Peavey Foundation Bass

I bought my Blue jazz style maple neck bass in 1989 in NYC. It has two volume controls and a tone knob.

I can play any style of music from rock to funk, to Jazz on this bass. I tend to play rock and blues. I find that the pickup may crackle when the knobs are turned. I used to spray the knobs out with degreaser. I just replaced one of the pots this year. I find the sound to be rich and full.

The bass had to be set up immediately, and worked well after it was set up. It holds adjustments well. The truss rod is a bit hard to adjust and needed a special adjustment tool I got directly from Peavey. I sanded off the finish from the back of the neck with very fine sandpaper and 0000 steel wood. It is easier to play that way.The saddle is a bit cheap looking, and rusts easily.

I have this bass since 1989. It plays well and sounds good. I don't need any other bass. It suits my purposes well.

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Been playing on and off for 16 years. The head stock is long and sticks out of every gig bag I have tried. I tried Fenders, Music Man, Ibinez, and this is the most comfortable bass (short of the Fender '66 Jazz bass I played)

Nothing special here, I bought mine used in 1993 for $175. Needed a bass for recording my songs and it filled the bill nicely. Plastic case is kind of junky

Patched through old an Peavey PA it recorded great. No hum etc. In jam sessions it sounds like a bass should but I did disconnect the bridge pickup because this chick I used to jam with cranked that pickup and it was way too treble-y. I like a good "Jack Cassidy" bass sound and the neck pick up is good enough for that.

Heavy strings sound good, lighter gauge can be a bit weak. Well made for the price, far superior to Fender's junk Squier basses. One drawback is poor balance, the neck end wants to point downward so that can be distracting.

It I was a pro bass guy I probably would go high dollar but this bass is an all around worker. A good player can make anything sound good. For a spare bass it is more than I expected.

Again this bass is plain but good. I never regretted buying it.

I bought this bass in 1993 or 4. It has the maple neck, I was a little concerned with the durability of the maple neck, but I tell ya the thing hasn't moved a bit. I put a hip shot on it, but other than that I left everything stock. For me, it is very comfortable, I love the thin neck and the range.

let's face it, are we ever completely satisfied with our sound? Not really. But if you are a road dog doing a lot of gigs and you need your sound to be versitile and you can't afford 20 basses to fit every style you play,this bass could work for you. I'm not to worried when I get a sratch or a ding because I didn't take a morgage out on it. I play through David Eden equipment I chose eden because I play at relatively low volume, just enough to hear what i'm doing and let the mains do the rest of the work. I like my hearing and I want to keep it. Eden sounded the best to me at these levels. I like the way this bass records. It took a while with the eq and to find the right compression but once that was achieved it recorded rather well.I've recorded and played on live t.v. with this bass.The only minor complaint I have is I wish the pick ups were a little hotter.

The bass was playable when I brought it home but I had to set it up the way I like it. I like the action low because of the different techniques I use. I had to raise the pich ups a little for the right hand tapping stuff. But other than a quick set up, everything was in order from the factory. After a few years, the plastic around the imput cracked and one of the screws were stripped but after reading a few other summary's i learned that it was a common problem.

I think this is the best asset of owning this bass. The day I brought it home I tweaked the neck, havn't touched it since! I always bring a back up bass but I have never had to use it. A true road beast for the $$. The finish still shines but there is a bare spot of wood over both pick ups from my big sausage looking thumbs ( not Peavey's fault). I'm also very pleased that I don't have to fiddle with loose strap buttons or hardware which could be common with any guitar or bass. It still has that new car tightness so to speak.

I havn't had a problem yet. (knock on wood).

I started at 8 years old i'm 38 now so I've been at it for 30 years.I also own a 5 string les paul I try to keep it nice so it only goes to the studio...on nice days. Once in a while it will show up at a gig.I usually bring an ibinez for a back up. I also have a fender jazz with a bad piece of wood. When I was looking for a bass to gig with, I went to the music store in the morning when there were no people there and tried many different basses at all different volumes with the same equipment that I own. I felt this bass was the best chioce for the value. It is comfortable, easy to play and very durable.As I've stated above, I am never fully satisfied with my sound but for a bass that's under $500. it is versatile. I can live with that.

bought it used. don't know what year it was made. 2 "soap bar" style pickups and a skinny maple neck. it is a "basic" bass. it is just what i wanted.

