Peavey Millennium 4 AC BXP

All of the features have already been listed, so we'll move on. I'm giving it a 9 for the lack of an easily accessible battery, a drop in type would be MUCH better than the unscrew type.

This was my first bass. My teacher called me to come check it out when they first got them at the music store, 5 minutes of playing it and I was hooked. The active electronics deliver! The neck is very easy to play. I played the stock strings for a while, but at the time I was playing blues so I wanted a set of strings that were easier on my fingers as a beginner. I put a set of LaBella Tapewounds on it and everyone compliments me on the tone I got. You can make it sound like an upright if you use a light touch, or you can dig in more and get a rockier tone. After putting the tapewounds on, I've never put another set of strings on-this is permanantly my blues bass. I've run it through 5 or 6 different setups at various jams and have never had a problem with the tone or sound.
The only noise is a slight hiss when the treble is boosted all the way up and the volume is all the way up. If you boost the bass, it'll blow speakers if you're not careful (oops).
I've never recorded with it "professionally", but it works fine doing a direct in through a laptop sound cards, no added noise.

I bought the display at a store, so I'm not sure who did the setup. My teacher raised the action when I added the tapewounds due to winding, but it's never given me any issues. The bridge is easy to raise the action but a bit of a pain to do intonation because the screws are under the strings. I've never had to adjust the pickups, so no issues there.

Flaw wise, I bought the display so the few scratches along the bottom I'll attribute to that. I have the Tiger's Eye version, beautiful color. No issues with durability thus far although I was told the photofinishes don't hold up. It's a beautiful bass! All the pegs were tight, all of the screws were tight, no nut issues, no noise issues, etc. This one spoiled me as my first bass. I bought an ibanez after this and have had a ton of troubles.

I did have a crackle in the input jack, I figured that came from unplugging it improperly (first bass!). When the bass was repaired (see below) they fixed that for me.

The bass is very well balanced, no neck dive. The standard shape works on all body types (including women!), which was a problem with other brands I tried.

I used this bass extensively at blues jams, it's had the headstock whacked by the ceiling fan, it's slid and hit the floor (don't lean it against anything!), it's had a stand dump it.... but so far so good.

Now for my only issue with it-I got one of the first models (2006). It went through TWO batteries a week......9 volts. I had stock in duracell! Knowing nothing about basses, I figured this was part of the gig and just changed them every week. When it died, it died. Made a few pops and cut out. Never gave warning, so I became a paranoid battery changer. I ended up switching to a 5 string for my current band, and this one went on the wall. After having it for about two years I came across the Peavey forum and read about someone having the same problem and the tech (Steve) telling them to send it back, it was a known issue. I contacted Steve figuring I'd have to pay for the repair, he told me to ship it back.... two months later (I told him I wasn't in a hurry, this wasn't being used) I had my bass back. I'd also told him about the crackle in the output jack if you bumped it, and they fixed that!*And* I had worn out the battery compartment screws from changing the batteries every week, and they replaced them without me even thinking to ask! The only thing I paid was shipping to them. So if you have the first models and they eat batteries, it's fixable and not a reliability issue.....

I've never adjusted the truss rod on it. I replaced the strap buttons immediatly with straplocks after my first time holding the bass the strap slipped off (old strap), and they've held up fine. Not a bit of problems with the finish, scratches don't seem to go far enough to affect the photofinish.

I used it on many gigs without a backup, I just made sure to change batteries before. It's never failed me otherwise!

See above for my repair experience.

Honestly, peavey earned a customer for life after my experience with the board repair. I bought an ibanez for my first 5 string, and after a little more than a year the preamp went. Found out it'd be be $120 just for the preamp part and getting ahold of Ibanez was like pulling teeth-ferget it. I decided enough was enough and ordered the 5 string version of this same bass (maroon this time!). This way I *know* I can get the service I need at reasonable repair costs. When a known tech can't even get ahold of the company, there's a problem. When I personally get a bass repaired with no fuss through the company, there's no problem and veryyyyy happy customer.

I've had no complaints with this bass. I went down and tried out very high end basses......yes they had cooler wood, but this neck is perfect for my playing style and I like the way these sound. I have a passive peavey also but the actives just blow you out of the water. I've gotten a few snobbish looks from other players, but once they hear the bass they change their tunes.
For slap the strings are a little close together, but if you play enough on it you get used to it. I don't play high enough to care about the scale length. Before I ordered the 5 string version I again went to music stores and tried all levels of bass out..... I'm happy with this line. I've played other players' custom built basses and didn't see enough of a difference to make the money worth it.
There's no neck dive (very well balanced) which is important to a smaller framed woman-I don't want to be holding up a neck all night.
My only wishes are for a) drop in battery box b) a passive/active switch and maybe c) intonation screws accesaible without loosening the strings. Since I've only set the intonation once, that's not a biggie.

