Peavey Basses

[jglunt]

The affect on the t40 is not the same (compared to the t60).... T60 in the right hands is magic... t40 is just bulky, clunky and slow.

I am not an expert on Peavey instruments, but I agree, the T-40 is bulky, clunky, and slow. However, I don't think it's "just" bulky, clunky, and slow. That shouldn't define it. I've been playing bass professionally and semi-professionally for over 55 years, and in 1978 when the T-40 came out, the electronics were ahead of their time, and in some ways, they still are. My 1978 T-40 is not my most comfortable bass to play, but it's only 9 lbs., 9 ozs. (light by T-40 standards) and it never fails to deliver whatever tone I ask of it.

Some Fury are on par with quality USA Fenders... some are import turds with cheap electronics. Why? They made a strategic decision to recycle an existing name and deliver a lower quality. On the used market, someone will play a messed up import and group the USA version with it.

I guess my purchase of a Korean Fury V means I'm playing an "import turd with cheap electronics" and a "messed up import", but IMO, it's a fine bass. Maybe I just coincidentally got a good one, but so far all that I've found wrong with it are the tuners, and it's not unusual for 25 year old tuners to be a bit rough, no matter what bass they're on. And while it's not unheard of for a guitar company to offer both USA and import versions of the same instrument (i.e. Fender Jazz basses and Squier Jazz basses) it is confusing that Peavey offered at least two completely different basses with the same name.

 

[kodiakblair]

and in 1978 when the T-40 came out, the electronics were ahead of their time.

Tone pot tapping wasn't a new idea nor was it unique to Peavey or Red Rhoads. Famed NY guitar builder Dan Armstrong used the same principle start of the 70's, then quickly dropped it as sacrificing tonal options to shunt a coil is a poor idea.

 

[jglunt]

Tone pot tapping wasn't a new idea nor was it unique to Peavey or Red Rhoads. Famed NY guitar builder Dan Armstrong used the same principle start of the 70's, then quickly dropped it as sacrificing tonal options to shunt a coil is a poor idea.

I have experienced tone pot tapping on one bass only, my T-40. It's a nice option to have. I have a couple of other basses that have the capability to be switched into single coil mode, but they use a push / pull pot on the volume pot or a mini toggle to achieve it, not the level of the tone pot. I like the idea because I find it doesn't sacrifice tonal options, but it offers a whole extra pallet of tones. But that's just me. We all have different tastes.

 

[Giffro]

My Collection Of Peavey Monitor Magazines - Front Covers

1984 Monitor Mag Cover

1985 Monitor Mag Cover

1987 Monitor Mag Cover

1988 Monitor Mag Cover

1989 Monitor Mag Cover

1990 Monitor Mag Cover

1991 Monitor Mag Cover

1992 Monitor Mag Cover

 

[MNAirHead]

I guess my purchase of a Korean Fury V means I'm playing an "import turd with cheap electronics" and a "messed up import", but IMO, it's a fine bass. Maybe I just coincidentally got a good one, but so far all that I've found wrong with it are the tuners, and it's not unusual for 25 year old tuners to be a bit rough, no matter what bass they're on. And while it's not unheard of for a guitar company to offer both USA and import versions of the same instrument (i.e. Fender Jazz basses and Squier Jazz basses) it is confusing that Peavey offered at least two completely different basses with the same name.

Must have missed the "Some Fury are on par with quality USA Fenders." We can't tell through the internet which variant you have

Some are like equivalents... some are unpredictable turds.
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The "Fury and Milestone" names have multiple recycling variants - with different qualities and manufacturing plants
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I own an import Millenium. It's giggable after putting in hours and aftermarket electronics. If someone was to ask about Millenium, I'd be cautious to point out that that name has various revisions and downgrades.


We're happy for you... we do have a collective preference for the consistent/predictable quality USA models.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Do you mean the "Secret Sounds" ?

Mostly those are nonsense, combination of suggestion and folks listening with their eyes.

