All user reviews for the Peavey T-40

I bought this a few years back looking for something to use in the home studio and this was one of the best musical purchases I've ever made. I picked up the 1983 model with toaster pickups and with so many knobs and switches, you can really get this bass to sound like just about any other type of bass.

The drawback, as I'm sure other owners will mention, is the weight. This thing is heavy. I only really use this in the studio, so it's usually sitting in my lap, but standing up with this around your neck gets a little uncomfortable after awhile. Probably not the best option if you're looking for something to have onstage for an hour long set or a long rehearsal. It's not horrible, just worth noting.

That being said, I bought this for the studio and you'd be hard pressed to find a more versatile bass.

tl:dr
This is a dream in the studio and sounds great. It is heavy, so standing and playing for long periods can be uncomfortable.

Everything has been written in previous reviews. Mine has a rosewood fingerboard.

UTILIZATION

See other reviews.

It is indeed quite heavy, you need a good strap. But it is perfectly comfortable to play with.

The neck is thicker and rounder than the one on my Luthman, but you get used to it.

SOUNDS

The sound: powerful, brilliant, particularly rich in mids but the lows rock as well, the amp always asks for mercy. Imagine playing a bass equipped with the strings of a grand piano or a Hammond B3 (the real one, not a clone) ─ that's the T-40, more or less. A very full sound, very vibrant, percussive and rich in harmonics. But also very versatile, depending on the settings: With the neck pickup and a bit of EQ you easily get a huge but very muffled sound, like Jah Wobble.

You can watch on Youtube a video showcasing the different sound possibilities this bass provides, and how to use it to imitate a Precision, MusicMan or Rickenbacker. That's all very interesting, but this bass always has a particular sound. That said, I don't intend to sound like Chris Squire playing with a pick, but with the "Rick" setting you come pretty darn close!

I have a somewhat run-down 4*10 cab with a speaker that crackles if you play a bit loud, at least with other basses, but not with the Peavey, even at the same volume. Always that harmonic richness, I think.

OVERALL OPINION

I bought it right after a Yes concert where I was blown away by the sound of Chris Squire with his Rickenbacker. It had more mids and harmonics than with his other basses. Reading different forums I discovered this bass, which seems to be the closest to a Rickenbacker and it is highly praised (although there are people who don't like it...).

The word "awesome" is a bit trite these days but there is no other way to define this bass. Big, beautiful, heavy, dense; the output level, the sustain and the sound: It's awesome. Compared to my Luthman Jazzette, it's like driving a Land Rover and a sport coupe.

You can find it easily on Ebay, it's a great American vintage bass at the price of a secondhand Fender MIJ. The cherry on the cake: You won't go unnoticed on stage.

I love my T-40!

All just been said in previous posts, and you can easily find other info on the net ...
Peavey made by the U.S. from 1978 to 1985 to 1986, several developments differentiate eras.
Northern ash body well dense, 3 or 5 parts following the natural années.Finition most commonly satin, black, white also, more rarely sunburst, even rarer burgundy and blue spangled super scarce in recent years.
2 pieces maple neck, 20 frets, the key is not reported. Models of rosewood keys exist. A fretless version of the catalog was also the T-40FL. Steel nut until 1983, later more plastic.
2 humbuckers and a very special electronics. 2 volumes 2 tones, a micro switch and a phase inversion switch on the south coil bridge pickup. 2 mic models depending on the year. The "toasters" 78 to 81/82 then the "blades" with the magnet apparent. The fact is that the blades therefore the magnet a little closer to the strings, so a bit brighter and certainly more powerful, but at the cost of having the unpleasant snap strings against the ropes if you bourrinez too .. . for both toasters already have enough brightness and bite. Note that some recent blades tend to break their coils due to a more economical design. Care when a possible dismantling of electronics.
A big big bridge, string-through mounting. Provide games Longscale strings, because the through mounting.

