Here's a not quite random selection of tunes played on a variety of different types of Wal bass. Hope you enjoy then. Feel free to suggest your own favourites in the blog comments...
I started out using a 59 P-bass
which actually worked very well in the studio, because although it had some
loud spots you could graphic them out. On stage however I was looking for a
more even, punchier sound and my roadie at the time suggested we look at the
Wals. So we visited the factory and talked to Pete and Ian about what we
wanted. I ended up with two fretted basses and a fretless one as well.
Along with
tub-thumper, Gavin Harrison (and before him, Chris Maitland), Colin Edwin lays
down the solid foundation on which the Porcupine Tree build their neo-prog
soundscapes. Over much of the band’s 10 album career the bass element of that
rhythm section has been powered by Wal basses.
So why did you
particularly choose to get a Wal bass?
Really, I didn’t
know much that about Wal basses when I bought my first Wal - a fretted
four-string, from session bass player Martin Elliott [best known for his
playing with Michael Nyman] in 1989. He was a friend of the family who had
been helping me out by teaching me when I first started playing bass. I used to
play his Wal sometimes when I visited him and I always really liked it. He
offered it to me first when he wanted to sell it, so I was very lucky.
Martin’s old bass is
a Wal Custom made from solid ash, and I believe it quite unusual in that
respect. He had it made for himself, and told me he was very insistent on the
material he wanted used in it’s construction.
When I was 17 I went to a
Brand X gig, with Jeff Berlin's band supporting. What a line up! Percy Jones
was using a 4 string fretless Wal and constantly adjusting the parametric EQ as
he was going. He got some incredible sounds out of it. Then there was Colin
Bass, the Camel bass player (Camel are still my favourite band) who used both
fretted and fretless 4 strings, and got an amazing deep rich tone out of them.
Finally I heard Mick Karn's playing on the Japan album and the great sound he
got on his Wal fretless.
Although probably best known
for his playing with Beck, over recent years Justin Meldal-Johnsen has become a
sought after sidesman and session player – with a CV as diverse as Michele
Branch, Air, Turin Breaks, Marianne Faithful, Macy Gray and Seal. However it might
surprise some that he is a fully paid-up fan of Wal basses, especially given
his penchant for unusual, lo-fi squeezes – from Fender Coronados and Guild
Starfires to Gibson Thunderbirds. We caught up with him to chat over his love
of the basses.
You’re well known for using a range of pretty quirky but lo-fi basses –
one wouldn’t immediately think that a Wal bass was up your street. What first
made you consider getting one?
I was enamored with the sound the day I heard it. That was in the hands
of Greg Edwards, formerly the bassist for Failure, now guitarist for Autolux.
You can hear it all over those three Failure records... a sound that inspired
Justin from Tool as well, apparently.
In absolutely no particular order, here are a few of the better known folk who have been known to wield a Wal from time to time. Some you'll know. Some might come as a bit of a surprise... Feel free to suggest your own favourites in the blog comments...
Paul McCartney
Geddy Lee (Rush)
Nick Beggs
Greg Lake (Emerson Lake and Palmer)
Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions)
Colin Moulding (XTC)
Paul Simenon (The Clash)
Mick Karn (Japan)
Justin Chancellor (Tool)
Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet)
Mike Oldfield
Jonas Hellborg
Sam Rivers (Limp Bizkit)
Jason Newstead (Metallica)
Steve Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees)
David Paton (Pilot, Alan Parsons Project, sessions)
Because of its immense tonal flexibility, during the late 1980s and early 1990s the Wal became the preferred for the discerning London session hound – so it’s likely that you’ve heard a darned sight more Wal bass that you may think. However, here’s a quick run through a dozen or so classic Wal sounds reaching back to the earliest days of the brand.
Feel free to suggest your own favourites in the blog comments...
Siren – Roxy Music: John Gustafson
Possibly the earliest known recording featuring the sound of a Wal built instrument. Gustafson uses his custom built Precision/Wal hybrid. It’s this instrument which is responsible for one of the most iconic basslines of 1970s pop – ‘Love is the Drug’. However, with the revolving-door of Roxy bassists featuring Gustafson, Gary Tibbs and Alan Spenner (all Wal users) a dip into any of the band’s later albums will pay Wal bass dividends!
Power Windows – Rush: Geddy Lee
Having moved from Ricky to Jazz to Steinberger on previous albums, Geddy Lee was so enamoured the Wal he used on this album (belonging to producer Pete Collins) that he bought three for himself! The punchy, mid-heavy growl of the Wals became a Rush signature sound for the best part of a decade until, the beloved Jazz was dusted off again for the Counterparts album. The focused, naturally compressed sound of the basses perfectly suited the band’s complex production values during this period, allowing Lee’s busy lines to shine through the mix. The live album, A Show Of Hands and the studio cuts, Hold Your Fire and Presto are also well worth checking out for Wal-era Rush tones
