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Valenti #152: hollow JJ5
- Thread starter Chef
- Start date
OK, so, it's here: YAY!
My two main concerns, upon hearing it weighed 7.55lbs were:
-neck dive: self explanatory, I think
-tone I didn't like: I've never much cared for basses under 9lbs. I knew this was a risk, but, after talking to Moe Alan Monserrat about his, his goals and mine are similar, and his bass seemed to meet my baseline descriptions
In hand:
-neck dive: none. balances just fine on my leg, and on a strap.
-weight/tone: most light basses I've had in the past just don't seem to have enough a**, and, don't seem to punch hard enough. Clearly not the case here.
Initial impressions:
As always with any Valenti bass I've ever played, craftsmanship is just top shelf. Fit, finish, superb neck pocket fit, fretwork, you name it. Wilkins's finish job is aces. The neck is satin on the back, and glass on the front: cool; didn't know that.
It plays out up and down the neck perfectly, so far.
I sent Nino "my preferred setup spec," and that's just how it came.
I've raised the bottom three strings a bit; and that's fine. "This bass+those strings" almost always have me changing something or other, and that's why I've been doing my own setups for decades. It's not that hard and it gets me exactly where I want to be. In point of pfact, it may have not been possible to put it other than where it is; I didn't open the control cavity and look, and I ain't gonna.
Nits:
I really have only two nits to pick here, and neither are substantive.
1) When I put strings on, I mash the windings all the way down to the bottom of the post. If this matters at all, functionally, it's probably in cases like old Fenders and G&L's, where there aren't string retainers creating downpressure as there are on this bass. It's probably really more "that's just how Alan likes them to look" in this case. Took probably 90 seconds to loosen all 5 strings, press the windings down, and re-tune. No biggie.
2) Location of the output jack. Again, this is no big deal; other than personal preference.
On nearly every bass I own, the output jack "is more or less in line with the control plate/knobs" to some degree. This one isn't, and is shifted more towards the strap button. I'll get used to it, no worries. But, when they're closer to in line with controls, it makes it "a little more intuitive to blindly find it in the dark" or something. Just what I'm used to. Again, no biggie. Really, as a matter of fact, it may not have been possible to put it other than where it is. I didn't open the control cavity and look, and I ain't gonna....
Aside from that, it's all aces.
It sounds like as an ash/maple J with Nords and a Sadowsky preamp should.
Big; aggressive, crisp, clear and nasty when you dig in.
Perfect, for me.
The DA ProSteels feel good, but sound "overly roundwound fresh" at the moment; no big surprise, given they have about 15 minutes of play time on them.
All in all, I don't think I could be happier, and I can't wait to take her out to ClubLand tonight and see if I remain as happy as I am now.
Thanks Nino!
My two main concerns, upon hearing it weighed 7.55lbs were:
-neck dive: self explanatory, I think
-tone I didn't like: I've never much cared for basses under 9lbs. I knew this was a risk, but, after talking to Moe Alan Monserrat about his, his goals and mine are similar, and his bass seemed to meet my baseline descriptions
In hand:
-neck dive: none. balances just fine on my leg, and on a strap.
-weight/tone: most light basses I've had in the past just don't seem to have enough a**, and, don't seem to punch hard enough. Clearly not the case here.
Initial impressions:
As always with any Valenti bass I've ever played, craftsmanship is just top shelf. Fit, finish, superb neck pocket fit, fretwork, you name it. Wilkins's finish job is aces. The neck is satin on the back, and glass on the front: cool; didn't know that.
It plays out up and down the neck perfectly, so far.
I sent Nino "my preferred setup spec," and that's just how it came.
I've raised the bottom three strings a bit; and that's fine. "This bass+those strings" almost always have me changing something or other, and that's why I've been doing my own setups for decades. It's not that hard and it gets me exactly where I want to be. In point of pfact, it may have not been possible to put it other than where it is; I didn't open the control cavity and look, and I ain't gonna.
Nits:
I really have only two nits to pick here, and neither are substantive.
1) When I put strings on, I mash the windings all the way down to the bottom of the post. If this matters at all, functionally, it's probably in cases like old Fenders and G&L's, where there aren't string retainers creating downpressure as there are on this bass. It's probably really more "that's just how Alan likes them to look" in this case. Took probably 90 seconds to loosen all 5 strings, press the windings down, and re-tune. No biggie.
2) Location of the output jack. Again, this is no big deal; other than personal preference.
On nearly every bass I own, the output jack "is more or less in line with the control plate/knobs" to some degree. This one isn't, and is shifted more towards the strap button. I'll get used to it, no worries. But, when they're closer to in line with controls, it makes it "a little more intuitive to blindly find it in the dark" or something. Just what I'm used to. Again, no biggie. Really, as a matter of fact, it may not have been possible to put it other than where it is. I didn't open the control cavity and look, and I ain't gonna....
