Peavey Zodiac BXP @ MF $199.99 Butterscotch only

jonnymac101881 · #1 11-20-2009, 09:11 AM

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend....tar?sku=474652

Looks like they are discontinuing the butterscotch finish. I just picked one up.

whoapower · #2 11-20-2009, 09:39 AM

Nice bass! Looks like their version of the cowpoke!

jonnymac101881 · #3 11-20-2009, 09:42 AM

The other finishes are going for $379 and then they also have a Dave Ellefson signature model with Quarter Pounders in it for upwards of $600 so I think the $200 is a good deal

Canterbury · #4 11-20-2009, 10:11 AM

I just got one of these, albeit locally and in white. Its a great value and for $200 its a steal. Great playing jazz style neck, and nice sounding stock pickups.

Bongolation · #5 11-22-2009, 11:33 AM

Where's it made?

jonnymac101881 · #6 11-22-2009, 11:45 AM

I think they are made in China or Korea. Can't tell for sure as the one I ordered hasn't arrived yet. Anyone else who has one of these know where they're made?

BassDudeSA · #7 11-22-2009, 11:49 AM

I love Peaveys. At just about any price point you are getting more for your money than with any other brand. Where are they made? Hell if I care. If I pick up a bass and it sounds and plays nice, where it is made doesn't matter. USA-made instruments are waaaay overpriced when compared to their foreign made counterparts.

Bongolation · #8 11-22-2009, 12:33 PM

I'm just curious if this is another case of downsourcing -- the MSRP based on that model's previous Korean manufacture and the sale items being a new run from Indonesia or China (with all the dubious problems new downsourcing has). That's been happening a lot lately, and it ticks me off a bit. Not saying that this is the case here, but I'm curious.

Personally, this is too fugly for me (the upside-down Fender control plate is real class, huh?

), but at $160 shipped -- if there's a 20%-off Black Friday thing coming up as rumored -- this would be a pretty nice deal for someone who's poking around in the SX price point and looking for maybe a better option.

Bongolation · #9 11-22-2009, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bongolation

Where's it made?

After some research, it appears that these have always been made in China.

QC is hit & miss, according to past threads here. Some OK, some awful.

EagleMoon · #10 11-22-2009, 06:42 PM

I've always wanted to try one of these, but I've never seen one in a store. I think the sunburst is really pretty with the maple neck.

Bongolation · #11 11-23-2009, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

I've always wanted to try one of these, but I've never seen one in a store. I think the sunburst is really pretty with the maple neck.

But it's not on sale, unfortunately.

There are a lot of mixed opinions and mixed experience with these, one predictable negative being a bad case of passive V/V/T syndrome (the technical explanation for which I wish I could recall, something to do with inductance mismatch between the P&J pickups, I think). But...my HRPB has that terribly, so why wouldn't this?

Gotta be philosophical...

EagleMoon · #12 11-23-2009, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bongolation

But it's not on sale, unfortunately.

There are a lot of mixed opinions and mixed experience with these, one predictable negative being a bad case of passive V/V/T syndrome (the technical explanation for which I wish I could recall, something to do with inductance mismatch between the P&J pickups, I think). But...my HRPB has that terribly, so why wouldn't this?

Gotta be philosophical...

I thought the biggest problem with a P and J setup was if you had a blend knob? I know it cuts good tonal frequencies if you do it that way. I thought VVT was okay.

Bongolation · #13 11-23-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

I thought the biggest problem with a P and J setup was if you had a blend knob? I know it cuts good tonal frequencies if you do it that way. I thought VVT was okay.

I don't know that a blend pot would be better or worse, but V/V/T rarely works anything like properly in a passive system. Try blending with the two V pots. Forget it. The more dissimilar the pickups, the worse it is -- so kiss P&J off. Even the HRPB is atrocious.

Long technical explanation of why this happens was on the Seymour Duncan forum some years ago. I don't remember it. Something to do with inductance mismatching, I think.

EagleMoon · #14 11-23-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bongolation

I don't know that a blend pot would be better or worse, but V/V/T rarely works anything like properly in a passive system. Try blending with the two V pots. Forget it. The more dissimilar the pickups, the worse it is -- so kiss P&J off. Even the HRPB is atrocious.

Long technical explanation of why this happens was on the Seymour Duncan forum some years ago. I don't remember it. Something to do with inductance mismatching, I think.

That makes sense. It's probably always better to stay with the same type of pickups. Like matching speaker cabinets.

Bongolation · #15 11-23-2009, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

That makes sense. It's probably always better to stay with the same type of pickups. Like matching speaker cabinets.

It's pretty complicated, but in the end you can't blend them, just have them full-on or full-off in relationship to each other. The way the Fender HRPB does it is to have a weak P pickup pair and a hot J bridge pickup that are used on no other Fender basses. You then balance their outputs via string proximity and use them both full-on, which has a really distinctive sound that people like.

Of course, you can turn one or the other off.

Whether the pickups on this Peavey are so output-balanced, I dunno.

Lockit55 · #16 11-24-2009, 01:23 PM

I originaly purchased one of these basses in Tobbaco Sunburst. Sounded great finish was nice but had to send it back because the truss rod adjusting nut was rounded from the factory so you could not adjust the neck properly. I just ordered a new one in the Butterscotch color with maple neck for 199.99. Will let you know how this one turns out

jonnymac101881 · #17 11-24-2009, 01:37 PM

Mine still hasn't shipped yet. I bought it on Friday around 8am and the tracking info still hasn't been posted. I called last night and they said it took longer than usual for the payment to clear the guy said it should ship today but I still haven't heard anything. So much for the "next day shipping" guarantee.

Bongolation · #18 11-24-2009, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnymac101881

So much for the "next day shipping" guarantee.

After somewhere between one and two hundred orders with MF (possibly more, I've long since lost count), one thing I can say to a certainly is that they don't actually ship the next day except under miraculous circumstances. If you are lucky, they'll generate a UPS order and say they shipped it the next day, but in truth UPS doesn't get it in their possession until the day after that.

And...they no longer guarantee to. I got lots of 20% discounts when they did guarantee next-day shipping. They also never gave them out without a fight.

Further, anything -- absolutely anything -- the phone drone tells you has only coincidental connection with what will happen, or reality in general.

I still do business with MF because they'll usually still makes things right when they screw up, which is usually, but I've learned to just relax about shipping and delivery times.

I'm buying for price alone, not quick service. If I was, I'd be using AMS which DELIVERS the next day where I live -- about 100 miles from their west-coast warehouse.

If there's a 20% discount on stuff on Friday, I might pick one of these up for $160 just out of curiosity, and probably get a Fender Jag for $480 for the same reason. Curiosity is my besetting sin.

**kenstee** · #19 11-24-2009, 02:09 PM

Please post the specifics if you do get a 20% offer so we can all take advantage of it!

Bongolation · #20 11-24-2009, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenstee

Please post the specifics if you do get a 20% offer so we can all take advantage of it!

For some curious reason, I only get part of the MF e-mail alerts/offers.

Several people here have said that there'll be a Black Friday deal like October, 20% off, but for one day only.

We'll see, I guess...