U.S. Peavey Club

[kodiakblair]

@MNAirHead @BassikLee

Maybe I just am lucky but you can appreciate why I find the trouble folks are reporting with ABM & the heavy duty Peavey T-20 type saddles strange.

 

[RED J]

The original instructions which came with Peavey basses with the micro-tilt were adamant that the tilt feature be predominantly used to address action issues. As an exercise, I've used both methods on a T-40, a Foundation, and a '95 Fury to see if there was an audible difference in the response of the instrument with either (i) the tilt screw fully retracted and not playing any part in neck support (saddles low), or (ii) the tilt screw substantially engaged, partially supporting the neck (saddles high). For my part—and as usual YMMV—I could not hear a difference, either acoustically or plugged in and to my mind that confirmed Peavey's assertions.

That's my position too. My comment made no inference of tone issues. I was speaking about the different geometry saddle and set up issues some seem to have encountered.

 

[Runnerman]

A similar enough that it doesn't need saddles filed to attain a low action,if it's properly set up. Same goes for T-20 and Foundation S, if the set up is done right there's no trip to the machine shop.

100% agree

 

[58kites]

I'm gonna stick with the theory that some were made right and some were not.
I think most of us can figure out how to properly set up a bass, just because yours is made within a spec that works, that does not mean they all are.
In my opinion, using neck tilt as a substitute for adjusting the bridge saddles does not make sense, the Fender bass bridge was correctly designed to adjust height and intonation and that's what they should be used for.
Shimming is something to do when you have no other option, and I don't want the heel sitting on the point of a set screw, regardless of what it sounds like.
If the neck needs to be jacked way up to make the saddles usable, that is not the way I wan't my bass.
If the saddles need to be decked to get the strings low enough ...then the pocket depth/neck heel thickness and/or bridge are not spec'ed correctly.

 

[tonybassman]

What strings do you Fury and Foundy players use? I am looking for a medium light gauge string with silk ends. I have some string that the silk fits perfectly without cutting them. I believe they are Rotosounds but I can’t remember. I like round wound. My choices are these two as of now, but would like to hear of other (cheaper) choices:

Rotosound
Long Scale
Medium Gauge
40 – 90
Ball to silk = 37”

GHS Boomers
Long Scale
Light Gauge
40 – 95
Ball to silk = 37.25 (new length per the vendor)

 

[furym]

What strings do you Fury and Foundy players use? I am looking for a medium light gauge string with silk ends. I have some string that the silk fits perfectly without cutting them. I believe they are Rotosounds but I can’t remember. I like round wound. My choices are these two as of now, but would like to hear of other (cheaper) choices:

Rotosound
Long Scale
Medium Gauge
40 – 90
Ball to silk = 37”

GHS Boomers
Long Scale
Light Gauge
40 – 95
Ball to silk = 37.25 (new length per the vendor)

I like Chromes on my Fury.

 

[jmlee]

I have GHS flats on one Fury (purple silks) which sound magnificent, and D'Addario XL nickel rounds on the other (no silks) which sound lovely and warm.

 

[Lanesuzza]

I'm a recent convert to D'Addario Chromes (flats). I love how they sit in the mix of a band. My bass now has it's own space away from the crash of the cymbals or screech of the guitar. Granted when playing bass solo in my house, I miss the high frequency clarity that rounds offer, but I do not miss all the finger noise of the rounds....

 

[Runnerman]

I have Chromes on my Super Ferrite Fury and my Super Ferrite Foundation which I absolutely love.
As far as round wounds I have Slinky's on my split-P Fury and Cobalts on my Millennium.

 

[Lanesuzza]

Flats are much easier on the fingers too and I like the thud when played with a pick....

 

[lowplaces]

My super ferrite Foundation came with D'Addario strings with black tape or whatever on them. Not bad, but I ran a set of Slinky rounds on it for about a year. They were okay.

Two weeks ago I found an old set of flats and I have no idea what I used to have them on or what they are. They have purple silks on the windings end. Anyone know what they are ?

I like them a lot more then the Slinky rounds I took off of it.

However, I'm going to put TI Jazz Flats on the Foundation. I tried a set of the TI's on my MusicMaster and love them. Perfect for the stuff I play.

When I find another Foundation locally I'm sure I'll keep rounds on it.

