Peavey Milestone II Bass

Not much to say here, it's a p-bass. black with a painted over white pickguard.

I like to play a little of everything. I use my peavey with a variety of amplifiers, it does have a grounding issue when the tone knob is turned all the way up. but, you get over that by wearing thick soled shoes. It has a full sound, well rounded. Like I said, I play everything from AC-DC to Z.Z. Top so it works out very well for everything.

I wouldn't know, I bought it from a pawn shop nine years ago. No rust, I honestly think I could leave it in the rain and it wouldn't rust.

This bass is a behemoth. it weighs in at about 8 1/2 pounds, i installed dunlop straplocks, and I never need to adjust anything. the finish has stayed aside from the chips and dings from use. I play live with the beast all the time. and the hardware could only use new pots.

i do all my servicing myself. Warranty.....psh...

Like I said, I've played on it for nine years, I own three other basses for a variety of uses, but I keep coming back to the peavey. I run on four different amps and I've had no problems.I love that it's so solid and it has a great sound. the only drawback that I've found is the sheer weight of it. You really do need a padded strap to play this monster of a bass. I'm not the biggest fan of the action, but it does the job that it's supposed to, so I don't really want to mess with it.

ANOTHER UPDATE.

Sometime after my previous episode, I made the first of many modifications to my Milestone II by replacing the stock split p-bass style pickup with an inexpensive Duncan unit (a "Basslines" pickup? I don't remember.) This improved the sound somewhat.

The Milestone II body is definitely thinner than a "real" p-bass, and the material is good old multi-ply laminate, ie plywood, the tonewood of cheapskates. I've since replaced this thing with a white, solid wood p-bass body (can't say if it's Fender-made or not), which, in spite of an ill-fitting neck pocket, complements the old Peavey neck quite nicely and sounds fairly good too. Not stellar, but a decent, basic Precision thump. The original body has since been eBayed to a good home.

Here is a summary of the mods I've made to my Milestone II, begging the question as to whether the resulting bass, like the distant descendent of a great old band now slogging through the oldies tour circuit with only the original tambourine player still in the lineup, should still be called a Milestone II:

1) Stock pickups replaced.
2) Pickguard mostly removed except for piece around controls (cut wih a small saw by hand) for cool minimal, vaguely '55 Precision look.
3) Control pots replaced (I think).
4) Body replaced.
5) "Control plate" replaced with full tortoise shell pickguard and white knobs from my old Harmony H80t str@t for cool vintage look.
6) Control pots replaced again, this time with full-size units including a push-pull tone pot wired as a tone capacitor bypass switch for instant treble tone.
7) Tortoise shell guard swapped out for the old Milestone II "control-plate" for cool minimal, all-white "homemade" look. Current state of bass.

The surviving minor components from the original bass are really showing their age and cheapness. The neck is still pretty nice overall, but the tuners are in bad need of replacement; the little hex screw things which hold the worm gear/knob shafts on two or three of the tuners have long disappeared, and the tuners sympathetically vibrate on certain notes, deadening them. They do still keep in tune well, however. Meanwhile, the bridge and saddle springs have rusted considerably. Minor components are where corners are often cut on inexpensive guitars, and the Milestone II was a good example; in a previous review I noted that the bridge was already rusting after only four years of not-too-heavy usage.

It's been over 10 years since I bought my Milestone II. In that time, a lot has changed. I went from being a bedroom music nerd who wanted a bass to informally noodle with on 4-track demos, through several bands in which I played at least some (and in one band, all) bass, and in the process became a pretty damn good player in spite of the bass not being my first or main instrument. Meanwhile, what was good enough in 1999 was not good enough as early as sometime in 2002, when I started modding the Milestone II in an effort to personalize/improve it. Today pieces of it--mainly the neck and bridge) still soldier on with that replacement body and electronics. It is in this form that, except for further minor component replacements, the old Milestone will probably remain. I think I've wrung all the possibilities that I want to out of it. While it's still a serviceable bass that has paid its dues and still gets used when I record, I now long for another new instrument--I'm really impressed by the inexpensive maple-bodied Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass that I've tried out at Guitar Center recently. Cheap basses in 2009 are in a whole 'nother class than they were in 1999; even the $100 Chinese-made p-bass clones from SX/Rondo Music are made with solid (not plywood!) alder bodies, just like MIM Fenders.

That being said, the verdict is this. The late '90s Milestone II bass is probably obsolete by today's standards, and by this late date you probably won't find one outside of a pawn shop, yard sale, or eBay. It can be a decent cheap platform for DIY modding, weekend gigging, or learning/practice, but don't expect a *great* bass. In factory form, it's a basic p-bass clone, nothing more. Good initial fit and finish, but equipped with cheap parts that will not last long if they haven't already been replaced at least once. Good neck, though. Okay, but not excellent, tone. Don't pay more than $50 for one.

