NikNik Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 (edited) Wal Mk 1 Photo .. .. Edited June 10 by NikNik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Private group! How much are they asking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 £7k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misdee Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Looks like a nice one. Probably American walnut. My old bass teacher back in the 1980's had a very similar example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 Close, it’s French Walnut. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers_Williamson Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 Serial Number? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickA Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 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). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misdee Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers_Williamson Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 It has twin string guides too, which reinforces the idea it's slightly later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 An '85 in my mate's shop in Hampton... https://www.hillsounduk.com/products/wal-mk1-maple-mahogany-1985-astounding-quality-classic-active-bass-pre-owned?_pos=1&_sid=465962ba2&_ss=r 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misdee Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 (edited) 29 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: An '85 in my mate's shop in Hampton... https://www.hillsounduk.com/products/wal-mk1-maple-mahogany-1985-astounding-quality-classic-active-bass-pre-owned?_pos=1&_sid=465962ba2&_ss=r Mentions "two tone knobs" in the description, that sounds like the knobs I'm referring to. That is a stunning bass, by the way. Edited June 10 by Misdee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikNik Posted June 10 Author Share Posted June 10 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 (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 June 10 by franzbassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers_Williamson Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 7 minutes ago, franzbassist said: Early to mid 80s I believe. I had one made in 1989 that had a single string guide. I stand corrected! Mine's 1982 (with a single string guide) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 3 minutes ago, Piers_Williamson said: I stand corrected! Mine's 1982 (with a single string guide) How odd. I guess they were both used through the years then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 My 81 has a single guide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 3 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: An '85 in my mate's shop in Hampton... https://www.hillsounduk.com/products/wal-mk1-maple-mahogany-1985-astounding-quality-classic-active-bass-pre-owned?_pos=1&_sid=465962ba2&_ss=r Is Leonard still at Hillsound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Tabasco Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 I recognized this one, it's https://www.nedcom.nl/WAL/view.php?id=W2099 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers_Williamson Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 Thank you Tony. You've joined the fun . Who needs Facebook! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 7 hours ago, BetaFunk said: Is Leonard still at Hillsound? No idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickA Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 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. 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeswals Posted October 25 Share Posted October 25 (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 October 25 by mikeswals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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