Bits of Wal…

[Bunion]

Everywhere I looked this afternoon, spread across the work top, bits still hanging off the basses and one dtuner I got on special from hipshot, the last one they had (it was discontinued awhile ago) which had gone missing so most of my spare part/handy bits drawers were out too.

I love playing a bit of fretless but I’m still ‘fettling’ my ear so I mainly play fretted and the mk1 is just to nice to be a practice bass.
My lovely mk1 is fretless 

 

And my pro is fretted 

Bright spark idea, I’ll swap them over, strings off, 8 screws out and in, strings on, job done! 

It’ll only take half an hour…

You may have noticed the first flaw in my plan, the mk1 has chrome hardware while the pro has gold. 
Next I found the mk1 had been shimmed by Wal a small shim which I promptly lost. 
On the bright side The dtuner turned up so on that went too

I’m still looking for a chrome EB4 dtuner for the mk1 so if you have one lying around pm me 😄

In what world could I have ever thought it would be a quick tune up and off I go.

Fretless neck on the Pro and I had the lowest action I could possibly get.

Not an issue, on the fretless I keep the neck straight and the action with a hint of buzz. Just a slight tweak to the saddles and… the intonation is out.

Still (again in what world) the Mk1 should be fine.

The mk1 action had me scrabbling around for the shim and with a moment of clarity it came to me, it’s stuck to the fretless neck isn’t it! 
Fretless off 😞 nope, fretless back on. 

I did find it, where I’d left it on the toilet window sill, I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t decided on a pee break to settle myself (first day on the nicotine patches, they’re not that good.)

The action was still high but the saddles were near the top so I managed to get it to where I like it.

Intonation: FUBAR.

So… 5 hours later I’m having a beer. Did I enjoy my day? Yes I did it was a Bass Day sort of.

I now have this 

 

The Pro still sounds great fretless maybe a little to Zingy but the strings will wear in or I can tame it with flats.

The Mk1 with DR Pure Blues on the other hand is monstrous.

I purchased a Trace Elliot V-Type preamp yesterday from @ahpook

(thanks again mark)

 

It has a ‘Deep’ switch, it moves bowels!
It’s not often I crank things up at home, but by god, today I deserved it 😂🤣

[ahpook]

Sounds like you put the V-Type through its paces. So glad you're enjoying it.

 

Nice Wals btw.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

If ever a bass was meant to be fretless, it's that Pro!

[Bunion]

9 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

If ever a bass was meant to be fretless, it's that Pro!

I think your spot on! 

[Jason Karloff]

I haven't read this. 🤔😛

[itu]

Dear @Bunion,

Has that dark fretless been yours since new? When was yours made? I have seen pretty similar one with whiter stains in my earlier life. Kool, unlined fretless. That Wal of yours is simply fabulous.

[Bunion]

19 minutes ago, itu said:

Dear @Bunion,

Has that dark fretless been yours since new? When was yours made? I have seen pretty similar one with whiter stains in my earlier life. Kool, unlined fretless. That Wal of yours is simply fabulous.

I purchased the Mk1 off the gentleman above you @Jason Karloff this year. It’s a fine bass and I couldn’t keep my hands off it. 
when my fretless skills come somewhere close to allow me to play any style as comfortably as I play fretted I shall change it back. 
The Pro is 1982 and the Mk1 is 1983