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series offered a range of electronics options, such as one or two pick-ups and passive or active wiring. The active models introduced switchable filters for each pick-up, allowing certain frequencies to be cut or boosted to provide a wider range of tonal options, and they featured a "pick attack" feature, which boosted a narrow band of upper-mid range frequencies to simulate the attacking tone of a plectrum when playing fingerstyle.
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a larger body with a rounder profile at the bridge end of the body and a more asymmetric upper cutaway than the Mark 1). The Mark 3 body style was introduced with the arrival of 6-string models in the early 1990s, these being essentially slimmer versions of the Mark 2 body style. Other rare models were also available periodically, including a
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core. The range was expanded during the 1980s, and 5-string and 6-string models and three distinct body shapes were introduced. These are referred to as Mark 1 (the original Custom 4-string style, developed from the shape of the JG and Pro Series); and the Mark 2, (introduced with the 5-string model,
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The company's founder, Ian Waller, was a bass player in the 1960s
Manchester pop music scene. In the late 1960s he moved to London to pursue a career as an electronics engineer, and with his electronics and woodworking skills he quickly became involved in the film and music industry. He became known
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On 20 August 2008, it was announced that business would resume under the control of luthier Paul Herman, who had worked at Wal during the late 1980s and 1990s, with production moved from High
Wycombe to a workshop in Fetcham, Surrey. Herman cleared outstanding back orders, and on 5 October 2009 the
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The first full production range of Wal basses appeared in 1978 as the "Pro Series". These basses followed the basic design specifications of the JG series (solid ash body, maple, hornbeam and
Amazonian hardwood neck and rosewood fingerboard), with plastic rather than leather scratchplates. The Pro
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Waller died of a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 43, and Pete
Stevens took over the running of the business. After 2000, there was a significant contraction of the company, which culminated in Stevens working as a sole trader with little or no additional workforce, and the supply of Wal basses
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The popularity of the brand grew through the 1980s, and the company expanded while retaining its custom builder ethos and approach. Paul Herman, who would later take over control, began working for the company. During this period, Wal basses were widely used by UK session players and "name" bass
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becoming increasingly limited. Around 2005, Stevens's failing health and changes to the company's workshop premises caused him to fall behind on the order book. By the end of 2007 his health problems forced him to retire, and the future of the brand was in doubt.
435:, featured hand-tooled leather scratch plates. The company introduced distinctive eight-coil humbucking pick-ups and proprietary bridge hardware which became a feature of all future Wal bass models. Future owners included
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The Pro Series was superseded by the Custom Series in 1983. This series introduced the laminated bodies which are now standard on all Wal basses, and various woods such as
American
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to players on the London session scene for his guitar-making abilities and was commissioned to build bass guitars.
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A short run of semi-custom models designated the JG series after the owner of one of the first models,
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Waller's early custom basses were purchased by leading players from the London studio circuit, such as
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company began inviting orders again with the launch of a new Wal basses website.
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is a brand of electric bass guitar manufactured by
Electric Wood Ltd, first in
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578:""Chris Squire" Custom Triple Neck Wal feature – "Bassist" magazine 1999"
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The Myths and
Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
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A Wal Bass owner's site with images of a Wal Mk II bass and brochure
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Stevens died on 28 December 2011, shortly after his 65th birthday.
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Pete
Stevens. Since 2009, the company has been run by Paul Herman.
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629:"Wal Basses handwritten JG series bass order/customer list"
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Wal dataBass (Revived from
Stephan Koesters initiative)
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797:"Published obituaries for Ian Waller and Pete Stevens"
702:"Published obituaries for Ian Waller and Pete Stevens"
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155:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
416:" concerts. This bass guitar was later given to
553:"SPECIAL FEATURE – Wal Basses, the Early Years"
8:
412:for his bass player Roger Newell to use in "
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729:"Wal Basses and Electric Wood History Page"
52:Learn how and when to remove these messages
841:A Wal owner's database (no longer updated)
244:
756:. Walbassist.blogspot.com. 5 October 2009
233:Learn how and when to remove this message
215:Learn how and when to remove this message
113:Learn how and when to remove this message
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74:contains content that is written like
866:Electric bass guitars by manufacturer
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153:adding citations to reliable sources
831:A Wal history and information site
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33:This article has multiple issues.
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655:"1970s Wal Pro Series Brochure"
474:were offered as facings over a
140:needs additional citations for
41:or discuss these issues on the
876:1974 establishments in England
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881:Goods manufactured in England
801:walbasshistory.blogspot.co.uk
776:"Electric Wood Ltd. Homepage"
706:walbasshistory.blogspot.co.uk
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557:walbasshistory.blogspot.co.uk
424:, and is now on loan to the
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523:Death of founder, restart
727:www.pldproductions.com.
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282:Ian Waller, Pete Stevens
653:TrevR (19 April 2013).
345:Wal Mk II Fretless Bass
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851:The blog of a Wal fan
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95:neutral point of view
149:improve this article
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265:Musical instruments
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246:Wal / Electric Wood
87:promotional content
604:"JG series basses"
466:, schedua, hydua,
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89:and inappropriate
803:. 21 January 2016
708:. 21 January 2016
677:"Wal Bass Models"
584:. 30 January 2016
513:Justin Chancellor
384:Wal 5-String Bass
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871:Bass guitars
805:. Retrieved
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754:"Wal Basses"
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493:Bruce Thomas
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449:Alan Spenner
441:Paul Simonon
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418:Chris Squire
410:Rick Wakeman
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311:Bass guitars
287:Headquarters
251:Company type
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205:October 2007
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147:Please help
142:verification
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85:by removing
81:Please help
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35:Please help
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638:11 November
505:Martin Kemp
453:Percy Jones
319:Paul Herman
299:Area served
860:Categories
807:5 November
781:1 February
738:5 November
712:5 November
686:5 November
660:5 November
613:5 November
588:5 November
562:5 November
539:References
445:Gary Tibbs
398:Roxy Music
175:newspapers
103:April 2014
83:improve it
38:improve it
517:Mick Karn
497:Geddy Lee
329:walbasses
293:, England
44:talk page
476:mahogany
308:Products
261:Industry
760:10 July
406:Caravan
376:History
370:luthier
362:Fetcham
324:Website
279:Founder
271:Founded
255:Private
189:scholar
468:padauk
464:walnut
451:, and
400:) and
366:Surrey
303:Global
291:Surrey
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472:wenge
316:Owner
196:JSTOR
182:books
809:2016
783:2012
762:2010
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640:2016
615:2016
590:2016
564:2016
509:Flea
481:MIDI
470:and
274:1974
168:news
422:Yes
420:of
350:Wal
333:.uk
331:.co
151:by
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