Signature Guitars, Wal Basses?????

[chain__lightning]

Whatever happened to the instruments used for the HYF and Presto albums and tours??? I know that Alex lifeson switched to PRS during the Presto tour but, there was no info on why. Signature guitars even shut down around that time, after Alex had made an agreement with the person he was running it with (I am lacking his name).

 

Geddy on the other hand switched right back to old school fender jazz basses after RTB, but there was no word of what he ended up doing with the Wal Bass concept. Even Geddy does not have any Wal basses in his personal collection (from what I have seen) which is very sad. If rush ever does another tour I would love to see the Wal run it's course one last time.

 

Personally I loved the Wal Basses and would do anything to own one someday. Same with the Signature Guitars, I love the super clean humbucker sound that they produce. They are extremely rare and expensive nowadays since they were meant to be ordered from the factory.

[EagleMoon]

I'm not sure about Signature, but Wal went out of business when the owner died from a heart attack years ago. Just in recent years they've started building again. In some interview, Geddy said he couldn't get support for the basses which was why he quit using them. Plus I think he just preferred the sound of the Fenders.

[grasbo]

I always felt that the Wal basses sounded a bit twangy and lacked that lowend grunt.But that probably suited the music they were playing then.It certainly sounded great on Turn the Page and Show Don't Tell but i always wondered if Ged had whipped out the Fender or the Rickenbacker for these tracks.I have mentioned this here before but Ged mentioned in a guitar mag at the time that Wal gave him a red bass but it was too bright sounding so he tried black one which had a darker tone.Err a bit Spinal Tap.As for Alex he used a strat styled guitar on GUP with Hentor(Peter Henderson nickname) letraset on the headstock which sent plagues of guitarists into music shops asking for Hentor guitars.As much as i love the heavy stuff of the 70s i actually like his shiny guitar tone of the 80/90s better.I am not a fan of H&K amps he uses now but i love the PRS guitars.

[edhunter]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

[New Digital Man]

A bit of confusion in the above posts, Ian Waller the founder of Wal passed away in 1988 and his partner Pete Stevens took over the running of the company, then it was approximately between 2005-2008 that Wal stopped production due to Petes health but another employee named Paul Herman has run it succesfully since then! Wal do not give endorsements so he paid for his own instruments himself just like everyone else! The black Wal came first and was a Mk1 and the red one was used on Roll The Bones and is a Mk2, not a marked difference in tone on these instruments! I believe he stopped using them not due to lack of support but the producer on Counterparts whose name I forget suggested using the Fender for a more dirty tone and a new change of direction! I have a red Wal Mk2 and it's awesome, the lack of bottom end everyone talks about is because Geddy or his producer wanted it that way and is not representative of the instruments as a whole! I would be surprised if Geddy had got rid of his Wals/Steinbergers and imagine he has them somewhere! Edited April 21, 2017 by New Digital Man

[grasbo]

You are right about he got the black one first.Also i didn't mean Wal gave him basses literally.The part about Ged saying the black one being darker than the red one is true because it was a long standing joke between myself and a fellow musician who read the article.Anyway thanks for the extra info.

[grasbo]

On the subject of a grungier sound producer Peter Collins suggested or agreed to Alex going back to Gibson guitars and Marshall amps as per the old days.

[chain__lightning]

A bit of confusion in the above posts, Ian Waller the founder of Wal passed away in 1988 and his partner Pete Stevens took over the running of the company, then it was approximately between 2005-2008 that Wal stopped production due to Petes health but another employee named Paul Herman has run it succesfully since then! Wal do not give endorsements so he paid for his own instruments himself just like everyone else! The black Wal came first and was a Mk1 and the red one was used on Roll The Bones and is a Mk2, not a marked difference in tone on these instruments! I believe he stopped using them not due to lack of support but the producer on Counterparts whose name I forget suggested using the Fender for a more dirty tone and a new change of direction! I have a red Wal Mk2 and it's awesome, the lack of bottom end everyone talks about is because Geddy or his producer wanted it that way and is not representative of the instruments as a whole! I would be surprised if Geddy had got rid of his Wals/Steinbergers and imagine he has them somewhere!