UTILIZATION

Channel profile generally very P 70's, a little Rick, wide and deep enough anyway. It is not at all in the JB style or MM. Caution strings and mid ground are quite near the edge of button, it can destabilize the beginning. Although this set is the highway. In addition to a trussrod, an adjusting screw in the heel allows you to adjust the angle handle / body. It's good wood, hard, once set it not move.
Where it loses points is on the scale. Close to 5.5kg. But very well balanced, it bothers me less back and shoulder my Stingray 5 for example. It may be a matter of size, I measure 1m90.
The first models are 78 "slab" without cuts right arm or abdomen, and therefore much less comfortable.

SOUNDS

Navigating passive territory and 70's. But what it does well!
Electronics rout a bit by its operation, not at all conventional.
A micro volume, a pickup selector, so far so good ...
Respective tone fully open 8 to 10, the microphone works in single coil. Below 8 micro switches to humbucker mode.
The phase inversion switch plays a pickup coil. And it has charm! Position in phase, the two microphones typically operate, if not the mere passage / humbucker tones with. Reversing the phase, the two volumes fully open we get a sound ... weak and tinny. Yes, because the microphones and work backwards ... All the subtlety of the assembly that it should then close the volume of the microphones so that it sounds. And here is the magic, all other sound palette opens. And it pushes hard ass.
So we get lost in the beginning, so there is opportunities and subtleties of color and different settings.
But once mastered it, truthfully, all the sounds of vintage passive are possible and imitable. A difficult blind to the difference. But very easy to prefer the T-40 to the original! Fender P, JB, MM first year, EB3, TBird, Rick, all the sounds are there. With a smaller, a je ne sais quoi.
Ass that prefer the former course. We're not there to do in the modern with this bass.

OVERALL OPINION

The other drawback is that this bass is fairly rare to find here. Some expensive models in Germany, two or three that come in the year in France, the odds in recent months roros 650 for models 79/83 natural or black finish, maple keys, with their flightcase. A yes the flightcase alone is a model (horror?) Of 80's design. Indestructible molded, but then heavy and cumbersome. If the purchase in the U.S. does not scare you, there are found to shovel all times, the old player model mint, and prices. Prefer models until 83, after Peavey trimmed quality. (Plastic nut, weaker pickups, pickguard least worked ...)
If you're ready to go hunting for a few months, you will have the ultimate low for the vintage sound. But certainly there is not marked on Fender or Gibson Rickenbaker ... it does not matter at all in her mind and under the hood, just close your eyes. And what face she has!

<3 T-40

see other opinions. Violin with onions, everything is dense and solid, it is a weapon of war. Not a pet 'or a bit of breath or something that has moved, an instrument of 30 years is that it is designed and built.

UTILIZATION

Wide and thin enough handle a mix of precision and rick. The weight is not really a problem with a good strap, especially compared to the pleasure it provides. The sound is really deep and magical, full of grain. You get used to the ergonomics into play quickly enough, only the settings can be a complex hair on stage with this system knobs, I would clearly prefer a push / pull to switch from single coil to humbucker. And indeed, the slap patient is clearly complicated due to the positioning and size pickups: even if we can get great things with a beautiful tone still on the register, it will remain relatively simple plans.

SOUNDS

For rock and pop, you will not find better, I had a lot of very low quality, and it outperforms all the vintage to modern-vintage (there is that my alembic orion gave more definition and flapping in the precision type, but with less natural, depth and roundness, and of course for my vintage pure grain precision american 57 reissue, but clearly "one trick pony" for once even if it is excellent). All sounds are good, and we really had a package, I would really 8 different (even the phase switch with levels set correctly gives excellent stuff). To sum was somehow a very good precision late 60's that you can mix at leisure with incredibly pleasurable accents rick, stingray and Jazzbass, and a very definite and incisive special bonus his t40. That's good, good, good.

OVERALL OPINION

I received qq weeks ago, I'm in love. I love everything: the sounds, the look, the finishes. This is really high class instrument, a real inspiring and liberating music stuff.

Black satin finish
Maple 4-piece bolt-on Neck
Northern Ash body (quite heavy)
2 Passive Peavey Blade Humbuckers
Three-way pickup selector
2 Volume, 2 Tone
Phase Switch
Massive Peavey Bridge
Wide string spacing for a 4-string

I've used this bass when playing in a reggae band as well as in various rock ventures. It has a very full and rounded tone with a fantastic treble edge with the tone rolled all the way on. Roll the tone back a bit and it maintains a very clear but deep note. Overall it has an almost piano-like sound that I palm-muted for most of the reggae recordings. I have not used this bass for my jazz recordings because of the wide string spacing and the dexterity required.

