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

#21
In my opinion, people make too big of a deal out of the weight issue. I'm a small guy, with a cheap strap, and it the weight never really bothered me through 3 hour practices.

Play one, and if you like how it sounds and plays, get it. Don't worry too much about the weight.
 
#22
thisSNsucks said:
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.
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Funny you mention the 80s Yamahas (I have '78 and '79 Yamaha BBs)... Before I got my second Yamaha BB, I played my T-40 as a backup/drop C bass & used the other as my primary/standard tune bass. I've since gotten another BB and my T-40 is my home/practice bass. I think the BBs just sound better than the T-40 and are lighter. Still, I paid $350 for one of them and $450 for the other so I haven't ventured into the $500-$900 range.
 
#23
I used to have two, still have one.... all the comments about build quality are spot on. These things are tanks, and weigh as much as one. My shoulders bulked up significantly for the year or so when these were my main players.

Oddly enough, the one that was aesthetically much more appealing (a black/maple 1979 toaster model) didn't sound nearly as good or play half as comfortably as the traditional, slightly uglier 1980 natural ash/maple model that I still own. The '79 was in almost perfect condition, but the tone was oddly thin, and I had a hard time getting the action where I wanted without buzzing. Probably just needed some fretwork, but I wasn't about to drop the cash on a $270 bass, so I flipped it for a slight profit.

Now this natural ash model, she's a beast... scarred, beaten... this thing is a survivor, but it plays great, sounds great, and will crush the spines of feeble bassists should they try to play her too gently. I don't play it all that often since I attained my dream of owning a Rickenbacker, and I pick up my precision when I just want something easy to play, but I'll never let go of this T-40.
 
#26
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.
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It's true! In 1980 I had my Gibson Ripper ripped off (ha-ha!) and was looking to replace it. The basses I was considering were another Ripper, a Fender Jazz Bass, a MusicMan Stingray, and a Yamaha BB-whatever...and then I discovered the Peavey T-40. On paper at least the T-40 killed those other basses. Arguably better features at inarguably half the price? Hello? I bought one.

And then a year later when that bass got ripped off, I bought another.

(A year after that, when my second T-40 got ripped off, I figured I needed to rethink things...like where I lived.)


BigOldHarry said:
Neck - it was really wide - but not thick, so it played well despite the width.
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My only real beef with the T-40 wasn't the width of the neck, but rather the flatness of the fingerboard. It was really flat.


zachoff said:
Best $300 bass I've ever played.
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Yeah, that's probably a very accurate characterization of the T-40.
 
#28
I've had a couple over the years. Some (probably most) are heavy, although my current one is under 10 pounds so there are some lighter ones. I have talked to Chip Todd (the "T" from T-40 for those who don't know) about this bass on several occasions and he said the heavy weight ash was a conscious decision on their part because they felt that was what the market wanted at the time. At any rate, they are pretty well made and sound ok. I wouldn't pay a lot for one, but $250-$400 seems about right for a decent bass and an interesting bit of American bass history. If a Sadowsky is like a Ferrari, a T-40 is like a farm tractor. The necks are comfortable to me, btw.
 
#30
smcd said:
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.
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Lord, that's damning with faint praise if I've ever heard it! :p

If you like the bass, then buy it -

But I think the OP is trying to gather data without actually playing one (for an on-line purchase, I presume??) - -

I really suggest you find one and PLAY it - they aren't like Fenders or Gibbys - they are their own thing.
 
#31
Out of all the basses I've owned in almost 30 years of playing, the T-40 is the ONLY model I've bought again.
I had one around 1983 and I traded it toward an Ibanez Musician.
Fast forward to 2008 and I decided to take the plunge and buy another one-I'm happy I did.
The tonal variations you can get are just amazing, especially when you consider its a passive bass.
This is no "one-trick-pony" of a bass. Can it sound EXACTLY like a P or J?? No, but it does a very good impression of them both. It can even give you a very Ric-like tone.

Aside from the weight, my only complaint is about the lack of body contouring. For me, its only a problem when I use a pick. I tend to play closer to the bridge when I'm picking and I get serious impressions in my forearm after a couple of songs.

I've heard other people complain that they cant slap on a T-40 due to the position of the neck pickup. I dont do much slapping and the little I do is VERY basic so this doesnt bother me at all.

Like a lot of others have said, you should try to find someone local to you who has one you can try out before you buy one. Especially if you do a lot of slap-style playing.

I love mine and I cant imagine not having one around. Its not my #1 player but it definitely gets used and once my band starts gigging, I know this one will be part of the stage rotation.
 
#32
ack said:
Don't let the stuff about the weight dissuade you from trying one - it's not a boat anchor.
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Maybe some of them weren't as bad, but mine was a real boat anchor...I was in my early 20's and seriously pumping iron as a second hobby, and holding that T-40 would wear me down after only a couple hours. Even with a wide strap, my shoulder would HURT. It was solid red, but I am pretty sure it still had the ash body.

Kinda funny that these have become desirable. When I got mine in the early 80's, most of the other local players considered them junk just because they had a Peavey logo on them, and I took some ribbing over playing one. But the tone was really versatile compared to other basses I had played, and they were well built. The body shape and cosmetics were just a sign of the times. The T-40's looked a LOT better than the "Mystic" and "Razer" guitars, IMO. :D

king_biscuit said:
If a Sadowsky is like a Ferrari, a T-40 is like a farm tractor.
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YES!!
 
#33
My brother-in-law has one sitting in a case in his basement. I borrowed it once. I really disliked it in almost every way one can dislike a bass. To each their own I suppose. I got the bass back to my brother-in-law and out of my house as quickly as I could.

KO
 
#35
I love mine but its not for everybody. Big,wide,heavy, some say "ugly", but through a good amp with a pick mine sounds like a train roaring through your living room. the neck is as wide at the nut as it is at the last fret. That is a little strange, but I like the feel of it so I don't mind. Almost a passive musicman, or G&L but not quite that polished. I have had younger bass players at gigs ask me "where did you get that dinosaur bass dude"
 
#36
I've had one since they were introduced. I find that most that didn't like them in the early days didn't because they don't sound like Fenders. They became big on the country scene but never much on the rock scene (odd due to the tones they can get). I played the first prototype they ever sent out and fell in love, bought the first one that was for sale in my area, and have gotten more complements on it's sound than any other bass I own (I own a lot). Oddly enough, it's the only bass I own that can mimic my Ric. Weird because everything about it (wood pups, neck attachment, etc) is totally different.
 
#37
In '78 I was selling basses at the great great House of Guitars in Rochester NY. Quality was on the decline at Fender, Gibson etc. Japan was producing high quality alternatives at competitive prices. Enter the T-40 The first US made bass on CNC. Fit on Fenders had become a joke, sloppy neck pockets, drum sander marks on the treble side of the neck joint etc. The T-40 was very well made compared to the compitition had tons of tonal variation solid ash body and maple neck with excellent hardware. I think I paid all of $225 for mine new with case. I think they are worth every penny of the 300-400 they are going for now. I sold my original years ago but bought a nice black and maple a few years back and am happy I did !
 

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