So what pickup is in your new G-Bass? ...a VFL made for the Forum & G-Bass? ...different from other VFL's?
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U.S. Peavey Club
- Thread starter Soundchaser11460
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All I can find is "wide aperture active humbucker". Mounting screws are on the end. Could be a continuation of the T-40, Sarzo and active flat top Dyna Bass humbuckers. Sounds really different from the active VFLs I have. Believe the same PU is in the 2nd model Forum....maybe some others. As far as I can tell by pole piece positions they are all the same geometry internally.Two coils, large bar magnet on the bottom and blades up through the bobbins. Would like to cut a G and Dyna active in two but need dead ones. Too precious to waste.
It seems pickups under the radiused covers, often referred to as VFL, have different specs depending on the bass they were made for. My single coil VFLs in my Foundation sound different than the humbuckers in my Axcelerator. And both sound way different from my Cirrus.
My G-Bass Wide Aperture VFL Plus pickup definitely sounds different than the two VFL pups that were in my Axcellerator and also my RSB Bass.All I can find is "wide aperture active humbucker". Mounting screws are on the end. Could be a continuation of the T-40, Sarzo and active flat top Dyna Bass humbuckers. Sounds really different from the active VFLs I have. Believe the same PU is in the 2nd model Forum....maybe some others. As far as I can tell by pole piece positions they are all the same geometry internally.Two coils, large bar magnet on the bottom and blades up through the bobbins. Would like to cut a G and Dyna active in two but need dead ones. Too precious to waste.
I thought if looked similar to the pups in the Rudy Sarzo sig bass, and exactly the same as the 2nd model Forum.
Wondered what you learned about that pickup in the week you've had it!!
The VFLs in one of my Cirrus were labelled Axcel 5. My guess is the the radiused singles in later Foundations bear no relation to VFLs other than the covers.
3 questions mech, kodiak and knowledgable Peavey nuts loll
Q1. Just to add more confusion lolll.. mech you told me that the pups in my second model '91 Dyna Bass 5 were active flat top humbuckers. There are no ID markings whatsoever on these type of pups to denote manufacturer btw. What does a VFL pup look like in comparison to what my Dyna flat top humbuckers has and is there any branding on the VFL top surface?
Your white Dyna Bass 5, as you pointed out to me for comparison, has the same active flat top humbuckers as my Second Edition 1991 Dyna 5. They are totally different to the Super Ferrites in the earlier Peavey basses. So to my understanding of what you told me is that these active flat topped humbuckers were used for a short time while the passive and active VFL's were in development. I also assume with your Dyna that the 2 tone controls are "stacked" (CONCENTRIC) knobs like mine for more control over the mids EQ. I love the sound of these flat humbuckers.
Pic below (disregard my home-made white "Peavey" branding)
Q2. My actual question to you mech was why did Peavey change the 4+1 tuner config to the 3+2 for the Second Model Dyna which I actually prefer anyway on my '91 Dyna? Did they think the 4+1 was too Fenderish although the original 1965 Fender V was 5 inline but later they also used the 4+1 config as well?
Q3. mech..My last harder question is...Do you have any idea how many Peavey T40 Natural finish/black pick guard basses were made specifically in 1979. Would Peavey even know? Reading a bit from what Chip Todd said in the early years of manufacture with Hartley that they didnt keep very good records of production in 1978-ish.
Q1. Just to add more confusion lolll.. mech you told me that the pups in my second model '91 Dyna Bass 5 were active flat top humbuckers. There are no ID markings whatsoever on these type of pups to denote manufacturer btw. What does a VFL pup look like in comparison to what my Dyna flat top humbuckers has and is there any branding on the VFL top surface?
Your white Dyna Bass 5, as you pointed out to me for comparison, has the same active flat top humbuckers as my Second Edition 1991 Dyna 5. They are totally different to the Super Ferrites in the earlier Peavey basses. So to my understanding of what you told me is that these active flat topped humbuckers were used for a short time while the passive and active VFL's were in development. I also assume with your Dyna that the 2 tone controls are "stacked" (CONCENTRIC) knobs like mine for more control over the mids EQ. I love the sound of these flat humbuckers.
Pic below (disregard my home-made white "Peavey" branding)
Q2. My actual question to you mech was why did Peavey change the 4+1 tuner config to the 3+2 for the Second Model Dyna which I actually prefer anyway on my '91 Dyna? Did they think the 4+1 was too Fenderish although the original 1965 Fender V was 5 inline but later they also used the 4+1 config as well?