This was acquired as a hand-me-down from my Uncle - a birthday present. As far as I've seen these basses run for something like $150-$250 depending on condition. The Natural finish usually runs on the higher side of that range.

It was my first bass at the time, and I've owned it for about seven years now (My Uncle owned it for another twenty-some years, and it still survives in very solid condition.)

I enjoy the near-crystalline tone of the bass and the wide spacing of the pickups for a wide variety of tones that I can get by turning each pickup's volume up or down, panning between the two. The bridge pickup almost has a Jaco-esque midrange bumb with the tone fully on, too, something I would never expect out of a bass with such dark wood and warm neck pickup. Both pickups are incredibly responsive to your finger stroke. All the better to hear bad technique in your fingers, as well, so don't be frightened if it takes some getting used to to start playing it and getting all these sounds. The sensitivity will eventually become your best friend, as the subtleties, piano-like tone and almost vocal expression are not only possibilities but even available at muscle memory recall speed.

A fantastic-sounding, well-rounded, and wonderfully expressive bass. Not only a jack but maybe a Queen or King of all trades.

I find myself wishing for a 5th string now, although I didn't when I first got it. Now that I'm used to 'normal' 4-string spacing, this bass seems quite wide when I come back to it and takes some getting used to.

Not only is the string-spacing wider, but the bass has a long-scale neck, and the spaces between frets are wider, which can be taxing on the hands for long repeated riffs (such as Golden Earring's jam in the middle of 'Radar Love'). In the lower positions, because of this, I generally resort to a three finger technique in my left hand reminiscent of upright technique to make playing easier. This is probably my greatest complaint with the bass.

As a minor note, I find the sound with the phase switch in the 'out' position to be on the tinny side, without much foundation to the sound. It's still worthwhile to experiment with, but it's not a 'bass' sound, more of a lower-pitched guitar. This is both good and bad, and either way it's an extra sound to be played with.

I don't find the added weight to be a bother (it's also one of the sources of the instrument's large, round tone), but then I'm only 21 and back problems are a long way off, I hope. I can't speak for the older generations.

The model (and the brand in general) has a rock solid reputation for rock solid construction. Peavey basses and guitars seem to always be referred to as 'tanks,' and although they do weigh a bit more than their counterparts, Peavey has generally more than made up for the added weight in beautiful tone and with an instrument that can take a serious tumble without nary a scratch.

Long story short: They don't break. Ever. Short of lighting the thing on fire or running it over with a steamroller, they don't break.

Pros:
Beyond solid construction. It's a tank.

Beautiful, expressive, warm tone in the neck pickup that gets a Warwick-esque growl when attacked strongly. SIZZLY slap tone!

Biting, midrangey sharpness in the bridge pickup reminiscent of Jaco.

Overall range of tones, each done quite well for a cheap bass with such variety.

It's CHEAP: Usually around $200. I guarantee you won't find a bass that sounds this good under $500 new.

Northern Ash is a fine wood.

Cons:
It has been called 'weighty' and 'heavy on the shoulder' by some, although I don't really notice.

Wide string spacing can make dextrous right hand work harder.

Wide fret spacing and large scale length can make work in the lower positions tiresome, but still doable.

I feel like in the right situations, this bass makes a fine choice. I play it in rock groups, reggae bands, where not a lot of jazz or fusion-esque dexterity is required (a la Stanley Clarke, Tal Wilkenfeld, etc.). Lines in the vein of The Who's Jon Entwistle or Zeppelin's John Paul Jones are still very reachable and sound particularly great on this beast. I would give it JUST shy of a 5 because of the string spacing issues (perhaps a 4.8), but in these situations, it really shines as a fantastic instrument with few equals.

Good comparisons include: Squier Vintage Modified Series, Warwick Rockbass series, OLP Music Man and Tony Levin Signature bass, Ibanez ATK, ESP 300 and 305

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased New in 1982 for $295.00 had it special ordered from my local music store in AL. I was living in Meridian MS in 1978 and My father was given a blank guitar body noting its construction and being familiar with the Peaveys (having had one of the daughters for a student teacher), I wanted one of the bass guitars.

