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Wal Mk 1 on FB in Barnsley

NikNik

By NikNik,
in Bass Guitars

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NickA Mentor

NickA

Posted
Posted

Not a pro1. That's a custom ( aka MK1).  Looks like a nice one too. £7k isn't far off the mark these days. In fact this is about the cheapest one out there today.

 

From the wear on the knobs, it's Wal & Pete Stevens era not a Paul Herman. Late 80s?

 

There are some silly prices out there eg a fretless custom on reverb for £12k and a nearly new MK2 4 string that sold in Denmark for about £12k ( inc vat).

 

 

  • Like 2
Misdee Mentor

Misdee

Posted
Posted

Re. wear on the knobs, some of the basses from the mid-1980s came from the workshop with knobs that were in a kind of very dark brown slightly distressed finish, for want of a better description, rather than the usual black. I noticed the knobs on this bass and I suspect they may be from that batch.

 

My bass teacher had three MK1 customs, and his wenge one from 1985 had those very distinctly different knobs on. When he sent it to Wal to be serviced  in the early 1990's he had them swap the knobs for black ones.

NikNik Mentor

NikNik

Posted
  • Author
Posted
11 hours ago, NickA said:

Not a pro1. That's a custom ( aka MK1).  Looks like a nice one too. £7k isn't far off the mark these days. In fact this is about the cheapest one out there today.

 

From the wear on the knobs, it's Wal & Pete Stevens era not a Paul Herman. Late 80s?

 

There are some silly prices out there eg a fretless custom on reverb for £12k and a nearly new MK2 4 string that sold in Denmark for about £12k ( inc vat).

 

 

Sorry, yes. Mk 1

 

  • NikNik changed the title to Wal Mk 1 on FB in Barnsley
franzbassist Grand Master

franzbassist

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Piers_Williamson said:

It has twin string guides too, which reinforces the idea it's slightly later.

Early to mid 80s I believe. I had one made in 1989 that had a single string guide.

 

Edited by franzbassist
NickA Mentor

NickA

Posted
Posted

My fretless is 86, two string guides, black knobs.  Guess it's whatever was in the parts bin.  Unlike today,they used to knock them out apace.

 

These days, the exact colour of the knobs and kind of string guide is probably what people specify, along with the special stained finishes, custom finger board inlays gold hardwear etc etc ...no wonder it takes so long to make one now. 🤔

BetaFunk Experienced

BetaFunk

Posted
Posted
On 10/06/2024 at 21:47, Cosmo Valdemar said:

No idea!

Oh right, I thought you might have known the bloke who established and owned your mates shop and ran it and the studio for years. 

Cosmo Valdemar Grand Master

Cosmo Valdemar

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, BetaFunk said:

Oh right, I thought you might have known the bloke who established and owned your mates shop and ran it and the studio for years. 

I'm afraid not, but I'll be sure to ask him for you next time I see him.

BetaFunk Experienced

BetaFunk

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

I'm afraid not, but I'll be sure to ask him for you next time I see him.

Thanks. Leonard started the shop and I know he was still there in 2020. I was often in shop from when it opened in 2001 to when I moved away in 2014. He was a really nice bloke and set up a few basses for me including building me a Tele bodied Bass VI which was a really nice instrument.

  • 4 months later...
mikeswals Enthusiast

mikeswals

Posted
Posted (edited)

Re: string guides.

For the Customs, initially started with only one short string guide on A&D strings on 81-82 basses. Around 83 transitioned to two short guides. This lasted into early 88, then the large single guide came out. 

 

I've had knobs of all sorts of shades from pitch black to brownish and almost translucent on old Wals. Wal sends the plating work out in small batches at a time, so I guess it's however the plating shop decided to run them that day.

Even my new build Wals still have varying degrees of black...and my last one (2022) was satin with almost a texture rather than glossy and smooth. 

Edited by mikeswals

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