QuietSpike
Well-known member
Truth, CB... the coil split gives the Val a deliciousness my other guitars (including a sweet ash tele) just can't match.
- Thread starter mapleleaf14
- Start date
Truth, CB... the coil split gives the Val a deliciousness my other guitars (including a sweet ash tele) just can't match.
mistercharlie
Well-known member
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- Jul 23, 2016
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I have those same knobs on my Valentine. Fender amp knobs. I love them. I also removed the hideous pickguard.
mapleleaf14
Active member
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- Aug 8, 2016
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- 44
Most recent update: I hate "vintage" style saddles! I don't like them on my Albee Lee, And I don't like them on the Val either. I finally had to take a small file to them...those saddle screws are friggin' sharp!! Anybody ever replace them on the Val with something else...even Graphtech String Saver Saddles? I asked EBMM but they only replied that they don't have any experience with non-stock saddles.
I'm going to try and spend a lot of time this weekend in the studio with the Val to make up my mind about it. I love the look, the feel of the body, and the neck. The most important thing though - the sound - I'm not sold on yet, which is strange given what they were going for with it...figured I'd totally dig it right from the get-go.
But it could just end up being a guitar I just use periodically. I kind of imagined when I ordered it that it would be a guitar I was going to find myself picking up all the time - maybe it's not going to be. That could be OK I guess...if it was an $800 guitar it'd be a no brainer, but at $1800 I need to be sure...hopefully this weekend will tell me.
I'm going to try and spend a lot of time this weekend in the studio with the Val to make up my mind about it. I love the look, the feel of the body, and the neck. The most important thing though - the sound - I'm not sold on yet, which is strange given what they were going for with it...figured I'd totally dig it right from the get-go.
But it could just end up being a guitar I just use periodically. I kind of imagined when I ordered it that it would be a guitar I was going to find myself picking up all the time - maybe it's not going to be. That could be OK I guess...if it was an $800 guitar it'd be a no brainer, but at $1800 I need to be sure...hopefully this weekend will tell me.
beej
Moderator
If it's not for you, I'd sell it.
kimonostereo
Well-known member
+1!
There's no sense in keeping something you aren't satisfied with. More than likely it won't turn into something you love playing.
mapleleaf14
Active member
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- Aug 8, 2016
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- 44
After a weekend in the studio with the Val, I feel a lot better about the purchase.
I recorded some stuff going the various profiles in the Kemper, and I also recorded two tracks with an amp mic'd up...a Friedman Dirty Shirley and then a PRS Dallas 410 and liked the majority of the tones I was able to get.
The neck wasn't an issue at all, and I am starting to like how sensitive the pickups are...big tonal changes with the volume knob - as you'd expect with quality electronics.
It won't be the all out go-to guitar I thought it was going to be, but it'll definitely see it's fair share of use for recording! For gigging I'll probably stay with the Majesty, Collings 290 and one of the Teles...I try to keep it to 3 guitars if I can, but might take the Val in place of a Tele now and then.
I recorded some stuff going the various profiles in the Kemper, and I also recorded two tracks with an amp mic'd up...a Friedman Dirty Shirley and then a PRS Dallas 410 and liked the majority of the tones I was able to get.
The neck wasn't an issue at all, and I am starting to like how sensitive the pickups are...big tonal changes with the volume knob - as you'd expect with quality electronics.
It won't be the all out go-to guitar I thought it was going to be, but it'll definitely see it's fair share of use for recording! For gigging I'll probably stay with the Majesty, Collings 290 and one of the Teles...I try to keep it to 3 guitars if I can, but might take the Val in place of a Tele now and then.
jones4tone
Well-known member
Good to hear that you're liking the new guitar more. I won't be surprised if it continues to grow on you. I find mine to be so versatile and just ridiculously comfortable to play.
Astrofreq
Well-known member
The VAL is just ridiculous in the tone department. I can't imagine ever parting with mine. Ridiculous.
johnnyboogie
Well-known member
Congratulation on the new Valentine!!
PS. You can always switch pickups, since you fancy the overall aesthetics of the guitar.
