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SOLD - Valenti (Vintage J4 #042 in CAR)
£1000

funkyspuke

By funkyspuke,
in Basses For Sale

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funkyspuke Contributor

funkyspuke

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It's been a while since I've sold anything on basschat, mainly due to the fact that I've had the perfect setup for quite some time;

Valenti --> Markbass LM Tube --> Barefaced Super 12

I play in a covers band (anything from 60's Rock & Roll to modern day pop songs) and this setup is the most versatile, cleanest, clearest and punchiest I've ever had. A lot of this is due to the Valenti, which I'm now (crazily and stupidly) deciding to part with. The reason why .. I want to order my first ever custom build bass from my good friends at Alpher Instruments! Having just forked out for a wedding and honeymoon, the only way this is going to ever happen is by selling something and the Valenti drew the short straw :(

Here is some detail with regards the Spec and History (which is extremely important when it comes to the much travelled #42 and the price I'm now asking).

[b]The Spec[/b]
[i]Alder Body[/i]
[i]Candy Apple Red w/Matching headstock[/i]
[i]Maple neck w/Pau Ferro fretboard[/i]
[i]1 1/2" @ nut[/i]
[i]34" Scale[/i]
[i]12" Radius[/i]
[i]Graphite Reinforced neck[/i]
[i]Nordstrand NJ4 pickups[/i]
[i]Aguilar OBP-1 Preamp[/i]
[i]Chrome Hardware[/i]
[i]Mint Greren pickguard[/i]
[i]Hipshot Vintage Style Bridge[/i]
[i]19mm String Spacing[/i]
[i]Hipshot UltraLites Tuners[/i]
[i]Strap Locks[/i]

[b]The History[/b]
The Valenti #42 is a well travelled bass, this I will not deny (even the original owner having sold it, then re-purchased it again a couple of years later). It had been through 6 or 7 basschat memebers since 2007 before finally arriving on my doorstep a couple of years ago. I paid around £750 for this bass due mainly to the fact that the price had been hammered through numerous re-sales. I was extremely nervous about purchasing this bass .. why had it moved on so many times? what was wrong with it? I even contacted Nino directly to gather more information and even he was shocked at the price (it was worth so much more).

Anyway, it was the best decision I have ever made (I even moved on my Sadowsky Metro as it couldn't stand up to the versatility, power and playability of the Valenti)! This bass was a BARGAIN of epic proportions .. shame on those people that moved this on so carelessly :P What you are getting with the Valenti #42 is a bass with so much Jazz power (mainly due to the Nordy's and Aguilar combination) it's as if it's on steroids. But, the versatility is there so that you can reign the sound and EQ back to allow for a more soft Jazz style sound and tone. The sensitivity of the pickup selector is just amazing and this allows you to find that perfect sound no matter what the situation.

The neck is as smooth as silk and your hand glides up and down the fretboard with ridiculous ease. The action is low and fast (acoustically the frets buzz a little) however, such is the power and precision of the pickups and pre that you don't hear any of this through an amp. The bass is extremely light, around 8lbs (probably slightly less to be honest). Not only that, but it looks amazing in candy apple red.

As you can imagine, having been used and moved on so many times, there are a couple of small dings and scratches, but these are only noticeable close up.

So, why am I asking for £1,000 considering I only paid £650 for this?

1) I can hardly be held accountable for the ridiculously low price I eventually paid for it
2) The price I have come to has been heavily researched and compared to other basses for sale on basschat and I believe (for what you are getting) it's reasonable.
3) I'd consider the Valenti to be more than on-par with Sadowsky Metro's. The last one I sold (which was nowhere near as good as the #42) was for £1,000.
4) Valenti's are a rare thing on basschat .. especially over the last few years (which a few people on here will agree with)
5) I've spoken to the person whom I purchased this from and he's more than happy for me to sell this at an increased price .. in fact, he thinks I'm not going high enough haha!

[i]if there are any questions with regards to the above, then please PM me.[/i]

I will upload photo's later this evening/tomorrow (for now I have uploaded Nino's original photo's). The Valenti will come with a hardcase and I'd be more than happy to post this or meet halfway.

[attachment=134773:photo 1.JPG]
[attachment=134774:photo 2.JPG]

Thanks

Luke

Edited by funkyspuke
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LukeFRC Grand Master

LukeFRC

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Posted (edited)

Hello - I sold this to Luke.....
so a few things to fill in he's missed out.... he paid a chunk more for it than he remembers!

