NBD! Peavey TL-5 in Blue

[Insederec]

NBD!

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• nbd peavey peavey tl5

Twilight glamour shot

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• peavey peavey tl5

Another view

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• peavey peavey tl5

From the player's point of view

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• peavey peavey tl5

Probably the most important part for me, the part I'm going to be looking at most often.

Another glamour shot

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• hard case peavey peavey tl5

The back, again

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• hard case peavey peavey tl5

Figuring on my blue Peavey TL-5

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• blue peavey peavey tl5

EDIT: I'm adding these two pictures here because I don't see them talked about much with respect to this bass.
The first is the curve on the back of the bass. I think some call it a "belly cut." I don't have any "belly" to speak of, but it's nice all the same. Reminds me a lot of the more expensive Spector basses.

Back curve

• Insederec
• Sep 22, 2017
• peavey peavey tl5

A pretty seldom talked about detail of this bass

The second here is of the forarm cut. It's very similar in angle and size to my Warmoth Gecko, and it makes playing fingerstyle very, very comfortable. Nice and gradual. Like it's guiding your hand where it's supposed to be.

Forarm cut

• Insederec
• Sep 22, 2017
• peavey peavey tl5

Very similar to the cut on my Warmoth Gecko, it makes playing fingerstyle very comfortable

Got this one for $571.49 with shipping off good ol' fleabay. I couldn't resist that beautiful blue. It's got one big ding in the back of the neck, flat frets, and a missing tab for the battery door, but everything that it came with is still there and nobody but me has to know.

The dings and things:

Neck damage

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• damage neck peavey peavey tl5

definitely a dent, not stabilized but not likely to move

Flat frets 2

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• fret frets peavey peavey tl5

more of a side view

Flat frets

• Insederec
• Sep 21, 2017
• 1
• fret frets peavey peavey tl5

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Beautiful bass !! After the fretwork it should be a great player .

 

[Insederec]

Beautiful bass !! After the fretwork it should be a great player .

It actually already is. I'm going to test intonation but purely on a playability standpoint, she's smoove.

 

[BurnOut]

Love it, and the blue is spectacular, Enjoy!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

A TL-5 with Super Ferrites is an undercover Jazz on steroids or a poor man's F Bass. Enjoy it.

 

[jcburn]

Always wanted to try one of these basses but the narrow string spacing scared me off! This one looks amazing though.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

TL-5's with Super Ferrites are great basses. They remind me of F Basses because they don't look like active Jazzes, but that is the sound they have.

 

[garp]

Nice! Congrats.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Always wanted to try one of these basses but the narrow string spacing scared me off! This one looks amazing though.

TL-5s with Super Ferrites are not narrowly spaced. They are 18mm at the bridge.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

If it plays good, run it till the frets start buzzing, bet you'll get at least a few years out of it before you have to deal with that. If you have any interest, you could teach yourself fretwork, it's hard but not rocket science. Plenty of free advice here on TB Luthiers Corner, and 1000 tutorials on YouTube. Maybe use pressure wounds or chrome flats in the meantime? The figure on that thing is gorgeous, well scored, Sir.

 

[jjk2007]

I knew I wanted another TL-Five after selling my previous one (like a fool) a few years ago. Wasn't planning on it so soon but I found one a couple of months ago and it had everything going for it. Battery box intact, no major damage etc so I jumped on it. Mine plays good but needs the frets cleaned up in the "money zone" at some point and I'll have the electronics gone through at some point. All that said they're great basses!

 

[klejst]

That thing is glorious! Love the color and how it flows from body to neck and head stock.

 

[jjk2007]

Photo of mine:

 

[Insederec]

TL-5's with Super Ferrites are great basses. They remind me of F Basses because they don't look like active Jazzes, but that is the sound they have.

Indeed. This thing's got some punch. And, while I don't slap much, if I do, it's like cheat mode. It's got the most gnarly slap sound I've ever heard without even doing much with my hands. Unbelievable.

 

[scuzzy]

purdy grain with a quality stain!

 

[Kitsapbass]

Always wanted one, eventually I'll succumb to the GAS lol....

 

[Insederec]

Always wanted one, eventually I'll succumb to the GAS lol....

Well since it seems time is on your side, try and find a pretty one in purple, huh? I saw some purple ones but none with as much figuring.

 

[son_of_mogh]

Congratulations! I love that you have the earlier generation model, from before they changed to the big pickups and fewer gold knobs.

 

[NicJimBass]

Congratulations! I love that you have the earlier generation model, from before they changed to the big pickups and fewer gold knobs.

Technically, the 2nd gen has one more knob... Volume, Blend, Stacked Treble and Bass, Stacked Mid and Mid frequency. It is missing that nice active/passive switch though!

 

[Insederec]

As far as controls, they were all kind of sticky (which I'm guessing is mostly down to it not being played because they're freeing up more now) and the pickup selector knob is pretty loose. Also the positioning of the volume knob is actually quite frustrating when I'm playing with a pick. Every time I downstroke it lowers the volume because it's directly in the path of where I like to pick.

Also sometimes (maybe once per hour) the volume seems to randomly fade out and then kind of crackle and slowly come back up without me touching anything. I think I've narrowed it down to just this bass and not any other part of my setup, but I dunno. I'll try to get to the bottom of it.

Technically, the 2nd gen has one more knob... Volume, Blend, Stacked Treble and Bass, Stacked Mid and Mid frequency. It is missing that nice active/passive switch though!

That switch has been a lot of fun so far. In passive it sounds much more like a classic jazz bass. It's got a sort of warm tone to it. I do kind of miss a tone knob though.