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Peavey BQuad4 (SOLD) / TL-5 Classix (SOLD)


eubassix
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Here's a couple of classic Peavey basses, which I had hoped to keep for posterity but now need to shift (at least one, maybe both) - from probably the best era of Peavey basses prior to the current Cirrus models. Both were built for and/or with noted players: one's a 4 with a unique style body and exceptional EQ (+); one's a neck-thru five with a very sleek neck and overall feel.
[b]Peavey 'TL-5' 5 string bass.[/b]
This beautiful bass was one of Peavey's first entries into the higher-end market. Made in the USA (for/with Tim Landers - they also did a TL-6 with weird, triangular 'dot' markers) - it's a 34" neck-through, with a 12" radius ebony fingerboard. The overall sound of this bass is a warm, articulate, modern one. The B string is as clear as many 35's and 34"/5's produced only by the top builders. Other than the minor (surface) scratches to rear and a small ding to the neck the bass is almost perfect. There are no other nicks, scrapes, or bumps anywhere else. Anything that looks like a ding in the photos is possibly just reflection. The finish is pretty amazing for a bass of its age. Electronics, neck, truss rod, etc, are all perfect, and the frets have plenty of life left in them. It's one of the '86 (to 90/91) models with Volume, Pan, Bass-Mid-Treble EQ, with a 'bypass' (active-Passive) switch. From 91 they changed the set-up to Vol, Pan, stacked mid+freq. and stacked Bass/treble (no passive option)
Harmony Central reviews are here.
Ships in the original HSC (PV logo) - also in good condition. There's also the original handbook (pamphlet)
[url="http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/product/Peavey/TL-5/10/1"]http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews...eavey/TL-5/10/1[/url]
[b]Peavey B-Quad 4 bass[/b]
Peavey B-Quad 4 Fretted bass in its original case. The B-Quad 4 was designed by Brian Bromberg and it had (in its day.. and even now) a lot of advanced features: the bass has a Modulus graphite neck, a typical two pickup 18v active pre-amp setup, but it also has built-in piezo pickups on each string's bridge that go into an onboard stereo mixer. You can pan the strings left to right, or send two strings to a separate EQ or processing loop (!) etc. Check out some of Brian Bromberg's early work if you've not heard the bass before.
Some specs./details: Blue, flame maple body. Beautiful 2 octave Modulus graphite neck w/ Phenolic fingerboard. Active electronics. Piezo bridge saddles with individual volume and pan controls on preamp - also stereo outputs jacks. There's a master volume, piezo volume, piezo tone, stacked pickup volume(s), stacked Bass.Treble (EQ) and a stereo-mono switch. The individual string volume(s) and panning effect(s) are adjustable via the 8 holes in the rear cover. Two of the original black saddles were replaced with factory gold saddles which I've refinished in black to match. This bass has its share of nicks and dents although it's not bad overall. The photos tend to make it look slightly more green (than the aqua-blue it is actually). Comes with Peavey skb style form fitted case (slightly rough but still fully functional).
Here's a review of the B-Quad:-
[url="http://www.bgra.net/2004/review.php?id=1988&type=bass"]http://www.bgra.net/2004/review.php?id=1988&type=bass[/url]

I'm initially pricing both - the BQ4 was a much more expensive bass originally ($2k+), but that’s probably matched by the almost mint condition of the TL5 (it's not an easy bass to find, and I've never seen one this 'mint'). Full specs are easily sourced on the Peavey website:
[url="http://www.peavey.com/assets/literature/manuals/80302039.pdf"]http://www.peavey.com/assets/literature/manuals/80302039.pdf[/url] (BQ4)
[url="http://www.peavey.com/assets/literature/manuals/80300932.pdf"]http://www.peavey.com/assets/literature/manuals/80300932.pdf[/url] (TL5)

Edited by eubassix
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OK ... BQuad4 is now ON-HOLD/sold(pending): thanks - to various BC'ers- for some ++++ comments, mainly on this bass; with which I wholeheartedly agree. The BQ4 is an exceptional instrument... and the new owner (if/when completed) will then have both fretted and fretless BQ4's, which is something special !

The TL5 remains available .. and is also something of a generally unknown and possibly underrated 5'er. If you're looking for an extremely well-made, sleek neck-thru and 34" scale 5 you'd be hard pushed to find something better at the price. Peavey did a very similar 4'er (briefly) developed with/for Rudy Sarzo, which is also hard to find. I think the specs are provided on the PV site (link in OP) but I can add some here if required.

Edited by eubassix
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[quote name='Delberthot' post='608855' date='Sep 25 2009, 11:31 PM']The Rudy Szarzo is also on my list[/quote]


'ere_ya_go Del' boy :-

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250504474226&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

Looks to be in great condition and a good price as such: all you need to do now is persuade the seller to send to the UK and work out the additional shipping & duties.

The photos show how similar is the design/construction to the TL-5 (I guess they were offered at about the same time), with the slightly altered headstock, different pickups and finish (with the nech-thru section left natural).

OK - some additional details (as promised) re. this TL-5:-
Weighs only 8.8 lbs !
34"/24-fret. 1&7/8" nut (with 10mm spacing), 2&3/4" (15mm spacing) @ 24th fret, 17.5mm (adjsutable) spaving at the bridge.
Eastern Flame Maple body and neck. Ebony f/board with 12" radius, 2x super-ferrite (hum-cancelling) pickups, Schaller bridge, all gold hardware, quick change batter compartment (with original cover).
The bass is a true passive (+ active) bass - when the batteries are dead or removed it still plays (with Vol/Pan).
The usual things to go/change are the pickups, knobs and battery compartment - seen a few examples with these changed-out or removed. The cases tend to become a bit battered over time (see the Rudy Sarzo example above) so it's nice to have one that's in almost as good 'nick as the bass.
Note: the strap-pins/locks have been upgraded on this bass. I think they were originally Schaller; they are now Dunlops (and come with the strap attachments). Also, the D & G tuners have been changed for newer ones (from Peavey USA) and are slightly shorter than the original ones (I think PV changed supplier of such and other parts over the years) so it's tricky to get a full/solid grip on the barrels (although this does not affect the stringing & tuning of the bass at all).

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Update:-
BQuad4 SOLD.
TL-5 now on ebay (and attracting number of Watchers!...) :-

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160366104645&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...=STRK:MESELX:IT[/url]

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[quote name='Delberthot' post='608855' date='Sep 25 2009, 11:31 PM']The Rudy Sarzo is also on my list[/quote]

I have one of those....

Don't really want/need to sell, but for the [b]right[/b][i][/i] offer I could be persuaded... :rolleyes: :)

Back on topic.... both of these are lovely basses! The Quad in particular...
+1 on the quality of Peaveys from this era. My Rudy Sarzo & Randy jackson sig models are both superb!

Edited by cetera
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[quote name='Delberthot' post='608196' date='Sep 24 2009, 09:51 PM']I used to have a poster of Tim Landers with that bass on my wall when I was young.

Its the first one I've seen, didn't realise it would be worth so much :rolleyes:[/quote]

Hiya peeps, I do have a TL5 too, very nice bass me thinks :)

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