string fretted weighs 11lbs The lightest Mk.II I've tried weighed 9.5lbs. Think Jazz rather than Precision for weight, but definitely P rather than J for neck profile.

Wal fretless basses are by far the easiest-to-play fretless basses I've ever tried. Dunno why.

The electronics are astonishing, capable of a staggering range of tones, and pretty much all of them useable in the real world.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1356184511' post='1907726']
Weight varies, of course. My 4-string fretless weighs about 10lbs, my 5-string fretted weighs 11lbs The lightest Mk.II I've tried weighed 9.5lbs. Think Jazz rather than Precision for weight, but definitely P rather than J for neck profile.

Wal fretless basses are by far the easiest-to-play fretless basses I've ever tried. Dunno why.

The electronics are astonishing, capable of a staggering range of tones, and pretty much all of them useable in the real world.
[/quote]

Sounds great! I need to try one of these. Anybody got any comment on the pickups? how/why do they make them?

[Dingus]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1356185525' post='1907740']
Sounds great! I need to try one of these. Anybody got any comment on the pickups? how/why do they make them?
[/quote]

They are indeed staggeringly great sounding basses . I used Wal basses as my main bass for ten years and none of the basses I tried during that time usurped the Wal for sheer quality of sound . They are basses with a unique character and distinct personality , but they also have certain idiosyncracies that make them not for everybody . They are indeed , on the whole heavy basses , , but back in the day people were less concerned by the weight of basses , certainly according to my recollection anyway . Wal can make you a slightly lighter one if you specially request it . The neck profile is also slightly on the chunky side , but again , Wal could easily make you a custom neck profile if you want it slightly slimmer . Regarding the pickup design , the individual coil thing was supposed to eliminate crosstalk and intermodulation between the pole pieces , but I wouldn't focus too much on that detail ; Wal pickups are such an individual design that there are various design characteristics that make them sound so great . Ian Waller was an electronics wizz with a unique approach and the Wal pickups and preamp just sound right , simple as that . There is some kind of perfect synergy between all the electronics on a Wal that make them sound rich , deep , round and effortlessly powerful . No one really understands why , but it all fits perfectly . The electronics sound a lot more complicated when you read about them than they are to use in reality . In practise it's all very intuitive and you would get the hang of it all in no time .

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1356193089' post='1907810']
They are indeed staggeringly great sounding basses . I used Wal basses as my main bass for ten years and none of the basses I tried during that time usurped the Wal for sheer quality of sound . They are basses with a unique character and distinct personality , but they also have certain idiosyncracies that make them not for everybody . They are indeed , on the whole heavy basses , , but back in the day people were less concerned by the weight of basses , certainly according to my recollection anyway . Wal can make you a slightly lighter one if you specially request it . The neck profile is also slightly on the chunky side , but again , Wal could easily make you a custom neck profile if you want it slightly slimmer . Regarding the pickup design , the individual coil thing was supposed to eliminate crosstalk and intermodulation between the pole pieces , but I wouldn't focus too much on that detail ; Wal pickups are such an individual design that there are various design characteristics that make them sound so great . Ian Waller was an electronics wizz with a unique approach and the Wal pickups and preamp just sound right , simple as that . There is some kind of perfect synergy between all the electronics on a Wal that make them sound rich , deep , round and effortlessly powerful . No one really understands why , but it all fits perfectly . The electronics sound a lot more complicated when you read about them than they are to use in reality . In practise it's all very intuitive and you would get the hang of it all in no time .
[/quote]

That's great. So Ian Waller just had a feel for electronics? sounds pretty sweet. I know flea used a wal mach 2 on BSSM for everything except funky monks i believe, and possibly one other song? I've listened to that album alot, and i really like the bass tone, and as far as the tones in their studio albums go, i would say it definitely goes right to the top. Wish i could afford to get one built, but i saw on the website just now that they START at £3650! i could sell my macbook pro, car and possibly a kidney and all other instruments and worldly possessions, and then i might be able to get them to build one tailored to me

[MiltyG565]

it has a DI out, so you can record directly from the bass without any external DI or amp! cool! so i guess that's to preserve the tone?

