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1984 Peavey Foundation - possible NBD

Ok I have a line on an excellent condition 1984 Peavey Foundation. Super ferries, etc. haven't seen it in person yet - but the color is kind of a gold. Has anyone seen a foundation in this color before? I never have - am wondering if it was refinished at some point. Thoughts?
 

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It may well be original. Peavey came out with some short runs of color that were out of the norm from time to time. I have seen them in red and black most commonly, but I had one which was natural mahogany, there are some light natural examples as well.
I think Peavey's original intent with these and Furys was to go toe to toe with j's and p's, but as time wore on there were a lot of unusual short runs and hybrids in my experience. There were also two or three different iterations slightly or greatly different using the same model names.

Look here...

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Thanks - I did find the same color in pics online - guessing it's original. I've found conflicting info, but I think it's a poplar body, not ash? I'm considering trading a Yamaha Fg730 acoustic guitar for it - still trying to decide if that's a good trade or not. Probably a little better for the other guy - but I have this feeling I will like the bass and take a hit on the trade....
 
That is an original finish, I think it was called either Aztec Gold, or Inca Gold. There are a bunch of different metallic finishes that were offered on the early Foundations, some rare as hens teeth, some fairly common. Sometimes they may have matching color headstocks.

You should snag that Foundation if the price is right, but there are a couple caveats to watch for; Be sure the frets are good, the truss rod works, and the elecs are original. As good as those old Foundations are, they're not worth a whole lot. So if it needs any serious work like a refret, don't buy it.

I managed to pick up a small herd when they were stupid cheap (can't resist a bargain), and grew to love them. The earlier ones are nicer IMO. Here's another '84 Gold one.

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Here's what the control cavity should look like.

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Thanks - I did find the same color in pics online - guessing it's original. I've found conflicting info, but I think it's a poplar body, not ash? I'm considering trading a Yamaha Fg730 acoustic guitar for it - still trying to decide if that's a good trade or not. Probably a little better for the other guy - but I have this feeling I will like the bass and take a hit on the trade....

Took a quick look and it seems that the FG730 goes new on the street for $270-$299, meaning that there are probably plenty of used ones around at $200. That is a decent price to pay for a Foundation in my book (not a steal, but decent), and as you've found the gold seems to be more rare than the black or red versions. By the way, I have a USA cirrus 5 and two Foundations (4 and 5), and I typically grab the Foundation before the Cirrus, although I like them both. I've said it on here before, I believe that the Foundation is the best bass bang for the buck on the planet.
 
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Thanks - I did find the same color in pics online - guessing it's original. I've found conflicting info, but I think it's a poplar body, not ash? I'm considering trading a Yamaha Fg730 acoustic guitar for it - still trying to decide if that's a good trade or not. Probably a little better for the other guy - but I have this feeling I will like the bass and take a hit on the trade....

Chances are it's poplar.

Speaking of rare Foundation finishes, did anyone see this oddball on ebay several months ago? It's not Rose Pink, it's something else. Never seen this finish on any Peavey before.

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Took a quick look and it seems that the FG730 goes new on the street for $270-$299, meaning that there are probably plenty of used ones around at $200. That is a decent price to pay for a Foundation in my book (not a steal, but decent), and as you've found the gold seems to be more rare than the black or red versions. By the way, I have a USA cirrus 5 and two Foundations (4 and 5), and I typically grab the Foundation before the Cirrus, although I like them both. I've said it on here before, I believe that the Foundation is the best bass bang for the buck on the planet.


I agree. I love the silly things. The cool factor is off the charts on the early ones, everything about them is unique, from the elecs, to the hardware, to the cases. They are true USA-built vintage guitars that sound terrific and can be had for stupid cheap money.
 
Glad you decided to get it. If the neck is good, and the case is included then you definitely got a good deal. Theres the same color foundation hanging at my luthier's store right now for around 3 bills and it isn't in as good condition.
 
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