And that's the end of the saga, as far as my Harmony Central reviews of this bass go. Now to get my thoughts together on my Little Big Muff Pi... :-)

Not sure about the model year or where it was manufactured...but because it's an international series model, my assumption is that it was made overseas...Standard P-bass configuration, maybe cheapo hardware, tobacco sunburst with rosewood neck.... i bought this bass for 100 bucks used and have put zero hours into setting it up and have encountered no problems at all

I'm a pro player, mostly blues but many differnt styles from country to hard rock to funk... My main bass is an older Mexican Jazz thats been extensively modded, only stock parts are the knobs lol however i bought this bass cuz i couldn't resist the price and haven't regretted it for a minute... my rig is an ampeg SVT pro 3 running into an 8-10 svt cab (which i love!)...now here is where it gets cool, one of my gigs is unplugged (sort of lol) country, blues, bluegrass gig, no drums; my jazz bass is great but just wasn't quite cutting it in that application for some reason and i was contemplating getting a stand up bass for that gig but couldnt justify the expense. i ended up bringing my Peavey to the gig one day, found an old piece of foam and put that under the strings between the pickup and bridge to knock the sustain out. Long story short, it worked like a charm! it sounds exactly like a standup and there's no end to the compliments i receive on my sound with it! i absolutely love it! Necessity is always the mother of invention lol

As before, i bought it used off a guy who never played it and put no hours of maintenance other than having to put a bit of lemon oil on the fretboard... i think he probably had it sitting in a sunny spot and just let it dry out... not a manufacturers issue at all tho... no noisy pots and dont know if i'll change the electronics on it (unless they fail) because it's perfectly suited for what i use it for... plays nice too

I always bring a backup to my gigs, always thinking of a worse case scenario lol chalk it up to paranoia lol been using it live every week for a number of weeks, always stays in tune...i'll put strap locks on it but thats a personal preference...and hey if it aint broke don't fix it!!!

Never dealt with them and dont anticpate i will

I've been playing bass for 30 years, professionally for 27 and am generally drawn to fender basses... i own a 17 year old Fender Mexican Jazz bass(modded), a Fender Jaguar bass that i modded to the low four strings of a five string setup (wanted those low notes without having to get a 5 string and it works beautifully) and a Rogue 8 string bass, basically everything wierd and wonderful lol and of course my Peavey Milestone... if i lost it i would seek out another one...I'm very happy with it as are my bandmates(accomplished musicians i might add) as it suits the gig and hey it saved me a couple of grand on an upright!

Standard stuff, one passive pickup with a tone and volue knob, front loading input jack, rosewood fretboard, maple neck, four strings, open backed tuners.

It buzzes just a little when I'm not touching it, but it's not bad. Sounds just fine after seting it up. I really am a guitar player so I don't know much about bass tones, but even with the really old tarnished strings on there it sounds just fine.

I don't know how this thing was set up at the factory because I got it used. I've never seen an instrument set up worse than this one. The strings were a full half inch from the fretboard. After setting it up I saw that the neck was poorly made. It's kind of a boat shape, where it gets close to the strings at the nut, then dips down, and gets close again at the base of the body. This makes some dead frets when playing around the 14th fret and higher. The inlays are aweful, they sink down as if they are carved into the neck. Luckily they are just small dots and don't affect the playability of the instrument.

The tuners seem very unsturdy and I'm sure this thing will go out of tune if left sitting. I wouldn't really use it to gig unless I had some time to adjust the tuning between sets. The strap buttons seem like they will come off if I use them too much. The tone knob has already come off. I adjusted the truss rod and it doesnt seem very sturdy, it will probablly have to be adjusted from time to time.

Although I'm a guitar player, I have had to do bass for a while and I hold up a fair bassline. Even when adjusted the action is too high for comfort. This is maybe a good one for occasional use (which I what I use it for) or for a backup but if you're serious about playing bass you can probablly find something better.

This is an update of my last review of this bass...
Features haven't changed

Still play through the Backline 600 and 1x15 and 4x10 cabinets. Sound is pretty good, but not really versitile. Most recently the higher note pickup died or something because now I can hardly get sound from my G string.

Once again; I bought it from a pawn shop. Yes the body has flaws but I still never have to tune it.

Lower notes are always true. Never goes out of tune, and with new pickups this would be an awesome bass.

What is a warranty?

Absolutely buy this bass. Then immediately go change the pickups.

Bought this Bass used, as my first ever bass on a long-time bassists recommendation. The on-body adjustments allow for shaping in a hurry, but I never can get the right mix for mid-high end sound. Low end not a problem. It's a P-Bass copy and some of the finnish is chipping, but still a solid bass.
Sound shaping knobs are a little funny to use though.

Low end sound is great, but no high end reliability. Playing tonic/walking notes for country is no problem, but trying to do rock covers with higher notes (Sunshine of your love, For whom the bell toll's, etc....), or even blues with bass that goes all over the chord, the high end sounds never match in volume or punch as the lower tones.

