philw Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Naked self promotion I know, but I just did this... https://www.soundonsound.com/people/why-love-fretless-bass Phil 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyl Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Nicely written article. And a very tasty bass.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 I like the story. The fretless is different and I love her, too. Your Wal reminds me of a bit similar looking unlined Wal. I saw it in a local store early 90's, I think. She had mostly dark brown top but with a lighter round area, a bit like yours has. It was far too expensive at the time and I have tried to find it later on. For some reason, the fretless 4 is fine but a fretted should be a 5. Don't know why. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 And with a fretless Wal, how could you not love fretless bass? Enjoyed reading that - thanks for sharing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted July 19, 2019 Author Share Posted July 19, 2019 2 hours ago, itu said: IYour Wal reminds me of a bit similar looking unlined Wal. I saw it in a local store early 90's, I think. She had mostly dark brown top but with a lighter round area, a bit like yours has. It was far too expensive at the time and I have tried to find it later on. Wouldn't have been mine in the store as I've had it since new. Sounds like you saw a similar fretless with wenge body facings though and they're pretty unusual as Pete Stevens always argued that walnut suited fretless better. He used to advise against wenge for fretless, but I did it anyway 'cause I so loved the look. Didn't regret it for a moment. P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Superb! Well written and personally evocative for me because it echoed much of my own experiences regarding my own musical influences (Genesis, Yes, Brand X) - and subsequent 'sell everything to buy a Wal' purchase - around the same era. My Wal was fretted - and long gone - but not disimilar from yours. Thanks for sharing this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Really enjoyed that Theres something special about a fretless Wal. My fretted Wal is very dear to me, but if my house was on fire and I could only save one it would have to be the fretless... ...Then again I have two hands so I guess I could just grab both 😕 ...should probably leave a hand free for either Mrs C or the cat though 😐 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickA Posted July 25, 2019 Share Posted July 25, 2019 Nice little article and couldn't be more right. the only true Wal is a fretless Wal .....though the fretted ones are also decent basses. How can a slab-bodied bolt-on neck bass ...be so special (and expensive)???? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted July 26, 2019 Share Posted July 26, 2019 A lot of British players seem to have come to fretless through the likes of Brand X and Japan and as such, have a very different take playing a fretless compared to our American counterparts, where Jaco laid the foundation. An interesting difference but I always found Percy Jones's tone in particular to be rather unsatisfying as he always seems to pluck so close to the neck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted July 26, 2019 Share Posted July 26, 2019 On 25/07/2019 at 13:39, NickA said: Nice little article and couldn't be more right. the only true Wal is a fretless Wal .....though the fretted ones are also decent basses. How can a slab-bodied bolt-on neck bass ...be so special (and expensive)???? Funny, I’m perfectly happy with my “untrue” Wals! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickA Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 23 hours ago, Chris2112 said: An interesting difference but I always found Percy Jones's tone in particular to be rather unsatisfying as he always seems to pluck so close to the neck. Jones has said he worries about sounding too like Jaco! I think they both pluck all over the place to get different sounds ... compare, say, teen town ( bridge) with " a remark you made " or " refuge of the roads " ( over the fingerboard ) and of course Jaco played fretted too ( Portrait of Tracey ... which I can only get anywhere near playing on the fretless for some reason ). Meanwhile Percy Jones on Noddy goes to Sweden has about every sound you can get out of a (fretless Wal) bass! I count both as major influencers .. but much as I like Mick Kahn and Pino P, (and others from that great British fretless era, eg Andy Pask) I can never sound anything like them. ..and Trevor, you need Wal no 3. A walnut faced fretless would complete that line up nicely! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baceface Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Wonderful article - as others have said, it's very well written. Lovely Wal too. Saw John Giblin a few times with John Martyn's band - a pretty tasty player. In fact the whole JM band had serious chops around that time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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