Peavey Foundations - just can't let them go

[jpmcbride]

I've been selling basses lately - thinning the herd as they say. I was considering selling one of my Peavey Foundations, but I just can't let it go. Its a red 1989 with matching headstock and supper ferrite pickups that I posted about previously. These basses sound fantastic, have thin playable necks, and just feel great. If it matters to you, they were made in the USA in Meridian Mississippi. And they're super cheap! Best value for the money out there in my opinion. Here are mine. Post yours.

 

[Standalone]

I traveled to Europe to live for half a year in the late nineties and wound up selling my foundation 5 in Belfast and buying a bicycle. Worth it I guess — there are always more basses but not many times when you can crisscross a faraway island with a tent and a few cans of tuna and a little stove...

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I've been selling basses lately - thinning the herd as they say. I was considering selling one of my Peavey Foundations, but I just can't let it go. Its a red 1989 with matching headstock and supper ferrite pickups that I posted about previously. These basses sound fantastic, have thin playable necks, and just feel great. If it matters to you, they were made in the USA in Meridian Mississippi. And they're super cheap! Best value for the money out there in my opinion. Here are mine. Post yours.

It does not get better than a Foundation with Super Ferrites. Keep it! Nothing lasts forever, including us. It’s cool to own something you’ve had many years as time moves on.

 

[JW56789]

It's unfortunate that Mississippi-built Peaveys have now rivaled Matsumoku-era Japanese basses as benchmarks that will never occur again: A damn shame.

 

[jpmcbride]

@DrCheese
Actually, I like the sound of the one with the VFL pickups better than the super ferrites. I think I'm probably in the minority on this one. But they both sound great!

Interesting thing about the black Foundation shown in my pics ... It had a big dent, really deep, with sharp edges, right where my forearm lays. It was really uncomfortable. I took it to a local shop and they filled it, painted it, then blended in the clear coat right at the contour - I can barely find it if I try hard and get the light just right. I forget what it cost me, not too much, well worth it for such a great bass.

Another interesting Foundation story. Recently someone was selling a white 90's Foundation locally and had it listed as "new". OF course I had to contact he seller and ask about that! The guy told me it was from the estate of a relative that owned a music store. He said it hung on the wall, then got stored, never sold. It was listed at $350. Its gone now.

 

[Inara]

My first bass was a mid-late 80's Foundation with Super Ferrites. I wish I still had it! It had a natural ash body and maple fingerboard, and I haven't seen another one like it ever again. I do have a '94 Fury that I love, but I truly wish I still had that Foundation.

 

[bigtone23]

The Super Ferrite is my favorite pickup, put them in a Foundation and I'm more than happy!
Here's my current Peavey family photo-most have mods. Front row is the Foundations and derivatives.
L-R: an 87 Patriot (with an added neck position SF) 87 Foundation body with 82 T45 neck and pickup (it's a hybrid Foundation T), 85 Dynabass (passive/active Foundation) and my main squeeze--the 84 Foundation (with added push/pull series/parallel switch). Back row is a Forum Plus with different guts and a Ibby RB630 modded to be a T45.

Here's a couple that came and went... 85 Fretless Foundation. I miss this one.

...and 94 Foundation. This was a good bass, but was rather troublesome to get it to be good. Too many money saving production measures left this era feeling cheap. Give me 80s era Foundations!

 

[tgriley62]

My twins. Foundation & Fury. Both are pawnshop finds & $225.00 total for both

 

[jmlee]

@DrCheese
Actually, I like the sound of the one with the VFL pickups better than the super ferrites. I think I'm probably in the minority on this one. But they both sound great!

I'm with you on that. The pickups, though, are not true VFLs but an early transitional pickup: single coils under a soapbar lid. Terrific sounding pickups. My superferrite Foundation is my best buy ever at $75 Canadian.

 

[dBChad]

Peavey basses have always impressed me. Considering how inexpensive they are on the used market, it pretty much makes no sense not to buy. Just found out yesterday my USA Peavey from the early 90s uses the same bridge as Modulus, and it's stock pickups just sit in the mix without having to search for the "set spot," just came dialed in like that from the factory.

 

[Shawn Luckman]

Another big fan of the 80's era Peavey Foundation bass . I agree with bigtone that the 90's era Foundations were a shadow of the original but they still have their own fan base, of players who liked the lighter 90's versions. I owned a '92 for a short while & even though it came with SF pickups I really wanted an 80's original. Luckily I managed to acquire a 1986 Foundation in good condition with a painted headstock and the '92 was sold on, as the '86 version was just so better made & better sounding to me.
The only picture I have of both of my Foundations together briefly.

The '86 still looks good today this bass is going nowhere .

 

[Ostie]

I've been selling basses lately - thinning the herd as they say. I was considering selling one of my Peavey Foundations, but I just can't let it go. Its a red 1989 with matching headstock and supper ferrite pickups that I posted about previously. These basses sound fantastic, have thin playable necks, and just feel great. If it matters to you, they were made in the USA in Meridian Mississippi. And they're super cheap! Best value for the money out there in my opinion. Here are mine. Post yours.

I had a Foundation like the red one but with non-painted headstock. I don’t know if it had super ferrites. How do you tell? Do you have to look under the hood?

 

[HeadWind]

Gotta love those superferrites. I picked this up off of Craigslist just to have a fretless to play aroudn with and was blown away by the sound of those pickups. Here is my vintage Peavey collection. Love that 15 inch Black Widow speaker!

 

[jpmcbride]

I had a Foundation like the red one but with non-painted headstock. I don’t know if it had super ferrites. How do you tell? Do you have to look under the hood?

They look different ...

 

[jpmcbride]

... I agree with bigtone that the 90's era Foundations were a shadow of the original but they still have their own fan base, of players who liked the lighter 90's versions...
View attachment 3624365

I hear that a lot. But my 90's Foundation is rock solid and is every bit as good as my 80's Foundation. Better actually.

 

[ack]

Here's my Mahogany '87:

 

[Greg Waldon]

Here's my Mahogany '87:
View attachment 3624394 View attachment 3624395

I had a Foundation exactly like yours. Still kicking myself for getting rid of it.

 

[Runnerman]

I have a 90's era Foundation and it is a great playing bass. Quality may not be quite on par with the 80's but still very good. I also have an 80's Dyna with super ferrites (Foundation with active option).

 

[deff]

My avatar pic is somewhere between 82-84 Foundation. I currently have an 85 Fury that I have rehabbed. I love Peaveys. Yours look great. I think those VFL's in the black one are probably the single coil in the VFL shell that they made. Also supposed to be a great pickup BTW. VFL's are active pickups, right? The ones that came in the Cirrus.

 

[Ooba Tooba]

My 1983. The neck is superb. The rosewood is dark and rich