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1985 Peavey Dynabass

rhythmless

rhythmless

Oct 31, 2007
61
13
#1
I'm on a budget and looking for the best bass for the money. I have low-end Spector, and a low-end Soundgear. My goal is to replace the Soundgear with something else, preferably a something lighter with active electronics. I've found a 1985 Peavey Dynabass for pretty cheap, but I don't know enough about them to make a decision. It's USA made so it gets a few brownie points there. Just wondering if any of you have any experience with them and know if it would be a good purchase. I love how it looks.
 
#3
It's a 4 string with bolt on neck. Here's a couple of pictures:
9142_3.jpg

9ccf_3.jpg

9720_3.jpg
 
#5
I had the 5 string version of that bass. I gigged it for years in a "Butt rock" band in the late 80s and early 90s. I didn't beat it up but it got a LOT of gigging time. Very reliable, it never let me down - the defeatable active EQ let me run passive when my batteries died.

The Peavey "Super Ferrite" pickups are very well regarded.

That is a really great bass. IMO it's completely on anoter level compared to what you have now. Easily equal to a modern deluxe active Fender as far as quality of materials and build.
 
#6
I had one in '86. White with gold hardware - played decent until the neck developed a twist. I brought it to the authorized Peavey service guy (Hideo Kanimoto - who wrote a book on guitar construction/mods), and he said it couldn't be fixed. Great bass until then. I would buy one in a heartbeat - especially because the bass is 20+ years old!
 
#8
svtbass said:
Great under-rated value. I think they are the best bang for the buck out there though I prefer the ones with the P/J pups as they are neck-thru. I have one in all koa with G&L P & humbucker. You can't go wrong with either.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily - I have seen some models with the P/J set up that weren't. Don't get me wrong - I love Peavey (I still have a Foundation 5 string as one of my go-to basses); I just remember seeing PJ models that weren't neck thru.
 
#10
I have the same exact bass that I bought new in '85. Still sweet after all these years. Great pickups, very nice Schaller hardware and the previously mentioned (I wish all active basses were so equipped) active/passive switch. I have never, personally, seen one with a bad neck...and I have seen and played a bunch of these over the years-not to say they aren't out there-I just haven't happened across any. Peavey was still bi-laminating the necks at this point and I have felt that they were extremely stable, once they took a set.

Kim
 
#12
Great basses. The super ferrites sound really good, and give you a really thick sort of jazz bass tone without the hum or sounding thin- they fill up the bottom and give you some of that Jazz growl in the passive mode, but with muscle. If you use the active guts,prepare to dial up your mids, the pre-amp really sucks the mids out in a way that is good for slap, but not so hot for rock. I grabbed one for $250 with the plastic bullet case that had never been set up. It took 3 days to get the truss rod nut to loosen with penetrating oil, but once set up, the thing plays wicked. I use it as a B-bass to my G&L. If anyone sees one in good shape, grab it- best bargain out there.
 
#14
rhythmless said:
I'm on a budget and looking for the best bass for the money. I have low-end Spector, and a low-end Soundgear. My goal is to replace the Soundgear with something else, preferably a something lighter with active electronics. I've found a 1985 Peavey Dynabass for pretty cheap, but I don't know enough about them to make a decision. It's USA made so it gets a few brownie points there. Just wondering if any of you have any experience with them and know if it would be a good purchase. I love how it looks.
Click to expand...
Hi, I just got the same Dyna-Bass as you show, even the same color, on eBay for $167.50 shipped. It's beaten up compared to this one but plays great. I love the slim fast neck. Did you end up getting this? If so, how much was yours?
 

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