Peavey T-40

4 String Bass. Made in 1978. Made in USA. Solid top, heck, the body on this one is a solid chunk of hardwood. Some sources say it is swamp ash. Satin finish on body; Rock maple neck with maple fretboard, glossy finish originally but pretty well worn by now. Usual compliment of volume/tone per pickup (4 total knobs); two Peavey humbucker pickups, 3-pos selector switch an 2-pos switch which, from my reading of the schematic, reverses the phase of the bridge pickup with respect to the neck pickup. Passive electronics. The body is style is somewhat P-bass/J-bass like, but heavier than any Fender I???ve ever held. Massive solid metal bridge, usual adjustments for intonation and string height. All the hardware on this thing is massive. Tuners are massive Peavey open gear deals, work great, last long time. Neck is medium fat, wide, more p-bass than j-bass shape, great for players with big hands (my hands are not so big). Standard ???fender??? bass scale. I got this in 1979, it is box stock as it came from the factory except for strings. Pretty versatile sound, all the knobs and switches do useful things. The control layout is easy to get used to, and switching things around while playing is easy to master.

Not tons of features, but all I've ever needed on a bass.

This is one solid sounding bass, and quite versatile for its vintage. You???ve got the expected neck/both/bridge pickup selector, volume+tone on each pickup, plus a switch that inverts the phase of the bridge pickup. Oddly, the phase switch makes a subtle but noticeable difference when only the bridge pickup is selected, too.
I???m a guitar player who also plays bass; my long-time bass playing accomplice in musical mayhem also uses a T-40, and used this one as a backup for some time. I loaned it to my little sister when she was in an all-girl punk band. I???ve used it for Jazz, coutry-ish folk, blues, and serious stomp, plus it's stint in above referenced punk band. It can thump, twang or even slap. Very solid, deep sound. These days I play through a GK and custom JBL loaded cabs, with a GK head or a Yamaha head (solid state), sometimes through my Fender tube amps too. Played it through a 60s Bassman, and other amps over the years. Never had a problem with any amp.

I like the sound. The only thing not to like is the heft ??? this sucker weighs a ton. When my skinny little sister used it it was a toss up which weighed more, the bass or her (the bass - she may be skinny but she's strong). I give the tone an 8 - only because a "10" is a vintage Jazz Bass and this isn't one of those.

Can???t comment on the factory set-up, as that was sooo long ago; As far as I know, my bass-tech friend did basic set-up, left pickups factory stock. Everything if fit properly, and has stayed that way for 30 years. This is a high quality, rock solid axe. It was a bargain when new. For what it is, it's fabulous.

This can withstand live playing, and close quarters combat. Not only is it a good sounding bass, if the stage is rushed you can beat off the horde with it???and play it the next night after a good cleaning. This was built to last, and has???it will survive the nuclear winter and rock on. Nothing we???ve done to it has affected the finish. This was used by my long-time collaborator as a backup bass for a while, been on the road, ridden hard, and put up wet. Everything on this beast is solid. Can you depend on it? Like a faithful hound (it???s just as homely, but doesn't shed); If you can find a woman as dependable, marry her (I did). Gigged with it back in the day when I had no other bass. My half-sister gigged with an all girl punk band with it. As for durability, this should get at least an 11.

This is another ???11??????or maybe 14. Peavey support is nothing short of mind blowing. I emailed them not to long ago to figure out the year it was made from the SN, someone responded that day with the info, years of production, how many were made, and even sent me a wiring diagram for it just because he could. This is for a 30 year old instrument! Every time I???ve dealt with Peavey, they have been great.

Been playing for, almost ever. I???m a guitar player, current stable is Gibson (Les Paul, ES, Firebird), Guild acoustic (D40 cutaway), ancient Harmony acoustic, and a custom ???strat type???. My friend and long time collaborator picked Peavey in ???78 because it was more flexible than the other offerings, with some then-innovative features and because it looked like it was built to last, good value and very consistent quality. At the time both Fender and Gibson had inconsistent quality ??? we liked the idea that if anything happened to it on the road, the next one would be just as good. He still has one, and so do I. It is a very competent instrument, does what it promises. If I had to replace this one I???d probably get a Jazz Bass. The only gripe is the weight, its a back breaker, takes a big dude and/or bad *** girl to play long sets standing up.

Very much a sleeper, few people know what it is. If you see one cheap, pick it up???even if you don???t play it, you can use it to beat off hostile fans or drive nails.