 

If I were to ever interview Geddy I would ask him about his Wal and Steinbergers. They seem like such a lost cause to Rush nowadays but I really wanna know Geddy's opinion.

 

And the guy that produces Counterparts was Kevin Sherley, or "Caveman" because all of the equipment he used was old shool.

[chain__lightning]

A bit of confusion in the above posts, Ian Waller the founder of Wal passed away in 1988 and his partner Pete Stevens took over the running of the company, then it was approximately between 2005-2008 that Wal stopped production due to Petes health but another employee named Paul Herman has run it succesfully since then! Wal do not give endorsements so he paid for his own instruments himself just like everyone else! The black Wal came first and was a Mk1 and the red one was used on Roll The Bones and is a Mk2, not a marked difference in tone on these instruments! I believe he stopped using them not due to lack of support but the producer on Counterparts whose name I forget suggested using the Fender for a more dirty tone and a new change of direction! I have a red Wal Mk2 and it's awesome, the lack of bottom end everyone talks about is because Geddy or his producer wanted it that way and is not representative of the instruments as a whole! I would be surprised if Geddy had got rid of his Wals/Steinbergers and imagine he has them somewhere!

 

If I were to ever interview Geddy I would ask him about his Wal and Steinbergers. They seem like such a lost cause to Rush nowadays but I really wanna know Geddy's opinion.

 

And the guy that produces Counterparts was Kevin Sherley, or "Caveman" because all of the equipment he used was old shool.

 

***Produced

 

lol

[chain__lightning]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

[edhunter]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

 

For some reason $1600 is coming to mind. It had a brown finish that I wasn't too crazy about. I was 24 at the time and playing quite regularly, but I didn't have a credit card, and I can't remember if the store financed. It was a small, bass-only store I used to see advertised in Bass Player Magazine. I want to say it was northeast of LA. We'd gone to a taping of the Price is Right earlier that day.

[chain__lightning]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

 

For some reason $1600 is coming to mind. It had a brown finish that I wasn't too crazy about. I was 24 at the time and playing quite regularly, but I didn't have a credit card, and I can't remember if the store financed. It was a small, bass-only store I used to see advertised in Bass Player Magazine. I want to say it was northeast of LA. We'd gone to a taping of the Price is Right earlier that day.

 

That's so cool that you remember all of that

 

Yeah I'm not too in love with the wood finish, I'd prefer the solid Black, White, or Red colorways

[edhunter]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

 

For some reason $1600 is coming to mind. It had a brown finish that I wasn't too crazy about. I was 24 at the time and playing quite regularly, but I didn't have a credit card, and I can't remember if the store financed. It was a small, bass-only store I used to see advertised in Bass Player Magazine. I want to say it was northeast of LA. We'd gone to a taping of the Price is Right earlier that day.

 

That's so cool that you remember all of that

 

Yeah I'm not too in love with the wood finish, I'd prefer the solid Black, White, or Red colorways

 

I drive people nuts with my memory. 2 of my current bandmates also played with me from '86 to '92, before I moved to Utah and lost touch with them for 22 years. I'll bring up something from the old days and they both just roll their eyes.

[chain__lightning]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

 

For some reason $1600 is coming to mind. It had a brown finish that I wasn't too crazy about. I was 24 at the time and playing quite regularly, but I didn't have a credit card, and I can't remember if the store financed. It was a small, bass-only store I used to see advertised in Bass Player Magazine. I want to say it was northeast of LA. We'd gone to a taping of the Price is Right earlier that day.

 

That's so cool that you remember all of that

 

Yeah I'm not too in love with the wood finish, I'd prefer the solid Black, White, or Red colorways

 

I drive people nuts with my memory. 2 of my current bandmates also played with me from '86 to '92, before I moved to Utah and lost touch with them for 22 years. I'll bring up something from the old days and they both just roll their eyes.

