U.S. Peavey Club

[XsoGol]

Can anyone confirm if 80s Peavey Patriot basses that are not natural finish are actually made of maple like the manuals say or are they alder or poplar? Thanks!

 

[Shagnum]

Can anyone confirm if 80s Peavey Patriot basses that are not natural finish are actually made of maple like the manuals say or are they alder or poplar? Thanks!

I’ve got a heavily modified white patriot project that looks and feels like maple. I have/had 2 stock black patriots (1 sold) that I would guess to be *not maple* alder maybe? - I’ve had them all apart and both black bodies were significantly lighter than the white body. Couple of other guys here that build projects and have routed patriot bodies, they may chime in.

 

[XsoGol]

I’ve got a heavily modified white patriot project that looks and feels like maple. I have/had 2 stock black patriots (1 sold) that I would guess to be *not maple* alder maybe? - I’ve had them all apart and both black bodies were significantly lighter than the white body. Couple of other guys here that build projects and have routed patriot bodies, they may chime in.

Do you know what year your modded white Patriot is from? Thanks!

 

[58kites]

I’ve got a heavily modified white patriot project that looks and feels like maple. I have/had 2 stock black patriots (1 sold) that I would guess to be *not maple* alder maybe? - I’ve had them all apart and both black bodies were significantly lighter than the white body. Couple of other guys here that build projects and have routed patriot bodies, they may chime in.

Did you strip the paint off of it? Is it one piece or more than one piece?

 

[58kites]

Can anyone confirm if 80s Peavey Patriot basses that are not natural finish are actually made of maple like the manuals say or are they alder or poplar? Thanks!

Our old friend Mech (Ronnie Goss) who worked at Peavey for 30 years making guitars and basses said the opaque paint job Fury, Foundation, Patriot basses were poplar bodies.
But some of the Peavey manuals mention maple bodies, I've not seen one but maybe there were.
Maybe kodiakblair can tell us, he seems to have as much experience with old Peavey basses (and wood by trade) as anyone here.
BassikLee ?
BigTone23 ?
MNairHead ?
Runnerman ?

 

[Shagnum]

Do you know what year your modded white Patriot is from? Thanks!

I don’t, sorry. Bought just the body on fleabay.

 

[Shagnum]

Did you strip the paint off of it? Is it one piece or more than one piece?

Just on the back. 3 piece.

 

[Shagnum]

Our old friend Mech (Ronnie Goss) who worked at Peavey for 30 years making guitars and basses said the opaque paint job Fury, Foundation, Patriot basses were poplar bodies.
But some of the Peavey manuals mention maple bodies, I've not seen one but maybe there were.
Maybe kodiakblair can tell us, he seems to have as much experience with old Peavey basses (and wood by trade) as anyone here.
BassikLee ?
BigTone23 ?
MNairHead ?
Runnerman ?

Here’s the back of my white Patriot project. I’m not an expert, but looks and feels like maple to me.
I sold the lighter of my 2 black patriots and it was under 8lbs, poplar would explain the difference. Kept the heavier one as I preferred it, partly because of the weight.

 

[BassikLee]

I’m thinking that the bodies Peavey actually made in house were whatever wood they could get a deal on. I’ve seen several piece maple bodies, two piece maple, two and three piece poplar. I have a stash of foundation and Dyna bodies from Derrick’s adventures there, as well as a bunch of other goodies.

 

[58kites]

I’m thinking that the bodies Peavey actually made in house were whatever wood they could get a deal on. I’ve seen several piece maple bodies, two piece maple, two and three piece poplar. I have a stash of foundation and Dyna bodies from Derrick’s adventures there, as well as a bunch of other goodies.

So, it seems Peavey used whatever they felt like gluing together to make bodies that were getting opaque paint jobs.
I have a Foundation body that we stripped and it is several pieces and they veneered a top on it too.
I know Peavey chose poplar because it was less expensive in the south-east USA.
Leo picked alder because it was inexpensive in California at the time.
Ash used to be sorta cheap too, I think.
I guess Peavey knew that tone-wood makes little difference in a poly painted bolt on electric bass guitar.
My mahogany Patriot is nice with two pieces joined right down the middle.
My Gen 1 Fury is three pieces of ash that Peavey matched well enough at the joints to look nice and not all wonky with mismatched grain.
My Squier Classic Vibe 50's ('54 body type) Precision is two pieces of pine joined right down the middle and it looks like a one piece body, very nice.
I cannot hear a difference between poplar and alder bass bodies and the hardness and weight of poplar and alder are close.

