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Ok so really, how good are Peavey T40's?

thisSNsucks

thisSNsucks

I build Grosbeak Guitars and Basses
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Dec 19, 2004
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#1
So I've read a lot about them and they do have a bit of a cult following but how good are Peavey T40's anyway?

I don't want to come off to wrong way, but I've never played one yet I seem have some serious GAS for one lately.

I guess my question is, how well are these things put together? I know they're made in the US but is the quality like a Boutique, or maybe little less like MusicMan or G&L or is it more hit and miss like the pre 08 Fenders?

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
haha...a 300 dollar bass boutique quality? I think not

Peavey,especialy USA built ones, are solid, like 08 and up fenders, maybe better. You've fine great fret work,solid feel,comfortable neck, solid hardware, great electronics, and great overall build quality.

Just hope you don't have a weak back.
 
#5
I've had mine for almost 30 years and it's been through a lot. It is solidly built with great tolerances. The neck is great; comfortable and sturdy. I think it sounds great; very fat sounding.

The only cons are the weight and the the control scheme is a bit odd, but the control scheme is explained in the owner's manual available at Peavey's web site (PDF).

I highly recommend getting one along with a WIDE, COMFY strap. For $300-400 I think it's money well spent.
 
#6
I had one and sold it. I agree with the poster above that the bass is well built, but not as good as the price indicates, and handling the bass is terrible, it is so heavy, and chunky. If you want a good bass at a good price, get a USA Peavey Dyna for less than $200, or pay a little to get a Peavey USA Mill. Both sound much better than the T-40
 
#8
MIJ quality in a MIA bass for the price of a made in china bass.

these things were made to last, sound great, look great, and are pretty much indistructible.

If I was left in a desert island with only one bass, and said bass could not be a fender nor a ric, then I would certainly chose a t 40.
 
#11
thisSNsucks said:
So I've read a lot about them and they do have a bit of a cult following but how good are Peavey T40's anyway?

I don't want to come off to wrong way, but I've never played one yet I seem have some serious GAS for one lately.

I guess my question is, how well are these things put together? I know they're made in the US but is the quality like a Boutique, or maybe little less like MusicMan or G&L or is it more hit and miss like the pre 08 Fenders?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I have a friend who has an all natural one w/ maple fretboard for sale...
 
#12
The build quality in on par with Musicman basses of that era, and better than the average Fender of the time. They're so ruggedly built, you could jack up a car with one of them. At and average price of $300, they're by far the best deal in vintage American basses on the market.
 
#14
KeithAlanK said:
I always thought of the T40 as a happy accident.
Peavey got so many things right with that bass that it's almost comical.

Can't explain it if you've never tried one.
Click to expand...

They got several things wrong, too, which is why the market rejected them (until they were born-again cool/vintage):

Weight -they were heavy
Neck - it was really wide - but not thick, so it played well despite the width
Aesthetics - When introduced, many,many folks thought they were butt ugly. Things change but that was the reaction at the time.

They do sound and, if you can stand the wide neck, play well. They are solidly constructed of good materials. And now that they are old, "Ugly" has morphed into "Funky".

so play one. If you like it, buy it. They can still be had pretty cheap.
 
#16
Thanks for all the responses guys.

Just to address the "a 300 dollar bass boutique quality? I think not" comment.

I didn't think they were THAT good, but those 80's yamahas that go for 500-900 are considered to be boutique in quality so who knows?

I may take the plunge. I definately dig the look and the sound based on a few youtube videos. The weight concerns me a bit but luckily at their price point, it wont be a very expensive gamble.
 
#17
At worst I'd say the T-40 was a little clunky looking, but I would never call them ugly. Especially given the hideous basses Gibson was putting out at the time.


If you pick up a nice T-40 for around $300, if you don't like it, you can sell it without taking a beating.
 
#18
I had one for a month or 2. It was pretty beat up. I completely re-furbed it with new switches and full sheilding, etc. It played very well, and had an amazing variety of sounds. However, the WIDE neck and the weight were too much for me.

Still, it was the most amazingly engineering bass I have seen. They popular in the school market, I think and made to be indestructable.
 
#19
I had one of those back in the 80's early 90's. The huge body, jumbo humbuckers and the massive (string through body)bridge take it very close to stingray territory. There are also other tones in there that arent Stingray-ish at all when you use the coil switch and pickup switching. I had mine modded with a 5 way pickup switch.
I would still have it except for ahouse fire. No those basses are not indestructible. Well, it did survive the fire, but it wouldn't stay in tune.

Also, even in my early 20's with a wide strap and me being a 6 foot tall 225 pound guy of Cajun-Creole Scots-Welsh heritage (I'm a thick guy), my shoulder would hurt after about 2 hours of practice. So now in my 40's not so sure I would rock one of those!
 
#20
They're put together awesomely. Easily the solidest (hailing grammar police) bass I've owned. The only real "flaws" on my T-40 are that it could use some fret work and the neck pocket isn't a tight fit. I've yet to find a use for the phase switch, but the tones are otherwise good and allow for a good amount of variation. I usually run my neck pup at full vol and the tone at 6 (close to wide open humbucker) and my bridge pickup at half volume and tone at 10 (wide open single-coil). Give a touch of bite to what is otherwise a "vintage" sort of tone.

So, how good is it? Best $300 bass I've ever played.
 

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