 

Haha that's great. Have you been to any Rush shows (just out of curiosity)?

[edhunter]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

 

For some reason $1600 is coming to mind. It had a brown finish that I wasn't too crazy about. I was 24 at the time and playing quite regularly, but I didn't have a credit card, and I can't remember if the store financed. It was a small, bass-only store I used to see advertised in Bass Player Magazine. I want to say it was northeast of LA. We'd gone to a taping of the Price is Right earlier that day.

 

That's so cool that you remember all of that

 

Yeah I'm not too in love with the wood finish, I'd prefer the solid Black, White, or Red colorways

 

I drive people nuts with my memory. 2 of my current bandmates also played with me from '86 to '92, before I moved to Utah and lost touch with them for 22 years. I'll bring up something from the old days and they both just roll their eyes.

 

Haha that's great. Have you been to any Rush shows (just out of curiosity)?

 

Around 25 or so since '85.

[chain__lightning]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

 

For some reason $1600 is coming to mind. It had a brown finish that I wasn't too crazy about. I was 24 at the time and playing quite regularly, but I didn't have a credit card, and I can't remember if the store financed. It was a small, bass-only store I used to see advertised in Bass Player Magazine. I want to say it was northeast of LA. We'd gone to a taping of the Price is Right earlier that day.

 

That's so cool that you remember all of that

 

Yeah I'm not too in love with the wood finish, I'd prefer the solid Black, White, or Red colorways

 

I drive people nuts with my memory. 2 of my current bandmates also played with me from '86 to '92, before I moved to Utah and lost touch with them for 22 years. I'll bring up something from the old days and they both just roll their eyes.

 

Haha that's great. Have you been to any Rush shows (just out of curiosity)?

 

Around 25 or so since '85.

 

Jesus...every tour since? I've only seen Counterparts, Time Machine, Clockwork Angels, R40. Which was your favorite of the 25 or so?

[edhunter]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

 

For some reason $1600 is coming to mind. It had a brown finish that I wasn't too crazy about. I was 24 at the time and playing quite regularly, but I didn't have a credit card, and I can't remember if the store financed. It was a small, bass-only store I used to see advertised in Bass Player Magazine. I want to say it was northeast of LA. We'd gone to a taping of the Price is Right earlier that day.

 

That's so cool that you remember all of that

 

Yeah I'm not too in love with the wood finish, I'd prefer the solid Black, White, or Red colorways

 

I drive people nuts with my memory. 2 of my current bandmates also played with me from '86 to '92, before I moved to Utah and lost touch with them for 22 years. I'll bring up something from the old days and they both just roll their eyes.

 

Haha that's great. Have you been to any Rush shows (just out of curiosity)?

 

Around 25 or so since '85.

 

Jesus...every tour since? I've only seen Counterparts, Time Machine, Clockwork Angels, R40. Which was your favorite of the 25 or so?

I actually missed the Counterparts tour. They didn't play Salt Lake and I was too dumb to use the free flight vouchers I had to fly to Vegas or the Phoenix or the west coast. Overall, the best setlist was the R40 tour, but there were other memorable moments in there as well. I got a t-shirt from Alex on the Time Machine tour, and one from Neil's canon on the Clockwork Angels tour. I handed some professional photos a photographer friend took at the first Chicago show in 2010 to Tony Geranios a month later and he had them signed and shipped back to me. I met Geddy briefly in '97 in Salt Lake City, and was at the opening night of Vapor Trails in '02. I chatted with Howard U for an hour or so in Vegas in '96, and he gave me one of Alex's picks. I snuck backstage at Mohegan Sun in '07 and '08 because my delivery route included the casino and i was able to drive to the backstage area without a second glance. But the very last show I saw in Boston was the most enjoyable.

