Ever since I joined the Talkbass community back in June of 2011, I have been intrigued and captivated by Valenti Basses. Every now and again I would see one pop up in the classified section and find myself short on cash and unable to seal the deal, but not this time! I was finally able to land a Valenti Bass and got it direct from Nino Valenti himself.
First, let me say what a nice guy Nino is. We worked out a partial trade and cash deal. The communication was flawless and he even drove to meet me at my place in Connecticut, so I could try the bass out through my rig. Very cool stuff.
Anyways, on to the bass!
Let’s start with the specs:
S24FJ5 #119
Weight: 8LBS
Specs:
Swamp Ash Body
Black Pearl Finish
w/Matching Headstock
Graphite reinforced Maple Neck
Ebony fretboard
1 3/4" Nut Width
34" Scale
EMG 40DC pickups Pickups
Aguilar OBP-1 preamp w/VTC
Black Hardware
HipShot B Style Bridge
18mm Spacing
HipShot UltraLite Tuning Gears
Dunlop straplocks
I received the bass on Thursday December 13, 2012 and have not been able to stop playing it. The neck has a nice thin profile and the ebony fret board is gorgeous. I have always been partial to maple boards, but the ebony really pops on this bass. I would almost compare the necks feel to that of the Lakland DJ's. Smooth and fast. The finish on the bass is a pearl black which is complimented nicely with matching headstock and all black hardware. At a distance, the bass has a stealth like look to it, but once you get up close to it, you can see the pearl sparkle in the finish. The hardware is top notch and solid as a rock. The bass uses the Aguilar OPB-1 pre amp and EMG 40DC pickups. What a combination! Controls are Volume, Pickup Blend, Bass, and Treble. Most of my bass, as of late, have been Fender passive Jazzes and P's, so this is quite a change for me. The versatility of this pre and pickup combo is amazing. I have been able to duplicate the lower growl of my 75 Fender P as well as the trebly pop of my 75 Fender Jazz (RI MIJ). Besides that, I have been able to explore other sounds and tones present in the more modern bassists repertoire.
All in all, I love this bass. It's a great combination of modern meets classic. The construction is top notch and you can tell that Nino puts his heart in to each one of these basses. If you are thinking about getting a Valenti Bass, buy with confidence. Nino's basses are second to none and the value is amazing!
I would rate this bass a 10/10...heck, let’s give it and 11!
Can't wait to use it in the studio for the new CD this spring!