One need only spot the inclusion of Stingray settings as evidence. Stingray has a fairly hot humbucker, tamed by parallel wiring, placed in a specific "sweet" spot and paired with active EQ; T-40 meets none of those conditions, certainly not with the suggestion of just using the bridge pickup and placing it in single coil mode

It's rather poor at EB-3 or 70's Telecaster bass despite having a humbucker up by the neck. Gibson stuck a 30k ohm humbucker up there, Fender's WRHB was in the high 20's; the T-40 humbucker is about 6.7k ohm. Pickup positions are well out from coping a P-bass tone, even if you physically rotate the pickups. Then there's the fact, in no universe does a 51 single coil P-bass sound the same as a split coil P-bass.

It does manage a jazz bass style tone, which in turn means it can cop a Ric style tone (in the right circumstances). That's pretty much it.

Might appear I'm being overtly critical regards Peavey. I'm not, I'm critical of the myths

Very good assessment! I was once in a music store and I heard discussion regarding Geddy Lee regarding his Ric vs J bass later in his career....now I saw Rush only once on the 2112 tour it was all Ric.

Well dang late 70s the local Peavey dealer soon had T40s...lo and behold the salesman says 'it will nail Ric sounds and everything else'....I thought 'what is this monstrosity' .....then he handed it to me....stupid heavy.

I actually think the bassist for Journey played one in 78 but after that it was mostly country bands locally but that died off...rather quickly .

 

[kodiakblair]

I actually think the bassist for Journey played one in 78

Aye. Peavey did a deal to provide backline and PA for a tour, bass player agreed to do promo work with a T-40 as part of it.

It's played through-out the Infinity live album but never made any studio albums.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Do you mean the "Secret Sounds" ?

Mostly those are nonsense, combination of suggestion and folks listening with their eyes.

One need only spot the inclusion of Stingray settings as evidence. Stingray has a fairly hot humbucker, tamed by parallel wiring, placed in a specific "sweet" spot and paired with active EQ; T-40 meets none of those conditions, certainly not with the suggestion of just using the bridge pickup and placing it in single coil mode

It's rather poor at EB-3 or 70's Telecaster bass despite having a humbucker up by the neck. Gibson stuck a 30k ohm humbucker up there, Fender's WRHB was in the high 20's; the T-40 humbucker is about 6.7k ohm. Pickup positions are well out from coping a P-bass tone, even if you physically rotate the pickups. Then there's the fact, in no universe does a 51 single coil P-bass sound the same as a split coil P-bass.

It does manage a jazz bass style tone, which in turn means it can cop a Ric style tone (in the right circumstances). That's pretty much it.

Might appear I'm being overtly critical regards Peavey. I'm not, I'm critical of the myths

Very good assessment! I was once in a music store and I heard discussion regarding Geddy Lee regarding his Ric vs J bass later in his career....now I saw Rush only once on the 2112 tour it was all Ric.

Well dang late 70sthe local Peavey dealer soon had T40s...lo and behold the salesman says 'it will nail Ric sounds and everything else'....I thought 'what is this monstrosity' .....then he handed it to me....stupid heavy.

I actually think the bassist for Journey played one in 78 but after that it was mostly country bands locally but that died off...rather quickly .

Aye. Peavey did a deal to provide backline and PA for a tour, bass player agreed to do promo work with a T-40 as part of it.

It's played through-out the Infinity live album but never made any studio albums.

Yes I saw the 78 tour with Gamma and Van Halen opening...Journey were brutally loud after the opening bands were loud but good.

I had a concert booklet I'm pretty sure had Peavey mentioned...I'm not aware of Infinity live album but our ears rang for days!

 

[kodiakblair]

I had a concert booklet I'm pretty sure had Peavey mentioned

Could be you're confusing Peavey promo, Ross in stripped dungarees, with the concert booklet.

Somebody post the Journey ones as PDFs online, all the photos in the Infinity booklet show Vallory playing his jazz bass. Not surprising as the design, layout and printing are always done long before any tour starts.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Could be you're confusing Peavey promo, Ross in stripped dungarees, with the concert booklet.

Somebody post the Journey ones as PDFs online, all the photos in the Infinity booklet show Vallory playing his jazz bass. Not surprising as the design, layout and printing are always done long before any tour starts.

Likely.....I looked at Peavey as a southern rock and country favored company..of course later I saw Peavey all over photos of punk and local bands of all types a LOT of bass and PA gear... Tommy Shannon had full Peavey bass ampswhen I saw SRV.... they were regarded as durable.