I'm a year ahead of you and I feel ya.
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GAAASSSS!!!
- Thread starter Kipp Harrington
- Start date
I bought two of them brand new when they came out. I had the earlier production that came in a G+G style case (before he went to the blo-mold plastic case) and the pickups where the blades didn't show. As they were new and hot, I paid full price, $349.50 case included. At the time new Precisions were $600-700.00.
They were amazingly consistent, but heavy in the ash body and the massive hardware (the bridge!) and he used real keys, those 'half-open' Grovers. Despite how cool the humbucker to single-coil swing built into the tone circuit, they only ever sounded good to me wide open. Never used the phase switch. They were built!
They were strange in a way in that you had that massively stout body with this broomstick, thin neck screwed onto it. Felt like a Jazz neck, and both of mine were quite flexible, although my later Dyna Bass Five was the champ at that, I could push on the back of the pegheard and whammy-bar a half-step without pushing hard at all.
They were a real shot heard round the NAMM as these were the first axes built with considerable automation, so they were remarkably consistent one to the next, save for the minor variation in wood from one to the next. At that time, Fenders were still band-sawed and the necks hand shaped in final so they could vary quite a bit: At the time the T40/T60 were released, it was common for a good player to try as many Precisions as he could find in the stores to find a 'good one', they could vary that much to experienced players. The T40's were consistent, like we have today, but these were the first axes that were that way.
I was starting to play a lot of those rough houses, full of cowboys and roughnecks and goat ropers, and you had to keep both eyes open and your head on a swivel, so I bought the Peaveys thinking if push came to shove, they were stout enough I could knock somebody into next week if I had to defend my side of the stage. In hindsight, I'm glad it never came to that, I'd still be in jail for killing somebody behind an 'Assault with a Deadly (T40) Weapon' conviction !
As I look back at those days, even though they sold well, they were never thought of in real player circles as a real alternative to the usual suspects. Part of if was the 'Peavey bias', and I think double pickup basses just weren't in vogue at that time. Precisions and Stingrays ruled the day (at that time, you couldn't give away a Jazz Bass), and 'a PEAVEY?' was still hard for a lot of cats to wrap their head around, especially with that tone circuit, in a far-less advanced market with far fewer choices in those days.
They were amazingly consistent, but heavy in the ash body and the massive hardware (the bridge!) and he used real keys, those 'half-open' Grovers. Despite how cool the humbucker to single-coil swing built into the tone circuit, they only ever sounded good to me wide open. Never used the phase switch. They were built!
They were strange in a way in that you had that massively stout body with this broomstick, thin neck screwed onto it. Felt like a Jazz neck, and both of mine were quite flexible, although my later Dyna Bass Five was the champ at that, I could push on the back of the pegheard and whammy-bar a half-step without pushing hard at all.
They were a real shot heard round the NAMM as these were the first axes built with considerable automation, so they were remarkably consistent one to the next, save for the minor variation in wood from one to the next. At that time, Fenders were still band-sawed and the necks hand shaped in final so they could vary quite a bit: At the time the T40/T60 were released, it was common for a good player to try as many Precisions as he could find in the stores to find a 'good one', they could vary that much to experienced players. The T40's were consistent, like we have today, but these were the first axes that were that way.
I was starting to play a lot of those rough houses, full of cowboys and roughnecks and goat ropers, and you had to keep both eyes open and your head on a swivel, so I bought the Peaveys thinking if push came to shove, they were stout enough I could knock somebody into next week if I had to defend my side of the stage. In hindsight, I'm glad it never came to that, I'd still be in jail for killing somebody behind an 'Assault with a Deadly (T40) Weapon' conviction !
As I look back at those days, even though they sold well, they were never thought of in real player circles as a real alternative to the usual suspects. Part of if was the 'Peavey bias', and I think double pickup basses just weren't in vogue at that time. Precisions and Stingrays ruled the day (at that time, you couldn't give away a Jazz Bass), and 'a PEAVEY?' was still hard for a lot of cats to wrap their head around, especially with that tone circuit, in a far-less advanced market with far fewer choices in those days.
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I love my T40. I have a near mint ‘78 with the toaster pickups. Tons of useable tones. The growl I get from the bridge pickup is unmatched.
My only qualm with it is the neck. They are wide and flat and not the most comfortable for me personally. I get around on it ok, but it takes more effort that a lot of my other basses.
My only qualm with it is the neck. They are wide and flat and not the most comfortable for me personally. I get around on it ok, but it takes more effort that a lot of my other basses.
You could always take a risk on this one: Peavey Guitar Bass - shopgoodwill.com
But it will need some work as it looks to not be in the best of shape.
But it will need some work as it looks to not be in the best of shape.
Ya never even played one and ya gotta have it? Ya sure??? Run by GC and just "try" one of theirs. What if you hate the sound, whatcha gonna do? Ya can always make it into wall art in the guest room? I gotta stop talking bout it or I'll get GAS again myself. Good luck.
I was busy buying $100 foundations... should have grabbed a few t40s while I could,.
I'll be curious as to what the final bid on a goodwill t40 ends out as... it's over $400 with 5 days of bidding left.
A T-40 was my first new bass thanks to Ross Valory. I've owned several since then. I am now on the hunt for a really nice T-45 and a LPB T-20.
I’d advise you to try one if you can or weight up a bass you already have to 12-13 pounds. I can easily tell the difference on the shoulder from 9 to 10 pound basses.
Wow! Great (educational and entertaining) information! Thanks so much for sharing! I'm sorry, but I WILL OWN ONE... hopefully sooner than later. I can acclimate to many different styles of basses, so I'm not too worried as far as that is concerned.
Thanks again for your post. Really enjoyed reading it!
repost this in the
Your dream bass is available on reverb now - make an offer and buy it on time ? Looks super clean
