Recording with a Wal, gigging with something else?

[TrevorR]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1441123560' post='2856228']
Could it be to do with the pre-amp? I've never had the pleasure of playing a Wal, but I get the impression it would be very easy to knock the controls and change the sound into something unusable.
[/quote]

No worse than any other bass... Imagine accidentally whacking a tone control of an East equipped bass up to max or down to min... The effect would be just as unusable. I reckon a good few non Wal users get a bit phazed by the differences with a regular boost/cut preamp. However, it's surprising how intuitive the Wal tone controls can be when you play one for a while. Frankly, I'd be more worried about accidentally knocking the tone controls on my Audere equipped Frankenjazz (which I also love).

I recall reading an interview with Justin Currie in Making Music magazine (how much does that date me?) where he said that he has tried a Wal for about five minutes once and it "sounded horrible, like a foghorn" and that he'd stick with his P bass, thank you very much. The following month Rob Burns had some whithering remarks in Guitarist about how he jolly well shouldn't diss something publicly until he actually bothered to find out how it worked... :-) A bit passionate about the brand was our Rob.

[TrevorR]

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1441046390' post='2855649']
Quite a few guys appear to do the above, Flea, Geddy and Macca to name three. Any particular reason for this?
[/quote]

I wonder if, in fact (Flea excepted) it's just GAS at work. They use them for a period of time and then move on to the new "the best bass I've ever played, this is it, I've finally mated for life..." cf Geddy, Greg Lake, Jim Crichton from Saga, Bruce Thomas, Macca... And so on. We're incorrigible us bass players...

[Graham]

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1441124462' post='2856248']


No worse than any other bass... Imagine accidentally whacking a tone control of an East equipped bass up to max or down to min... The effect would be just as unusable. I reckon a good few non Wal users get a bit phazed by the differences with a regular boost/cut preamp. However, it's surprising how intuitive the Wal tone controls can be when you play one for a while. Frankly, I'd be more worried about accidentally knocking the tone controls on my Audere equipped Frankenjazz (which I also love).
[/quote]

Fair enough, like I say I've never played one Though as a big Tool fan, I'd really like to change that

[miles'tone]

Shame Flea didn't at least record with the Wal again. He's never sounded better!

[pete.young]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1441047912' post='2855688']
They are idiots?
[/quote]
I think that is a bit harsh.

[Hooch]

At home, in my headphones (ok, it's a bit short for a "recording situation", but you see the idea) i really felt nothing could beat my ex-MK2 fiver. In band situation though, i felt my sound entirely relied on the room and its acoustics. Sometimes it was great, but sometimes i couldn't do anything but playing with a middy-barking tone. This Wal wasn't a dog, i'm pretty sure of this, but I had the feeling it was really sensitive to the acoustics, much more than my Fender-like basses, or my old BC Rich Eagle, which litterally kills in any situation.

Btw, weight didn't make this bass a great instrument to use in live situation, but it's not the reason why i finally part with it.