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Peavey Grind... What's your verdict?

#2
Played both the Grind 5 and 4, eventually went with the 4 (though they were very similar, just I prefer 4 stringers). I thought it was alot of bass for the money, very comfortable neck with a low profile and the body contours are perfect for how I play. The tone is quite dark, though the electronics do allow for a good range of playable tones. I'm tempted to fit some actives at some point but I do appreciate the mellow sound the stock pickups give. My main gripe is that although it is a well balanced bass - it does weigh heavy, but considering the woods I'm not hugely surprised. It is also near bullet-proof, having come off a stand once (ouch) and bounced on a solid floor with nothing to show but a miniscule dent in the headstock.

I'd say go for it :)
 
#3
I've played a few, including a five string that was for sale at the International GTG a few months ago. - Check the classifieds here in case it's still available.

My overall impression is that they are nice basses with interesting woods. Tone is great and playability is great. Appearance is very clean and spiffy. The only negative that I noticed was the heavy weight of both of the Grinds that I've played. If it's going to be a backup that may not be much of an issue.
 
#4
I bought a Grind NTB 6-string for a project bass a while back. It was one of the later models, with the rounded heel carve.

The only real cons were cosmetic- you have to look for a good one, as the colour match between the body wings can be pretty random. Also, the finish had a couple of minor runs on the back and a few bits of grit and hair embedded in it. Thankfully, they rubbed out nicely with a bit of superfine sandpaper and some tung oil. Once the instrument was buffed up, it had a pleasingly boutique appearance.

The lumber, fretwork, hardware, etc. were all decent, and the overall feel and the fretwork were much better than I'd expect from a budget instrument. I liked the neck shape and overall ergonomics.

I wasn't thrilled with the stock pickups, but at $275 used, I could afford to experiment. With a used set of EMG 45CS's and a BTC tone control system in it, it sounded remarkably close to my good bass.

If you don't mind doing a little tweaking and setup work, a Grind can make an excellent backup (or a main instrument, if you're on a tight budget), for not a lot of $$$.
 
#7
I had a 6. The playabillity, and construction were great. The tone was dark, so I dropped some EMGs in there and it brought the tone to life. There was also a couple sharp fret edges, probably from the fretboard shrinking, the woods are from vietnam or something. I cleaned them up myself with a file.

It was a really nice bass, and I hated to sell it, but I wanted a Jazz bass. I sold it for like $300 on ebay. I paid less then $400 for it new. So, I didn't get totally hosed.
 
#8
I own a Cirrus BXP 5, also a Grind 5. Grind, IMO, is a super player, fast, friendly neck, decent balance, really feels good when playing. And looks wise, it's the schizz.

The big difference between the Grind and the Cirrus is in the electronics. Active Cirrus has a ton of flexibility, and be made to sound like just about anything. The Grind has basically 1 tone: kinda mid-rangy, with very little flexibility. Doesn't sound bad in the mix, and for a back-up, would be ok. But if you're used to all the flexibility that a Cirrus has, the Grind will be a let-down in the sound dept.

To the OP: I sent you a pm.
 
#11
Yeah, I agree with the tone comments. It is very dark and almost 'muffled'. To clarify, I found little to no clarity to its sound. Sounded like the pups were toned all the way down even when fully open. I really wanted to like that bass....but to no avail.

If I were you I would take a listen to it...unless you plan to replace the pups.
 
#12
It's easy enough to swap out pickups. I would think the main concern would be how the bass feels and plays. I've played a few Grinds and I thought they were really decent basses. Definitely on par with other basses I've played a few hundred dollars more.
 
#14
Bought a 4 string used, so cheap I had to buy it, I LOVE it, but it's the first bass I've ever had that wasn't the cheapest one on the shelf, so might not be a great comparison.

Tuned it B E A D, couldn't get used to a 5 string, but still wanted the low B.

I had another bass player play it, far more accomplished player than I, raving about the sustain on the grind. He called the tone very "mellow", but he might have just been being kind.
 
#15
i have.. err.. had.. the 6 string version. i got one of the good looking ones. used, older model. beautiful bass. i found the neck pretty comfy.. after about a pound of metal was shaved off the frets. i agree with the assessment of the tone. kinda dull. i push a crapload of drive and mids and it was kinda "eh" compared to my OLP. but i needed a comfy 6 for live use, so it did the trick
 

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