"8" becasue there are better basses out there, but this is pretty darn good.

This bass is pretty heavy i admit, but its worth it...4 knobs and 2 switches, this thing is amazing...the way it looks and the way it feels...its better than my younger sisters fender...

Nice sound....when I play with an amp however, its kinda hard to hear what comes out of the amp, but i guess thats because I turn the amp down low inside the house...I enjoy popping with it, but besides that its amazing

Has a nice look to it...its pretty thick and heavy however...I don't notice any flaws, but it has some pretty awesome wood for the basses ive seen with the same design

This bass seems undestuctable. Can almost endure anything XD

Never had any dealings with C/S

I havent been playing bass for long, but my dad does and so does my younger sister...this baby has been sitting under my bed for a coupla months, so i decided to pull it out and play it...and im completely satisfied...my dad gave it to me so thats a good bit of pocket change i saved :D

I have just finally put into commission my '79 T-40. Once I finally got my hands on a schematic for the 4 knobs and two switches on this thing, I was in hog heaven. Pick a sound, any sound! I'm used to an American hot rodded P, which just has two volums and a tone knob, so this is defnitely new.

I bought this thing about two years ago on craigslist because another older bass player told me to buy one of these if I ever saw one. I paid around $250 I think. Obviously, its one of the most stylish basses ever made and mine looks perfect, but the sound was not right at all due to years of having no upkeep. I just finally got around to taking it in to a professional last week, and now I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. He adjusted the intonation, neck, cleaned all the electronics, adjusted the pickup heighth and steel wooled the frets. OMG this thing absolutely sings now! I got it back from the shop the day of a show (one of my bands is a cover band). I brought both this and my Fender and I hate to say that my Fender didn't even make it out of its case this time. This thing makes you feel like a rockstar. It does anything except slap (and I'm pretty sure I just haven't found the setting yet.) My favorite part was the way that it sounded while playing the bass solo on "Godzilla"...past the 12th fret it gets even better! I'm a very happy boy.

The setup is great now. People, unless you're a professional at setting up your bass, let a professional do it for you. Michael at Aviator guitars in Seattle be praised for this one. I have my own profession, and it is certainly worth $65 to make my baby sound like this.

I'm a 200 pound tank, and this big heavy monster feels great. (I can't stand light basses...make me feel like a putz.) Its older than I, and the finish is every bit as good as my Fender which I bought new in 2001.

Don't know...first Peavey product I've really owned.

Sounds awesome, feels awesome....looks awesome. I actually had a couple of girls in the crowd comment on how sexy the thing was. I think they were getting a little bothered ;) I used to play my Fender exclusively, and I'm positive that it'll be 50/50 from here on out.

I've got a white, second run T-40 (with the rail-style pole pieces).
This would put it in the early to mid 80s.

His name is Popcorn.

About a 34'' scale neck, two fat passive humbuckers, original electronics, etc.

A strange phase shift. It has me confused.

The string through body seems to add some power to the bass, but it leaves standard bass strings a little short. But, this isn't so bad.

Dah da dah, check out the other reviews for real in depth details.

This bass can cover most anything.

Say I want to play some dub. I will, of course, rest my thumb on the neck. From there, I can get several different dub tones by playing with the pick up combination and tone settings, all with noticeable quirks. (A real good one is neck pickup only, tone around 5 or 6. Mmmmmm.. But, funny enough, another good one is both pickups going, both rolled all the way off. Then shove a piece of foam under the bridge. Like a bass drum.)

This bass is crazy agressive, too. With a pick, all things to ten, a very satisfying punk twang can begot by playing over the bridge pickup. With the same control settings, playing over the neck pickup gets a really nice thump-growl.

Etc etc.. All this **** is great, just playing with it will get you somewhere.

My only issue is that there is a whole lot of mid-range twang. I had been playing an Eleca jazz bass knock-off for the longest time, and was not used to this. I've since gotten used to it. (and even like it, tah-dah) So, I suppose it isn't even an issue.

Unfortunetly, it does not sound like a Rickenbacker. I don't know why this keeps popping up in these reviews, but let me just say: It doesn't sound like a Rickenbacker. At all.

After horsing around with it, I've got the thing pretty set. Peavey has this cool screw in the neck plate for (relatively) quick action adjustment.

