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Peavey Foundations - just can't let them go

#61
bigtone23 said:
Haha, I've been a Peavey guy since 1982. Nothing but love!

If you want a true Ric killer, add a neck position Super Ferrite and 3 way switch to a Patriot and move the jack to the side. Those pickups are then located in the same spots as a Ric (24th and 36th fret positions) and the Super Ferrite does a pretty darn good Hi-Gain pickup emulation. Had Peavey made this an option (the Patriot Plus?), there would be a lot less talk of the T40 being 'the best Ric sounding, non-Ric.' This bass (I call it RicRiot) nails the Ric tone. Yet another $300 (off brand ;)) bass that outperforms the $1000+ icon.
View attachment 3625382
I had a couple ideas I wanted to try.
First, I put an orphan 1982 T45 neck on a 1987 Foundation body. Screwed right on with no adjustments or modifications and the neck fits the pocket perfectly. Thank you computer aided manufacturing! (A T40 neck, at 20 frets, is too short and would mess up the scale length and intonation.) Gotta say, the 1.75" wide nut Foundation is a really great feel.
Secondly, I added the bridge Toaster pickup and coil split switch. Experimented with the wiring to get it to split to the neck side coil (which was magneticaly North Up) to be opposite the South Up Super Ferrite. There is still decent hum canceling in single coil mode on the Toaster when blended with the SF. Toasters and Super Ferrites play great together, volume and tone wise, too! This bass has most everything a stock Foundation has to offer in single coil mode, but with the addition of a little more midrange punch when the Toaster is in humbucker mode. I usually don't play soloed bridge SFs, but the humbucking Toaster sounds real nice soloed. The wider aperture (that is skewed neckward) and inherently thicker tone of the Toaster works great in the bridge position.
I call this one Foundation T or T-42.5.
View attachment 3625383
Click to expand...
I LOVE IT !!!!!!
 
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#62
bigtone23 said:
It really makes the Patriot a whole new animal. There are some crossover tones when compared to a Foundation, especially the scoopy tones of both pickups on. However, the (modded) Patriot pickup locations, being shifted neckward, lend fundamentally deeper, thicker tones. Plus, the soloed 'bridge' pickup is much more full and useful vs the Foundation as it's bridge pickup is a little further towards the bridge vs 70s position on a J bass!

Theoretically, one could rout in an extra pair of Super Ferrites in the Ric spots into a Foundation. It would be rather busy to have 4 pickups on a bass, but it would work.
Click to expand...

HEY ! ! ! Happy 5th anniversary TODAY here on TB !! Just happened to notice...... And glad you could use that Foundation body you bought from me. It went to an awesome cause, no doubt!
 
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#63
bigtone23 said:
Haha, I've been a Peavey guy since 1982. Nothing but love!

If you want a true Ric killer, add a neck position Super Ferrite and 3 way switch to a Patriot and move the jack to the side. Those pickups are then located in the same spots as a Ric (24th and 36th fret positions) and the Super Ferrite does a pretty darn good Hi-Gain pickup emulation. Had Peavey made this an option (the Patriot Plus?), there would be a lot less talk of the T40 being 'the best Ric sounding, non-Ric.' This bass (I call it RicRiot) nails the Ric tone. Yet another $300 (off brand ;)) bass that outperforms the $1000+ icon.
View attachment 3625382
I had a couple ideas I wanted to try.
First, I put an orphan 1982 T45 neck on a 1987 Foundation body. Screwed right on with no adjustments or modifications and the neck fits the pocket perfectly. Thank you computer aided manufacturing! (A T40 neck, at 20 frets, is too short and would mess up the scale length and intonation.) Gotta say, the 1.75" wide nut Foundation is a really great feel.
Secondly, I added the bridge Toaster pickup and coil split switch. Experimented with the wiring to get it to split to the neck side coil (which was magneticaly North Up) to be opposite the South Up Super Ferrite. There is still decent hum canceling in single coil mode on the Toaster when blended with the SF. Toasters and Super Ferrites play great together, volume and tone wise, too! This bass has most everything a stock Foundation has to offer in single coil mode, but with the addition of a little more midrange punch when the Toaster is in humbucker mode. I usually don't play soloed bridge SFs, but the humbucking Toaster sounds real nice soloed. The wider aperture (that is skewed neckward) and inherently thicker tone of the Toaster works great in the bridge position.
I call this one Foundation T or T-42.5.
View attachment 3625383
Click to expand...
As i have family in Denver, perhaps sometime i could catch one of your gigs with these basses.