 

[jmlee]

Two weeks ago I found an old set of flats and I have no idea what I used to have them on or what they are. They have purple silks on the windings end. Anyone know what they are ?
I like them a lot more then the Slinky rounds I took off of it.

They're very likely GHS Precision Flats. I have them on a Fury and also two Foundations. They sound absolutely wonderful on them and won me over. I still love my TI's, too, but those basses love the GHS.

 

[lowplaces]

They're very likely GHS Precision Flats. I have them on a Fury and also two Foundations. They sound absolutely wonderful on them and won me over. I still love my TI's, too, but those basses love the GHS.

Thanks for the ID, and they do sound great with the Super Ferrite pups.

I'll leave them on there for a while.

 

[guitrock]

I use roundwounds light gauge D'addario EXL 170s on my 1984 Foundation. 45-100.

 

[bigtone23]

My SF Foundation has 45-105 Cobalt flats.
I really like Chromes, but wanted to give these a try on this bass.
They seem brighter, curious to see how long until they start to mellow out.

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

I used cobalt flats on my fury
45,65,85,105

Aguilar AG 60 P pickup

No load tone control

 

[DavidEdenAria]

How do the different flats compare to the Fender 9050 flats?

The only flats ive used on my Peavey Fury (SPB1 Duncan vintage P pickup) and 85 Foundation w/ SF pickups are the 9050 flats.

The rounds i've tried on my 85 Foundation were too noisy and clanky but did have nice bright and warm (for a round) clarity.

 

[kodiakblair]

@DavidEdenAria
Sounds are hard to describe so I go with feel.

La Bella - high tension,quite stiff feeling.
Fender - still kinda high tension.
TI jazz flats - low tension, don't feel stiff.

I've sure I've Rotosound flats on something but not sure what, D'Addario half-round are on a SF Foundation - on a par with Fender regards tension - very pleasant playing/sounding string.

Never tried GHS flats but a friend in Egypt preferred them to Chromes,this was on a 50's style P-bass with SD single coil.
When he switched the Duncan for the original Wilkinson he went to GHS,Wilkinson is a very bright high output pickup compared to the Duncan. I put Status Hot Wire tapes on my own Wilkinson loaded 50's style P-bass to tame it. On my other one it's loaded with a Foundation SF and strung with TI's.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

@DavidEdenAria
Sounds are hard to describe so I go with feel.

La Bella - high tension,quite stiff feeling.
Fender - still kinda high tension.
TI jazz flats - low tension, don't feel stiff.

I've sure I've Rotosound flats on something but not sure what, D'Addario half-round are on a SF Foundation - on a par with Fender regards tension - very pleasant playing/sounding string.

Never tried GHS flats but a friend in Egypt preferred them to Chromes,this was on a 50's style P-bass with SD single coil.
When he switched the Duncan for the original Wilkinson he went to GHS,Wilkinson is a very bright high output pickup compared to the Duncan. I put Status Hot Wire tapes on my own Wilkinson loaded 50's style P-bass to tame it. On my other one it's loaded with a Foundation SF and strung with TI's.

Are you referring to Fender 9050 flats?

I take it lower tension strings may need a bit higher action?

I do find the Fender 9050 flats to be fairly stiff....I think I may switch to something lower tension but really cant do the TI flats because of price.

Matter of fact, I would like to try a broken in set of flats that are lower tension than 9050 flats....maybe I need a lighter gauge in general....I think mine are medium gauge 9050, not sure.. they may be a custom set.

 

[kodiakblair]

@DavidEdenAria

I believe they are Fender 9050's. Don't find I need a higher action for the TI's despite them having a lower tension.
According to the guitar measuring tool the TI's are 1.25mm on G and 1.75mm on E. I'd say that was a reasonably low action on a P-bass with the Fender BBOT (Bent Bit of Tin) bridge. BTW it's one of my favourite basses, A 70 euro Harley Benton with TI jazz flats and Peavey SF pickup. Crazy when you think those two items add up to more than the cost of the bass

Over here there's not much of a difference between string costs. £40 for D'Addario Chromes, £40 for La Bella 760's and £40 for TI jazz flats,with Fender flats starting at £28. Given the life span of flats we're as well buying which ones we prefer.
I do appreciate things are different in the States with TI's costing nearly twice La Bella's and over 3 times as much as Fenders.

Have a look in the Accessories Classifieds on TB for used flats,if the UK is anything to judge by there will be plenty for sale in the USA.