NBD: Any One-Piece fans? [Valley Arts Content]

[narad]

Those who have been surprisingly paying attention to my posts the past year might know I'm on a bit of a Valley Arts kick, after coming into possession of one for a bit that was one of the best guitars I've played. I've been looking around now for the right one from the mid-late 80s, but it's tough -- they're rare, and they're pricey, and they're often overseas.

So my surprise when this bass popped up in Japan. #0066, so super early, early enough that the much loathed (but actually totally fine) Valley Arts headstock shape hadn't been developed yet, and it sports a more traditional Fender-style. Not being much of a bass player, I wasn't looking to spend a lot on it, though being super early in their build history and having obviously crazy woods did have me watching it, and over the past month I watched the price fall until finally it was sort of within reach. Not too much to say about it as I just don't have the experience to talk pros/cons of basses, but woods like these, where the entire bass body is a single piece of quilt maple, are basically a thing of the past:

If anyone knows what sort of bridge that is, I'd be curious to know. I'd like to get a new bridge and also replace the cavity cover that looks like a replacement. And maybe a brass nut, though I like the sound of it now played acoustically.

The weird thing, which sadly realizing now I didn't take a photo of, is that the headstock tilts forwards. I've basically never seen a design like that on any stringed instrument. Not sure if it has bent with age? I haven't seen that either.

 

[Moongrum]

Babicz bridge looks inspired by yours

Babicz FCH-4 AM String Thru Bass Bridge - Full Contact Hardware

Buy Babicz FCH-4 AM Fender string through body bass bridge - string through body bass bridge upgrade

www.fullcontacthardware.com

I'm not sure if they existed back then, and maybe yours is the Prometheus of the modern design?

Stunning bass, though. It's like Spector meets Charvel. Were one-piece figured bodies Valley Arts' "thing" back in the day, or are you just picking ones with the one-piece bodies?

but woods like these, where the entire bass body is a single piece of quilt maple, are basically a thing of the past:

Nowadays, I reckon a piece like that would be used as a veneer for a bunch of guitars getting pumped out of cortek

 

[Moongrum]

Babicz bridge looks inspired by yours

The more I look at the two, I think the only relation is there both blocky. Sorry, I don't think there is a connection between the two

 

[Crungy]

Damn, that thing is figured af! I love seeing one piece quilted or flamed bodies.

I also thought it was a Babicz bridge but this probably pre-dates that by a lot. Looks like old school Schaller tuners.

Interesting that there's screws where string retainers might have been but it has a bar... I wonder what was original, the bar or retainers?

Have you opened the cavity? I'm curious if it's active electronics... I'd guess EMG but it could be something else. Or it's all passive.

I zoomed in and see the EMG logos now.

 

[narad]

Babicz bridge looks inspired by yours
View attachment 148474

Babicz FCH-4 AM String Thru Bass Bridge - Full Contact Hardware

Buy Babicz FCH-4 AM Fender string through body bass bridge - string through body bass bridge upgrade

www.fullcontacthardware.com

I'm not sure if they existed back then, and maybe yours is the Prometheus of the modern design?

Different but very close aesthetically. If I can get it without the logo somehow I'd consider it as a replacement. The one thing I don't know about the current one is if it's brass. Some of the wear on it and on the knobs has that green oxidation that brass tends to get. I assume the Babicz and most bridges these days aren't brass, as that was more of the 70s/80s fad.

Weirdly enough I just bought a Babicz for a strat last week to try out. Sadly the 6 holes don't align so I have to take it to the shop.

Stunning bass, though. It's like Spector meets Charvel. Were one-piece figured bodies Valley Arts' "thing" back in the day, or are you just picking ones with the one-piece bodies?

Yea, a lot of the old Valley Arts strats, the custom pros, were one piece bodies, then moved into two piece bodies, and then when the shop burned down and they were bought by Samick/Gibson, they moved more into tops on mahogany or ash bodies. But I like the full maple sound and I really like when the figur wraps around the contours of the body. Shame it's basically unheard of these days.

Nowadays, I reckon a piece like that would be used as a veneer for a bunch of guitars getting pumped out of cortek

Ha, no doubt. Still I feel like, it's maple, not rosewood. We should probably be able to manage getting some one-piece bodies still these days. I asked Warmoth, who originally made a lot of the VA bodies, and they don't offer it anymore. I don't understand why -- I mean, offer it, and just slap a silly price tag on it.... I might pay it. I asked the same of Tom Anderson, who in the late 80s made a lot of full quilt maple body guitars, and they won't do it either, and won't use a billet you send in. Sucks.