I rarely saw Peavey basses going back to the late 70's in clubs unless they were country acts and most were T series basses (i did see my very 1st Peavey bass on a big stage with Journey in around 78 or 79).
 
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#64
covermego said:
HEY ! ! ! Happy 5th anniversary TODAY here on TB !! Just happened to notice...... And glad you could use that Foundation body you bought from me. It went to an awesome cause, no doubt!
Click to expand...
Hey, that's right. 5 years already... thank you!
Yep, that body was exactly what I was looking for.
Backstory: I had the neck and was going to put it on my RicRiot, but thought it would be more fun to experiment and carve up a Foundation body with a Toaster pickup. I had a thought that if the Toaster didn't blend well with the SF, I'd get another Toaster and install it in the neck position, skewed towards the bridge. I still might do that someday...
DavidEdenAria said:
As i have family in Denver, perhaps sometime i could catch one of your gigs with these basses.
Click to expand...
For sure! I don't gig as much as I used to, but the 80s band plays at least once a month downtown and the CAN tribute once every 3 months or so. I usually take the RicRiot or the Forum Plus or now most likely the Foundation T plus the Dynabass to the 80s gig, the CAN is all Foundation and maybe the RicRiot or now the Foundation T.
Also, hit me up when you are in town. Perhaps you can just stop by the place and check them out if I don't have a gig. I always enjoy meeting internet people in the real world!

DavidEdenAria said:
I rarely saw Peavey basses going back to the late 70's in clubs unless they were country acts and most were T series basses (i did see my very 1st Peavey bass on a big stage with Journey in around 78 or 79).
Click to expand...
Ross Valory was the first big name, non country guy with a T40! The soloed bridge humbucker really suits his mid forward tone.
Roger Glover played a Foundation in the 80s, IIRC.
Peavey bass amps were all over the big stages, but it wasn't until the 90s roll out of the Cirrus and the Wolfgangs that their instruments got arena cred. It's too bad. If I knew then what I know now and was a big stage rock star of the 80s, I'd be rockin' Peaveys all day!
 
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#65
04588c5ac9b8114f0e36a6264cee1771.jpg

Looks like an 84ish Foundation Custom!
 
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#66
bigtone23 said:
Ross Valory was the first big name, non country guy with a T40!
Click to expand...
He did 1 tour with it then packed it away for good. Weight wasn't the reason as the Ovation bass he got in 1980 was no lightweight. The Vallory/T40 connection was a fleeting moment,in the tour program he's pictured with his trusty jazz bass.

Roger Glover had a Fury neck fitted to his Foundation.
 
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#75
embellisher said:
I have a 90's Foundation that I bought new. It's not as good as the 80's version, but it gets the job done. This pic is from 1998 or 1999, excuse the hair lol.
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No judgement, all Foundations are A-OK here! :) The fact that you bought it new and continue to play it shows just how great that bass is!
It's like any other manufacturer, they have their cyclical ups and downs, but gems are found regardless. I have 2 CBS Fenders (69 Strat and 72 J) that I would happily put up against any Pre-CBS version. They are that good.
 
#76
Shawn Luckman said:
Any reason behind why the Fury neck was on his Foundation?
Click to expand...
He prefers a wider nut. It's that simple.
mb94952 said:
I wonder what Ross Vallory used on "Don't Stop Believin'"
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Over the years the Vallory/T40 ad gets posted and someone proudly states "the reason I play a T40" :)

Did they catch that tour back in 79 or did they see the ad then think he recorded with it ? I'm not a Journey fan but the T40 bit intrigued me. Yet to see any proof he used it for anything bar that 1 tour.
 
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#77
kodiakblair said:
He prefers a wider nut. It's that simple.
Over the years the Vallory/T40 ad gets posted and someone proudly states "the reason I play a T40" :)

Did they catch that tour back in 79 or did they see the ad then think he recorded with it ? I'm not a Journey fan but the T40 bit intrigued me. Yet to see any proof he used it for anything bar that 1 tour.
Click to expand...

Thank you ! You answered TWO questions I had. I always thought the Foundation neck was a TAD too thin. Putting a Fury neck on it makes sense !! The bass line on "Don't Stop" is so iconic. If that's a T40, it explains a lot !!!Someone just said it was a Steinberger.
 
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