Bass Culture Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 (edited) As I have previously commissioned Mike to make me a ZB-1000 (a zootified version of an Aria SB-1000 - see previous build thread) I thought I'd continue with the 'basses I drooled over in my youth' theme and ask Mike to build me his take on a Wal Custom which - with all the imagination of a goldfish - we've christened the Zoot 'Wal-a-like'. It's going to be a 32" scale, 4 stringer again and use MIke's scaled down Boudica body shape, which shares some similarities to a Wal Mk 3 shape. Full specs: Body: Mahogany Facings: Padauk (front and back) Neck: 5 piece - figured maple with wenge stringers, 32" scale length Nut width: 38mm Fingerboard: Ebony with 5mm MOP dots Bridge: Individual gold ABM types (actually some no name ones I found in a box of bits) String spacing: 17.5mm Tuners: Hipshot Ultralites in back & gold Pickups: 2 x Rautia muli coils Preamp: Lusithand Double NFP Special filter preamp Knobs: John East Here's a picture of some wood for those of you who like that sort of things. I'll update as the build progresses but I'd guess we're looking at a few months before completion. Edited May 11, 2022 by Bass Culture 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 Is this the body shape?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted December 4, 2021 Author Share Posted December 4, 2021 1 hour ago, TheGreek said: Is this the body shape?? That’s the one. Mike’s done a slightly scaled down version though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted December 5, 2021 Share Posted December 5, 2021 I'm looking forward to this build, Mark has come up with a great idea for a bass. I'm hoping I can nail as close as possible the original Wal sound, so let's see how we get on... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted December 5, 2021 Share Posted December 5, 2021 The regular Zoot custom model and the Boudica are really cool body shapes IMO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted December 5, 2021 Author Share Posted December 5, 2021 2 hours ago, lemmywinks said: The regular Zoot custom model and the Boudica are really cool body shapes IMO. The scaled down Boudica had a very slightly less extended top horn and the bottom bout is slightly more 'square on'. It looks tremendous. I have a pdf of it but can't figure out how to post it as Flickr doesn't let you upload pdf's. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted December 5, 2021 Share Posted December 5, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, lemmywinks said: The regular Zoot custom model and the Boudica are really cool body shapes IMO. This was the very first design that Mark and I came up with for the downsized Zoot Boudica 32" with the "Wal-a-Like" pickups etc. It has changed very slightly since then and now has four controls as a posed to the three shown on the original draft drawing. Hope this helps. Edited December 5, 2021 by Cosmicrain 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted December 5, 2021 Share Posted December 5, 2021 33 minutes ago, Cosmicrain said: This was the very first design that Mark and I came up with for the downsized Zoot Boudica 32" with the "Wal-a-Like" pickups etc. It has changed very slightly since then and now has four controls as a posed to the three shown on the original draft drawing. Hope this helps. I still have my old Zoot Deluxe Custom, kept hold of it although I don't gig 4 strings any more and the preamp (an OPB3) no longer works. Keep meaning to dig it out and get it sorted as it's my joint favourite bass shape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted December 5, 2021 Share Posted December 5, 2021 3 hours ago, lemmywinks said: I still have my old Zoot Deluxe Custom, kept hold of it although I don't gig 4 strings any more and the preamp (an OPB3) no longer works. Keep meaning to dig it out and get it sorted as it's my joint favourite bass shape! Good to hear your still have the Zoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted December 6, 2021 Author Share Posted December 6, 2021 15 hours ago, Cosmicrain said: This was the very first design that Mark and I came up with for the downsized Zoot Boudica 32" with the "Wal-a-Like" pickups etc. It has changed very slightly since then and now has four controls as a posed to the three shown on the original draft drawing. Hope this helps. Mike did this mock-up for me as I was a little concerned about how congested the centre of the body might be as the pickups + surrounds, I thought, could take up too much space. As it turned out, it actually looks pretty well balanced - to my eye. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 We have activity! Mike's been busy, busy, busy recently, so it was a nice surprise to get a message from him this week saying he's started proper on my build now, with some update photos of the work he's done on the neck: Screw holes on the headstock are the location of the tuners and the string retainer, I'd guess. Not as showy as the neck on my Zoot ZB-1000 (which was a work of art - see build thread: I'm heading down his way towards the end of February so it will be nice to pop in and see progress first hand, and have a good catch-up too. I don't expect it to be finished by then but it will certainly be looking much more bass-like. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 Nice surprise when I got back yesterday afternoon - some more updates from Mike. More work on the neck and he's now starting on the body too. Definitely shaping up now: The mahogany core is going to be faced up back and front with paduak - to give that authentic Wal vibe. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Mike's work is just fabulous. Top man too, and not just cause he's an Essex bloke like wot i is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 1 hour ago, fleabag said: Mike's work is just fabulous. Top man too, and not just cause he's an Essex bloke like wot i is. Many thanks for the kind words, much appreciated.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 I've been able to work a bit more on Mark's bass. Here are the latest update pictures. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 i'm liking this thread 😎 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 4 hours ago, Cosmicrain said: I've been able to work a bit more on Mark's bass. Here are the latest update pictures. Was looking forward to seeing this in person on Friday so will just have to see how accommodating Storm Eunice is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 A few more update progress pictures. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 Thanks @Cosmicrain - looking forward to seeing progress in person next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 56 minutes ago, Bass Culture said: Thanks @Cosmicrain - looking forward to seeing progress in person next weekend. Did you find a spare £120 for the petrol then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 The next stage is to bond all the body timbers together. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 4 hours ago, Cosmicrain said: Did you find a spare £120 for the petrol then? And that's not even a joke now! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Pictures of the next stages. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 Still a lot of work to do, of course, but when it starts look bass-like it's difficult to keep the excitement at bay! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicrain Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Carving the body top 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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