sounds fine to me. it is my first bass. i demo'd a few newer "budget" models (some with FAMOUS name-brands)...the Foundation sounded better than anything "new" that was under $500.

the previous owner had sanded off the paint (or whatever the former finish was). it is bare wood stained a medium brown. i kinda like it. the neck feels fantastic!! it is quite thin and perfect for someone new to the instrument of for general ease-of-use playing. a perfect fit for me.

no problems here. i like "broken-in" instruments. i can depend on it. it is a "no frills" working man's bass. good stuff.

who knows?? never called 'em.

this is my first bass. i am a guitarist. i always thought i'd buy a Fender bass. i've demo'd plenty of Fenders. this Foundation sounds and feels better than any other affordable (sub $500) bass i've seen. it is ROCK solid and sounds very good. for the price it simply CANNOT be beat. thumbs up!!!!!!

I've picked up three of these off eBay in the past year and found them generally to be versatile and sturdy instruments. Like all Foundations, they have poplar bodies with laminated, two-piece maple necks, 21 frets and a neck tilt adjustment. All of mine have rosewood fretboards. The neck is 1.5" at the nut, a real plus for players with small hands. They come with two single-coil pickups, with two volume and one tone knob. (My early 80s model has the classic "P" knobs found on T-60 guitars.) Pickups are hum-cancelling when both volume controls are at 10. Stamped metal bridge. Two of my instruments have a nice sunburst finish, while the third was sanded down by a previous owner and given a tung-oil finish. It looks quite good, despite the fairly dull grain pattern typical of poplar.

I'm a guitarist who switched over to bass last year and now play mostly classic rock in a band. This bass gets me every tone I need for the variety of styles we play, from Beatles and Motown to a crunchy, Rickenbacker-like sound. Pickups tend to be a little mid-rangey. Nevertheless, this bass can produce a fairly wide tonal range through adjustment of the volume and tone pots. The tone pot on one of my basses was replaced with a homemade 10-position vari-tone switch. Combined with the volume controls, it offers some of the best passive EQ I've heard. Pickups are single-coil, so yes, they are noisy when not in hum cancelling position, especially when you're surrounded by a lot of gear. I only gig, so this hasn't been an issue.

All bought used, so I can't comment on factory equipment. Stock equipment seems high-quality.

Two of my Foundations date from the 80s (early and late) and one from the early 90s. The 80s models seem to me to have the solid, rugged build that Peavey gear is famous for. They stay reliably in tune and have straight-arrow necks. They also are slightly heavier due to a wider body at the bridge end, as well as having less of a body contour. I don't know if production standards slipped in the 90s, but my the 90s model seems a bit cheaper. I'm pretty sure mine took a lot of abuse, and it doesn't seem to have fared very well. The tuners, jack and pots could all stand replacement. The neck on the 90s model also has serious alignment issues that will probably force me to sell it. I find the tuners on the 80s models to be superior, including the Schaller-style tuners on the late 80s model.

Can't vouch for warranty work as all my instruments were bought used and are 10+ years old. Customer service from the Peavey web site is outstanding. You can get virtually any question answered on the forum, if not by a Peavey tech then by another Peavey owner. Quick and inexpensive mail-order for tools and parts, too.

I've always felt that Peavey guitars were highly underrated. The Foundation offers great value in a solid, American-made instrument. It's nothing fancy -- just a good all-around workhorse bass. It suits my fairly modest needs perfectly and is totally reliable for gigging. Would I replace if it was stolen? Already have! My first Foundation (with the tung-oil finish and vari-tone switch) was stolen last spring. (It eventually turned up at a local pawn shop, and I got it back.) I bought 2 to replace it: a pristine 1984 issue, and the early 90s model discussed above. I never paid more than $154 for any them. In the case of the first two I bought, I consider that a bargain.

It is a Peavey Foundation 4-String Bass Guitar. I do not know what year it was made, but it was made in the USA. It has 21 Frets, and was white in color before I stripped the paint from the body to make a natural looking finish. It has 2 volume knobs and 1 tone knob. There are 2 Peavey Super Ferrite Pick-ups which are passive. The body is made of alder, and the neck is made of maple. I bought the guitar from a friend for 70 dollars, and it came with a Gibson Gig Bag.