Didn't recieve this bass with factory setup. In about 30 minutes I had adjusted the action and intonation, and retuned the strings (first timer). All the hardware is in good condition, no rust or loose tuning pegs or anything.

Never played it live, but I jam with it for about 6 hrs a week with a band, never had a problem. The strings seem to NEVER come out of tune. The other guitarists are usually tuning to me instead of breaking out the tuner. Strap is always popping off, which usually results in dropping the bass, never a problem. I have probably dropped this bass 20 times in the past year and never had any problems with it. If I ever get to gig I would feel comfortable not taking a backup.

Never dealt with them, but hey, it's Peavey

Been playing for about one year and right now I only own this bass. I play it through a GK Backline600 into the P.A. for now. This is a ROCK SOLID bass. I will never get rid of it, I will upgrade to other basses but for the "under $300.00 catagory" This bass wins HANDS DOWN over everything else I've played (Epiphone, Ibanez, Dean. Favorite feature is that I plug in and play. Never had to stop and tune before joining in. The neck isn't the most comfortable I've played, but before spending alot of money I wanted to know if the problems in the sound were me or the bass. It's usually me with this bass.

i bought this in 95 i think, classic p bass with 20some frets, black with white pickguard, volume and tone knob.

i played it for a couple years with the original pickup and it sounded ok but it was kinda quiet and not too punchy so i put in a duncan quarter pounder and now this things got a lot of lows and mids, sound pretty good. the tone controll is the only downfall, its either flat and muffled which i like of super ultra clicky when its turned up. anyway sounds real good now.

a pretty solid bass, mines got some chips in it from bein thrown around but its still solid and never goes out of tune and it playes really well, no buzz ever.

its my back up bass to a stingray and it has never let me down. its a workhorse

n/a

ive played for about 10 years and it was my first bass and ill never sell it playes nice and it is good

Typical Precision bass copy with split pickup. Master volume and tone controls. 4 adjustable string saddles on a vintage style folded plate type bridgeplate. Real hardwood body with maple neck and rosewood fretboard. The neck is typical vintage profile ?P? bass, ie medium thick. This bass is made somewhere overseas for Peavey.

Typical ?P? bass sound. Real lowdown. Needs EQ on the amp to boost the high end response if that?s what you want, but can?t quite get the ring like a ?J? bass even with some serious fooling with the EQ. High output pickups compared to other ?P? basses I tried.

When I got this guitar it had a few nicks and dings in the wood so I decided to refinish it. It has a tight neck to body fit and upon stripping it down, I discovered a nicely patterned multi-piece hardwood body. I left it natural and finished it in hand-rubbed satin polyurethane for an oiled finish look. This bass plays wonderfully and hangs real nice ? comfortable and balanced.

Solid Guitar. Looks like it withstood a few years of hard use and survived.

Have never had to contact the manufacturer for anything, but they can be contacted on the internet or direct by phone.

I?m new at owning a bass guitar. I have played over the years but never owned a guitar or amplification system specifically for bass. I?m very quickly becoming ?preferential? as to equipment needs. I like the ?P? style basses. Simple yet solid. No extra pots, switches or BS. I prefer to shape my sound from the amp EQ and the effects on board. I have a Behringer BX3000T 300 watt head which provides that capability.

It works fairly well for my purposes (Jazz, Blues), since it has a really nice mellow sound with the tone knob all the way down. However, it tends to sound way too twangy when the knob is turned up even a little.

I owned and abused this bass for about two years before I actually learned anything about the setup, so I ended up with a fairly hideous feel when I picked it up again six months ago. However, it returned to a pretty good setup with only about five minutes work, so I have to assume that it was decent to start with. My only complaint is the high pickups.

This thing has survived being dropped onto brushed concrete, stored leaning against a desk with a computer monitor on the body, and no strings, for six months. It is built like a rock.

This is my first bass, so I guess I don't have a lot to judge against. I have played others, however, so I know that I like the feel of this one. The neck feels really fast, which is nice for jazz, but I feel like the action is about a mile high to prevent fret buzz. If this was ever stolen, I don't know whether or not I would get a new one. I would probably build a custom ax.

i bought this bass in 96 and its a pretty simple bass. its a p bass and if you want to know the features read the other peoples reviews

this bass sounds good ever since i put in a seymour quarter pound pickup in it. its a little big and boomy and sort of hard to control the tone but for heavy rock its great. it gives me a bit of trouble on stage cause the tone knob is useless. you either get full tone or none.

this bass plays great, i play with some 110s on it and it can handle them nicely. the finish is good and strong, ive smashed the shit out of this bass and it still doesnt break or go out of tune.

super strong, better than a fender if it werent for the electronics alwas breakin

its ok, replace your pots and youve got a fender