A big issue is that I can't manage to get the action just low enough to feel real smooth, but also have it not fret buzzes too much. And, the retarded ****** rail pole pieces are slightly raised, not allowing me to really wail of the strings. I can lower the pickups, but then the power starts to decrease. This all means that it's just a balancing act. Perhaps I'll get it professionally set up.

I went with medium gauge round wounds. They feel pretty good, but by no means let Popcorn play himself. I'll go with some lighter round wounds next time.

Popcorn is pretty beat. All sorts of bumps and scrapes and ****. There is even a hefty crack by the E machine on the tuning board. But, this is to be expected from a bass from the 80s. Plus, I don't have to worry about beating it any more.

Popcorn has never failed me. It's heavy as ****, and will gladly get beat around.

Sure, the switches are scratchy, and the finish is pretty dag nasty. But that's just Popcorn's life. He's rough and tumble, and doesn't take ****. I going to give the J-bass to my girlfriend. I'm not going to insult Popcorn by doubting his potency.

Warranty is long since gone, never had to deal with Peavey.

I've been playing about three years now. As I said before, I own am Eleca jazz bass copy, which was my first. I practice through a Fender Rumble 60, and also regularly use a some sort of rig my friends got. The details escape me...

If it got stolen, I would have to ****** work again and save up. God ****** ******, if it got stolen, oh my god. I would be pissed for weeks.

I only plan on getting one other bass: A Univox Hi-Flier, as all original as possible. With these two basses, I could reach any tone I want (except a Rickenbacker.. god dammit, Rickenbacker..).

I'm not a fan of active tone, I like to scoop the mids on the equalizer, and I like me some bass wah. Stylistically, I'm all over (metal to reggae to punk to jazz to ****** disco and straight ****** music), etc.

One thing I don't get: The phase switch. It seems to only effect the bridge pickup. Pushed away, it makes the single coil mode super quiet and hollow. Humbucking, it booms about. Then, throw the neck pickup in there, and you got yourself a cluster ****.

It's great.

I feel like I payed a little much, though... It's just so beat. But, then again, this bass will last till I ****** die.

Great. The double humbucker makes for a plethera of sound possibilities. I have played and recorded with this bass on everything from funk to christmas albums, and I have always been impressed.
The case (I like to call it the "indestructo" case) is solid as a battleship. Nothing is getting through this thing.

Sounds great! I use it for all of my Wooten covers on stage. The harmonics ring for days off of the maple neck!

The action is set up to my standards, so of course I like it. It's a wood finish, no paint, and whoever had it before me (sometime before 1990)woodburned a pink panther into it. It's unique! It plays great (action) but looks bad.

This bass could fall out of a plane and still be plugged in that night. It's crazy strong. Like it was made from a solid tree.

Never had to deal with them.

Great bass. This is my only 4 string left, I sold the rest of them because this one plays and sounds the best. I also play on a curbow 6 and a pedulla 5, so all of my bass player friends think I'm crazy for keeping this one around until they play it.

1979 Peavey T-40, natural finish, maple neck, stock. This is the most unique and versatile bass ever made.

Very versatile with the 3-way switcher and Humbucker and single coil modes. With both pickups on in Humbucker mode you get a nice biting rock tone. Flip the PU selector up and turn the tone knobs up past 7 for a blues/funk tone. Flipping the selector down adds presence and treble which is nice for cutting through or when your strings start wearing out. It has a nice warm vintage tone.

The neck is very solid and smooth. It has a similar feel to my buddies vintage strat. The action can be set very low and with a nice set of stainless steel strings it has a very smooth and buttery feel. It is the easiest playing bass that I have ever played. It is very easy to bend the string like your playing guitar. It is a tank, but I don't mind because I'm a big guy. A heavily padded strap is a necessity though.

This thing is heavy duty. Nice wood, very solid hardware. The only complaint that I have is that the PU selector switch breaks easily. Pickups can slip out of adjustment too. Not a big deal though.

I've never contacted them. I don't think they could help much with a vintage instrument though. Parts can be hard to find.

This bass is a fantastic value on the used market. Built like a rock, versatile, easy playing. The thing I like the most is the feel of the neck and versatily of the 3 way switcher and Humbucker/single coil modes. The weight is an issue for a lot of people but not me. A small guy or someone with a bad back may want to consider this. I do have a permanently damaged sciatic nerve and a torn muscle in my back and I've been fine playing long sets. A nice padded strap is enough to keep me comfortable. I bought this because my USA Fender strat twisted up like a snake and I wanted something more solid. The T-40 delivers in that department and then some. I did like the sound of my Jazz a little better but the T-40 sounds nice too and it's more versatile. For the price you couldn't get a nicer bass.

i'm in love w/ the dual pickups and the two tone and volume knobs. the only down fall is the string loading through the back of the bass but a bass that has that many fancy knobs and switches has to bo worth a 10!!!