This was from when Nino was using USACG necks and bodies. They are ridiculously good!

The aggy preamp is powered via a single 9v battery put through a voltage converter so that the preamp runs at 18v - Nino did this until he couldn't get hold of the voltage converters from (freshman? memory fails me, it was some acousitic guitar pickup maker :) )


Luke's kinda underplaying this bass here.... I bought it as part of my great jazz bass saga of 2011... and it was one of the best basses I've had - looking back I'm not sure why I sold it- the pristine condition it was in freaked me out I think - but it is brilliant. When I was weighing up selling it I went into guitarguitar in glasgow and played everything jazz shaped they had. The only basses they had that came near it was the Fender '75ri which I personally love but it isn't as veritile as this bass and the Sadowsky USA Will Lee modal. that was £4k or something - I thought that the valenti was way better than the fender and on a par with the USA Sadowsky - construction wise you couldn't separate them much but tone wise I prefered that Nordy pups in the valenti- passive the sadowsky sounded very ordinary, whereas the valenti just [b]sings[/b] like a great musical instrument does. So a great instrument, built up by Nino Valenti in the USA using USACG parts and just awesomeness and then set up by some great luthiers in Bradford. If I had £1000 I find it hard to think of many basses in this price point that could touch this.

Oh and the neck is to die for.

Edited by LukeFRC
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funkyspuke Contributor

funkyspuke

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had it confirmed by Nino (on his Facebook page) that this is, as Luke stated, USACG wood :)

I couldn't quite remember how much I paid for it to be honest, could only find on even older sale thread. but it was about £100 more than the £650!

I think I rambled on a bit too much, so never really got around to describing in enough detail just how good this bass is! I know it was well on par with ChrisDaBass' USA Sadowsky which he owned a few years ago and was tons better than the Sadowsky Metro. at the end of the day, it's a high spec custom made jazz (all be it for stock and NAMM) that's as good as any bass at this price range

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LukeFRC Grand Master

LukeFRC

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[quote name='funkyspuke' timestamp='1368554612' post='2078520']
had it confirmed by Nino (on his Facebook page) that this is, as Luke stated, USACG wood :)

I couldn't quite remember how much I paid for it to be honest, could only find on even older sale thread. but it was about £100 more than the £650!

I think I rambled on a bit too much, so never really got around to describing in enough detail just how good this bass is! I know it was well on par with ChrisDaBass' USA Sadowsky which he owned a few years ago and was tons better than the Sadowsky Metro. at the end of the day, it's a high spec custom made jazz (all be it for stock and NAMM) that's as good as any bass at this price range
[/quote] this price range being £2000+ ;)

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funkyspuke Contributor

funkyspuke

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[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1368604496' post='2078983']

You are free to sell for whatever you want (assuming you can find a buyer at your price point) but there's no need to be rude to previous owners - and I doubt it will help your sale process
[/quote]

I wouldn't say I was being rude :) it's the last thing I'd ever be .. but the comment by Richardd wasn't required as I'd already mentioned this before :)

Edited by funkyspuke
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LukeFRC Grand Master

LukeFRC

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[quote name='richardd' timestamp='1368604011' post='2078976']
[i]Sold three times on here for £650 <_< [/i]
[/quote] and the first guy was desperate for the money sharpish so dropped his price right down. are you suggesting that a bass sold years back for a price X will never change in price? Me and someone else tried it out for a wee while and moves it on pretty sharpish, at the same price. Funkyspuke buys it, has it as his main number one bass for 2-3 years and now need to move it on - and he messaged me first, as the person who sold it to him, to ask if it were ok to sell it at the price he's selling it at. Of course I was ok with it- and my suggestion was it was probably worth more than what he's looking for.
So given that he's played it enough as his main bass for years he's not just flipping it, and also that he did ask the fella he bought it from first- and given that you used to own it and *know* it's easily worth £1000 or even more..... what was the point of this comment?

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mr zed Proficient

mr zed

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I'm with Clarky on this one - the seller is free to ask for whatever price they want. It is their bass after-all. At the end of the day, it is the buyer who dictates the financial worth of an item by what they are prepared to pay for it. So the bass will either sell at the asking price, below the asking price (either by PM offer by a potential purchaser or price drops by the seller) or not at all.

