Stripped Down with Moves Like Maroon 5’s James Valentine
As part of the Grammy-winning band Maroon 5, James Valentine’s funk-infused licks have served up constant earworms for millions of listeners, not to mention contributing to the trademark sound of one of today’s hottest pop-rock acts. Ernie Ball Music Man tapped into James’s mystique to create the Valentine, combining vintage aesthetics and modern enhancements to form an instrument all its own. Its timeless combination of ash and maple for the body, neck, and fingerboard feels great in the hands of players of all generations while laying a solid tonal foundation that plays exceptionally well with the Valentine’s electronics. Speaking of electronics, EBMM outfitted the Valentine with an incredible set of custom-designed pickups as well as a handy coil split and gain boost — practically every electric guitar tone imaginable can be summoned by the Valentine! Even the hardware has been meticulously chosen for quality and reliability, with a Music Man Modern Classic hardtail bridge and Schaller locking tuners to keep everything in tune while you slay onstage.
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A classic tonewood recipe
For many axe collectors at Sweetwater, the classic combination of an ash body and maple neck represents one of the sweetest and twangiest tonal cocktails ever envisioned. The Valentine pays homage to this recipe with a touch of contemporary class thrown in for equal parts vintage and modern. Its ash body is supremely comfortable in all playing positions, tapered where it sits against the midsection to hug its namesake’s body exactly how he prefers.
Not only does the Valentine’s roasted maple neck deliver that trademark “spank” and “snap” guitarists have loved for decades, but it’s also a sight to behold. This stunning axe boasts beautiful figuring throughout that’s sure to garner more than a few looks when you hit the stage. Finally, its matching maple fingerboard is smooth to the touch and guaranteed to send your fretting hand from head to heel in a flash.
Highly versatile set of custom electronics
Though seemingly stripped down on the surface, the Valentine's custom electronics cover the full spectrum of electric guitar tones. A pair of custom-voiced pickups go from glassy cleans to warm crunch and hard and heavy rock with ease, made possible with a smooth single-coil in the bridge and a thick, chunky humbucker in the neck. Dig deeper into the Valentine's offerings, and you'll quickly realize that this stellar 6-string is ready for anything you throw at it. A push-push volume pot splits the humbucker in the neck for single-coil flavoring. Toggle on the push-push tone pot, and you get an instant injection of up to 20dB of screaming and sizzling gain — in other words, you can leave the distortion pedals at home and rely on this impressive axe to get the job done in any playing situation.
Hardily outfitted hardware
And what would a stage-ready and show-stopping 6-string be without the tough and dependable hardware to back it up? Luckily, Ernie Ball Music Man treated the Valentine to a rock-steady set of Schaller locking tuners up at the headstock, reinforced with a Music Man Modern Classic hardtail bridge for an anchoring that prioritizes both tuning precision and steadfast accuracy as you play. To boot, 22 stainless steel frets and a Melamine nut keep your string response purified and incredibly articulate, giving proper attention to every note the piece demands.
Ernie Ball Music Man Valentine Features:
- Rock-solid signature 6-string for Maroon 5’s James Valentine
- Top-quality ash body lays a solid tonal foundation with good resonance
- Stunning figured roasted maple neck feels comfortable in the hands
- Matching maple fingerboard gives your playing a significant speed boost
- Custom single-coil and humbucker pickups cover everything from crystal cleans to spanky Strat-esque tones and all-out hard rock
- Push-push Volume pot enables up to 20dB gain boost for instant overdrive tones
- Music Man Modern Classic hardtail bridge and Schaller locking tuners keep your intonation in check throughout the show
- Stainless steel frets and Melanime nut offer heightened articulation and purity in string response
