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U.S. Peavey Club

#24,001
bigtone23 said:
Haha, I remember Sarzo jumping around with endorsements (Musicman, Washburn, Spector and Aria). Maybe Peavey thought his time with Peavey wasn't going to be that long so they didn't spend too much time on parts..?
His Peaveys seem to be based on this passive Aria SB Elite II he played in the 80s. It was also known as a bass with a great build and feel, but slightly weak tone.
View attachment 4497004
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They're cool looking basses, what could one do to beef up the Sarzo?
 
#24,003
bigtone23 said:
His Peaveys seem to be based on this passive Aria SB Elite II he played in the 80s. It was also known as a bass with a great build and feel, but slightly weak tone.
Click to expand...
Most of the bands Sarzo played in were serious guitar affairs , likely he was told "be seen but not heard"

Bleecker said:
hey're cool looking basses, what could one do to beef up the Sarzo?
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Buy another bass :laugh:
 
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#24,004
bigtone23 said:
Haha, I remember Sarzo jumping around with endorsements (Musicman, Washburn, Spector and Aria). Maybe Peavey thought his time with Peavey wasn't going to be that long so they didn't spend too much time on parts..?
His Peaveys seem to be based on this passive Aria SB Elite II he played in the 80s. It was also known as a bass with a great build and feel, but slightly weak tone.
View attachment 4497004
Click to expand...
I agree. The approach was to almost copy the Aria bass in the first Sarzo iteration. They look almost identical with the exception of the headstock. My guess is that was Rudy's request at the time. I think over time he began to appreciate the improvements that Peavey was making well beyond what the Aria's could do. (not a slight on Arias I think they were great basses for the time)
 
#24,005
Runnerman said:
I think over time he began to appreciate the improvements that Peavey was making well beyond what the Aria's could do.
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What ?

Mike Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jack Bruce, Neal Schon, Neil Murray , best not forget Cliff Burton and John Taylor ; all Aria guys yet none of them were discerning enough players to spot Aria couldn't produce the goods :jawdrop:

Sarzo already endorsed Peavey amps ,give him a bass and there's 2 products in the ads. For Peavey it was a cheap way to double their exposure. For Sarzo , serial endorser , it was a business decision.
 
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#24,006
Aside from the pickups, what are the differences between the Sarzo and my Unity?
20200627_114000.jpg
 
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#24,007
kodiakblair said:
What ?

Mike Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jack Bruce, Neal Schon, Neil Murray , best not forget Cliff Burton and John Taylor ; all Aria guys yet none of them were discerning enough players to spot Aria couldn't produce the goods :jawdrop:
Click to expand...

Aria never produced a Cirrus. They produced good basses no question.
Agree 100% that it was a business decision. But the basses being identical for the most part were Rudy directed I'm sure. The weakness in the pickups was probably what he wanted in the first gen Sarzo.
 
#24,010
Tubehed said:
Thanks! It has some dings and scratches here and there, mainly on the back and headstock. The top is really clean. Overall, I would say it is in excellent condition for a 32 year old bass.
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To answer your question, ( Aside from the pickups, what are the differences between the Sarzo and my Unity? )

ONLY the pickups ARE the difference. Correct Peavey peeps ?
 
#24,012
Runnerman said:
I agree. The approach was to almost copy the Aria bass in the first Sarzo iteration. They look almost identical with the exception of the headstock. My guess is that was Rudy's request at the time. I think over time he began to appreciate the improvements that Peavey was making well beyond what the Aria's could do. (not a slight on Arias I think they were great basses for the time)
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There are a few bassists that just move their design from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Bunny Brunel comes to mind, with his Carvin, Gibson and ESP basses--all pretty much the same thing.
Same with Doug Wimbish, his Ibanez is really just a Spector.
I don't blame them. If I was in their shoes, I would just make my version of a Active Jazz/Foundation/Dyna type basses and riffs on the Strat and Tele guitars.
 
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#24,013
Bleecker said:
Why do you suppose they made the Sarzo sig models weak? The guy plays heavy metal! Why wouldn't/didn't they use the good preamp and such?
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I've never been a fan of his sound (especially on Metal Health). Muddy and undefined IMO. I'm not sure what bass he used to record that album or what equipment he used at the time. I would assume is was his Aria Pro. He appears to attack the strings really hard but still no reason for a weak preamp or pickups. Maybe Peavey went for a match to the electronics on the Aria Pro?
 
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