jdel Posted March 10, 2015 Posted March 10, 2015 This one is dated from 1990 and signed by Pete, got it in Belgium from a retired musician. The neck has a poly high gloss finish, but the body seems to have a lighter satin like type finish, which is pretty much gone on the sides and half the back, showing how much this has been gigged. The treble pickup filter pot is also pretty hard to turn or pull, and I cannot remove the knob, I suspect this has been glued at some point and that some glue has gone around the shaft. It works, but I could definitely use a new pot. Quote
mikeswals Posted March 11, 2015 Posted March 11, 2015 I had to service some difficult to turn/pull pots on mine when they arrived too. I used Deoxit, sprayed some in the tiny square openings on the backs on the pots, and I removed the knobs and used a toothpick to help dribble some Deoxit down the pot shaft. Work it in well then they spin easily. Quote
CamdenRob Posted March 13, 2015 Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) What strings are you guys using on your Wals? I've always used prosteels but I changed to Warwick black labels on the Wal as I needed a tapered B. I want to get as much growl as possible, any recomendations? Edited March 13, 2015 by CamdenRob Quote
jensenmann Posted March 13, 2015 Posted March 13, 2015 I´m using Rockinger strings for my fretted Wals and Pyramid Nickels for my fretless. Quote
MoJoKe Posted March 13, 2015 Posted March 13, 2015 Like all my basses I used to use Elixir nanoweb mediums on the fretless - nice and growly, keep their tone for so long, and easy on the hands. Quote
Kev Posted March 13, 2015 Posted March 13, 2015 I have flex steels 90 gauge on mine at the moment, I love the sound and size of the strings but the tension is too low really for me. Higher tension light strings, anyone? Quote
mikeswals Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 I'm using DR Marcus Miller stainless on my 5. They are the grittiest-zingiest B string I can find. I tried taper B's, but they didnt sound as bright, nor did the fat part of the string cover the rear row if pickup pole. Quote
CamdenRob Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 hmmm maybe I'll grab a few different types with my thomann vouchers. Quote
kulit17 Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]To help out my fellow Wal-nuts just wanted to document this:[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,](I originally posted this on Talkbass, but i think fellows here have the luxury of just bringing the bass to directly to Paul - if not here ya go!!!!)[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]So over the weekend i made it a point to work on my Wal preamp on my 89 Mk I Honduras Bass. a couple days ago i was trying out a few things and had it tuned to drop C. when i was playing it, the low C sounded like crap. to make sure it wasn't my rig or the setup, i grabbed my Black Mk I and gave it the same setup and it sounded great! Being an '89, it actually put it at the mark where it should be done anyways.[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Here are a couple [b][u]before[/u] [/b]pics.[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,][/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,][/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Here is the old vs new:[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]just a note that the old is a 4.7 uF 25V electrolytic capacitor.[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i replaced it with (2) 4.7 uF 35 V electrolytic capator - which Paul currently uses on all the new builds.[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,][/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Here is a pic of the finished install:[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,][/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]So in summary, just wanted to post pics for those who have older Wals (80s-early 90s) since this will need to be done eventually, since aluminum electrolytic caps do have a load/shelf life. You can tell it NEEDS to be done if you have the following:[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]the cap show sign of it detoriating/aging[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]the sound of the bass doesn't sound like it should[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]your getting weird popping sound [/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]its also a good idea to do it as preventative work, since it will eventually deteriorate/fail (you don't this to happen and muck up your PCB)[/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,][/font] [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]if you are going to attempt this yourself, here is a nice tutorial i had book marked and used for reference back in my hay days at school.[/font] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCSNWi3UHf4 [font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]if you feel at all uncomfortable doing it, PLEASE get the work done by a professional.....if ya mess up i think Paul charges £50.00 -£75.00 for preamp repairs.[/font] Edited March 16, 2015 by kulit17 Quote
jensenmann Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Recapping is a good idea. I did that with my Mk2 5er, too. IIRC I used 10uF or 22uF. Increasing coupling caps lowers distortion and phaseshift. Quote
jdel Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Hmm interesting, I will have a look at mine, the caps are probably due a replacement soon. Quote
Leonard Smalls Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1426236207' post='2715860'] What strings are you guys using on your Wals? I've always used prosteels but I changed to Warwick black labels on the Wal as I needed a tapered B. I want to get as much growl as possible, any recomendations? [/quote] I'm getting an excellently growly tone from Labella Slappers... Quote
CamdenRob Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 [quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1426608528' post='2719803'] I'm getting an excellently growly tone from Labella Slappers... [/quote] Interesting... I love Labella flats on fretless. Can you get the slappers in a six string set? Quote
Leonard Smalls Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Looks like it! http://thebassgallery.com/strings/hard-rocking-steel-slappers-6-string-4477.html Quote
Leonard Smalls Posted March 18, 2015 Posted March 18, 2015 And here's mine, with his mate Sandberg. Quote
CamdenRob Posted March 18, 2015 Posted March 18, 2015 [quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1426613547' post='2719866'] Looks like it! [url="http://thebassgallery.com/strings/hard-rocking-steel-slappers-6-string-4477.html"]http://thebassgaller...tring-4477.html[/url] [/quote] Ah in the gallery too... I'll try and drop in tonight on my way home. [quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1426666363' post='2720381'] And here's mine, with his mate Sandberg. [/quote] Lovely... Shedua facings? Quote
Leonard Smalls Posted March 18, 2015 Posted March 18, 2015 Aye - tis shedua apart from the wear points! Cost me £500 from Allbang and Strummit many years ago. Quote
CamdenRob Posted March 18, 2015 Posted March 18, 2015 [quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1426667518' post='2720395'] Aye - tis shedua apart from the wear points! Cost me £500 from Allbang and Strummit many years ago. [/quote] Same as mine Although sadly mine wasn't £500 ... Quote
Leonard Smalls Posted March 18, 2015 Posted March 18, 2015 Very nice! Although it appears to be a guitar... Quote
mikeswals Posted April 18, 2015 Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) I just recently picked up a new birdseye maple MkIII 4 string a few weeks ago. Built Jan/2015, found it already traded-in at a vintage guitar shop...their loss I say! It's spectacular! The only bummer is, I placed an order a couple months ago with Wal for a similar MkIII 4, so I may change the new build to a 5 string. So an upated family pic with the (Mk) 1 2 3 punch! Edited April 18, 2015 by mikeswals Quote
Kev Posted April 18, 2015 Posted April 18, 2015 The mind boggles, a 2 year wait for 2 months (at most!) of ownership and god knows what kind of rubbish price the shop would have given him. Eek.. Quote
mikeswals Posted April 18, 2015 Posted April 18, 2015 Not only that Kev, I just "had" to jump on it really quick because the store priced it like a MkI (for the US anyway) got @ $5200! That's 2 grand savings right off the bat! The original owner (or store) easily could have sold it at full factory retail. Quote
Stoney Posted April 18, 2015 Posted April 18, 2015 Here is mine, a 1978 wal pro 1 next to his brother a custom Manson with wal pickups from 1985. Quote
Spoombung Posted April 19, 2015 Posted April 19, 2015 That's exactly the model I'd go for. Congrats! Quote
CamdenRob Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 Headstock veneer gone on for my incoming Ziricote Mk3. Not long to go now Quote
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