PS. You can always switch pickups, since you fancy the overall aesthetics of the guitar.
I noticed this as well today. I was playing and leaned back and the pitch changed quite a bit. Realized I was tugging a bit with my fretting hand(bad technique, I know). I found while playing upright I can get a wah wah sound by wiggling the neck(it doesn't move just bends I think) and I can see the strings get a little lower and higher. I checked that the neck screws are all tight. I am a newbie and don't have another electric handy to check. Is this normal? I think I've heard pros do that wah wah thing with the neck but couldn't remember on what kind of guitar. Those of you with Valentines or other thinnish necked MMs... is this normal or excessive?
Thank you in advance for any info.
Wanted to add, my neck is not very figured at all(not complaining, just wanted to address what was mentioned by the OP)
Thank you in advance for any info.
Wanted to add, my neck is not very figured at all(not complaining, just wanted to address what was mentioned by the OP)
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Here's my thoughts after reading your post. I've had my Valentine for about 3 mos. now and I mostly play Tele's & Strats. I'm a Fender guy through and through. I love my Valentine because it is unique to itself and it makes me appreciate my other guitars even more for what they are.
I love the neck on the Valentine for its very unique feel and profile. It does have a ridiculous number of tones you can coax out of it and has its own sound with the tapping. I love my strats for their sounds and my teles for the sounds they produce, but I think when it boils down to it, the Val has its own unique set of tones. I can see how many of these do sort of cross pollinate with a tele, but that is ok with me.
The cool part is when you pick up your Fenders love them for what they are. They have that classic guitar vibe and character in them. They have their own character and charm. And as for the Val, its an EBMM and it definitely has its own beautiful and unique set of characteristics. I think you should keep it and if nothing else, if you do a lot of recording, you have another tool at your finger tips to possibly nail that tone you need for your track.
An as far as the knobs ( I know you said you switched back) when I saw those on there, I just kept thinking of my 72 deluxe Tele. lol.
Keep us posted on how your Val evolves. My Val is my first taste of EBMM and I couldn't have been happier. I guess it's a bit easier since my bro gifted it to me just because he saw me drooling over it on my computer one day. haha
Rock on!
I love the neck on the Valentine for its very unique feel and profile. It does have a ridiculous number of tones you can coax out of it and has its own sound with the tapping. I love my strats for their sounds and my teles for the sounds they produce, but I think when it boils down to it, the Val has its own unique set of tones. I can see how many of these do sort of cross pollinate with a tele, but that is ok with me.
The cool part is when you pick up your Fenders love them for what they are. They have that classic guitar vibe and character in them. They have their own character and charm. And as for the Val, its an EBMM and it definitely has its own beautiful and unique set of characteristics. I think you should keep it and if nothing else, if you do a lot of recording, you have another tool at your finger tips to possibly nail that tone you need for your track.
An as far as the knobs ( I know you said you switched back) when I saw those on there, I just kept thinking of my 72 deluxe Tele. lol.
Keep us posted on how your Val evolves. My Val is my first taste of EBMM and I couldn't have been happier. I guess it's a bit easier since my bro gifted it to me just because he saw me drooling over it on my computer one day. haha
Rock on!
jones4tone
Well-known member
I haven't played every kind of guitar, by any means, but I've never played one in 35 years of playing that I couldn't achieve a pitch change by flexing the neck. When you lean back, or lay the guitar flat, gravity acts on the weight of the neck and headstock (and body, depending on where the weight is being supported), and will change the pitch slightly even without you tugging on it. Completely normal, and not at all an indication of a defect or deficiency in your guitar, in my opinion.
Thank you very much for your experienced and informative response... thats what I figured. Hadn't really thought otherwise until I had read this thread.
What I know of my guitars (5 LPs, an LP Jr analog, 1 Strat, an SG, an offset, 2 other double cuts, a Supro and my EBMM Val), if I had to strip to the minimum, I would keep the Gold Top LP, the Roadhouse Strat and the EBMM Val. Cutting it down more than that would be very, very hard.
