Peavey Basic 40 Info Needed

SurferJoe46 · #1 10-08-2010, 09:07 PM

Just got one of these at a swap meet for a really low LOW price that I could not refuse.

Anyway - it runs great - no smoke and is ultra heavy - that was the third thing I noticed.

Downloaded the PDF Owner's Operator's booklet - 4 pages - and it's pretty self-explanatory.

What I'd like is a testimonial or two about it - is it a keeper?

While I'm on the subject about Peaveys - does anyone have the side cab for my Peavey PA100 - 4 channel combo?

MNAirHead · #2 10-10-2010, 01:04 PM

I've got a side cab for your PA in EXCELLENT shape.. PM me if you're still looking.

Tim

SurferJoe46 · #3 10-10-2010, 02:30 PM

Done and done.

MichaelVee · #4 10-10-2010, 10:16 PM

I had a Basic 40 back in the 1991-1996 time frame. I replaced the Peavey speaker with an EVM-12 for a while, and used it as the top for a biamped stack with a Yamaha B100 head. Sounded very good.

I eventually gave that amp to a friend of mine up in Kentucky, John Graul, to use as his keyboard amp. I don't think he still has it, but he played keys through it from at least 1996 through 2005 and never had any complaints about the sound. Amazing musician, by the way.

It isn't the greatest combo ever, by a long shot, but if people can get one for cheap nowadays, it's a typical Peavey bass amp- you can't kill it if you are playing within it's means and limits.

SurferJoe46 · #5 10-10-2010, 10:26 PM

That sounds promising. He'll be happy to hear that it's pretty much bulletproof.

From the website where I dnldd the PDF, it's dated 1986. Just wondering if that's an accurate assessment of the last build-date.

MNAirHead · #6 10-11-2010, 06:33 AM

They're bullet proof.. the ONLY issue I've found with them are scratchy pots and speakers that are worn.

I left my PA (probably from the 70s) on for 5 years (yes 5 years) .. zero issues when I finally returned home...

sobie18 · #7 10-11-2010, 06:58 AM

My very first bass amp in 1984 was a Basic 40. That thing was a workhorse for me for a long time. I upgraded a few years later and bought the Basic 50 and have been using that amp for church masses for the last 20 yrs. I recently retired it from church (replaced it with an Ampeg BA-115T) and now the Peavey stays here in my bedroom for practicing.

One funny thing was that ALL of my basses sounded great through that thing at church. Especially my high-end 6ers...

MichaelVee · #8 10-11-2010, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

That sounds promising. He'll be happy to hear that it's pretty much bulletproof.

From the website where I dnldd the PDF, it's dated 1986. Just wondering if that's an accurate assessment of the last build-date.

Bulletproof is the word. These had a fairly substantial speaker, and with 40 watts and a sealed cabinet, they could take tons of abuse and playing at max volume settings. Most people don't care for sealed cabinets for bass, but they do limit excursion and make blowing speakers much less likely.

Actually, the one I mentioned earlier was my second Basic 40. I thought back about it this morning. The first one I had I bought when they first came out, which was around 1985. (So yeah, 1986 is definitely a production year.) That's the one I popped the EVM-12L into and biamped in a pretty loud band. I had that one about four years. I used it a lot as a practice amp at home, and it sounded terrific in the house. When I bought a preamp/amp rack setup, I sold the first Basic 40 as I didn't think I needed it anymore. Au contraire. It felt dopey to heat up the rack just to practice at home, and I didn't like hauling the rack to church gigs when I couldn't turn it up.

So I bought the second one, and kept it until I moved to Tennessee. I believe this one was called the "Basic 112", but it was the same amp. The name change occurred in the 1989-1990 time frame.