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Multi-Scale
- Thread starter Fred from Peavey
- Start date
- Sep 9, 2007
- 5,309
- 4,977
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
Even though I had a picture of a Peavey grind on my wall in highschool, I have never owned a Peavey, so take this with a grain of salt.
I recently bought my first dingwall, and I'm not sure I will ever purchase another single scale instrument.
I'd take multi-scale, even on a 4 string.
I recently bought my first dingwall, and I'm not sure I will ever purchase another single scale instrument.
I'd take multi-scale, even on a 4 string.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I favor multi-lam necks for basses with longer scales. My 32"-35" bass actually is really stable with a one-piece neck (Though, a really thick Macassar ebony board) but is definitely a traditional tone/feel, but my others are mostly 5 lam, 5 lam with graphite, or I have one that's 11 piece.
Why go with something with a narrow appeal up front? There's only so big of a market for multiscale basses, and targeting that segment seems like it would be setting Peavey up for some disappointing sales numbers. That's not going to rebuild the Peavey reputation (sorry, but there's some dirt on the name these days), going back to basics will.
What is Peavey known for in the bass community? Making REALLY solid, REALLY playable, REALLY reliable gear. Look at the threads here about the different bass models - Foundations, Furys, Cirrus's, T20/40/45s - and the common theme is how great the necks are - stable, easy to play. And the second thing is how great those Super Ferrite pickups are - THAT's the "special sauce" in the reintroduction of Peavey basses (yeah, the Milestone...). Not something that 99 out of 100 potential customers is going to pass by when it comes time to actually buy something.
Personally, I'd bring back the Fury and the Foundation with those Super Ferrite pickups and the solid and playable neck. That will get people's attention, and they will buy them, not just noodle on them at Guitar Center. Have something more deluxe in the lineup as well (a revamp of the T-40, maybe??).
The idea would be to build the lineup up from the Milestone, not have something so different that we, the consumers, are wondering what Peavey stands for now.
What is Peavey known for in the bass community? Making REALLY solid, REALLY playable, REALLY reliable gear. Look at the threads here about the different bass models - Foundations, Furys, Cirrus's, T20/40/45s - and the common theme is how great the necks are - stable, easy to play. And the second thing is how great those Super Ferrite pickups are - THAT's the "special sauce" in the reintroduction of Peavey basses (yeah, the Milestone...). Not something that 99 out of 100 potential customers is going to pass by when it comes time to actually buy something.
Personally, I'd bring back the Fury and the Foundation with those Super Ferrite pickups and the solid and playable neck. That will get people's attention, and they will buy them, not just noodle on them at Guitar Center. Have something more deluxe in the lineup as well (a revamp of the T-40, maybe??).
The idea would be to build the lineup up from the Milestone, not have something so different that we, the consumers, are wondering what Peavey stands for now.
One doesn't exclude the other. It's also easily arguable that doing the same thing that they did before, which ultimately did not succeed, will not succeed now (especially given more competition in the segments). Peavy could do a multi-scale AND a legacy/traditional type instrument for the folks that want. The multi-scale will appeal to a huge number of people (see: Dingwall's success among others), especially those seeking to be modernized and more current. The legacy model could be introduced for the folks that want something unchanged over the past X number of decades.
I have fond memories of the many Peavey basses I owned, for sure, but I'm not sure re-releasing a Cirrus or any other previous model will be setting them up for success.
Agreed. And a T40 reissue, but modernised slightly, eg no ugly PG.
Really? Never seen a MS played live.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I guess they shouldn't make any micro/class-D amps either...might as well stick with the old stuff.
I have both a multi-scale 4 and a 35” scale 4 (Dingwall D-Roc and Ibanez BTB) and both play very well. I can see both options as good from a player’s perspective, but I couldn’t tell you if either makes good business sense in today’s market, I suppose that partly depends on price point.
That said, I don’t know if a lot of current production 35” 4s, so I’d be tempted to pick one up.
