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Wal Sound - Do they sound like Wals?


4 Strings
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You can hear my fretted Pro on track four of my band's ep here:

thoseamongstusarewolves.bandcamp.com [i](also why not purchase a download now you know where it is)[/i] :P[size=4] [/size]

Pick up setting selection is in Series, DI to desk, and then re-amped through TC rig

No idea if that's a 'typical' Wal sound, but it's beefy and growly.

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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1371941771' post='2120001']
I'm looking for fretted examples, back and front pup if possible.
[/quote]

Sorry mate, it's WAY more complicated than that! :lol:

The only practical way to decide whether a Wal can make the sound you want is to sit down and play one for a few hours, preferably after a 5-minute walk-through of what each of the knobs does and how they interact with each other.

With a bit of thought, you can get a Wal to do pretty much anything.

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Wal basses do indeed have their own very distinctive sound , largely due , I suspect , to their unique electronics . Within that distinctive sound there are many highly usable tones , but all with that beefy signature Wal sound . Very few ( if any ) basses will substitute for a Wal . Some basses capture certain elements of the Wal sound - an HH Musicman Bongo , whilst being totally different in most repects , has certain chacteristics in the bottom end and midrange that remind me of a Wal , for example - but for the most part , you need a Wal .

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Wals sound like Wal basses. A few other basses sound similar too. A Wal does sound unique, but you could also do a Justin Chancellor and slather it in effects so much that it could be any bass he is playing!

If you want to hear the Wal sound without too much interference, check out Power Windows or Hold Your Fire by Rush, or some old Jonas Hellborg videos on Youtube, he often used Wal basses in the 80's and early 90's.

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[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1372016117' post='2120719']
Wal basses do indeed have their own very distinctive sound , largely due , I suspect , to their unique electronics . Within that distinctive sound there are many highly usable tones , but all with that beefy signature Wal sound . [/quote]
Having compared and contrasted a number of Wals including customs in four and five string formats and Pro 1 passives in a single sitting, I think its the pickups. Its definitely NOT the wood because I got a remarkably consistent amplified sound across different woods,

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1372016117' post='2120719']
Very few ( if any ) basses will substitute for a Wal . Some basses capture certain elements of the Wal sound - an HH Musicman Bongo , whilst being totally different in most repects , has certain chacteristics in the bottom end and midrange that remind me of a Wal , for example - but for the most part , you need a Wal .
[/quote]
Smith BSR through necks and Wals sound very similar, the Wals are a little more versatile however and a touch brighter. With the Smiths, its mostly the neck wood and to some degree the pickups though. Bongos sound similar too but a little darker.

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Ok, now had a listen to almost all the suggestions, thanks all, particularly to Jigster for his own sound.

I must admit, I'm still not quite getting it to be able to recognise the distinction. The Porcupine Tree sound is a very good bass sound, but could be one a number of basses. I've done a lot of JB listening in the past couple of days, I can definitely hear the Wal fretless as distinctive, but fretted?

I'm just going through the Rush suggestions.

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hard to say, for having played one for many hours, when I had it for a bit.....

nothing sounds like a wal, literally nothing...

on the other hand, it does MANY MANY MANY tones which are totally NOT usable....

but once you find that sweet one.... you'll probably not find a better one with any other bass man!

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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1372260580' post='2123550']
Ok, now had a listen to almost all the suggestions, thanks all, particularly to Jigster for his own sound.

I must admit, I'm still not quite getting it to be able to recognise the distinction. The Porcupine Tree sound is a very good bass sound, but could be one a number of basses. I've done a lot of JB listening in the past couple of days, I can definitely hear the Wal fretless as distinctive, but fretted?

I'm just going through the Rush suggestions.
[/quote]
I personally think that one of the best examples of the Wal sound is Geddy Lee on Power windows (as previously stated) - especially "Big Money". My Wal just nailed that tone with aplomb! Wonderful, sublime sounding instruments...but they neck takes a bit of getting used to. I personally don't really think that Colin Edwin's sound with Porcupine Tree is the best example of the Wal tone...(love PT all the same though).

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[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1372278908' post='2123843']
White Cloud makes a good point about the necks...I really couldn't get to grips with the profile on the custom MK1 I had which is why it had to go..I'd lusted after one for years too which made it all the more disappointing...
[/quote]

What is it about the necks? (Wal virgin here)

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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1372280851' post='2123891']
What is it about the necks? (Wal virgin here)
[/quote]

A lot of them have quite a pronounced 'V' profile, a lot of people don't like it. It's unlike anything else I'd played but I don't mind it, though the necks aren't the best necks in the world. I can live with that though, and still enjoy the bass. I expect with the super expensive custom Wals being made at the moment, you could have youe pick of neck shape.

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[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1372279537' post='2123856']
This the sound of a Wal!
[media]http://youtu.be/WQgu0MpnKq8[/media]
[/quote]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odwndhacnqY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odwndhacnqY[/url]

This clip is probably a bit less produced. :)
.

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That was really helpful, on the bass strings particularly. thanks.

How do you Wal users get on with the tone controls? I have only read about them (and, like the guy in the clip!) got a little lost with the pull function of boosting a certain frequency dependant upon the position of the knob.

Are these controls too sensitive to use on the hoof? Are they instinctive in use?

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I owned 2 5 string Wal’s, a mk2 and mk3, and they sounded fat, full, punchy and warm. Each bass was a joy to pick up and play.

They worked well in the studio (engineers loved them) and with the originals bands I played with, less so (IMO) with the soul and blues bands.

I believe you can choose your wood, and maybe alter the position of the pickups, but everything else, including neck profiles, comes as it is.

I've never played a 4 string, but the 5 string necks are thin (front to back) and really fast and easy to play.

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Check out Flea's tone on Blood Sugar Sex Magic, I think he used a Wal of some description on 99% of that... really thick, rubbery type sound, very different to all his other basses. Sounds great with a busted Q-Tron on Sir Psycho [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PU0Cdtzk6o"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PU0Cdtzk6o[/url]

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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1372014298' post='2120698']
Sorry mate, it's WAY more complicated than that! :lol:

The only practical way to decide whether a Wal can make the sound you want is to sit down and play one for a few hours, preferably after a 5-minute walk-through of what each of the knobs does and how they interact with each other.

With a bit of thought, you can get a Wal to do pretty much anything.
[/quote]

Yeah, beginning to understand that now. Think I'd need a couple of days to begin to understand how the knobs interact with one another!

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Here's an example of a MkII fourstring, PU blend center, all tone controls flat. Pure Wal sound :-)
[url="https://myspace.com/tomblock/music/song/decimate-36583198-38464103"]http://myspace.com/tomblock/music/song/decimate-36583198-38464103[/url]

Guess which of them two is the Wal ....

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[quote name='tom5string' timestamp='1372332900' post='2124381']
Here's an example of a MkII fourstring, PU blend center, all tone controls flat. Pure Wal sound :-)
[url="https://myspace.com/tomblock/music/song/decimate-36583198-38464103"]http://myspace.com/tomblock/music/song/decimate-36583198-38464103[/url]

Guess which of them two is the Wal ....
[/quote]

Tricky, they both have bell like tones, but I would say the first bass (the accompaniment alternating chords) is the Wal.

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