JamieSteve Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 [list] [*]1979 Wal Pro 1 bass. Its condition is ok although the body has some scratches and wear and tare with some corrosion on the plate screws. Plays very well. No case. [/list] [b]ORIGINALLY PRODUCED:[/b] 1978-82 [b]ORIGIN:[/b] UK [b]TYPE:[/b] Solidbody, active (E) or passive 4-string [b]BODY: [/b]Ash three-piece, twin cutaway, other woods as ordered [b]NECK:[/b] Maple & mahogany laminated, bolt on, 21 medium frets [b]SCALE LENGTH:[/b] 864mm (34-inch) [b]FINGERBOARD:[/b] Rosewood with white pearl dot inlays [b]HARDWARE:[/b] Chrome, adjustable four-saddle bridge/tailpiece assembly [b]PICKUP: [/b]Wal humbucker with two rows of four pole pieces with a separate coil for each of the eight [b]CONTROLS: [/b]Volume, tone, active/passive slide switch [b]FEATURES:[/b] Modular FET active circuitry, body edge plate featured a regular jack or an alternative balanced line XLR for low impedance connection. This was popular with seventies session players but it also allowed the use of much longer leads for those stadium gigs! Schaller tuners with ‘crescent’ gear covers, large plastic scratchplate [b]FINISHES[/b]: Natural, black, colours to order Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyDog Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hi The serial number looks like PB16something, can you confirm? Also, has it had a replacement neck at some point? IIRC the Pro basses had bigger headstocks and the words 'Pro Bass' on them. Like this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 +1 That's definitely a replacement neck.. Nice bass though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieSteve Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 The serial no is PB1659. l bought the bass 17 years ago with its current neck. Here's what l've found out recently from this forum: [i][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Pete and Wal were on a bit of a learning curve when it came to building basses, and it took them a while to find the perfect combination of materials and laminates for the neck . I seem to remember they experimented with cherry laminates, alongside the usual maple, and also graphite reinforcement strips in the late 1970's, before settling on the maple/ hornbeam/ mukalungu combination that served them so well after that. I think that quite a few basses from the early paddle headstock era developed problems with warping ect , and if they ended up back at Wycombe then more often than not they opted to put a new neck on the bass , rather than mess about trying to remedy the old one.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]They usually gave a new neck free of charge in such cases , and I have seen several basses of a similar vintage to this one ( like the one Nick Beggs played back in the day with Kajagoogoo, for example) that have subsequently had newer necks put on them. Pete was passionate about the basses they made being out in the World a being used to make music with, whether it was on a big hit record or being played in a covers band playing at the local pub, he wanted to keep all the instruments out on the road and giving proper service to someone , so to speak. I wouldn't be surprised if this bass has been the grateful recipient of a replacement neck.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The bridges were always prone to developing a slightly annoying rattle that was notoriously difficult to isolate and fix, so maybe that is why they opted for a replacement bridge. [/font][/color][/i] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 I'm pretty sure that I owned this bass in the early 90's for a few years... Will have a look through my old photos later to double-check and see what the neck was on it at that time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Definitely a replacement neck. The stringtree was used in the early '80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 [quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1396375397' post='2412904'] I'm pretty sure that I owned this bass in the early 90's for a few years... Will have a look through my old photos later to double-check and see what the neck was on it at that time! [/quote] Having looked back, the one I had was PB1692, which had the older style neck with paddle-shaped headstock.. [attachment=159212:Pro 1 PB1692.jpg] It was a great sounding bass and like most Wals I've ever owned or played, it was beautifully made and played like a dream! GLWTS of yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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