Congrats my man! I have a JT as well. I was floored by how nice it is to play and the tone variety. It quickly became my #1. The incredible mid tones though are a bit punchy for church worship band (and also expose my bad playing:) so I use it a little less than when I first got it. It’s an awesome bass tho.
Thanks, brutha. I know we were talking about this a few months back. I’m still putting it through it’s paces and getting attached but I’m liking it more and more as I’m playing it. It definitely cuts through the mix. It’s funny because I usually like more of that thumpy, dead-strings sound but I’m really feeling the Dingwall tone. For now I’ve kinda settled with the active, bridge and neck pickups, and the tone rolled to half or so. I don’t have the most sophisticated ear so this may be a bit of a caveman-with-a-shiny-rock opinion but, again, the sound is amazing, the best I’ve ever played. This is definitely going to be my everyday player based on that alone. It’s a bonus that it plays well too. Just curious, what are you playing mostly instead? I think it was a Flea bass? And what draws you to that over the Dingwall (or does it just not fit in the Sunday mix)?
Not quite mine yet. The French seller won’t be able to ship until Friday at the earliest, so it will probably be two weeks before I get my hot little hands on it. I wasn’t looking for another bass, but when I saw the price on this Valiant Jupiter, I had to have it. My Valiant Mini Bass (27” Jazz) is so well made and sounds so good, I figured it would be happy to gain a big brother. I need to sell several basses (out of space) and this will make me comfortable selling my Schecter Banshee.
Translated notes from the seller:
I’m putting my Valiant Jupiter Bass up for sale. It’s a Ukrainian brand that makes some pretty cool instruments!
This one is a Jaguar-style bass with a slim Jazz Bass-style neck. Alder body, quarter-sawn maple neck with titanium reinforcement, and an ebony fingerboard. Featherweight: 3.5kg. The pickup was swapped for a Seymour Duncan SPB-2, but the original brand-made pickup is still included. It’s been set up by a luthier (invoice provided) and it sounds killer. Basically, it’s a bass that stands out and sounds great, on top of being light and ergonomic.
One small detail: the standard production model comes with a wenge fingerboard and a road-worn finish. This one has an ebony fingerboard and non-relic’d finish, making it a unique model.
This will give you an idea of its tone. I wonder what impact the Seymour Duncan pickup will have on it.
Here’s my Mini Bass for comparison:
I mentioned this bass a few days ago on the thread about double-P type basses (here: Two-Fisted Punching Machines - the Double P topic - #211 by joergkutter )
Now, it has arrived and I can share a few of my own photos here. But, let’s just get it out there: this bass is growing on me, a lot. The finish choices (glimmer polyurethane relic’d and with a tort pickguard… <>) wouldn’t be some I’d pick (I am both conservative and a coward when it comes to how basses should look like
), but that shouldn’t really take away from how cool and playable this bass is.
Alder body, birdseye maple neck and fingerboard (differently roasted, I guess). The neck is gorgeous and feels great (somewhere between a P and a J neck, I’d say). The handwound pickups sound very powerful and that pickup configuration offers a lot of tonal options; very impressive. There is a Sadowsky pre-amp in there and that’s nothing to sneeze at either.
Scott (the previous owner) had it set up very low, and together with the fast neck, it plays really well. The bridge is a Badass II and the tuners are Hipshot ultralite with an xtender on the E-string (I need to learn how to set that up; frequent drop D player that I am
). On the back, there is a little compartment for an AirTag - there is one in there now that chirps occasionally; slightly unnerving, I have to admit - sending data back to the mothership!?!? ![]()
I will put new strings on there soon; just not yet sure which ones…
I might also get a black pickguard from RKM; I have been exchanging emails with the guys there to get a better handle on the specs, and they are really nice people and super helpful.
The more I play with this bass, the more I like it (despite the optics). The level of craftmanship is fantastic and it’s fun to play. About the optics - my wife commented dryly: “Yeah, not quite your style - too much “rock’n’roll”!” ![]()
This is my first and only bass. VERY inexpensive jazz style from DV24/7 when they had a store in my town. Initial efforts to learn provoked very negative comments which deeply discouraged me so I gave the bass to my son who is a talented musician. Meanwhile, he was short of funds so decided to sell it. It was damaged in transit, and returned, hence the sticker on the top edge of the body. At this point having failed to learn guitar for 45 years and been told my attempts at bass were truly awful (probably not wrong), it lead me to abandon the idea of playing anything until about a year ago. I was convinced that I am totally tone deaf, rhythm deaf and any other musical disability you can have. To prove this was true and therefore not my fault, so I could forgive myself for the failure, I decided to take a one line tone test. I was astonished when it said I scored 86% and I was pretty good. So I bought the bass back from my son so it would feel properly mine again and started some on line lessons. I enjoyed what I was learning. I love music theory because I am an engineer by profession and always want to know “why” about everything. Then I found and bought Beginner to badass bass lessons. I am half way through the course now having started 4 months ago. I can express how grateful I am for Josh’s encouragement. THANK YOU! My next bass will be something with 24 frets, maybe a Yamaha or an Ibanez.
Well, black should work just fine, but strangely, the tortoise doesn’t look bad on gold. Unless you hate tort of course ![]()
Really beautiful bass ![]()
That bass is beautiful!
For the drop key - Tune your E string, flip the switch, tune to D - repeat until both are in tune - easy. Takes only 1-2 times generally.
I am (not so) secretly hoping you want to sell it - I need it - lololol - but really hope you keep it.
I have always wanted to try out a Sadowski preamp in something, but have not had the opportunity as of yet.
Wowza! Roasted Birdseye maple in the flesh. That’s just gorgeous! I’m beyond jealous. This is 100% you man.
Congrats, brother. Very cool bass.
This phenomenon brings to mind a fave line of mine from a movie that’s always stuck with me.
A couple of cowpokes sit around a campfire at night. One cowboy waxes sagely and philosophically about the vagaries of existence and mankind’s place in the cosmos.
The second cowboy listens and nods, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation.
The first cowboy finally finishes his soliloquy asks the second, “What you thinka that, Tittle Tod?”
After a long beat, Tittle Tod replies,
“Life ain’t like anything I seen before.”
Apparently, you are living that truth. ![]()
Rock on! ![]()
That thing is amazing. What a killer instrument.
Agree that the tort has to go, it’s awful there. Maybe play with Photoshop or AI and try some different colors? Black or white would work well but this might be a good one for transparent too as it looks like the electronics are actually in the back cavity and not in front trenches.
The tort thing again, inevitably.
For what it’s worth, @joergkutter, I think the tort pickguard looks great on it, and so did the builder and Scott.
Just play the damn thing. Given its provenance, there’s nothing else it needs.
Yes. This is what we want in basses.
This is, truly, glorious. Great get.
That looks like the first bass I ever bought. Beautiful colors and it feels and sounds great.
Is that a Rumble 40? If so, I also have the same amp.
Thank you! Yes it’s a Fender Rumble 40 it’s a great amp. The bass is a Fender player 2 Jazz. I love it!
Yes, it is a great amp.
My bass is a first generation Fender Player Jazz. I love the colors. It reminds me of the gemstone labradorite.
Not necessarily. @joergkutter is a little older and plays mainly Jazz. So that Tort pick guard is kind of on brand.
I think that bass looks absolutely amazing ![]()
I almost always prefer tort. It’s classic and goes with just about anything
it looks like radioactive salami
(obviously joking but tort is definitely a love/hate thing)











