Hartley PEAVEY about chinese quality

[cronker]

Peavey is unusual in the regard that they make everything from instruments all the way to sound gear. Instruments are probably the smallest section of their business, and in their sound area, it's everything from backline gear to PA, theater systems, auditorium/school PA, etc, etc. No other company does that, so that makes it hard to compare them to other companies.

But due to the bell curve or other distribution model you subscribe to, someone's got to be at the bottom. If Peavey never existed, Electrovoice would probably be the whipping boy at the bottom.

I sorta agree with this, and it also has a lot to do with image as well.

Think about if Fodera or Sadowsky also made amps, flutes, tambourines, cables, PA systems, ukeleles and t-shirts, car seat covers etc etc.
It's like the KISS of the instrument world.

IMHO, the more diversity in a brand, the less trusted they become. People want some kind of comfort knowing that their bass was made by people who focus on their bass! Rightly or wrongly.
I've mentioned on here before that Fender is heading this way. I own a MIJ, which is a lovely instrument.
But what about those who have shelled out for the MIA product?
Now you can get MIJ, MIM, MIC etc. I recently bought a Fender acoustic from the Chinese manufacturer for less than $100. To me, this devalues the brand somewhat.

FWIW- I owned a Combo 300 w Black Widow 15".
It was a workhorse, and never let me down, but my goodness! It was heavy! And one of the venues we used to play had the stage up 3 flights of stairs. Never again!

 

[wolfkeller]

I was in a store a few months ago talking to a guy about gear and realized I was leaning on an old 80s TNT 150 combo. I had learned on one of these so I fired it up. It sounded great and I bought it. I use it for rehearsal so I don't have to lug my "pro" rack. I run an 80s gk and a vt rack mount and ivd owned an svt 2 non pro. Let me say I accidentally stumbled upon the tone I've long chased with fancy gear. I just bought a max preamp in hopes of having this tone on stage with my "pro" gear.

 

[wolfkeller]

Also, I remember rehearsing in an old auditorium that had all this OLD peavey gear. Pa stacks with folded woofers and big giant horns, cs 800amps and all kinds of stuff. It was tough as nails and sounded good. This was in 1997 stuff was probably from the 70s

 

[Basshappi]

Been using Peavey gear for almost 40 years, it has never let me down.
I have a MkIV that I've used since I bought it new in 1982, fantastic amp.
My main amp now is a Peavey VB-2.

I have used other gear over he years as well and liked a lot of it. My Ampeg BA115HP combo has been a workhorse for over a decade. I miss my old silverface Fender Bassman 100 if it hadn't been stolen I'd still have it.

Peavey is rugged, professional grade equipment. It sounds like Peavey which may not be for everyone, but that does not mean it is inferior.

 

[two fingers]

I can attest to Peavey's reliability, I put my old TKO through a window and still used it for practice that night.

However, I have yet to hear a tone I would consider anything better than adequate from a Peavey.

This. I have seen their gear take abuse that would kill most gear costing 5 times as much. But the tone from anything they produce has never been amazing to me. That, of course, is subjective. I could never get anything but mid range honk from my early Cirrus. But many seem to love them and use them to make great music. Pretty much every regional band I worked with back in the 80s used their stuff for PA. Again, it wasn't big on clarity, but it came on and functioned every single time.

 

[Turock]

Never buy a Peavey, they last forever.

 

[bigtone23]

I have been using dozens of peavey products since the early 80s and still have a three of thier guitar amps from the 82-91 era. All are 100% stock (even the tubes) and work 100% perfectly. Much respect!

 

[60bass]

I've owned and used various Peavey gear since the early 70's and it has always worked. Did it have the best tone? Not always, yet it could always deliver at least a "useable" tone.

I did road work for 10 years straight doing clubs. No day job, just playing music. We had a ton of Peavey gear for our PA. Mixer, CS 800's, 400's, FH-1 cabs, horns, monitors, and JBL single scoops, double scoops, 4560 cabs all loaded with BW speakers.

We played the west ,NW, Great Plains, and Canada. Temps from- 56° to 110° + and we NEVER I repeat NEVER had a major failure of any piece of Peavey gear. So yeah Peavey builds tough gear.

I thank Hartley Peavey for his contribution to the music world.

 

[edencab]

Our band is using the BL's Peavey XR600C (early 80's vintage, he bought it new) and a pair of 2x12 Peavey speakers. This rig has done at least 1500 gigs with never a glitch (other than having to repair a power cord). I have a pair of powered Peavey PR12P (the earliest model) that work just fine. Peavey isn't pro-gear, really, but it's pretty darn durable.

..your usage sounds pretty Pro to me

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Great discussion here. I own a Peavey Microbass, Minx, KB10, Stereo Chrous guitar amp, Backstage, and Databass combo. All excellent condition from the 80's. I'm looking for a Basic with a 12" speaker. My main criteria? Need to have the 80's big silver bars on each side and the Batman style Peavey logo. LOL.

I switched to Peavey from Fender and Ampeg in the 79-81 period. Also went from a Precision to an Ibanez Roadstar. I always kept working as a bass player because people liked my sound, maybe it wasn't sophisticated, but it had good bottom end and a very distinct mid boost.

I was a full-time pro bass player many years and my choice of amp was Peavey, so I would consider it pro. Thank you Hartley Peavey for providing me with affordable decent sounding equipment that was DROP DEAD RELIABLE.

Nowadays my gigs are less frequent but still play for good sized crowds and rely on the p.a. more than ever. But I must confess, I'm looking at the new Max series because the Databass is starting to feel too dang heavy to move anymore! LOL.