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JosephMartyn Collaborator

JosephMartyn

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So I’ve been watching this thread and fancy telling a little story (now that a sales gone through I hope that’s ok). Let’s begin with a laughable comment…I see basses as my friends, yes I have human friends too. But I spend so much time with my basses that I know if I treat them right they will be good to me :) When I purchase a new one for the gang I’m thankful for the previous owner trusting me to take on the responsibility and also hope when I pass mine on they are going to a new home where they will be treated with the TLC they deserve.

I once had a Peavey T40, nabbed it at a steal of a price, and when tough times came and I had to move the fella on I listed it for the same price and was told I was bonkers for not selling it for more. The eventual buyer was actually on ebay and left the feedback:

“Very noble quality! Delivery was splendorous. Seller is matchless and admirable.”

Best feedback ever! (I actually made quite a loss after fees and shipping insurance!)

But of course there are price fluctuations, guitars come in and out of fashion, sometimes you have to settle for less, sometimes the prices soar, but like many things in life it’s swings and roundabouts. I have certainly paid more than a bass was worth in the past…because I bonded with it so well I just had to have it.

And for those that do need the TLC, restoring a bass to its former glory is satisfying and rewarding…and of course must be reflected in the value, so long as you do a good job. Of all the premium basses I have played I keep returning to my workhorse. A Japanese Jazz bass from the late 70's (ish at a guess). Short scale in a deep red wood stain. Bought for £10 in Cash Converters in 1994 because the electrics didn't work. I kitted it out with a Music Man replacement DiMarzio Humbucker, armed with a soldering iron from GCSE electronics that bad boy has become my old faithful. When I teach I like to use it as a nice message…you don’t need an expensive bass to be a great bass player…spend less time dreaming about what guitar to buy and get practicing!

On that note, my final statement….
Anybody got a 1979 sabre for sale? :P

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LukeFRC Grand Master

LukeFRC

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[quote name='funkyspuke' timestamp='1368693939' post='2080174']
in a rather bizzare turn of events, the Valenti is back up for sale :D

Richardd was days away from being re-united with his beloved Valenti (giving me exactly what I wanted for it) however, his pay-day loan with Wonga was rejected :P
[/quote] maybe I should buy it back from you! :)

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dlloyd Rising Star

dlloyd

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[quote name='funkyspuke' timestamp='1368554612' post='2078520']
had it confirmed by Nino (on his Facebook page) that this is, as Luke stated, USACG wood :)

I couldn't quite remember how much I paid for it to be honest, could only find on even older sale thread. but it was about £100 more than the £650!

I think I rambled on a bit too much, so never really got around to describing in enough detail just how good this bass is! I know it was well on par with ChrisDaBass' USA Sadowsky which he owned a few years ago and was tons better than the Sadowsky Metro. at the end of the day, it's a high spec custom made jazz (all be it for stock and NAMM) that's as good as any bass at this price range
[/quote]

It might be worth mentioning that while the neck and body were outsourced to a company that the general public can buy parts from, the results Nino gets are pretty far from the sort of thing the average hobbyist can achieve.

The comparison with Sadowskys is interesting and strangely appropriate... Sadowsky outsource all of the woodwork to another company and have a team of builders who assemble them. Nino Valenti actually worked as a builder for Sadowsky. No real surprise they're on a par.

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funkyspuke Contributor

funkyspuke

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[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1368790937' post='2081525']
It might be worth mentioning that while the neck and body were outsourced to a company that the general public can buy parts from, the results Nino gets are pretty far from the sort of thing the average hobbyist can achieve.

The comparison with Sadowskys is interesting and strangely appropriate... Sadowsky outsource all of the woodwork to another company and have a team of builders who assemble them. Nino Valenti actually worked as a builder for Sadowsky. No real surprise they're on a par.
[/quote]

... exactly! I don't think I've rambled on enough about just how good this bass is .. mainly because people will say "well, why are you selling it then" which I think is a very justifiable question (and it certainly is hard to justify).

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LukeFRC Grand Master

LukeFRC

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[quote name='funkyspuke' timestamp='1368728826' post='2080865']
:) lets talk haha!
[/quote]
[quote name='richardd' timestamp='1369046711' post='2084142']
Relieve this man's Boredom, :) Whatever Luke, This is still a lovely Bass. If Things were different, Have a Bump :)
[/quote] it is lovely - i'm half tempted apart from the lack of funds! :)

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