[chain__lightning]

I'm sure they're still in his collection somewhere. It's not like he's posted pics of the whole thing. If he still has the teardrop monstrosity he created, I'm sure the Wals and Steinbergers are in cases in the closet or something.

 

I couldn't stand the black one. The red one sounds pretty nice on some of the soundboard boots from that tour. By the time Counterparts was recorded, Rush decided to be a grunge band, and the Wals were too dainty for that.

 

I played one in a store somewhere north of Los Angeles in '93. It felt really weird. The back of the neck had a more triangular than rounded shape to it, and the onboard EQ was parametric, which created really dramatic tone shifts when you adjusted them. I shoulda bought it simply for the investment value at the time, but I was a tightwad back then.

 

That model that you had played may have been custom to the person that bought it, because Wals came straight from the factory. Maybe they preferred the triangular neck. If I remember correctly there were a few neck types to choose from.

 

Usually these basses are really pricy, do you remember how much it was at the time?

 

For some reason $1600 is coming to mind. It had a brown finish that I wasn't too crazy about. I was 24 at the time and playing quite regularly, but I didn't have a credit card, and I can't remember if the store financed. It was a small, bass-only store I used to see advertised in Bass Player Magazine. I want to say it was northeast of LA. We'd gone to a taping of the Price is Right earlier that day.

 

That's so cool that you remember all of that

 

Yeah I'm not too in love with the wood finish, I'd prefer the solid Black, White, or Red colorways

 

I drive people nuts with my memory. 2 of my current bandmates also played with me from '86 to '92, before I moved to Utah and lost touch with them for 22 years. I'll bring up something from the old days and they both just roll their eyes.

 

Haha that's great. Have you been to any Rush shows (just out of curiosity)?

 

Around 25 or so since '85.

 

Jesus...every tour since? I've only seen Counterparts, Time Machine, Clockwork Angels, R40. Which was your favorite of the 25 or so?

I actually missed the Counterparts tour. They didn't play Salt Lake and I was too dumb to use the free flight vouchers I had to fly to Vegas or the Phoenix or the west coast. Overall, the best setlist was the R40 tour, but there were other memorable moments in there as well. I got a t-shirt from Alex on the Time Machine tour, and one from Neil's canon on the Clockwork Angels tour. I handed some professional photos a photographer friend took at the first Chicago show in 2010 to Tony Geranios a month later and he had them signed and shipped back to me. I met Geddy briefly in '97 in Salt Lake City, and was at the opening night of Vapor Trails in '02. I chatted with Howard U for an hour or so in Vegas in '96, and he gave me one of Alex's picks. I snuck backstage at Mohegan Sun in '07 and '08 because my delivery route included the casino and i was able to drive to the backstage area without a second glance. But the very last show I saw in Boston was the most enjoyable.

 

Damn, so you've been all around! Were your there for the bunnies on the Presto and RTB tours? Never saw them but would've been cool. I know they had them for a couple minutes on Counterparts during Leave That Thing Alone, but yeah I wished they had revived the bunnies at some point.

[edhunter]

I saw the bunnies in Providence and Hartford in '90, and in Hartford and New Haven in '91 and '92.

[edhunter]

And 25 shows is nothing compared to some folks here. The was a girl on the Counterparts board that was doing 15-20 per TOUR.

[grasbo]

Never seen the bunnies.Can anyone direct me to a good Youtube video or something.As an aside my late father saw the foam spewing armadillo/tank of ELP.He never laughed so hard.

[edhunter]

https://youtu.be/nDDEHVrI62Q

[edhunter]

https://youtu.be/YQNjeprtBDU

[edhunter]

I have no idea if these are the best links, I just know the bunnies will be there....

[chain__lightning]

And 25 shows is nothing compared to some folks here. The was a girl on the Counterparts board that was doing 15-20 per TOUR.

 

Yeah some people do that and it's crazy. I caught five shows (two on Time Machine) which is nothing. 25 to me is huge! lol