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Question about the Peavey Millenium AC

T

Thera

Jul 30, 2008
6
0
#1
i am looking to buy my first bass and i was looking at the Peavey Millenium AC (transparent black) and i was reading reviews on it and they mentioned having to have batteries in it? i have played the guitar for several years and this i the first i have heard of batteries in the instroment. its this normal for the basses or just this one?

second. what are your guys thoughts on that bass. all that i have read seems to be good but i was just wondering. (i also liked it when i played it).

thanks for the help (sorry if this is in the wrong spot. i think its right)

Thera
 
#2
There are "passive" basses that require no batteries and "active" basses which have preamps built into the instrument, and need batteries. Peavey Millennium BXPs come in both active and passive. The "AC" Millennium is an active bass, so it needs batteries. Any "active" bass needs power, and this is very common now. The guitar world seems to be mostly still passive pickups.
 
#7
Thera said:
but what is the difference between an active and a passive pickup?
Click to expand...
There really are no generalizations to make. Each one sounds like what it sounds like. Active basses are generally louder, but not always. One thing you might be able to say is that a lot of active basses sound more like the preamp than they do the pickups, but even that is not true across the board. Two passive basses will probably sound more different from each other than an active and a similarly-appointed passive bass. If you find one of either kind that you like, buy it.
 
#8
thanks you very much for all your help. i think what i will do now is go and try both the active and passive peavey millenium BXP. if anyone has anything to say about those basses that would be cool, but thanks again for answering other question.

Thera
 
#9
Thera said:
but what is the difference between an active and a passive pickup?
Click to expand...

Active basses usually have a 2 or 3-band EQ built in. Which means you can boost or cut treble, mids and bass. Two band EQ's have treble and bass only. There are a few basses out there with treble, low mid, high mid and bass.

Passive basses usually have volume, tone and balance controls, as opposed to the actives EQ.
 
#10
I own a Peavey Millenium AC BXP 5. It's a great bass. It has a good tone, plenty of power, and it is easy on the hands.

It also looks good.

The only problem I have with the bass is that the 5 string version is built with the string spacing too close. I use that bass when I want to use a pick. This allows me to get a snappy tone, and I can play fairly quick that way (I've been a lead guitarist for years).

As for the batteries; yes, the bass needs two 9volt batteries to power the 18volt pre amp. When you are done with the bass, remember to remove the instrument cable from the bass's input jack. If you don't you will come back to a dead bass. This is not an active / passive bass. It would be nice if it were though.

Again, this thing rocks. I have thought about getting a matching 4 string to go along with it.
 
#12
I have the four-string AC BXP as a back-up to my USA Millennium. It may be the most comfortable (light and well balanced) and fastest-necked bass I have ever played.

However the 3-band preamp, despite the 18v of boost and cut available, is fairly anemic sounding as far as active basses go. The mid-control is voiced at a frequency I find fairly useless as I want nether a boost nor cut there. The bass boost just makes the thing louder and the treble boost tends to get hissy.

With regard to construction quality, after two years the finish is already wearing off the back of the neck. That shouldn't happen. Also the pickup blend doesn't really. It's a three way switch disguised as a blend and it's very scratchy to boot. I also had to replace the input jack within a few months of purchase.

I do recommend the AC over the passive BXP if for no other reason than that agathis > basswood.

Now the USA Millennium is a whole 'nother creature. Please Peavey, bring 'em back! :bassist:
 
#13
16 years after this post, the Indonesian Peavey millenium is climbing in value. A lot of other brands, in addition to some of the older higher-end PV basses, have an active/passive switch so you can play them in either mode. The Ibanez SR series, in their premium line, has this switch.
 
#14
Les Apt said:
16 years after this post, the Indonesian Peavey millenium is climbing in value.
Click to expand...
To the heady heights of $200 - $300 😆

Nice enough basses but I preferred the Chinese built Millenniums, TBH I preferred my Chinese Millennium to my US Millennium and Millennium Plus.

I'm a bit curious as to why you brought up active/passive switching in this thread ? It was really only found on Peaveys using the DynaBass EQ, just 5 models and they were only built between 1985 and 1990.

With Millenniums the choice was simple; the passive import JJ and US PJ (which nobody bought) or active import/US models. None of them had a bypass switch :thumbsup:
 
#15
kodiakblair said:
To the heady heights of $200 - $300 😆

Nice enough basses but I preferred the Chinese built Millenniums, TBH I preferred my Chinese Millennium to my US Millennium and Millennium Plus.

I'm a bit curious as to why you brought up active/passive switching in this thread ? It was really only found on Peaveys using the DynaBass EQ, just 5 models and they were only built between 1985 and 1990.

With Millenniums the choice was simple; the passive import JJ and US PJ (which nobody bought) or active import/US models. None of them had a bypass switch :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
That's what they said about t40s 5 years ago.


Give it time.


I mentioned the passive/active selector switch in reference to the original poster not knowing which to buy.
 

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