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Wal Mk I Fretless Bass

Wal Mk I Fretless Bass

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Wal Mk II Fretless Bass

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Page last updated Aug 10, 2025

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Description

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The Wal Mk I Fretless Bass is a distinguished choice for bassists seeking a unique voice and unparalleled craftsmanship. Renowned in the music community for its distinctive electronic preamp, this fretless bass offers a rich palette of tonal possibilities. Crafted in the UK, each Wal bass is handmade, ensuring exceptional attention to detail and quality. Its fretless fingerboard allows for smooth glissandos and a more expressive playing style, ideal for jazz, fusion, and experimental genres.

The Wal Mk I features a body crafted from select woods, which contributes to its resonant and warm sound. The neck is made with a laminated construction, providing stability and resistance to warping over time. This bass is equipped with Wal's proprietary humbucking pickups, delivering a robust and clear sound with minimal noise. The electronic preamp includes a sophisticated tone control system, enabling precise adjustments and the ability to shape your tone with ease.

Musicians who choose the Wal Mk I Fretless Bass find it to be a reliable and inspiring instrument, perfect for both studio recordings and live performances. It's more than just a bass; it's a tool for shaping your musical identity.

Key Features:

Handmade in the UK with meticulous craftsmanship
Fretless fingerboard for smooth, expressive playability
Distinctive electronic preamp for versatile tone shaping
Proprietary humbucking pickups for clear, noise-free sound
Laminated neck construction for enhanced stability

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Scott's Bass Lessons

This is what a $20k bass sounds like!

Scott's Bass Lessons

Wal MK1 Fretless Bass - Johannes Leitner

BassTheWorld.com

Teen Town - Weather Report (Bass Cover With A 1986 Wal MK1 Fretless)

Chicago Bass Player

IS THIS THE KING OF BASS GUITARS? - 1984 WAL MK1 - Andy's Vintage Guitars

ANDY'S VINTAGE GUITARS

LEITNERJOE - WAL MK1 FRETLESS BASS MEDLEY

leitnerjoe

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Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Wal Mk I Fretless Bass.

Build quality

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The Wal Mk I Fretless Bass is known for its exceptional balance, even with heavier tuners and no pickups installed, enhancing playability.
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Features and functionality

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Owners highlight the importance of multicoil pickups and their exact placement for capturing the distinctive Wal sound.
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Each pickup on a Wal Mk I Fretless Bass has its own active filter, offering unique tonal capabilities.
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The built-in XLR output is appreciated for versatility, particularly in studio settings, and is included in models from the Pro series onward.
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The bass has a thicker neck than a Jazz bass, yet remains maneuverable, enhancing playability for various styles.
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Comparisons

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An Ibanez SR400 with a SansAmp can mimic Justin Chancellor's tone better than a Warwick or L-2000, although it still lacks the Wal's unique character.
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ACG can build a similar dual-filter preamp bass for less than half the price and time of a new Wal, offering a practical alternative.
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Despite using Thomastik flatwounds, achieving an old-school tone is difficult, contrasting with typical flatwound expectations.
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Mods and upgrades

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Lusithand double NFP special preamps are recommended for custom builds to achieve a Wal-like tone.
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JC-3b preamp from Nordstrand is used in custom builds to emulate Wal tones, typically placed in factory Musicman pickup positions.
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Use cases and applications

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Wals excel in bass-forward bands, allowing players like Mick Karn and Justin Chancellor to fully utilize their tonal potential.
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Wals are noted for their exceptional craftsmanship and sound, making them desirable for serious players seeking a standout bass.
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Value and pricing

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A custom-ordered Mk II Wal costs about £8,000 with a wait time of 27 months, emphasizing exclusivity and investment.
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User experience

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The Wal Mk I Fretless Bass is reportedly heavy at 12 lbs, suggesting the need for a thick strap for comfort during long sessions.
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Setup and maintenance

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The neck supports low action well without fret buzz, resembling the smoothness of a Geddy Lee setup with thin gauge strings.
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Critic Reviews

Bass of the Week: Colin Edwin’s Wal Mk 1 Fretless – No Treble

notreble.com

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Colin Edwin

Bassist

Porcupine Tree

Verified via Photo

When I started my hunt for a good fretless bass, I had already been playing a fretted Wal for a couple of years, a solid ash model, originally made for my bass playing friend Martin Elliott. At the time, I was looking to replace a cheap and cheerful Westone Thunder 1A fretless with something a bit more serious. I opted for another Wal for two main reasons, one being that I was already comfortable with the string spacing and fretboard feel, so making the leap to playing fretless was, I reasoned, sure to be less problematic, and secondly, I was confident that in choosing another Wal I could be sure the craftsmanship and materials would mean I was going to find another really great instrument.

Wal basses have become very sought after in recent years, but at the time, a secondhand Wal could be found fairly regularly in the pages of Loot (…now replaced by Ebay and the like) for somewhere around the £400 - £500 mark, which seems amazing today given the prices they go for.

Made in 1984 at Electric Wood in the UK, my Wal fretless has a Brazillian Mahogany Core with American Cherry wood facings and an Indian Ebony fretboard.