[Dingus]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1356193795' post='1907820']
That's great. So Ian Waller just had a feel for electronics? sounds pretty sweet. I know flea used a wal mach 2 on BSSM for everything except funky monks i believe, and possibly one other song? I've listened to that album alot, and i really like the bass tone, and as far as the tones in their studio albums go, i would say it definitely goes right to the top. Wish i could afford to get one built, but i saw on the website just now that they START at £3650! i could sell my macbook pro, car and possibly a kidney and all other instruments and worldly possessions, and then i might be able to get them to build one tailored to me
[/quote]

You are still a young man ; you've got the rest of your life ahead of you to get a Wal , or whatever else you want . I wouldn't sell anything quite yet - one of the best pieces of advice I ever recieved about accumulating wealth was from a rich businessman who told me that you don't get rich by saving money , you get rich by [i]making [/i]money . How right he was . Do the right things , make the right plans and you will be buying your Wal without even flinching .

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1356196005' post='1907863']
You are still a young man ; you've got the rest of your life ahead of you to get a Wal , or whatever else you want . I wouldn't sell anything quite yet - one of the best pieces of advice I ever recieved about accumulating wealth was from a rich businessman who told me that you don't get rich by saving money , you get rich by [i]making [/i]money . How right he was . Do the right things , make the right plans and you will be buying your Wal without even flinching .
[/quote]

Oh, i'd say you are right. I won't sell anything, i like what i have at the minute. But i shall get all the basses i ever wanted someday. It will be great!

[Dingus]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1356194142' post='1907824']
it has a DI out, so you can record directly from the bass without any external DI or amp! cool! so i guess that's to preserve the tone?
[/quote]

That , and the fact that it means that you don't have to use a direct box , but some folks like to go via a direct box anyway because of the character certain d.i. boxes add to the sound .

One of the reasons for the popularity of Wal basses amongst pro players in the 1980s was that they were famously easy to get a good recorded sound with without any messing about . The sound of a Wal sits very well in the mix , and the electronics enable quick fine-tuning of the tone for the perfect result . Pete and Wal designed their basses in conjunction with a number of working pro players of the era and were very attentive to the practical needs of working musicians and so eneded up with a bass that players could use as a tool that would get the job done with a minimum of fuss .

Edited December 22, 2012 by Dingus

[White Cloud]

Yes indeed, incredible tones. For me the only bass on the market that could compete sound wise was the Alembic Series 1....and the Wal is infinitely easier to use, and much, much cheaper to buy.

For me Geddy Lee had his best ever sound with the Wal custom. Listen to "power windows" to hear his optimum recorded bass sound using his Wal - especially the track "Big Money". Just awesome!

[url="http://youtu.be/BAvEiLpboqk"]http://youtu.be/BAvEiLpboqk[/url]

Edited December 22, 2012 by White Cloud

[Dingus]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1356196637' post='1907887']
Yes indeed, incredible tones. For me the only bass on the market that could compete sound wise was the Alembic Series 1....and the Wal is infinitely easier to use, and much, much cheaper to buy.

For me Geddy Lee had his best ever sound with the Wal custom. Listen to "power windows" to hear his optimum recorded bass sound using his Wal - especially the track "Big Money". Just awesome!

[media]http://youtu.be/BAvEiLpboqk[/media]
[/quote]

I had the oppotunity to switch my allegiences to Alembic during my Wal era , but I thought even the Alembic Series 2 didn't better the Wal for quality of sound ( albeit that it is quite a different sound to a Wal ) , although it did sound amazing in its own way , and the weight of the Alembic Series 2 even with a chambered body was more than my Wal basses at the time . The ergonomics regarding balance and reach to the lower frets and the neck profile of the Alembic were not to my taste either .

I love Geddys tone on Power Windows too . I love Geddy , full stop . I don't even care if that sounds a bit dodgy . Not that there would be anything wrong with it even if I did mean it in that way . Anyway , you know what I mean .

Edited December 22, 2012 by Dingus

[White Cloud]

For their time Wal was just IT. I switched to Wal during the 80's and I was just blown away by the sound quality. Its odd that, for a time (quite recently) nobody wanted Wal basses yet now they are back in vogue. I almost pulled the trigger on a brand new Wal build when Paul Herman started the ball rolling again...but after negotiations with my better half I eventually had to settle for a house renovation instead (new kitchen, bathrooms etc etc).

I did consider a divorce and selling my children...but decided it would be better karma if I saved for a few years instead!