 

[MNAirHead]

Our old friend Mech (Ronnie Goss) who worked at Peavey for 30 years making guitars and basses said the opaque paint job Fury, Foundation, Patriot basses were poplar bodies.
But some of the Peavey manuals mention maple bodies, I've not seen one but maybe there were.
Maybe kodiakblair can tell us, he seems to have as much experience with old Peavey basses (and wood by trade) as anyone here.
BassikLee ?
BigTone23 ?
MNairHead ?
Runnerman ?

I can absolutely confirm, that during this era things were personalized.

A caring high volume vendor, could pick up the blue book and call the factory and describe a request.

NOTE, this is NOT custom shop, this is single request.

Custom shop would be changing the engineering prints.. single request = use this NOT that.

I've purchased some personal requests in the past... own a few right now.

 

[58kites]

I can absolutely confirm, that during this era things were personalized.

A caring high volume vendor, could pick up the blue book and call the factory and describe a request.

NOTE, this is NOT custom shop, this is single request.

Custom shop would be changing the engineering prints.. single request = use this NOT that.

I've purchased some personal requests in the past... own a few right now.

I would love to see pics of your personal request basses...because bass porn is good.

 

[kodiakblair]

My mahogany Patriot is nice with two pieces joined right down the middle.
My Gen 1 Fury is three pieces of ash that Peavey matched well enough at the joints to look nice and not all wonky with mismatched grain.

The 'mahogany' is Meranti, called 'Philippine Mahogany' despite not being an actual mahogany. It's the same deal as Peavey's claim hackberry was an ash.

I wouldn't get too hung up on materials, timber covered in poly need only hold screws and take a fall without falling apart

 

[AudioTaper]

I can absolutely confirm, that during this era things were personalized.

A caring high volume vendor, could pick up the blue book and call the factory and describe a request.

NOTE, this is NOT custom shop, this is single request.

Custom shop would be changing the engineering prints.. single request = use this NOT that.

I've purchased some personal requests in the past... own a few right now.

Around 2005 I wanted to order a Cirrus 4 with the Millennium pickups/electronics and they wouldnt do it. I could change any hardware color, wood type and finish, but it had to be a Cirrus 4 shape/cutouts on their router.

 

[58kites]

The 'mahogany' is Meranti, called 'Philippine Mahogany' despite not being an actual mahogany. It's the same deal as Peavey's claim hackberry was an ash.

I wouldn't get too hung up on materials, timber covered in poly need only hold screws and take a fall without falling apart

If it looks like mahogany or ash I'm happy, it's just nice to have some wood grain to look at for a change.
The Meranti definitely doesn't look like the mahogany I would recognize from a Gibson SG guitar, but it has that nice dark brown soft silky finish that feels so good.
The hackberry grain pops nicely like ash and it's good and hard and feels so nice to the touch, and no fingerprints...very nice.
I don't worry about any knocking around on the hackberry Gen 1 Fury body, it isn't easy to ding up like paint, which I like a lot.

So Davie, have you seen an all maple Peavey Patriot, Fury, Foundation body?

 

[ctmullins]

I stripped a first-gen Foundation body years ago and discovered a four-piece maple body. Some nice figuring even!

 

[58kites]

I stripped a first-gen Foundation body years ago and discovered a four-piece maple body. Some nice figuring even!

What is the deal with the neck heel extended past the fretboard in front?
I have a Yamaha Attitude that the heel extends into the body like that but I did not know a Foundation 5 did that.

 

[ctmullins]

What is the deal with the neck heel extended past the fretboard in front?
I have a Yamaha Attitude that the heel extends into the body like that but I did not know a Foundation 5 did that.

I modified it a lot.

 

[BassikLee]

Foundations on the right. Zoom in.

 

[MNAirHead]

I would love to see pics of your personal request basses...because bass porn is good.

That ship has long sailed...

Whoda ever thunk folks would hoard usa peaveys?