Interesting that there's screws where string retainers might have been but it has a bar... I wonder what was original, the bar or retainers?

Yea, I wonder if somehow the headstock bent forward and the bar was added out of necessity at that point. Like I said, I hadn't heard of that happening, but I'll add a pic of it because it's pretty extreme really.

 

[narad]

The tip of the headstock is higher than the fretboard

 

[CanserDYI]

View attachment 148483

The tip of the headstock is higher than the fretboard

My first thought is to follow the grain pattern and see if right at the headstock they are cut off abruptly or if the grain bends. If thats obvious, just post some dumb meme and ignore or whatever.

 

[nightsprinter]

I'm very interested in the forward pitched headstock. I had a bass that had one as well, albeit not as extreme. I thought I might still have it but I just looked through all my cases and I guess I don't- I can't even remember what it was. I found it odd but it came to me new like that, never posed a problem, and had a string retainer bar. I have a Sire P5 that appears to have a slightly pitched headstock as well but it's very slight- so much so that I wonder if it's an illusion. Also has a string bar.

These valley arts are kinda gems, eh? That one piece is just so nice to look at.

 

[andrewheater]

Hey, i love that bass. I saw it on Buyee and was going to buy it last Saturday but was too late lol. If you're ever interested in selling it I'd be interested. The first 100 Valley Arts were made with fender style headstocks.

Anyway, here are pictures of my two early Valley Arts with fender headstocks #22 and #90.
#22 was ordered in 11/14/1979 and completed in 1980.
#90 was originally owned by session guitarist and producer Dennis Herring. It was ordered on 1983/07/25 and delivered on 1983/09/25

Also here's a picture of an early Valley Arts neck that was originally owned by Larry Carlton on one of his early Valley Arts guitars. It was given back to Valley Arts when they came out with their own headstock shape.

 

[narad]

I'm very interested in the forward pitched headstock. I had a bass that had one as well, albeit not as extreme. I thought I might still have it but I just looked through all my cases and I guess I don't- I can't even remember what it was. I found it odd but it came to me new like that, never posed a problem, and had a string retainer bar. I have a Sire P5 that appears to have a slightly pitched headstock as well but it's very slight- so much so that I wonder if it's an illusion. Also has a string bar.

I've been trying to research it today, and found it on quite a few basses. It seems that if you have the bar installed, you're mostly good to go. I'm still waiting to hear the story about it just snapping forward at some point, but so far, so good.

These valley arts are kinda gems, eh? That one piece is just so nice to look at.

Yea, ESP will occasionally do something similar, but their wood quality usually just doesn't get there. I actually have one at Craft House for some minor work that I have to pick up tomorrow.

Hey, i love that bass. I saw it on Buyee and was going to buy it last Saturday but was too late lol. If you're ever interested in selling it I'd be interested. The first 100 Valley Arts were made with fender style headstocks.

Ha close one -- I've gotta watch out for you Buyee guys. I actually bought it in the airplane after a 14 hour flight back to Tokyo, literally the first thing I checked after turning off airplane mode. Almost missed out (though I guess I could have paid for airplane wifi...)

There is another in Japan with the fender style headstock. It's a sort of flamed ash body. It's an interesting one for sure, but it didn't wow me when I saw it in person.

Anyway, here are pictures of my two early Valley Arts with fender headstocks #22 and #90.
#22 was ordered in 11/14/1979 and completed in 1980.
#90 was originally owned by session guitarist and producer Dennis Herring. It was ordered on 1983/07/25 and delivered on 1983/09/25

Also here's a picture of an early Valley Arts neck that was originally owned by Larry Carlton on one of his early Valley Arts guitars. It was given back to Valley Arts when they came out with their own headstock shape.

Ah, those are sick. I think I may have seen you posting on the pre-samick VA FB group. I love that dream machine-esque one with all the brass.

 

[velvetkevorkian]

Good lord, that's a pretty thing. Never seen a headstock with that angle but it looks like the whole neck and headstock is a single piece so maybe that's just how they had to carve it to fit the piece of wood?