Peavey G-Bass

Recently picked up a 4-string G-bass at a consignment shop. Bolt-on, composite neck, 35" scale, solid basswood body finished in holoflake green. Its got master volume w/ 3 band EQ control and a single active Peavey VFL p/u. There is a silky smooth, high gloss finish on the pao ferro fretboard and composite neck which makes it an extremely fast, smooth player. Neck width is 1.5". And this is a very light axe, maybe just barely 8 lbs.

The single VFL pickup is studio-quiet yet has a pretty high output for a 9v circuit. I find I can really make this thing thump, almost like a P bass with the treble rolled off a bit. Its got a pretty warm sound, especially considering its a composite neck and a fairly lightweight body. It is not the most tonally versatile instrument, but I like the sound I get out of it, and since there is only one pickup, its easy to dig in close to the bridge to get a thinner sound if desired.

I got it used; it was probably about 6 or 7 years old. The seller thought it was defective due to an imperfection in the back of the headstock; but these composite necks are so strong, there is practically no stress at the location of the imperfection so No Problem ! The setup is low and fast, it plays as fast as any bass I own. The gloss finish on the fretboard looks like it will last forever ! The holoflake is cheesy but its growing on me !!

Its a Peavey. Thats all I need to say.

As most probably know, Peavey has a pretty good on line forum for information and parts availability. And since everyone sells them its pretty easy to get their stuff serviced.

I bought this bass because the composite neck intrigued me and it was available at a steal price. I am SOOOO glad I've got one. The combination of the 35" scale and 1.5" neck and the light weight make this one of my favorites to play for long periods. No hand pain, no back pain. If it had bridge and neck pickups, it might be the perfect bass. But if I lost this one, it would have to be replaced. This is a very under-rated and underappreciated instrument.

This is a bolt-on graphite neck 4 string bass with a 35" scale length and a single active humbucker about half way between the 22nd fret and the bridge. The string spacing is quite tight on this bass, with a 1.5" width at the nut. Black metallic poly finish 18v Cirrus preamp. Volume, high, mid, and bass controls +/- 10db with flat center detente. Gotoh bridge with individual string height and intonation adjustments. The light weight makes long nights easy. If it had two pickups, I'd give it 9.5

This instrument has a very high S/N ratio, and the 18v preamp puts out a very strong signal. The tonal range is wide enough to cover everything that I play (blues, classic rock, country...) The 35" scale makes the low notes ring with beautiful clarity. I'm using this bass with a Hughes & Kettner 400 watt Quantum 412, and an Avatar 210 NEO.

Bass was set up right from day one. I usually have to make numerous adjustments on a new bass, but this one was ready to play immediately. I have tried different strings on it, and had to make minor adjustments to accomodate the strings, but it really was fine when I got it.

This is a very well made bass, and the graphite neck should be indestructible. It certainly isn't as affected by weather as some other instruments I've played. As long as I have extra batteries, I don't need a backup bass with this.

Peavey only offered a one year warranty on this bass, but I have never had a problem with it. Their web support is very good.

I have been playing stringed instruments for about 40 years, but serious bass for only a handful. I have several other Peaveys, a Schecter Stiletto Studio 8, and a Guild Ashbory. This is a great playing bass with a nice clear sound. I would replace this if it were stolen. There are not that many 35" scale 4-stringed basses to choose from, especially in this price range.

I purchased my peavey G-bass and case a couple of years ago. It has a thin graphite neck that gives the bass a nice balance. It has a single active pickup and 3 band - bass - mid - treble eq. Body is small and light making this an easy bass to play for long stretches.

One of the reasons that I purchased this bass, is that the 4th string is clear and intonated all the way up the neck (I don't find this to be true on most basses). The bass works nicely for jazz/folk/rock which I do in the present band. It also has great sound when I play up at the 12th fret when playing in church (I try not to overwhelm the rest of the choir or the congregation). I find the bass quiet without much noise when playing at low volumes which makes for great recording. I can't say that for my other bass which crackles at all volumes. I play through an SWR with an extra 18" bottom speaker when out on the road and the SWR by itself in church. Great tone and punch.

I found the bass was great at the store and did not change anything except strings and I lowered the pickup to compensate for some of the slapping that I do.

This bass is extremely well made. With the great case the peavey makes, I would have to throw it out of the truck to wreck it. Easily its best feature

I've emailed peavey a few times and they have responded. I haven't needed them elsewise. Besides, if I needed anything, my dealer would look after me.

I am guessing they would be helpful, but I don't know for sure.

