Wal Custom 4 String 1988/2017 - Left Handed - Withdrawn Please Lock £4200

[JohnR]

Price now reduced to £2,800

It was thirty years ago today…….

This is the one I thought I would never sell. However, I am now exclusively playing a 6 string bass with a 35” scale these days and can’t see me ever going back to 4 string.

Up for sale is my 1988 Mk I Wal Custom 4 string. I have owned this since new and took delivery of it in April 1988. Completely refurbished and serviced last year by Paul at a cost of £2,700. I will scan and upload his invoice.

Payment by bank transfer only. Collection preferred but delivery can be negotiated. I live in Glasgow and potential buyers are welcome to visit.

The body is in mint condition which you would expect as it is only a year old. The neck is in excellent condition but does have some marks from being played over a 30 year period. I hear you asking why the body is a year old while the neck is 30 years old. Read on……

It has been rarely gigged over the past 30 years as I was primarily studio based during the late 80s until I stopped playing with bands in the mid 90’s.

It is an Ian Waller build and was originally black polyester overall. During the 90s I stripped the body to the wood which I later came to regret. For several years I wanted to have it restored to Wal specs and, last year, I sent it to Paul for evaluation and refurbishment. His assessment was that I had unevenly sanded the body and a black gloss polyester finish would only serve to highlight the flaws.

After discussing options he agreed to make a new body which I decided to have  built with birdseye maple facings to have a clear distinction between the new body and the original neck and hardware. I also loved the idea of combining Ian’s original work on the neck with Paul’s contemporary body build.

Paul also did work on the frets and serviced the pickups and electronics. The tuners, string tree and strap locks were all replaced with black versions. The tuners are now lightweight Schaller M4S versions which look identical to the original tuners. I also bought a new Wal case which the finished bass was shipped back in.

All of the original hardware will be included in the sale. The body, tuners, string trees and strap pegs as well as the original control cavity cover with Iain’s details of the original build.

I have the invoice from Paul detailing all his work and the costs. The final bill was £2,700 which I consider money well spent in bringing this beautiful bass back up to Wal specifications. I also still have the box Wal used to ship the bass to me last year which I will reuse if it has to be shipped.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more photographs.

The asking price is firm and I am not looking for any trades.

The photos below show the different stages in its life from black to stripped to new birdseye maple body.

John

Edited July 31, 2018 by JohnR
Withdrawn

[JohnR]

Here is the invoice for the rebuild and service.

Edited July 31, 2018 by JohnR
Withdrawn

[mxm]

Nooooooooo !!!!

Stunning Bass - good luck with sale !

[LeftyJ]

[TheGreek]

Wow...that's one of the nicest looking Wals I've seen.

Thankfully I'm right handed...feel sorry for all the lefties viewing this and having a massive GAS attack.

Don't think you'll need it (after all you are selling one and a half Wal basses for less than the price of a new one) but GLWTS.

[JohnR]

Thanks All.

 

One of the few benefits of selling a left handed bass on BassChat is never needing to bump the thread as so few get put up for sale that there is no possibility of falling off the front page.

[sblueplanet]

I nearly fell off the sofa seeing this one. Superb 

[rogerstodge]

That is stunning

[uk_lefty]

That is a thing of absolute beauty and kept in showroom condition! Unfortunately out of my range unless you accept any body part I have two of.

[Tvrtastic]

Euromillions ticket for tonight purchased. Fingers crossed. 

[kevham]

Awesome looking bass and I bet it sounds and plays beautifully.

 I played a fretless Wal in Sound Control in Glasgow in about 1989. It was lovely and less than a grand. I kinda regret not buying it but I was rubbish with fretless so probably for the best.

Sadly out of my price range now. :-(

[JohnR]

An unnecessary bump and a price drop to £4,000. 

[JohnR]

Price reduced to £3,800.

[JohnR]

Saturday bump and a price reduction to £3,500.

[discreet]

Holy Mother of God! That's stunning. I'm a righty but it doesn't matter. I'd gladly swap the strings round and play this upside down in a cack-handed manner! It's amazing. GLWTS.

Massive Wal GAS now, dammit!! 

[JohnR]

Thanks. Everything you hear about them is true. They play and sound beautiful. I have committed myself to only playing sixers from now on so have to move this on to pay for a new build.

[rogerstodge]

I’ll bet it sounds a bit special thru that Vanderkley 

[JohnR]

It did for sure but I have sold on the Vanderkley now. I was planning on a little Genzler 350 combo to replace it but think it will try FRFR running off a pedalboard.

[JohnR]

Bump and a price reduction to £3,400.

[JohnR]

Final reduction to £3,000. There will be no further reductions as I will keep it if it doesn't sell at this price.

[mikeswals]

You should just keep it. *to me* that's to the point of not worth selling seeing you're right near the refurbish cost point. 

[JohnR]

On hold.

[JohnR]

Available for purchase again.

[sblueplanet]

Nicely nice 

[JohnR]

Still available