Q3. mech..My last harder question is...Do you have any idea how many Peavey T40 Natural finish/black pick guard basses were made specifically in 1979. Would Peavey even know? Reading a bit from what Chip Todd said in the early years of manufacture with Hartley that they didnt keep very good records of production in 1978-ish.
loll..took me hours to trace onto that book covering stick on plastic stuff then cut out with a new razor blade and stick onto the pups and headstock (TR Cover)..been there since 1991 and still there..loll
@Giffro
Technically your flat top pickups are passive,same as the ones in my 2nd gen TL-5. VFLs are active in that they need battery power to work,dead battery with VFLs means no sound. I think the change from flat top to radius for Peavey pickups was twofold.To save money and strengthen the Peavey brand. There's no end of basses with flat top pickups,not so many with radius ones. If most of your parts are standard sized across the product range there's no need to re-set machines. Both 4 and 5 string VFL loaded basses use the same pickup,that'll be the "wide aperture" part of the VFL blurb.
Technically your flat top pickups are passive,same as the ones in my 2nd gen TL-5. VFLs are active in that they need battery power to work,dead battery with VFLs means no sound. I think the change from flat top to radius for Peavey pickups was twofold.To save money and strengthen the Peavey brand. There's no end of basses with flat top pickups,not so many with radius ones. If most of your parts are standard sized across the product range there's no need to re-set machines. Both 4 and 5 string VFL loaded basses use the same pickup,that'll be the "wide aperture" part of the VFL blurb.
Hi kodiak...Och aye..I hear a Scotsman tramping through the glen..loll. These pups are 9 volt powered. I should have mentioned that. The small toggle switch allows use of the active pups or to run the pups as passive if the battery goes flat. So what you are saying is technically they are passive and the 9v battery supplies the preamp instead? The second small toggle switch pictured is just a battery checker connected to the LED.
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I believe Wide Aperture refers to wide along the length of the string, not across the strings.
The Axcellerator 5 manual says nothing about Wide Aperture and those pups look like regular VFLs with the four tabs (bumps) for screws like Jazz pups have.
The manuals for the G-Bass, Forum and Sarzo Sig talk about Wide Aperture and the covers are the type with screws at the ends.
I recently replaced the PU's in an Axcelerator 4 with factory replacements. The paperwork identified them as "Cirrus 4 PU's". I checked with Peavey and they did indeed use the same PU's in the Axcelerator and the Cirrus. Also the Cirrus 5 and 6 string basses use the same PU's.
@58kites maybe I'm getting confused with the "very wide magnetic field " the Peavey blurb on VFLs mentions twice. I'd describe it as "deep" but that's due to my line of work. I think of pickup dimensions the same as a bridge, wide is across the strings/deep along them.
Shame it doesn't shed light on why I dislike the tone of the Sarzo
@Giffro ....
1) The flat top humbuckers have a flat top and flat top blade pole pieces. VFLs have a curved top and curved top pole pieces. The VFL shaped are branded Peavey in a corner. As best I know the flat tops were only used in the 2nd model Dyna Bass and mine has the concentric tone controls with the mid shift.
2) Why the change from 4+1 to 3+2.....got me hanging but I do think it looks better and makes the peghead smaller for better balance.
3) I have no idea of how many basses of any model were made and as far as I can find out Peavey doesn't either.
Just for grins and giggles here's a pic of three of the PUs recently discussed. G IV humbucker would have been included but didn't want to take it apart. The screws sticking to the PUs show that the Flat top is a conventional HB with blades and a large bar magnet at the bottom. The Single Coil passive has one blade in the middle and a bar magnet on either side on the bottom. This is the same construction as the Super Ferrite. The VFL shows the bar magnet is centered vertically on the coils. The screws will not lay down on the top and the bottom of the screws are at the middle of the PU with the head well above the top. All three of these fit in the same pocket. Wonder what a Cirrus would sound like with flat tops and running on 9 volts? Some fun, huh??
1) The flat top humbuckers have a flat top and flat top blade pole pieces. VFLs have a curved top and curved top pole pieces. The VFL shaped are branded Peavey in a corner. As best I know the flat tops were only used in the 2nd model Dyna Bass and mine has the concentric tone controls with the mid shift.
2) Why the change from 4+1 to 3+2.....got me hanging but I do think it looks better and makes the peghead smaller for better balance.
3) I have no idea of how many basses of any model were made and as far as I can find out Peavey doesn't either.
Just for grins and giggles here's a pic of three of the PUs recently discussed. G IV humbucker would have been included but didn't want to take it apart. The screws sticking to the PUs show that the Flat top is a conventional HB with blades and a large bar magnet at the bottom. The Single Coil passive has one blade in the middle and a bar magnet on either side on the bottom. This is the same construction as the Super Ferrite. The VFL shows the bar magnet is centered vertically on the coils. The screws will not lay down on the top and the bottom of the screws are at the middle of the PU with the head well above the top. All three of these fit in the same pocket. Wonder what a Cirrus would sound like with flat tops and running on 9 volts? Some fun, huh??
It was late last night and I probably mis-spoke. I meant the PUs in the 1st model, neck through Sarzo, not the bolt on.