I like the fact that it is so solid and came with a molded case almost indestructible. 22 years later it still plays as well as it did new and almost always gets a complement on its tone and appearance. Adjustments are easy, hardware is sturdy and over all was and is a great value.

It is heavy!

Solid maple neck bolt-on, three piece laminated solid ash body, heavy chrome hard ware, string through body design. The quality of construction in unmatched in any thing available today!


Although it has never gained the notoriety of the Fender line Peavey has made some Great instruments. The T-40 was made in the United States and the quality of engineering and construction show. It is an excellent bass for any ones arsenal at any price.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

pawn shop find in st paul mn. 150.00 with custom fit molded case.

I have 3 other basses wich include a fender usa p-bass, a godin sd bass and a ovation acoustic bass. This bass is on the HEAVY side but the tone blows away the competition, especially the lower register notes. This bass is built Abrams tank and doubt it will ever need hardware replacement. Electronics are top notch, and like I sed...TONE, TONE, TONE.

Except for weighing an astounding 11 lbs, there are no dislikes so far.

Its built to last a lifetime and then some. Will be around for future generations of rockers. Quality thru-out. The bridge alone weighs more then some low-end basses (just kiddin) but you all now where Im coming from if youve ever pick up on of these BADBOYS.

All and all, a fine bass with megatone and quality components. If you ever see one for under a couple hundred bucks, pick it up by all means, even if you dont play bass or guitar at all. Its truly a diamond in the rough and will become a much sought after axe after everyone finds out how great these workhorses are. you will double your money back with ease. This bass is the real thing, a heavyweight champ...literally!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This was one of Peaveys first bass guitars. You can tell it was one of their first because this thing is super over built. The T-40 had the body that the other T guitars had. There were a line of guitars that had a body just like it. These basses are super strong and rugged. It feels like you are playing a tree. The manual says this guitar has a solid "hardwood" body. I guess hardwood and heavy wood mean the same thing because this bass is like 15 pounds. The neck is a rock maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. The neck is medium size and has 20 frets. The scale on the neck is 34 inches. You get two humbuckers in this bass that can be split with a clever tone control system. The bass has two volume controls and two tone controls. There is a 3 way selector and also a phase switch.

UTILIZATION

This bass has a super solid feel to it. It feels like you are playing a tree. The bass is super heavy with its "hardwood" body. It is about 15 pounds. The bridge looks like it is off a battleship and looks like it weighs 5 pounds itself. The tone circuit on this bass is pretty cool. The pickups are splitable humbuckers. You split the coils with the tone control but it is not a push pull pot. When either control is above 7 that pickup will be a single coil. From 7 downward is pure humbucker. This is pretty cool because the single coil gets you nice crisp high end like you want when you have the tone wide open and the humbucker gives you a thick darker sound like what you are looking for when you roll off the tone control.

SOUNDS

This bass not only has a super solid feel it has a wide variety of tone. You can go from super deep and dark neck pickup tones to the twangiest bridge single coil tone. The tone control pickup split is a great way to split pickups. It really shows they know what people use their basses for. All the classic passive bass sounds are possible with this setup. You can go from a super deep Gibson EB bass ton to a fighter twangy Fender bass tone. All with very simple switching and controls. The Phase switch is pretty useless. It takes the bass from sounding good to sounding bad. They should just call it a sucky tone swtich.

OVERALL OPINION

If you see one of these for sale somewhere for like 200 dollars you shouldnt just ignore it. This bass can blow away just about every other passive bass thats less than 1000 dollars and it is lightyears ahead of what you can normally get for 200 dollars. The build quality on this bass is superb. It was made in America and the bass is very overbuilt. Everything on the bass feels heavy duty. If you see one of these basses and if you are man enough to handle the weight you should buy one.

T series of Peavey was born in the late 70&#39;s, with which Peavey is one of the first manufacturers of instruments to use numerically controlled machines (CNC) while maintaining the production in the U.S., unlike some manufacturers prefer to relocate production to Mexico, Japan or other Asian countries. The Peavey T40 bass are true "Made In USA".

