More Peavey T-40.

Peavey T-40 "Tanburst" Rosewood

This one is a peach! A really unusual colour, lovely rosewood board
and really nice to play.



The pics were taken some time ago, when it was sunny - a rare thing in itself.
This has the warmer Toaster pick-ups and this particular one is very mellow.
Gigged with this one some time ago, as I went through the colours, so I think
it's time it came out again. . . . soon.









How could you not love this. . . . . . . . .





I thinks that's enough T-40 for a while, something Japanese next time.

:)

Peavey T-40. An All American Classic.

Peavey T-40. Made in USA.

One of my all time favourites, something a little different.




The pics are for one that I no longer have and were taken for the guy who
now has it.
I sold this one after owning it for just over a year, to fund the Red one.

This is the one that I have used in the title page.
I have another Natural with Blades, that is slightly later, which I will put up
at another time but as this one was such a beauty, I thought I would share
this one first.
Here are some details on the T Series.

I do remember these very well, in the late 70's but there weren't many around
and almost all were Natural finish.
The guitars were more common but rarely seen, as the big G and F were
still the ones to have, along with the higher end quality of the Japanese makers.
The T-40, like the T-60, had some unusual features.
The powerful humbuckers can be turned into single coil, with what would
normally be the tone control.
On 10 it is pure single coil and as it is backed off, it starts to feed in the other
coil, fattening up the sound.
This can be done on both pickups, to any degree.
So, you can alter the sound and tone a great deal.
On top of that there is an in/out phase switch, which if used with the volume
equal gives a very empty sound (not much use at all) but if you feed in one more
than the other coils, the permutations are endless.

Various comparisons have been made to a Ric sound, once you have twiddled
the controls to your liking. In reality, there are a lot of sounds it will produce.
The bodies are North American Ash, which are either in five parts or the more
rare three part body. I am not entirely sure why there is a difference.
Most of the early ones were Natural, with many other colour options.
Over the years, there were Dark Sunburst, Black, White, Red, Plum, Red,
Tobacco and like an Orange Sunburst.

They are not light and a lot of players that are used to something lighter may
pass them over but it is not that bad - I have had other basses that are heavier.
What you do get is a great, solid sound.
The necks are a two piece maple, that are joined either side of the truss rod
- a feature to make the neck more stable.
Rosewood was an option but is far less common than the standard maple neck.
The neck is definitely not like a Jazz but I have always found them very
comfortable and easy to get on with.

They are a great looking bass, something different from the norm - many times
I have had players come up to me at a gig and ask for a closer look.
At least a couple of them I know of were hooked and now have there own.

Conclusion - Good looking, great sounding bass, that is very easy to get on with.
Comfortable and balanced on a strap, just right sitting down.
You will not see many of these around and as a bass player, you will definitely
have someone to talk to about it halfway through the gig.

I love 'em.














More Peavey T-40 pics to follow. :)

EDIT :
If you have enjoyed this post - click on the link below.
I am doing a big feature on the T-40 and T-60, with the help
of Chip Todd, himself!!

The Peavey T-40 & T-60 Story. 

A start, at last!

Today is the day! Time for the pictures.

This one is a Canadian Odyssey, made in Vancouver in the 70's.
I have started with this one, as it is one of my favourites and I have family in Vancouver.
Seems like a good place to start.

This is a really nice instrument that just does everything I want it to.
It balances nicely and has a very "Punchy" sound, which I like.
I often describe my favourite bass sound as "BOWWW", as opposed to "Wump" or "Thud"
Weird but it makes sense to me.
Two DiMarzio Precision pick-ups provide lots of BOWWW.


If you have a look here, there are a lot of details about Atilla Balogh and his Company.
Odyssey
















Canadian Craftsmanship, at it's finest.

That's all for now.
Next time. . . . perhaps one of the many Peavey basses I have.

:)

Time for an update. . . .

Time is flying by, almost half the year gone, so I thought I had better
get back to this before another month goes by.

The "Whole Collection" thing is still bubbling under but it is going in the
right direction, some great stuff in there and some not so great but still
interesting, all the same.

I have been managing to play some instruments that I haven't played
for ages and am now making plans to start photographing them, ready
for listing.
So, sit tight and you never know, something might happen before
another month goes by.
So for the time being, I leave you with one of my favourites.
Gigged this a couple of weeks ago.
Just Great.

Keyboards killed the Guitar Stars!

