About Me
I am not Pete Stevens or Steve Chesney, but i am representing them on myspace for all those who love Wal basses...
The History of Wal Basses... It all started in 1974. Electronics whiz, Ian Waller (below, right), and luthier Pete Stevens(below, right) strived to build the best bass guitar in the world. They started building custom-only instruments for players like Chris Squire and John Perry. In 1976, the duo assembled a design team that read like a "who's who" of the bass world. The purpose of this team was to design an instrument that was adaptable in ANY situation for ANY bass player whilst keeping the highest quality possible. Input came from the likes of Percy Jones, John Entwistle, John Perry, Pete Zorn, and Rupert Hine. It didn't take long for Ian and Pete to incorporate the designs into the Wal Pro Bass.It also didn't take long for these unique basses to take off. There was, however, more work to do. While Pete Stevens concentrated on all the woodworking duties, Ian dove into the electronics scheme to improve the design and make the bass more user-friendly. Another option that was becoming very popular was the use of exotic woods and laminates to give guitars a beautiful look. By the early 1980's, the Wal Custom was born.
This bass combined the demand of beautiful woods and a newly designed electronics system . It was becoming evident that Ian and Pete had something very special.
The Wal Custom has been the staple of Wal Basses since its inception. But Pete and Ian were not done. During the 1980's, keyboards began playing a major role in the bottom end of the sonic spectrum. Wal Basses needed to design something that could compete with that. The Wal 5-string made its debut in 1985 with the 5th string being a low "B." The bass also had 24 frets, which gave the bass an incredible range. Wal Basses now offered a nice line of 4 and 5-string basses, each of which was hand-made and made to the customer's specifications. Customer service was considered just as important as the bass itself.
Sadly, in 1988, Ian Waller died of a heart attack, leaving behind a legacy and a hole in the art of bass guitar building. Fortunately, Pete had become well-versed in the workings of the electronics and was able to continue Ian's dream of building the perfect bass guitar. Pete Stevens (below, top left) has dedicated much of his life to continuing that dream. In 1995 Pete introduced the first Wal 6-string bass guitar. Now the bass company offers a full range of 4, 5, and 6-string basses
that rivals any of today's top manufacturers. In fact, Pete has made a concious decision to scale down the company to the point where he literally builds each and every bass by hand. He has also employed a very skilled luthier, Paul Herman, to assist him with various duties. In the end, each bass was built with Pete's dedication and love for the art. He continues this philosophy today. Ian Waller and Pete Stevens started with a dream. Today, Ian would be proud to know that Pete has seen that dream through to fruition. To build the perfect bass guitar. . .Pete Stevens is currently updating his old manchinery to current safety standards, and he is also looking for a skilled luthier to help in the construction process, so initail production is still in the future. Hopefully the company will be back up an running soon.
