rubis Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 He's right, there aren't many like this around [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WAL-Bass-guitar-/150990377394?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2327ba51b2"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WAL-Bass-guitar-/150990377394?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2327ba51b2[/url] I feel like crying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Yes, I saw that too, horrible. Straight back to Paul for a full refurb methinks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Yes spotted this the other day and found it a truly unsettling experience Why would anyone do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Horrible! What a shame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 [quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1360399707' post='1969734'] Why would anyone do that? [/quote] My thoughts exactly.... Surely doing something like this justifies bringing back the Death Sentence.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 [i][size=5][font="Trebuchet MS"]It was bought without the original pickups, controls and XLR output, and was refurbished by an experienced luthier.[/font][/size][/i] I'm guessing that's your answer. Owner X decided to strip out the Wal electronics, maybe to try them in another bass & see what it sounded like, leaving Owner Y to buy a bass with no electrics. Having a full set of Wal electronics installed has never been cheap, even during that period when Wals fell out of favour and could be had for peanuts, so Owner Y has gone with the SDs instead. In al fairness, it's not a a bad job at all. Just won't sound remotely like a 'real' Wal. The most astonishing thing about that listing is that he thinks he'll get £1750 for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolverinebass Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 This is a crime. The only thing I could think of that could be more insane would be someone selling a Status having removed the neck and replacing it with a neck from a squier precision and still thinking they'll get what they paid for it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Until recently if you didn't actually have the pickups and electronics there probably wasn't much else you could have with this other than scrap it. The only real crime is that fact that seller thinks they can get £1000 more than it's realistically worth in its present state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 That's like buying a Ferrari and then replacing the engine with a motor from an Austin Allegro. Such a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhay77 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 [quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1360421012' post='1970102'] That's like buying a Ferrari and then replacing the engine with a motor from an Austin Allegro. Such a shame. [/quote] You mean more reliable? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 (edited) I was wondering if this is actually owned by a fellow Basschatter, "... in Somerset."...? Edited February 9, 2013 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I just looked at the listing. Now I'm sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Wal's are f***ing ugly anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushers Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 is it just the plugs in where other pots should be ? or am i missing something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='mushers' timestamp='1360448923' post='1970762'] is it just the plugs in where other pots should be ? or am i missing something [/quote] The central section of the body has had a new piece filleted in (different colour wood so it's pretty obvious) in order to take the SD pickups, plus another piece of wood has been filleted in to fill the hole left by the XLR socket. The woodwork generally looks pretty neat to me, judging by the photos. I think what's causing the sadness is the replacement of the Wal electronics (the bits that actually make it sound like a Wal) with something very generic. If I could pick that bass up and play it, my guess is that it would sound very much like a bog-standard Jazz bass with SD pickups. It's not [i][b]quite [/b][/i]the end of civilisation as we know it. But it's close ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowregisterhead Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Ended with no bids (not surprising) and just been relisted with a starting price of £1450... I don't think that's going to result in a sale either somehow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1360500705' post='1971237'] The woodwork generally looks pretty neat to me, judging by the photos. I think what's causing the sadness is the replacement of the Wal electronics (the bits that actually make it sound like a Wal) with something very generic. [/quote] I'm surpised that the overseer or the experienced luthier didn't go for pickups which were at least similar dimensions to the originals so the body didn't need significant modification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 Quite right! And why did he cut away the section between the pickups? And what's the point of transferring the hardware to another bass? Wal's not well made enough? Or nice enough to play? Sheesh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1360592223' post='1972892'] I'm surpised that the overseer or the experienced luthier didn't go for pickups which were at least similar dimensions to the originals so the body didn't need significant modification. [/quote] Probably customer chosen pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 [quote name='rubis' timestamp='1360598413' post='1973052'] And what's the point of transferring the hardware to another bass? [/quote] I can remember reading at least one interview with someone who transferred Wal electronics to another bass (may have been a Jazz?) to see whether the recipient bass would then sound like a Wal. Think of it as an extreme variant of the old "wood makes no difference to tone" argument. The annoying thing is, I can't remember what the conclusion was. Unless reversed later, of course, this would result in a Wal with no electronics eventually coming onto the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I always think as soon as a bass becomes active, the wood has less of a role in the tone of the bass. I remember Bernie Goodfellow saying to me, "I could put my circuit and pickups in that table over there, string it up and it sound like a GB. It'd be a right b4stard to play though." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 MB1. Refurbishable? The man from Wal Monte...says ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 [quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1360602643' post='1973159'] I always think as soon as a bass becomes active, the wood has less of a role in the tone of the bass. [/quote] I don't get this at all. That's saying that the tone shaping circuit in the active bass is having more effect than the tone shaping circuit in your amp. To me suggests that you don't have the right amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1360647946' post='1973908'] That's saying that the tone shaping circuit in the active bass is having more effect than the tone shaping circuit in your amp. To me suggests that you don't have the right amp. [/quote] That's odd, Mike. I read it as saying that the tone shaping circuit in the active bass is having more effect than the tone shaping circuit in the passive bass, leaving less 'room' for the wood to exert an influence. Not sure where the amp comes into it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 [quote name='rubis' timestamp='1360397096' post='1969715'] ....He's right, there aren't many like this.... I feel like crying.... [/quote] That's also my feeling when I see all these "I'm gonna mod my bass" threads!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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