This bass has some of the best sounds i have heard the lows do not distort or anything but when you strum the lower notes on the top string will raddle a little bit toward the bottom of the neck. the treble on this bass is the best quality.

I got this bass off of my friend for a wakeboard, a mini fridge, and an acoustic gutair that i paid $30 for. but there were few flaws to it all the screws were there but a little nick on the back of the neck, and the top switch is broken off. it has the natural wood finish i think it is a 78'

I have had no problems with this gutair just the top switch i will have to touch it sometimes cause the sound will cut out but after the touch it will not quit

??

I have only been playing for 1 1/2 years now but this is the best bass i have ever seen i had a cheap drive wildfire i bought it from on of my budies. i would highly recomend buying this bass if you have the chance to buy it its genna hold up and sturdy and heavy (very heavy)

i think mine is an early to mid 80's model
-arch top
-ash wood body
-white paint job
-alder neck
-rose wood fret board
-blade style pickups

along with the normal 2 tone knobs and the 2 volume knobs
along with the phase switch and the picup switch

AMAZING!
nice treble
and deep low end

and the best part is....
when the tone knobs are at 10 the pickups are in single coil mode
but when you roll them to 7 or below they pickups go into humbucking mode HOW RAD IS THAT!

action is nice and low but not too low
the body is heavey as all hell
but i dont mind it becuase not only can i feel every vibration in the bass but it makes me feel like im playing a BASS not some 12.oz toy that looks a paint splatter

it held up this long but it got mine used from guitar center and it looks like some of the machinehead screws are missing and some one had replaced the nut with a metal nut (i dont know if they came stock with a metal nut but im guessing no) but tone wise its as solid as the day it was made
plus it feels/sounds/looks/is better then the T-20

ill give it a 9 becuase it is rock solid but im missing some part and i dont know if thats due to the prev owner or the parts falling out

havent delt with them yet but sometime soon

GREAT BASS! if you see one and you dont mind heavey basses pickup they go for pretty cheap now (200-350) and they are always on ebay
this thing will get every sound you want out of it low and deep to treble madness! and every where in the middle do your self a favor
throw away the P-bass or the J-bass and pick one of these up
(or trade. people are dumb)

1978 natural made in USA baby!!!

incredible tone and versatility. Still haven't figured out all the settings yet.

solid as a rock, heavy as a rock also.

It is perfect for a 30 year old instrument. The previous owner bought it new. He was a smoker so I need to air it out.I

I have been playing a few years. I have a Rogue Violin bass and an Ibanez R series, as well as a Rick 4003.

I believe it was made in '78, i was at an outdoor swap shop and saw my dad's friend pull out a guitar case, and as soon as he opened it, was truly love at first site, and now 8 months later, i'm still just as in love if not more as then, i'd never had a bass guitar before and when i plugged it in it was exactly what i had expected of a very high quality bass, the only problem, is that i began to think a lot of other instruments i was trying out sucked horribly because of lack of tone power or the ability to push out the low end, only to realize that the T-40 is simply a beast,

i'm still finding out how to get new sounds out of it, which seem limitless, it can sound like a top of the line new bass backed with tons of sound, to a sound like your clich?? early 80's bass with a twang to it.

from having strings been left tightened on it for about 30 years, the neck had some bend to it which raised the action, but a small truss rod adjustment made it perfect.

i am also entirely in awe of the beauty of this instrument, it may seem beastly in pictures (which believe me in real life still is) but up close it takes on a slender sleek look also, or i'm just obsessed.

hahaha....dropped this a few times, once out of the back of a car onto a driveway, once i forgot to shut the latches on my case...and down the stairs to top it, it's still beautiful as ever. the strap buttons are a wee bit small, so get a good strap, or some strap fasteners like i did because i couldn't find a good strap cheaper than 59.99

N/A

i've tried and played many basses, but i still love the sound, shape, and feel of this instrument..i believe with the right person (which isn't a hard kind of person to find) this is easily one of the best basses ever made (And you can still get them for less than 300!!!!!)