With the advent of all the keyboard/synth bands of the late early
80's, Ultravox -Vienna, Soft Cell - Tainted love, Depeche Mode
Just can't get enough, etc there was a shift from guitar based music
to keyboards.
All sorts of gear came into the shop for sale. Muso came in, did a
deal and shot off with the cash to "go keyboard"
Because of this we ended up with a lot of stuff, that is nowadays
called Vintage and Rare but was then called something that's been
around the block a few times and could be sold to raise some £$£$£$.
If I'd have known then. . . . . . . :(
To give you an example of this, I bought a 1962 Gibson EBO for. . . . . .
£72.00!!!!!! To make this even more laughable, I hadn't used it for
sometime by the later 80's and was was told by a shop that "there
was no call for them and he would offer me £150.00.
Well, at least I would have doubled my money but I thought better
of it and still have it today.
I had a Hofner Verithin. . . . . £60.00!! Sold that along with many
others, around the same sort of time.

I was going through some old guitar magazines, the other day and
it made some very interesting reading.
I shall get round to scanning some of them in, so anyone who may
read this can cry into their beer, of a Friday night.
How things have changed!
:)

Back to the story. . .

I needed some components for the new guitar and headed

off into town.

I called in at a new shop, told them what I was after and

placed the order.

I then spent the next two hours drinking coffee and talking

to one of the owners, until I realised I had to get back home

and left, thanking him for the coffee and the chat.

It was a couple of weeks before I went back and when I did

I was greeted very warmly.

During my previous conversation, I explained about my

fascination with guitars and some of the things that I had done.

It turned out that they had taken in a couple of minor repair

jobs, hoping I would be able to help.

I was given free use of the workshop, with the promise of a

Chinese meal for my efforts.

Somehow, by accepting the meal I had now joined the team!

Saturdays, for some time, were going to be different and in

only a couple of months, it would be week days as well.

These week days were long days - 12 hours a day, six days a week
and this is where I worked in the late 70's, and where a lot of my early
experience and knowledge of guitars came from.
Yes, we worked 72 hours a week, with the odd day off to do other stuff
but I was always very keen to get back to the shop.
I got to meet a lot of characters in those days and saw a lot of talented
youngsters strike up with Smoke on the water, Stairway to heaven and
half a dozen other tunes that used to ring around the shop.
If anyone out there has a dream job, they will understand how I felt
everyday.
I walked through the door and into an Aladdin's Cave -
turn the lights on, answer machine checked and coffee made.
Turn on a couple of amps, grab a few pedals and reach out to the wall
for the desired instrument.

Now I'm going from memory and it was a very long time ago but on
any given day, the selection could be an Ibanez Jazz Guitar,
CSL Les Paul, Gibson L6S, Les Paul Junior, an Antigua Strat,
all sorts of stuff.
On the other side of the room, the basses.
A Guild B301, a Shergold/Hayman, bit of slapping on a
Fender Jazz and then it was time to get down to the business of
selling something.

Happy days!

"We interupt this story!"

I had intended to detail the story in the order it happened
but something has taken my eye off the ball, so I thought
I would have an intermission. :)


As a player, I have my favourite instruments but as a collector
I am, I guess, similar to a cigarette card collector, or any other
type of collector, for that matter - always interested in the next
item that may come along.

I have managed to find some really great and iteresting things,
including some unique intruments, like this Peter Cook Twin Neck,
being posed with Del Bromham, from Stray.



Del had one of these years ago and I believe there are only two of
them in existance.

Well, to cut a long story short, I have been offered a pack of
unusual cigarette cards, so to speak, in the form of a collection
- the whole thing.

I am quite excited by the offer and am looking forward to
seeing it in the flesh.

Time will tell.

Time passes. . . .

I had the Sumbro for about 3 years and as I had something

half decent, I found that I could do a swap with someone for

a week, which lead me down all sorts of paths.

I remember that the first Telecaster guitar I borrowed, was a

"Jedson" and it was completely different to what I had got

used to with the Sumbro.

After a week, this went back and I then went looking for

another swap.

I can't remember all the swaps. I do, however, remember

a "CSL" Gold Top Les Paul, which was stunning to look at

and seemed to me to have a lot more poke than mine.

There was also an old "Burns" that I had for a short while

but thought at the time it felt a bit dated and couldn't get

on with it.

By this time, I had done all sorts of things to various guitars

and had several given to me to improve or alter them.

I had now learned a lot more and memories of the first incident

with the file, started to fade a little.

I had also started building a guitar, using acquired parts and

a neck, mated to a body that I had made from ash.

Not long after that project, I was asked to make one for a friend

and there the story takes a dramatic turn.