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The Valenti Megathread Part IV

#1,401
It's been two years to the day that I dropped the deposit on mine. Still love it! Need to get a set of flats for it.

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#1,406
bassWR said:
View attachment 897489
Ole #57- Easter at The Assembly@Warner Robins.
One of the best basses ever! Hope to get Nino started on a new one by the end of the year. P/J this time. Any Pickup/Preamp combo suggestions from you guys who already have one?
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YES :D
After going the three Sadowsky PJ's, at least one other Valenti PJ, and a few from other builders, I'll tell you this:
I've never been happy with an active PJ.
I've never been happy with a PJ on a J body, even though I like the J body better and I think it looks better.
I can't tell you why a P pickup in a J body sounds wrong to me, and maybe I'm crazy, but, I've been thru a bunch of them, and it doesn't work for me. I can't even tell you why, other than to say "active P doesn't sounds genuine anymore. P in a J body doesn't sound genuine anymore." My bandmates all agreed, but also failed to quantify beyond that really.

The Nordy PJ set in the Valenti PJ I have now kills it.
The P pickup is bigger, fatter, and edgier than a standard P, but "goes vintage" by rolling the volume and tone shut a hair. The humcancelling J that matches it retains the single coil J bridge tone everyone wants that for.
And, of course, it's a Valenti, so, fit, finish and playability are all top shelf.
It's a sherwood green ash/pao ferro with matching headstock I bought used here as a last ditch effort to bond with a P5; and it's worked out super well.
 
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#1,409
My Valenti pj5 is on a jazz body with nordy's and a sadowsky pre. I prefer the p body look but the J is more comfortable. I use it 99% of the time in passive mode with the p pickup solo'd. I could totally live without the preamp but it's not a effort to play it passive. I have considered rewiring it so the knob pushed in is passive but again it's not a huge deal. Absolutely love the bass.
 
#1,410
image.jpeg
Chef said:
I thought you sold that? Or, someone had a 5/24 fs here that was a lot like that.
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Chef, you have a good memory. I've had two blue Valenti's. The first that Nino built was 34" scale but I swapped to 33" due to hand issues. So I sold the first one and had him build one to the same specs except for the scale length. I've never looked back! And I also still have this one as well.
 
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#1,411
Chef said:
...

The Nordy PJ set in the Valenti PJ I have now kills it.
The P pickup is bigger, fatter, and edgier than a standard P, but "goes vintage" by rolling the volume and tone shut a hair. The humcancelling J that matches it retains the single coil J bridge tone everyone wants that for.
And, of course, it's a Valenti, so, fit, finish and playability are all top shelf.
It's a sherwood green ash/pao ferro with matching headstock I bought used here as a last ditch effort to bond with a P5; and it's worked out super well.
Click to expand...
So this bass is passive, right?
 
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#1,412
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I gotta agree with Chef here. My Valenti (#151) was originally a PJ, active/passive Nordstrands (J in the 70s position) with a Sadowsky pre. At my request, Nino made it so I could switch the P pickup from standard to reverse position. In the standard position with the P soloed, it was pretty much like a P bass but the J soled wasn't very useful. Maybe it was the position. The bass still appears this way on Nino's website although almost 2 years ago he modded it into a J bass with Aguilar 70s style singles. The bass seems "right" now. My next Valenti build will be a P5 and if I decide to have a pickup in the bridge position, I am toying with the idea of having that pickup close to the P pickup like Pat Wilkins does. I'd probably keep it passive.
 
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#1,413
Chef said:
YES :D
After going the three Sadowsky PJ's, at least one other Valenti PJ, and a few from other builders, I'll tell you this:
I've never been happy with an active PJ.
I've never been happy with a PJ on a J body, even though I like the J body better and I think it looks better.
I can't tell you why a P pickup in a J body sounds wrong to me, and maybe I'm crazy, but, I've been thru a bunch of them, and it doesn't work for me. I can't even tell you why, other than to say "active P doesn't sounds genuine anymore. P in a J body doesn't sound genuine anymore." My bandmates all agreed, but also failed to quantify beyond that really.

The Nordy PJ set in the Valenti PJ I have now kills it.
The P pickup is bigger, fatter, and edgier than a standard P, but "goes vintage" by rolling the volume and tone shut a hair. The humcancelling J that matches it retains the single coil J bridge tone everyone wants that for.
And, of course, it's a Valenti, so, fit, finish and playability are all top shelf.
It's a sherwood green ash/pao ferro with matching headstock I bought used here as a last ditch effort to bond with a P5; and it's worked out super well.
Click to expand...

I agree with going pasive on a PJ, the P-PU brings all the strong low-mids, and the J-PU the sparkling treble. No need for an active circuit really.
I even went further with my 5 string PJ, and added a push/pull switch for the P-PU, which switches off the load from the J-PUand its volume pot.
This way, I get the pure traditional P-sound.
Also, I have a big-single Nordy PU in the J-position with a little more ooomph, which complements the P-sound very nicely.
 
#1,414
I love the sound of my PJ. I've got Nordy's in it with a Sadowsky pre with the modern jazz body shape. About 90% of the time I have it dialed between 75% to full bore to the p pup with VTC between 50% and 75%. So many tonal options. Bump up the treble a tad or if I need more oomph the bass. The modern jazz body is super light which is a big deal to me due to severe neck and back problems. I think there's some validity to what Chef says about body type and tone but I couldn't be happier with what I got. For what it's worth I went with a swamp ash body and a pau ferro fretboard. Nino makes great basses. Mine is #198.
 
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#1,416
What's up, my friends?!

I've got the house buying blues right now, so I've got to free up some cash. I'm selling #197 in the classifieds-https://www.talkbass.com/threads/a-gorgeous-valenti-s24fj5-obo.1232748/#post-18964640

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I know it's a sad state of affairs, but don't cry for me yet, I've still got #207 & #208 handlin' bidness, so I'm ok...:thumbsup::D

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If ya' hear of someone looking for one of the sexiest Valenti S24FJ5s ever, send 'em my way...
 
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