Wal

Also known as: Wal Basses, Wal Bass, Electric Wood

Unclaimed

10 Products · Used by 43 Artists

Wal Mk II Bass Electric Basses

4.5 (10)

14 artists using

Wal Mk II Fretless Bass Fretless Basses

4.0 (2)

^# 75

in Fretless Basses Rank

4 artists using

Wal 4-String Fretless Bass Fretless Basses

4.0 (1)

^# 76

in Fretless Basses Rank

5 artists using

Wal Mk III Bass Electric Basses

4.5 (4)

1 artist using

Wal Mk I Bass Electric Basses

5.0 (3)

18 artists using

Wal Mk II 5-String Bass Electric Basses

5.0 (2)

5 artists using

Wal Mk I Fretless Bass Fretless Basses

1 artist using

Wal Chris Squire Triple-Neck Bass Electric Basses

1 artist using

Wal JG Pro Series Fretless Bass Fretless Basses

2 artists using

Wal Custom Bass Electric Basses

4 artists using

Wal is a British manufacturer of high-end electric bass guitars, founded in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire in 1974 by Ian Waller (whose nickname gave the brand its name) and Pete Stevens, and formalized as Electric Wood Ltd. in 1978. The company's first production instrument was the Wal Pro bass, which initially featured passive electronics before moving to an active circuit. In 1980 the first Wal Custom basses were produced, establishing the template for the brand's distinctive hand-crafted, through-neck, active four- and five-string instruments with exotic hardwood facings.

The Wal Custom line expanded into the Mk I, Mk II, and Mk III models, along with a 5-string introduced in the mid-1980s that featured a 24-fret neck and low B-string. After Ian Waller's death in 1988, Pete Stevens continued operations until luthier Paul Herman, a former Wal employee from the late 1980s and 1990s, took over the company in 2008 and relocated production to Fetcham, Surrey. Each instrument is built to order using traditional hand-crafting techniques, a process that has made Wal basses notable for their long wait times and boutique status.

The Wal sound — a growling, hi-fi midrange voice shaped by the proprietary active filter circuit and humbucking pickup design — has made the basses a fixture among rock and session bassists. Players associated with the brand include Geddy Lee of Rush, Justin Chancellor of Tool, Mick Karn of Japan, Paul McCartney, Flea, Percy Jones, John Illsley of Dire Straits, and Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet.

Wal has 10 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Electric Basses and Fretless Basses. Their gear is featured by 43 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Pop, and Electronic. Notable users include Jason Newsted, Justin Chancellor, and Geddy Lee.