That said, I don’t know if a lot of current production 35” 4s, so I’d be tempted to pick one up.
MS is the future IMHO, at least mine anyway. I will not be getting any more parallel basses from this point on unless they were previously owned by certain players and have that sentimental value.
The "legacy models" are what are selling - Fenders, Gibsons, Ibanez (except for their MS model), Epiphone, Schecter... Guitar Center, Sam Ash and Sweetwater don't even sell Dingwall.
How big is the market for the multi-scale instruments? And how much of it can they take from Dingwall? Enough to get Peavey back on solid ground? Do they have the R&D to make sure they hit the market with a solid contender, that will keep people from moving to an Ibanez, ESP or Schecter MS, and at the same time (re)introducing themselves to the market with a solid lineup of basses that will have mass appeal? What will it cost to have 2 totally different production lines for necks?
Ibanez can make their half-hearted stab at a MS bass because they have the rest of Ibanez to back up that model - it doesn't need to be a success. If it takes them 3-4 iterations to get it "right" and be considered on par with the Dingwalls, they can afford it. Same with ESP and Schecter (those are the 3 brands on Sweetwater with MS 5-stringers).
It took Tesla 17 years to become profitable, mostly because they started with a niche product at the top of the market and worked their way down. 17 years. And they did that to build a name and reputation. Peavey has a name and reputation - I say they need to double down with what they're known for rather than branch out into new territory where they'll be the new guy trying to gain ground on the incumbent (Dingwall) and the well-backed challengers (Ibanez, ESP, Schecter, etc), and the various niche players (boutique models, custom builds, etc).
Peavey needs more than hits on their website and people noodling on a bass at Guitar Center - they need to sell units. Both to generate revenue and to help establish a footprint in the stores (both physical and online). Chasing a "wouldn't it be cool..." dream is not going to do that. I want Peavey to succeed. I'm proud to own a number of their basses and amps (and that's partly from them being made in the USA, which is outside the immediate topic here). I'd love to be able to get a Peavey t-shirt that I don't have to order from a 3rd party site. And I think the point where they are at today, trying to reestablish themselves as a major player in this industry, is not best served by straying outside of what they've done best.
I would absolutely buy an import Super P or Super J.
@nickpc have you owned/ spent time playing the Ibanez EHB?
Half hearted stab is far from what they created.
Half hearted stab is far from what they created.
I guess they shouldn't make any micro/class-D amps either...might as well stick with the old stuff.
I assume you mean outside what they're making today?
No, I don't think there's a market for 50 pound, 65 watt combo amps. But someone is buying a P-style bass extremely regularly, same with Jazz-style. Much more frequently than a MS.
Because they are not authorized dealers for Dingwalls. Dingwall doesn't need to put their offerings in the hands of those big box stores, because as-is with their dealer network, they can't keep up with demand at all.
No, I haven't. I got that sentiment from some of the threads here - that they're trying to chase Dingwall and aren't in the same league yet (which may also be incorrect).
I wouldn't say they're chasing dingwall. They are smart enough to recognize a product people want, and if you look at what they did with the design it's more strandberg boden than any other offering.
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I believe he's making the point that if one applied a conservative or traditional view to their product choices that they wouldn't have gotten into the class D amps - with which they've had great success. The ELF is clearly one of the best selling bass amps on the market, globally.
It's true that one won't find Dingwalls in the big chain stores (other than used) but as far as I understand they can't keep up with demand as is.
EDIT missed the post where @Selta already made the point. That Dingwall can't keep up, and that they are not cheap, does appear to demonstrate there's room in the market for a lower cost quality option from a company like Peavy - even if not their flagship design.
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That's my point - while Dingwall is a decently well-known name in the bass community, they're hardly a household name. And you're right - they're fine with that. If that's where Peavey want's to be then I'm way off - I'm assuming they want to get back to being a full-line nameplate.
