Unusual Wal JG bass

[Kevsy71]

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wal-4-String-Black-Bass-Guitar-/222563875003?hash=item33d1d738bb:g:kMIAAOSwjRpZVTQX"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wal-4-String-Black-Bass-Guitar-/222563875003?hash=item33d1d738bb:g:kMIAAOSwjRpZVTQX[/url]

Has a JG serial number (1152 out of 1153), but with what appears to be Pro IIe controls, and a custom-style headstock logo. I can't see anything quite like it on the Wal History site, any thoughts welcome!

[Kevsy71]

BTW there's some good answers (thanks Trevor!) on the same question that I posted to the Facebook Wal group:

[url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2413094311/permalink/10155525332639312/?comment_id=10155525492604312&notif_t=group_comment&notif_id=1498836461940145"]https://www.facebook.com/groups/2413094311/permalink/10155525332639312/?comment_id=10155525492604312&notif_t=group_comment&notif_id=1498836461940145[/url]

[kodiakblair]

Hoped for a moment it was mine,re-appearing after near 30 year in the wilderness.

Hopes dashed for the umpteen time this week

[ambient]

First time I've seen an ugly Wal.

[lowregisterhead]

I was just about to say I thought it looked rather nice - horses for courses and all that...

[dyerseve]

For those of us not in the know, what is a Wal JG bass and how do they differ from a "normal" Wal?

[chris_b]

That's a Wal Pro 2.

I believe the Pro 1 and Pro 2 were Wal's "budget" line.

Edited July 3, 2017 by chris_b

[Kevsy71]

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1499084605' post='3329010']
For those of us not in the know, what is a Wal JG bass and how do they differ from a "normal" Wal?
[/quote]

Head over to Trevor Raggatt's excellent Wal history site for details on the JG, but also (as Chris says above) the Pro IIe, which is what this appears to be despite the JG serial: [url="http://walbasshistory.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page_9226.html"]http://walbasshistory.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page_9226.html[/url] . The Pro IIe preceded the custom Wal and has a different preamp, without the custom's low-pass filters, but does include various boost functions.

The Facebook link in the second post also has commentary from experts, and that group also has a post on another late-serial JG which is the same Pro IIe spec.

[kodiakblair]

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1499084605' post='3329010']
For those of us not in the know, what is a Wal JG bass and how do they differ from a "normal" Wal?
[/quote] Wished I could tell you more but I never played another Wal apart from JG,it's been gone near 30 year. Very chaotic time in my life and I didn't manage to hold on to it long, a leather scratchplate I remember and the pickups had coil tap/phase switches. I do remember it was £500 2nd hand from Monkey Business in Romford

[lowregisterhead]

Now bids are up to £1500... and it could cost a whole lot more to make it playable!

[NickA]

Well a fully functional Custom 4-string (aka Mk1) will be at least £3000 (£4500 to £5000 according to Bass direct - who appear to have sold both of theirs) .. so £1620 (and rising, with 4 hours to go) plus repairs is still a good price ... I guess, and this one is quite a rarity.. unique in fact.

Though there is plenty else out there that might prove better value as an actual thing to play.

Edited July 6, 2017 by NickA

[Happy Jack]

I had an identical bass 7/8 years ago (the one that Nick Beggs played on Too Shy, though I didn't know it at the time) which I bought from Silverfoxnik in need of a major restoration job.

I sold it a year later (to Clarky) for £2000 IIRC which just about covered the purchase price and the restoration.

Maybe I should have kept it ...

[URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20SOLD/Wal%20Pro%20IIe%201978%20SOLD/100_0171.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Basses%20SOLD/Wal%20Pro%20IIe%201978%20SOLD/100_0171.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[lowregisterhead]

£2301. Blimey. Hopefully it won't need a new neck or anything major! Was the buyer a BC'er, I wonder?

[Kevsy71]

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1499409148' post='3331326']
£2301. Blimey. Hopefully it won't need a new neck or anything major! Was the buyer a BC'er, I wonder?
[/quote]

Yikes! I was considering bidding and asked Wal regarding restoration and they sent a very detailed response. As you suggest major neck work would be the significant expense, and also uncertainty that the electronics worked (notwithstanding the failed pots). And it seems likely that it was a replacement (non-JG) neck.

I wasn't prepared to take a chance on extra expense/wait for servicing - but congrats to the winner, hope there's nothing major wrong and they are enjoying it soon