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Peavey Forum V (1992)

Dr. Cheese

Dr. Cheese

Supporting Member
Mar 3, 2004
57,328
120,671
Metro St. Louis
#1


This bass was given to me by a TB member maybe ten years ago. It is a classic unsung Peavey workhorse of a bass. It gets a nice variant of the two soap bars close to the bridge active tone that I and so many others, love. I have played this bass for long stretches, sold it to pawnshops and I keep getting it back. I have come to realize a few things: I love the way it sounds; and I find it very comfortable to play. It may sound counterintuitive, but I find this bass easier to slap than my Super 5. The Super 5 can’t be beat for finger style and it has several good slap tones, but my Peavey Forum V really gets the sort of slap tone that is in my mind. I simply needed to stop drinking the Kool-Aid about string spacing and enjoy my bass. I also have simply gotten much more comfortable about loving an “uncool” bass. Old Peaveys in great shape are steadily becoming less available, and was silly of me not to cherish the one I have, especially when it produces a great modern or active slap tone I love. As much as I love Sadowsky Moderns, it makes no sense to spend thousands for bass when I have a bass that already gets a tone very similar to the Modern and has excellent build quality too. This is a case of realizing how great something that I already have is.
 
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#2
What is the string spacing on these?

Are these anything like the Cirrus basses as far as pickups and electronics go?

34 or 35 scale ?

Ash / rosewood?


I just don’t hear too much about these.
So I have no clue what I’m listening to other another great sounding American Peavey .

You keep reconnecting with that bass. Sounds like it’s meant to be.
 
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#3
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
What is the string spacing on these?

Are these anything like the Cirrus basses as far as pickups and electronics go?

34 or 35 scale ?

Ash / rosewood?


I just don’t hear too much about these.
So I have no clue what I’m listening to other another great sounding American Peavey .

You keep reconnecting with that bass. Sounds like it’s meant to be.
Click to expand...

The Forum came a little bit before the Cirrus and is extremely rare. It has an 18v, two band preamp. It has Music Man sized humbuckers, but they sound closer to a Cirrus or Ken Smith. It is 35.” The spacing adjustable, but the nut is narrow, so it works better with tighter spacing. Mine is 19mm between the B and E strings and 17mm between all of the other strings.
 
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#4
When I started in high school in the late 80's, I had a $50 no name bass. Later on I decided that I wanted to take bass seriously. I went to my local shop and they had a black Forum 5. I really like it and it was all I could afford at the time. But the guy at the store showed me a pamphlet and I had him order one in purple. I waited months and months and months and finally gave up on the purple one and took the black one home.

Fast forward to about 8 years ago. I'm much better off financially and my wife gives me the blessing to buy any boutique bass that I wanted. I went to many shops east of the Mississippi and played some of the most beautiful works of art. But, none played or sounded better than my old black Forum 5. It still gets 3 hours a week playing time.

I would love to get my hands on the purple one.
 
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#5
Supadope said:
When I started in high school in the late 80's, I had a $50 no name bass. Later on I decided that I wanted to take bass seriously. I went to my local shop and they had a black Forum 5. I really like it and it was all I could afford at the time. But the guy at the store showed me a pamphlet and I had him order one in purple. I waited months and months and months and finally gave up on the purple one and took the black one home.

Fast forward to about 8 years ago. I'm much better off financially and my wife gives me the blessing to buy any boutique bass that I wanted. I went to many shops east of the Mississippi and played some of the most beautiful works of art. But, none played or sounded better than my old black Forum 5. It still gets 3 hours a week playing time.

I would love to get my hands on the purple one.
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I love that story and your wife sounds like a REAL partner. Good luck on your search.
BTW, this purple Peavey was done by the son of the founder of JayDee, ( I think ?) according to a TB'er and it is absolutely gorgeous. Not a Forum, but...
PQIjwMQ.jpg
 
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#6
Supadope said:
When I started in high school in the late 80's, I had a $50 no name bass. Later on I decided that I wanted to take bass seriously. I went to my local shop and they had a black Forum 5. I really like it and it was all I could afford at the time. But the guy at the store showed me a pamphlet and I had him order one in purple. I waited months and months and months and finally gave up on the purple one and took the black one home.

Fast forward to about 8 years ago. I'm much better off financially and my wife gives me the blessing to buy any boutique bass that I wanted. I went to many shops east of the Mississippi and played some of the most beautiful works of art. But, none played or sounded better than my old black Forum 5. It still gets 3 hours a week playing time.

I would love to get my hands on the purple one.
Click to expand...
I’m pretty sure @Dr. Cheese owned a purple one too at one point.
 
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#8
Dr. Cheese said:
The Forum came a little bit before the Cirrus and is extremely rare. It has an 18v, two band preamp. It has Music Man sized humbuckers, but they sound closer to a Cirrus or Ken Smith. It is 35.” The spacing adjustable, but the nut is narrow, so it works better with tighter spacing. Mine is 19mm between the B and E strings and 17mm between all of the other strings.
Click to expand...
I thought Forums only had one PUP.....057912

Edit: But I'm thinking about the 4 string, I've never seen a 5er.
 
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#10


Today’s service, I really I truly wish I had appreciated this bass years ago when I first got it. I feel a tremendous peace of mind playing the basses I own that I never have felt before. I wish I had become mature about gear before I became a gray-haired old man, but knowledge late in life certainly beats dying in ignorance.:)

There are a lot of great basses out there. Maybe your perfect bass is sitting on a pawnshop rack for $300. Maybe a $7,000 boutique will give exactly what you always needed. That aside, if you actually focus on the art of playing and not what you play, you will make great music.
 
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#11
Dr. Cheese said:


Today’s service, I really I truly wish I had appreciated this bass years ago when I first got it. I feel a tremendous peace of mind playing the basses I own that I never have felt before. I wish I had become mature about gear before I became a gray-haired old man, but knowledge late in life certainly beats dying in ignorance.:)

There are a lot of great basses out there. Maybe your perfect bass is sitting on a pawnshop rack for $300. Maybe a $7,000 boutique will give exactly what you always needed. That aside, if you actually focus on the art of playing and not what you play, you will make great music.
Click to expand...

Best post I’ve read here in a long time Doc. Well said Brother!
 
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#12
tindrum said:
Best post I’ve read here in a long time Doc. Well said Brother!
Click to expand...

I’m just happy that I’m in a good place. I am still a gearhead, but I am not looking for a bass to make something that I am not. I can also hear how much I come through when I play. My Peavey makes me more slap happy than my Super 5, but I sure hear me coming through on both of them.
 
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#13
Dr. Cheese said:


Today’s service, I really I truly wish I had appreciated this bass years ago when I first got it. I feel a tremendous peace of mind playing the basses I own that I never have felt before. I wish I had become mature about gear before I became a gray-haired old man, but knowledge late in life certainly beats dying in ignorance.:)

There are a lot of great basses out there. Maybe your perfect bass is sitting on a pawnshop rack for $300. Maybe a $7,000 boutique will give exactly what you always needed. That aside, if you actually focus on the art of playing and not what you play, you will make great music.
Click to expand...


I've recently fallen in love with Schecter's Stiletto Studio series...just got my third one last week. These are also TONS of bass for the money.
 
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