• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Rediscovering Peavey

#201
I found that the Tour 700 clips a lot earlier than the Standard. The Tour got a built in limiter ofc, but even with that switched off the usable volume is a lot less than the Standard. Ofc the Standard distorts a bit, but it's a nice sounding distortion, and there's still a lot of volume on tap.
 
#202
tlite said:
I just brought in an Acoustic 370 head to my local tech for repair. He used to be an authorized Acoustic warranty guy back in the day. I asked what cabinet he mightrecommend to go with it (if not the original acoustic) and he without hesitation suggested I look for a Peavey 1516 or maybe an 1820.
Click to expand...
I am looking for a good ACOUSTIC BASS HEAD tech repair guy for some maintenance. where can i find you repair man? thanks!
 
#208
I scorned it back in the 80s and 90s, but I've since come around. I bought a Databass some years back for $200 and kept it for a while, and just recently paid $100 for a dead mint mid-1980s Combo 300. There couldn't be a more perfect amp for leaving at the drummer's place for anyone to come use. It really does sound good, is tonally flexible, and LOUD AS HELL.
22051044_717967431925_8562715187326021471_o.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: GreaserMatt, alaskaleftybass, Spectrum and 2 others
#209
tlite said:
When I was a young whippersnapper guitar player in the late 80's and 90's, I distinctly recall Peavey being a scorned brand.

Most folks I knew, right or wrong, never even considered Peavey gear. It was perceived by folks I jammed with as one notch above the Gorilla amp. Or a Hondo guitar. That said, who knows- I was a kid and what I liked then may be totally different than now- but I know I wasn't alone in this.

But perhaps we may not have been fair to Peavey?

As I become more dedicated to the bass world- it seems Peavey gets a LOT of love. Heck- I never knew. I think it's great that they're a US manufacturer, but it never really dawned on me that their gear was decent given preconceptions from decades back.

Was my impression of Peavey from back then completely off-base (pun intended)? Have they changed much since then, or did I just run with a bad crowd unfairly maligning Peavey gear?

Why do you like Peavey? What do they do well? What not so well? In both instruments and amps?

This is more academic than anything else as I'm not looking for any gear right away. I just happened across some pro-Peavey opinions and thought it worthy of starting a thread to carry me through the rest of the workday...
Click to expand...
tlite said:
When I was a young whippersnapper guitar player in the late 80's and 90's, I distinctly recall Peavey being a scorned brand.

Most folks I knew, right or wrong, never even considered Peavey gear. It was perceived by folks I jammed with as one notch above the Gorilla amp. Or a Hondo guitar. That said, who knows- I was a kid and what I liked then may be totally different than now- but I know I wasn't alone in this.

But perhaps we may not have been fair to Peavey?

As I become more dedicated to the bass world- it seems Peavey gets a LOT of love. Heck- I never knew. I think it's great that they're a US manufacturer, but it never really dawned on me that their gear was decent given preconceptions from decades back.

Was my impression of Peavey from back then completely off-base (pun intended)? Have they changed much since then, or did I just run with a bad crowd unfairly maligning Peavey gear?

Why do you like Peavey? What do they do well? What not so well? In both instruments and amps?

This is more academic than anything else as I'm not looking for any gear right away. I just happened across some pro-Peavey opinions and thought it worthy of starting a thread to carry me through the rest of the workday...
Click to expand...
 
#211
Back when I started in 91, everybody I knew used Peavey gear. As many have said, there wasn't anything special or characteristic about the sound but it was solid, dependable, and affordable. Heavy yes, even at half my current age (41) it was a beast to move. And there is a lot of tonal versatility in the Mark IV.

When I got a better job and was ready to step up from the old Ampeg, I too had a choice of the used Peavey stack or a new Crate combo. Glad I chose the Peavey. Nothing to rediscover since it's pretty much all I've been using for the last 20 years. Including the little Minx I got at a cleanout sale for less than $5.

IMO the old pointy logo and aluminum bars are part of being a Peavey, it's just not the same without it.

As far as Peavey basses, IME they were rare and pretty much unheard of. I've seen one played in person, and it had a great ballsy tone (don't know what amp he was using, or if was going direct).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Giffro
#213
tlite said:
I just brought in an Acoustic 370 head to my local tech for repair. He used to be an authorized Acoustic warranty guy back in the day. I asked what cabinet he mightrecommend to go with it (if not the original acoustic) and he without hesitation suggested I look for a Peavey 1516 or maybe an 1820.
Click to expand...
On paper it looked good but the 1516 cab is the worst sounding cab you can get- ask me how I know
 
  • Like
Reactions: Giffro and lesliegl
#214
tlc1976 said:
As far as Peavey basses, IME they were rare and pretty much unheard of.
I've seen one played in person, and it had a great ballsy tone.
Click to expand...
You can see video of Roger Glover (and Richie Blackmore) playing a Peavey Foundation bass during Deep Purple's 1984 Tour.
Rudy Sarzo has endorsed his signature Peavey basses for a long time.
Certainly not super common like Fender Basses but they turned up here and there, especially with country and southern rock.
That great ballsy bass tone was very likely a Foundation.
I've got seven nice USA made Peavey basses made from 1987 through 1998, there are a few on my want list from the late 70's.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: alaskaleftybass, Giffro, tlc1976 and 2 others
#216
Peavey amps really had a bad stretch for guitarists until they put out the Fenderesque Classic line of tube amps. All those horrible transistor guitar amps with the crappy distortion did their reputation great harm.

It seems they consistently put out decent bass amps over the decades, though. This is why I believe bassists have an appreciation for Peavey. I am a former guitarist, though, and I know exactly what you mean.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GreaserMatt and Giffro
#218
I'm 67 and I was playing R&R when Peavey 1st hit the market. It wasn't the best sounding and that is just the way Peavey chose to voice it but, it was decent for the price and you could play it as loud as it would play for like EVER even after it had fallen out of the back of the van. At one time they even made drums, well they had the Peavey name on them, not sure just exactly who made them.

When bands 1st started using big PA we had to use power amps that were designed for living room stereo and not road use. A band I was working in had 4 Altec A7's and pushed them with a Crown DC300A. We had to keep a window fan blowing on it to keep it from shutting down. Then Peavey brought out the CS400 and a little later the CS800 power amps that were made for touring. They weren't perfect but they didn't need a window fan either and every band you saw was using them.

I always thought of their bass guitars as being very well made. I never cared for the styling, too cowboy, but they were very solid instruments. Their PA stuff was always decent and some designs were quite interesting. They made a lot of SS guitar gear which at 1st sold like crazy but, when SS guitar amps went out of fashion, Peavey got kind of left behind. However, their classic 2x12 guitar tube amps are as good as any they just don't say Mesa or Marshall on the badge. (imho)

Peavey has a really rich history in amplified music. They have made just about anything and everything that has to do with the music business and they made it in house in Meridian Mississippi. Sadly, they have moved all their manufacturing offshore like so many others and they have vastly cut back on the number of products the offer. The only thing I have now that is (China) Peavey is a 8 channel PA head that I use weekly and it does the job just fine.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: alaskaleftybass and Giffro

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back