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Peavey T-40
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eminent2000 eminent2000

« Weapon of mass destruction »

Published on 07/16/14 at 09:03
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!