I play Rock/Metal/Alternative style music, and the guitar is perfect. The sound is very warm when playing songs such as "War Pigs" or "Black Sabbath". The bass is great for both stage and for studio.

The bass didn't contain any flaws when I recieved it, For the previous owner took great care of it. As I stated before, I did removed the finish from the guitar down to the bare wood, and then put 3 coats of laquer on it. The wood grain is very nice looking.

This bass will definately withstand live playing, and it seems very reliable. The strap buttons are solid, and overall the bass is very dependable. I would use it at a gig without a backup.

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If it were to be lost/stolen, I would buy another. I love the warm tone of the bass and the fact that it doesn't buzz on any frets unlike many other basses that I have played. I wish that it had active circuitry, but I play enough, that I would have to replace the 9 volt battery at least once a week.

Bought new in Portland, OR in 1995 for around $250
Broomstick neck - great: I played a 62 Fender Jazz bass before and really bought the Peavey because I was getting nervous about taking the Fender out on the road. I figured it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Peavey was stolen or wrecked... But the Peavey is in fact easier to play (and has one more fret which is good - you can play a top E). I use it all the time for gigs and recording. The Fender stays at home.

I play jazz/jazz rock and avant rock.At first I missed the classic Fender Jazz bass pickup sound but the Peavey is pretty close and it sounds good recorded in the studio and also recorded from a live gig.

Is noisy. But so is the Fender Jazz. I have sometimes had to wrap a wire around my leg to cut the hum in studio situations.

It gives me all the sound I need. I used fuzz and flange and octave pedal from time to time, but the straight sound is smooth or honky depending on the way I play.

Would like better shielding.

Was set up OK. I didn't have to alter it much. I always drastically change the pickup angles - I like a lot of bridge pickup on the bottom two strings and not much neck pickup.

Seems solid. Only one breakage - the jack socket plate was thin plastic and the fact that the jack comes out at rightangles to the body means it takes a lot of sideways punishment when you put the bass down if you don't have a stand. Mine split so I replaced it with a massive chunk of thick plastic.

The machine heads have been damaged but that's because I don't use a flight case.

Never had to.

Been playing since 1962. I would definitely look for another if this one went. In fact I would like to find a second one anyway.

Easy to play, comfortable. Not too heavy. Slim looking. If it had better shielding it would be perfect.

Purchased 2nd-hand, really cheap, condition very good. Earlier reviews (below) describe the instrument.

Black-cased pickups give it a smart modern appearance.

Pros: It just does everything I want it to. Tuning is great, so is tonal balance between strings. Picking, slapping, plectrum - any style works. I only really use it with all knobs wound up fully, relying on playing style to alter tone. I took the sustain and tone for granted until I played some other basses in a store recently - they just sounded dull and lightweight in comparison.

Cons: Can be noisy close to electronics, so stand back. Only 'full' (humbucking) sound comes with both pickups on max.

Finish is great. I have found that 'made in USA' is a real quality indicator on guitars and basses, and the Peavey is no exception. Amazing to find a US instrument available so cheaply!

It would be good if the pickups/pots/wiring were all shielded and used fatter cables - so points off for cutting corners internally.

Oh, and how come guitars get fancy-looking machine heads and basses get these functional old pieces of tin?

Never let me down. Straight 10.

Managed to get obsolete owners' guide off the Peavey internet site, so well done for that.

This is my first bass, I've had it about 8 years.
If it were stolen or lost, I'd be tempted to scour the small ads for another. Might just have to look for something as good or better.
I love the shape, weight, shiny black with maple fretboard, chrome knobs.

I bought this bass in 1982-3 made of course in USA. Standard 21 fret 4 strings solid body. two vol. one tone but here's the rub, this bass is without question the best (apart from the high end 3000-4000) bass I have ever owned. Been playin bass since 1961 phew am I that old? N.O.A. (thats french for anyway) 2 passive ferrite matural finish stamped bridge hard shell poly case. This thing stays tuned.