[tubbybloke68]

The 'wal factor' , once you've heard it, played one.... There's no going back :-))

[philw]

Lots of Wal info and trivia here: http://www.trevorandthea.eclipse.co.uk/wal_history.htm

P

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='philw' timestamp='1356200303' post='1907943']
Lots of Wal info and trivia here: [url="http://www.trevorandthea.eclipse.co.uk/wal_history.htm"]http://www.trevorand...wal_history.htm[/url]

P
[/quote]

Cheers, i was looking at that earlier too, found the link on the wal website

[Dingus]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1356199689' post='1907926']
For their time Wal was just IT. I switched to Wal during the 80's and I was just blown away by the sound quality. Its odd that, for a time (quite recently) nobody wanted Wal basses yet now they are back in vogue. I almost pulled the trigger on a brand new Wal build when Paul Herman started the ball rolling again...but after negotiations with my better half I eventually had to settle for a house renovation instead (new kitchen, bathrooms etc etc).

I did consider a divorce and selling my children...but decided it would be better karma if I saved for a few years instead!
[/quote]

The sad irony is that Paul has had to put his prices up significantly since he started making Wal basses again , and if you had pulled the trigger on one when he resumed production it would already be worth more than you paid for it in all likelihood. I too can remember when nobody was particulaly interested in Wal basses - the were considered an an 80s thing - and you could get MK1 Wal basses secondhand for about £600 . I remember it so well because THATS WHEN I SOLD MY THREE ! I too thought about ordering a Wal again when Paul took over , but my better judgement tells me to leave the past alone and I remind myself that there was a reason why I stopped playing them in the first place . Still great sounding basses , but however well Paul makes them ( and I am absolutely certain that they will be just as good as they ever were ) I don't think buying a Wal will make it 1983 again , and that is probably what I really want .

[White Cloud]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1356200422' post='1907945']
The sad irony is that Paul has had to put his prices up significantly since he started making Wal basses again , and if you had pulled the trigger on one when he resumed production it would already be worth more than you paid for it in all likelihood. I too can remember when nobody was particulaly interested in Wal basses - the were considered an an 80s thing - and you could get MK1 Wal basses secondhand for about £600 . I remember it so well because THATS WHEN I SOLD MY THREE ! I too thought about ordering a Wal again when Paul took over , but my better judgement tells me to leave the past alone and I remind myself that there was a reason why I stopped playing them in the first place . Still great sounding basses , but however well Paul makes them ( and I am absolutely certain that they will be just as good as they ever were ) I don't think buying a Wal will make it 1983 again , and that is probably what I really want .
[/quote]

In all sincerity I think you have nailed it on the head. The 80's were incredible and I often wish I could go back and do it all again(except better). If there are any youngsters reading this then take heed....this is wisdom!!

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1356201022' post='1907950']
In all sincerity I think you have nailed it on the head. The 80's were incredible and I often wish I could go back and do it all again(except better). If there are any youngsters reading this then take heed....this is wisdom!!
[/quote]

em, i'm 20 in just over a week (so yeah, 19).

as far as i can tell, any set of 10 years that sees Rick Astley as a star is not a good one

[Dingus]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1356210830' post='1908102']
em, i'm 20 in just over a week (so yeah, 19).

as far as i can tell, any set of 10 years that sees Rick Astley as a star is not a good one
[/quote]

Rick is a true legend ! What's more , his legend has endured despite his vouluntary withdrawl from the limelight . Kids nowadays !

Edited December 22, 2012 by Dingus

[White Cloud]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1356210830' post='1908102']
em, i'm 20 in just over a week (so yeah, 19).

as far as i can tell, any set of 10 years that sees Rick Astley as a star is not a good one
[/quote]

Lol, yes a reasonable observation. I would however point out that anyone from the lady Gaga era has a bit of a cheek criticising Rick Astley

[Prunesquallor]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1356212988' post='1908139']
Lol, yes a reasonable observation. I would however point out that anyone from the lady Gaga era has a bit of a cheek criticising Rick Astley
[/quote]

As someone who endured the 80s as a schoolkid, I can authoritively report that - with few exceptions - there was nothing decent to listen to in that decade until the Smiths arrived (1985?). The 90s were sooo much better.

This is fact, not opinion.

Edited December 23, 2012 by Prunesquallor