Peavey bass usage?

[dclaassen]

I’ve been gigging a 5 string DynaBass from 1986. Except for a bit of neck dive, it’s an excellent instrument. I used to see quite a few Peaveys in the States, rarely here. Anybody own and/or gig with one?
 

[Cornwall Steve]

I'm too old and decrepit to gig anymore but always fancied getting my hands on an Indonesian 5 string Cirrus (Yep, still looking - anyone got one they don't want anymore ?).

The Dyna bass has always intrigued me. Are they a bit under rated ?

[dclaassen]

Just now, Cornwall Steve said:

I'm too old and decrepit to gig anymore but always fancied getting my hands on an Indonesian 5 string Cirrus (Yep, still looking - anyone got one they don't want anymore ?).

The Dyna bass has always intrigued me. Are they a bit under rated ?

I think so, and have used a fair number of boutique and production basses.Decent if old-school preamp, lovely thin neck, lightweight, and those amazing super ferrite pickups.

[Burns-bass]

I see them like Yamaha basses. But particularly fashionable or desirable but rock solid build quality, great sound and quite quirky looking.

[dclaassen]

27 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

I see them like Yamaha basses. But particularly fashionable or desirable but rock solid build quality, great sound and quite quirky looking.

Agree, but a plus for my Dyna is that it is a fso.

[Misdee]

A USA-made Peavey bass is going to be a quality instrument.

 

I've played the Palladium Bass they made for Jeff Berlin back in the early '90's and that was excellent. I wish I had bought one. They've  become a bit of a cult classic on the used market and get snapped up very quickly. The same shop had a Rudy Sarzo signature model too, and that was also a very nice pro-level bass.

 

Peavy basses have got a decent pedigree. I remember seeing Roger Glover playing a Peavey DynaBass four string with Deep Purple back in the '80's. John Taylor used Peavey Cirrus basses for a long time, and he's a good judge of a bass.

 

Also, I don't know if anyone remembers a top London-based session player called Kevin Powell, used to play with Chris Rea, Midge Ure ect. Superb player. He used a Peavey TL 5 from the early '90's onwards as his main bass. Last time I saw him on some TV show or other about ten or fifteen years ago he was still using one.

[Cornwall Steve]

1 hour ago, dclaassen said:

I think so, and have used a fair number of boutique and production basses.Decent if old-school preamp, lovely thin neck, lightweight, and those amazing super ferrite pickups.

Mmmm....Me thinks I might need to check one out 🤔

Thanks for that 👍

[kodiakblair]

59 minutes ago, dclaassen said:

Anybody own and/or gig with one?

Owned 72 Peavey basses, from all models released between 1978 and 2010.

 

My 5 string DynaBass was  some gunmetal grey finish.

 

Can't say I was too impressed by Peavey's decision to stick a pickup designed for 4 string basses into a 5'er. Was the early 90's before they got around to having an actual 5 string pickup. 2nd gen DynaBass and 2nd gen TL-5 were improvements IMHO.

 

Look how tight 5 strings are on the Ferrites compared to my 2nd Gen TL-5

 

 

[dclaassen]

If you can find one…you can’t have mine…..but very happy to let you try it when in my neck of the woods.

[Cornwall Steve]

1 minute ago, dclaassen said:

If you can find one…you can’t have mine…..but very happy to let you try it when in my neck of the woods.

That's a very generous offer, Sir. Thank you 👍

[dclaassen]

3 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Owned 72 Peavey basses, from all models released between 1978 and 2010.

 

My 5 string DynaBass was  some gunmetal grey finish.

 

Can't say I was too impressed by Peavey's decision to stick a pickup designed for 4 string basses into a 5'er. Was the early 90's before they got around to having an actual 5 string pickup. 2nd gen DynaBass and 2nd gen TL-5 were improvements IMHO.

 

Look how tight 5 strings are on the Ferrites compared to my 2nd Gen TL-5

 

 

I’ve actually grown to love the tight string spacing…horses for courses

[neepheid]

There's a Peavey T-40 pickup in my DeArmond Jet Star, if that counts?  I didn't do the clever tone control thing though, just a simple switch for series/single.

 

Edited 2 hours ago by neepheid

[dclaassen]

How’s it sound?

[neepheid]

2 minutes ago, dclaassen said:

How’s it sound?

 

Thick and chunky.  I was careful to put it in the same place with regard to scale length as it would be on a T-40.

[dclaassen]

Probably a bit lighter?

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, dclaassen said:

Probably a bit lighter?

 

Yes, I would imagine so.  It's not in danger of turning into a singularity any time soon...

[kodiakblair]

2 hours ago, neepheid said:

I didn't do the clever tone control thing

It was never clever.

 

You have some tonal variation with the humbucker through positions 1 - 7.

8 - 10 is your single coil, with little variation.

 

Dan Armstrong used the same method on his London guitar/basses around 1972, he quickly saw the folly in it so added another pot, 1 did the coil to ground and the other was the tone pot.

 

I always snipped the red wires on mine, gave the humbuckers a slight boost plus you have more control over tone.

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, kodiakblair said:

It was never clever.

 

I think I was referring to the electrically clever nature of it.  Obviously too clever for me to implement

 

(I hear you, I think it's (functionally) daft too)

[kodiakblair]

@neepheid

 

It's nothing taxing Matt. Instead of pairing white/red as hot on the Vol pot you stick red on Tone pot lug 3.

 

Just minded, I gutted one and stuck a preamp in it 🤣

[neepheid]

4 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

It's nothing taxing Matt. Instead of pairing white/red as hot on the Vol pot you stick red on Tone pot lug 3.

 

Seems more complex according to this diagram: