Hi from the Netherlands

[RonC]

Hi all,

I'm on this forum for quite a while now but never introduced myself so it's about time i'll do that!

So here it goes:

I'm a 52yr old bass player, started in 1989 and played in a lot of bands ever since. I really like the creative part of making music so I never did covers and always played in bands with own material.  

At this moment i'm not in a band anymore, partly due lack of time. 

I always liked to work on my instruments so in 2018 I started with a luthiers course in Belgium which i really enjoy. 

It's so great to create an instrument with your hands out of some pieces of wood!

After building an acoustic guitar (Martin no1 model, for my wife), which took me 3 years to finish... (6 hrs a week) I'm now working on a copy of one of my Wal basses. I hope to finish it somewhere around februari 2025.. 

So i like gear and especially Wal basses.

I was fortunate to buy a new MK3 fretless 5 string in 1998 which i played for 7 years. It was always a dream for me to own a Wal..

Around 2005 i wanted to go back to only 4 strings, i still feel more comfortable and free on a 4 string, so i decided to trade my Wal for a MK1 fretless 4 string with a rosewood fretboard. This one came with an extra neck with ebony fretboard (my preference for fretless). So i swapped necks.

About a year later i started wandering where this ebony neck came from, so i contacted the guy i traded with again and he told me the story of a totally damaged Wal he had bought once from a punk bassist. The body was heavily modified (abused) with a saw, he still had it complete with the pickups, electronics and bridge. So he sold the rest of this for a penny to me.

My idea was to have a local luthier build me a body for it but i had it lying around for years. In 2011 Paul Herman took over the Wal business so i had him build me a new body and fret the neck. So I ended up with 2 Wals with this trade, which should never be separated.

Besides that i have an old ProIIe with was in very bad shape when i bought it (in 2005), i was able to repair the electronics, PU's and had the fretboard replaced. 

In the past i played a Fender Jazz, Musicman Stingray and a handmade "Leader" bass but only the Wals remained. (but i would love to own a stingray again someday..)

Despite a have 3 Wals now (a MK1 fretted, MK1 fretless and an old ProIIe), Wals still have a huge attraction to me and sometimes i miss a low B.

I can't affort buying another Wal so i'm building a copy now myself which will be strung BEAD. 

Besides the Wals, i also play a semi acoustic fretless Safran bass from a Belgian luthier, this one has a great sound, almost like an upright..         

For amplification I have an old EBS Fafner with two Eden D210T cabs. 

And i love to fool around with FX.

 

 

Edited December 12 by RonC

[SpondonBassed]

Belated Welcome Ron.

[Richard R]

Welcome aboard!

Love that fretless.