I have been playing bass and guitar for 30+ years. During that time I have owned 6 different basses and countless guitars. If it were stolen, I would purchase a similar bass (peavey), but I can't say for certain it would be this one. I love its simplicity. Dialing in a tone is very easy and the active electronics give it a powerful signal. I wish that it had a second pickup to allow for more tones, but I haven't missed them that much.

MY peavey G bass is a 2003.USA made.The graphite neck is thin but very playable. I think the pau ferro fret board gives it a nicer tone than modulus necks. Original pickup is active and 3 band cirrus eq.Body is small and light.Nice and very simple.

The original electronics on this bass do it no justice! Sounded Just O.K. I dropped in a Basslines MM humbucker and Duncan usa 3band with slap contour at 18 volts,as well as a mini toggle for series/parallel, NOW this bass sounds AWSOME!!!
Very versatile, better than a stingray.

Very well made,poor electronics.

Solid. Use strap locks!Don't need a backup with this one.

Very good customer service.

I've been learning for 9 years. I'm a guitar tech and Know my instruments. the G bass is not the quality of a modulus, but you can get better tone than there single PU model with a good electronics modification. I think passive pickups with active EQ sounds best on this particular bass. At this price its an awsome buy!

"Carbon composite/graphite adjustable neck 35" scale length 21 medium jumbo frets Pau Ferro fingerboard, 8" radius 1.5" nut width, Graphlon? topnut Sculpted, lightweight basswood body VFL plus internally active pickup, Gotoh 201 bridge Die-cast, enclosed mini machine heads and Sculpted neck heel for improved access to all frets." -courtesy of the Peavey Website
It's a 4-string, and was made in the USA circa 1999. It has volume, bass, mid, and treble knobs (active electronics), all with a nice rubber coating so they're easy to grip, and still look stylish. It came with a hard case. It's a dark sparkly metallic green. Despite it's size, it's relatively light.

I play Frank Zappa and old Cliff Burton Metallica mostly, and it actually does a good job of holding up (of course I'd need a wah pedal and distortion to truly emulate Cliff, but I can get a similar tone). I use a Fender Frontman 15B practice amp, and no effects. The electronics on this thing are 18 volt, which means they're clean and quiet. Very nice. It's got a nice full sound with a little bite, it's warm and can be bright too. Since it's got the 3 adjustable EQs, it can be customized a bit. I think a lot also has to do with the strings. Right now it's using ass-quality roundwounds, with little lumps and bends in them. I'm sure if I put some quality strings on it, it would sound even better. I wouldn't say that it sounds dark, because I would associate that with a distorted sound, and it's strong on clarity. I think it could be used on the stage or in the studio, although it gets its biggest milage in the bedroom right now.
My only complaint with it is that it only has one pickup. I would like the ability to shift between the different tones of neck and bridge positions.

This thing is set up quite well. I've noticed no flaws and the dynamics of the strings are relatively equal, meaning the pickup works very well. I noticed a very faint reduction in hiss when the treble is turned down, but I think this occurs with any bass. One other thing, it's a bolt-on neck so it suffers a little bit with a bulky heel. It's not the worst I've experienced, but if you're going to be sliding up there often you might want to try it before you buy.

This seems like a very well built bass. I haven't tried dropping it or anything, but everything seems secure. Since it's got a graphite neck, I don't know if it even needs to be adjusted. It doesn't seem to bend any or cause any wobbling of notes, even when I snap the E string ( which happened on another bass of mine).

I contacted the company by their website forum once to ask about what the VFL stood for on their pickups (Vertical Flux something or other). One of their employees responded quickly and infomatively. I bought this bass used so I doubt it has any kind of warranty. If I could say how well they would respond to a repair issue, I would rate this more confidently...

I've been playing for a few years now. I also have a Peavey Axcellerator fretless, which kind of shows me how much Peavey has progressed in the bass field. This one is impeccably built, and sounds good to boot. If it were lost or stolen, I'd probably buy something else, but that's just because I'm curious about semi-hollow and acoustic basses. In fact, I think it's excellent in every way but the single pickup. If it had two pickups, then I would say it's perfect. Still, I would say it's the best single pickup bass out there, especially in the price range. I compared it to some Fenders (jazz and precision) and a Danelectro, but I found it had the most clarity and best tone to my ears. Bass Player magazine also thought it was pretty hot stuff, giving it a Top Tone and Best Buy award. A quick comment as well: This bass has some serious spaces between the frets due to the 35" scale, so small handed folk may feel a bit uncomfortable at the lower end (I'm blessed with bigguns, so I love it). Any questions are welcome!