Originally, this bass came out to hunt on the ground of the Fender Precision ... the pub at the time, deliberately ironic title "Precision Is Not Enough." Lutherie side, we are on familiar ground: ash body, neck and maple fingerboard, 22 frets ... and weight to match. Note nonetheless that the rosewood versions were released, but later and with different finishes (black, sunburst, ...). The original body finish is natural with very little polish: one feels the details of the wood to the touch. The handle is in two parts, but the distinction is that the two parts are assembled in the longitudinal direction, and not as a key reported.

Electronic side, it is less simple than it leaves appear.
The bass has two humbuckers "Super Ferrite", recognizable by their two strips of "rubber" covers the studs, 2 volumes, 2 tones, a three-position switch to choose which microphone to play and a phase inverter for a sound very widened when playing with two microphones simultaneously. The special feature is the tone knobs: on 7, the tone is thoroughly with the windings of the associated micro bottom. If it falls below the tone knob acts as a classic. Below 7, the micro goes progressively single coil. Quite confusing at first, I&#39;m not a fan of this mail, but it is very easy to modify.

The hardware is very solid and in thirty years, the chrome on my bass are not bitten at all. The bridge is very solid and the strings are mounted through the body. The nut appears to be steel (or metal like it).

The downside, at least on mine, for the adjustment. The "neck pocket" (heel, but the body side) is not a perfect fit. Bevels were significant on the body of this bass.

UTILIZATION

One thing clear right away: small jigs and slappeurs crazy, go your way!

This bass is debilitating in several respects: <ul> Point monstrous over 6 kilos on the scales (at home). Without a good strap, it crushes you back ... or think about bodybuilding </ul><ul> Its lack of muzzle at the right forearm and angles very prominent in the table may make it difficult to play </ul><ul> The body is very broad. Take an Ibanez SR in comparison and it will make you feel like a child&#39;s toy on the side. </ul>

The handle is rather like an old Fender Precision handle, can be a bit thinner. It is quite easy to grip, but I have a strong preference for the sleeves of lumberjack, so it can not please everyone.

Given the arrangement of microphones, the slap is very low on this issue ... I would even say it&#39;s a technique to forget about this instrument. The sound is good vacuum, we feel the wood vibrating ... and given the mass of wood there, it would be unfortunate if it does not ring!

SOUNDS

I mainly play rock, punk, hardcore and I allow myself a few pranks in the ska, rocksteady, dub the ... in short, anything that requires a very modern sound, so this bass suits me perfectly in the sound.

The ash body and maple neck while giving a snapping sound and very defined. The low roar under attack with a pick with a "growl" quite enjoyable. Fingers, it does not react badly either, especially on the micro serious, but it&#39;s not really my style of choice.

However, it should be remembered that its design has over thirty years. I could blame the lack of microphones slightly potato and definition, but nothing off-putting. I play mainly an Ampeg B3 to me, but I can not wait to buy an old head lamp (Sound City, Hiwatt and Ampeg same) to assess its potential.
I used it in the studio with the Ampeg SVX plugin and she came out beautifully ... it was even my favorite Music Man Stingray is saying!

I think before all is low for those who have a good offense. In addition to not be suitable for slappeurs, followers of style a little more softly will not find their account. I also mounted with a heavy firing (55-110), but I think I&#39;ll still get a bit higher.

OVERALL OPINION

I&#39;ve had over a year and is poised to dethrone my faithful Stingray in the rock record ... bah yeah, it looks stupid like that, but I think the old T-40 has more presence. I would have tested a Stingray with ash body to see if it comes from the violin, because the body of mine is alder.

I bought my T-40 out of curiosity because it was cheap (300 euros) and I had heard good feedback. One thing is certain: I do not regret this purchase, my only regret is that she was not provided with his original flight case.
These basses are not very common in time, but if you go through eBay by searching in the U.S., are found regularly. Given the present coast (300/400 euros) and its lack of notoriety, it&#39;s really a case dealing with Fender Precision from the same era who rate five times as much.

Besides, if someone sells another key in maple, I sought a second to customize and erase minor complaints I have with him!