MkIII fretted 5: Blondie the beech Wal

There aren't too many beech Wal basses around, and the top on this one is stunning. Pete really knows how to cut a piece of wood to expose all of the character! I was able to obtain this MkIII fretted five-string from a wonderful gentleman in Oklahoma. Thank you again, Roy. This bass was originally custom-built for Gareth Morgan in 1997.

There are a few nice options on this instrument... custom pickup placement, matching beech headstock veneer, red Sims landing lights and a clean fretboard with no markers. While it's truly a beautiful instrument, it sounds even better than it looks. The combination of beech with the bridge-biased pickups makes for a really punchy tone with just a hint of sweetness. Of course when you want the typical "brick-in-the-face" Wal agression it's there in spades. Here are the details:

Wal MkIII fretted five string
English beech facings front & back
Matching beech headstock veneer
Mahogany body core
Maple bolt-on neck with mahogany (?) stringers
Rosewood fretboard
34" scale, 24 frets
Red Sims LED side-markers
Custom pickup placement
Natural satin finish
Black hardware with chrome highlights
Weight under 8.5 pounds
Condition: showroom
Handmade in 1997

The MkIII shape is sleeker and seems better-balanced. I personally love the updated looks. The weight is roughly 8.5 lbs making this the lightest 5-string bass that I own. This is my #1 instrument.

Unlike my other Wal basses, I find that this one requires a lighter touch. I had to "unlearn" my bad habit of digging in aggresively in order to get the most out of this bass. Although it has taken me some time to master this instrument I feel that it has truly helped to make me a better player and added some real finesse to my personal style.