I've played everything out there since the 60's as far as style goes and it has yet to disapoint me. Low level volumes to rip your heart out thunder, slap. thumb, fingers, pick, it all has its place and sounds GREAT. The power I use depends on the venue. Basic club is Thiel 15" bottom with Mark IV head, Mark IV head with active crossover section to Galien Kruger for mesa boogie 12's, then there's Acoustic W-bin (370 I think, you know that woodstock amp that Santana's bassists used?) powered with an old Mosfet heavey I mean in weight and sound amp 1000@8ohms - speaker is 5 ohm load so probably guessing at 1350 watts? with once again Peavey Mark IV active crossover to messa boogie 12's WOW what a sound. This bass delivers and just keeps getting better with time. I will always have this axe.

This instrument comes in a very playable set-up. If you change the strings to a different tension, you must also change the bass action. Unlike most basses I've owned (Gibson Thunderbird, 68 Fender Jazz, T-40, KENT, Rickenbacker, Fender Precision frettless, I'm so old I forget the rest) it has an allen key adjust which really works well. Just let me take this opportunity to thank PEAVEY for putting out an incredible product at a most reasonable price.

I've played thousands of gigs all over US and Canada and it has yet to let me down. I've never had a backup until recently and thats not because of any insecurities about its performance. I"ve been so content with this axe that I bought a used Peavey Foundation 5 string. The B's outrageous. All styles. Real fat with da blue.

Never had to. The bass is that good.

If it were stolen I'd buy another with assured confidence. The shape, weight look - all very good. The various tones I get from handling all three potentiameters is incredible. Played an outside gig once in Wellesley Ma. where a few bassists from Berkley School of Music attended. Their remarks were "what kinda of bass is that and what did you do to it to make it sound like that?" Truthfully speaking, member that KENT I listed above? Well in 1961 I had a Fender Bassman with 2 blown Oxford speakers and did I ever have to work at getting a sound hahahaha Consequently, the technics I mastered then, I still use today. That's the trick, longevity and hard work.

My Peavey Foundation is a 1983 model, white with 2 Super Ferrite pickups and a maple bolt-on neck. I bought it in 1984. It is a 4-string passive pick-up instrument and it came with a hard plastic case with padded foam in the inside. I paid approximately $239 in 1984 for it. It has the typical 2 volume/ 1 tone control set-up. Personally, I would have preferred a 3 position selector switch with 2 volume and 2 tone controls. But, overall this is a simple instruments with pretty standard features. The maple neck was an upgrade if I remember correctly.

I have been playing bass guitar since 1969 and have owned Fender basses, Rickenbacker basses,a Guild Starfire bass, a Gibson Ripper and a custom Haagstrom Bass. I have played everything from folk-rock to country to jazz/fusion to prog rock. Of all the basses I've owned, I find the sound of this bass to be the most versatile. I can make it fit whatever I play. I have played it through a Fender Bassman 100 and a number of small single speaker amps both 12" and 15" and no matter what I put it through I can always dial it in. The biggest drawback to this instrument is the noisy single coil pick-ups. Most of the time one must use BOTH pick-ups to cancel the hum. So, I compensate with the amp. If I am recording with it, I compensate with the EQ. I can get sounds ranging from a Rickenbacker type sound to an almost upright bass type sound. I play with a pick so I don't do much of the "funky" stuff with my thumb. I use D'Addario EXL170's (45 gauge) and the intonation is always perfect and the bass ALWAYS stays in tune. The lighter strings also give the bass a little more high end which I like. Overall, its a pretty versatile instrument for me with a pretty good sound but I wish I could use the pick-ups indepedantly more often. For the money, it's a great instrument.

This bass was made perfectly. NO FLAWS. The only thing I did was raise both pick-ups to put just a little "edge" on the sound. I have never changed anything since 1984!!. The chrome still shines and the finish glows after a good coat of Martin Guitar polish.

This bass is a TANK! It's made like a rock. As I said above, the finish is great and the chrome still shines after all these years. The strap buttons have never loosened up and this bass has NEVER needed any adjustments whatsoever. I have never used a back-up with this bass. After nearly 20 years though, the case is falling apart. The foam rubber inside is rotted and the one of the hinges is broken. I guess it's time for new case.

I have never neede them--NO OPINION>

If this bass were stolen I would definitely look at another Peavey. For the money this thing is tops. I disagree with the fellow who called this a "beginners bass". The workmanship and versatility make this bass a workhorse as far as I'm concerned. I don't think I'll ever sell this thing. I've had it nearly 20 years, maybe in another 20 or so it'll be a "vintage" instrument. OK, maybe not but I love this thing anyway.