Aside from that, it's all aces.
It sounds like as an ash/maple J with Nords and a Sadowsky preamp should.
Big; aggressive, crisp, clear and nasty when you dig in.
Perfect, for me.
The DA ProSteels feel good, but sound "overly roundwound fresh" at the moment; no big surprise, given they have about 15 minutes of play time on them.
All in all, I don't think I could be happier, and I can't wait to take her out to ClubLand tonight and see if I remain as happy as I am now.
Thanks Nino!
Now, lastly, I did shoot the first 120 seconds or so of me playing it on my iphone.
The strings are fresh, the setup is lower than before I tweaked it,
so you can hear strings doing things they don't since I've adjusted it;
and,
I'm playing ---nothing in particular---other than some scale-ish intervals across the strings.
Not. Terribly. Musical.
The phone was probably too close to the amp, which was probably too loud, so, it sounds a bit distorted at points, especially on the bridge pickup section.
But, you can hear "neck, bridge, both."
Amp is "GK flat" with treble and bass trimmed a bit, both mid bands pushed a bit.
I believe I had passive tone on the bass shut some on the neck pickup, and more on the bridge pickup, and maybe opened it for pan centered.
You might be able to see me change things, and note where the pots are.
All in all, pretty horrid video, but, you guys asked for it, so, here it is, fwiw:
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k229/komual/valenti/?action=view¤t=valentihollowjvideo.mp4
- Feb 2, 2001
- 12,719
- 1,291
- Disclosures
- Builder: Valenti Basses
Gig report:
GK MBFusion>2xGK Neo112
Small club; boomy club; thus, the GK cabs. Out of everything I've got, they're probably the leanest.
No real surprises. Great bass. Plays out like buttah.
Those DA ProSteels are bright; I kept the Sadowsky preamp's VTC dialed back about 40% on the neck pickup, and more yet on the bridge pup.
So, I while I tried my normal "add some treble boost, dial back some VTC," I'm gonna need those strings to back down some before I like that as well as I do on broken in SS strings.
I toyed with adding bass boost in some circumstances. Really, the bass's native tone is hefty enough it doesn't need it, and, the room didn't like it, so; short experiment with that.
The one "noteworthy" note of the night is this:
the bridge pickup shreds and cuts.
I took a solo passage on one song, using the bridge pup, tone dialed back to about 60% shut (40% open?...your call) and at the end of the song, the keyboard player said "damn, turn up much for that section?"
I said nope. None. Zero. Nada.
GK MBFusion>2xGK Neo112
Small club; boomy club; thus, the GK cabs. Out of everything I've got, they're probably the leanest.
No real surprises. Great bass. Plays out like buttah.
Those DA ProSteels are bright; I kept the Sadowsky preamp's VTC dialed back about 40% on the neck pickup, and more yet on the bridge pup.
So, I while I tried my normal "add some treble boost, dial back some VTC," I'm gonna need those strings to back down some before I like that as well as I do on broken in SS strings.
I toyed with adding bass boost in some circumstances. Really, the bass's native tone is hefty enough it doesn't need it, and, the room didn't like it, so; short experiment with that.
The one "noteworthy" note of the night is this:
the bridge pickup shreds and cuts.
I took a solo passage on one song, using the bridge pup, tone dialed back to about 60% shut (40% open?...your call) and at the end of the song, the keyboard player said "damn, turn up much for that section?"
I said nope. None. Zero. Nada.
Is this Nino's first hollow body? Man, he's stepping up his game. GOD I wish I had some money. I'm going through Valenti withdrawal. He's got so many more options now.
I don't know the answer to that question; maybe Nino will chime in.
TB user Alan Moe Monserrat has a bass more or less like this, that he worked with another builder on.
I sent Nino some pix, and some specs, we traded some emails, and he took the project on.
TB user Alan Moe Monserrat has a bass more or less like this, that he worked with another builder on.
I sent Nino some pix, and some specs, we traded some emails, and he took the project on.
- Feb 2, 2001
- 12,719
- 1,291
- Disclosures
- Builder: Valenti Basses
This is the 1st semi hollow I've built so far. It sounds great. I didn't notice any major tonal difference. It sounded like a J with Sad pre and Nordy pickups. Maybe a little fuller. I didn't really spend too much time with her, though.
When I was using Warmoth, many many moons ago, I did build a chambered bass.
When I was using Warmoth, many many moons ago, I did build a chambered bass.
A clear p/g would do the trick. Especially if you like less space between the body and strings. Good move though, I wouldn't cover that grain, either.
Nice score, Chef!