Peavey Millenium 4 AC BXP, 2007 Model
Actually a replacement (Warranty) for a 2006 Model
21 Frets, 34" Scale
2 Cirrus Line Active Humbuckers, Volume, 3 Band EQ & Blend
Agathis Body, Quilted Maple top, Transparent Black, Black hardware
Tusq Nut Hipshot bridge, string thru.

Sound quality is awesome.
Used with a Fender Bassman 150 and a Behringer 4500.
Only noisy when the battery is low.
Sound can be rich, dark, warm or bright and almost infinetly variable in adjustment.
Don't know about stage sound but good in a studio.

This is interesting, the first one was ok but the action was high and the neck was badly bowed. Sent it to the factory when I broke the truss rod and they SENT ME A NEW BASS!! FOR FREE!!. Awesome setup on the new one, perfect neck bow, low action and no buzzing!
First one was a 5 this one is definately a 10.

Absolutely reliable, well made and solid. Finish is thick and doesn't scratch easily. Replaced strap buttons with strap-locks. I can depend on it as long as I have extra batteries, but really the batteries give ok life if you unplug the bass when your not using it. Rated an 8 because I broke the truss rod on the first one but the new one has a completely different adjustment system, adjusting at the headstock instead of the body.

These guys are great. I broke the truss rod when trying to get excessive bow out of the neck. When I contacted them I was ready for an argument about me being an idiot --- didn't happen. They were friendly, professional and more than accomadating. They said if the truss rod broke and the neck was still bowed it wasn't my fault. When I sent it in they replaced the ENTIRE BASS with a NEW one! First one was a violet I never really liked, new one is a beautiful transparent black. Peavey earned a customer for life!

I've only played bass for about 2 years but I've been playing guitar for about 12 years, mostly acoustic and an Epiphone DOT. Picked up the bass to work on my timing and rythim and couldn't be happier. Now I play the bass at least as much as my Martin. I would absolutely replace it with the same model if lost or stolen, excellent value and sound for the money. When mine was in the shop I looked at other basses but couldn't find an equal in quality/price/performance without spending a lot more money.

Can't add to what's already been described.

Dynamic range, with lots of control over sound. I now play heavier stuff and '70s-sounding rock mostly, and with a pedal or a rack effects unit, you can get anything you want out of this bass.

I got it used on eBay with a hard shell case. I don't know if someone spent time setting it up or if it was the factory settings, but I didn't have to change a thing. Played it straight out of the case.

This is a solid bass. I love it. Just bring lots of batteries with you... Lots. I like active pick-ups, but these die immediately when the batteries (2) begin to lose juice. My other basses with actives have died lingering deaths. Not this one. It's like someone throws a switch and your bass goes off. A couple of bassy farts and it's over... No warning.

If you're prepared for it, it's not a big deal - replace the batteries before shows and you'll be fine. But if you're playing this thing a lot, you'll want to rig a better battery access system on the back. You don't want to be messing with the two small screws holding down the plate on the back too frequently. Eventually, I'll rig a Velcro set-up that will hold the two 9-volts in place, and will allow for easy and quick changes.

Because of that, I'll never use this bass on stage without a tuned back-up ready to go. Don't get me wrong - I love this bass, and the sound is great, but you should be ready for a sudden swap.

Never had to contact them.

I've been playing for about 17 years. I now own the Peavey, a Fender acoustic and my old Fernandez bass (my first, so i can't part with it - it also has a thin neck, and sounds OK for a cheap-o bass). Also own a Dean guitar, just because. I tend to get rid of stuff I don't use very often, in order to avoid GAS.

If this bass were lost, I would almost certainly replace is - used, just like I bought it. I found this one for $200 with a hard shell case. For that kind of money, it was an absolute steal. It's got great sound. It's solid, and it's been very trustworthy - just mind your power supply.

I thinking about picking up a Burns next, but I'd still play this one almost as often.

All the features have been mentioned already. Only thing I might point out is the individual bridge pieces, something I've come to appreciate.

I use this bass with a Yorkville XS400H through a Traynor 1510 cab. I mostly use it in a Rush cover band, so I needed bright & cutting. This has a very aggressive tone. I personally don't care for the eq points on the bass and treble knobs, but that may just be me. The bass just seems to muddy it up, and the treble just ups the string noise with no appreciable benefit. The mid is pretty handy, though. It is a decent tone, and dead quiet out of the box, but I will most likely replace the electronics. There's nothing wrong with it as such, but I end up dialing a lot in on the amp rather than the bass itself.

This was why I bought this particular bass. Between the pickup placement and the thin neck, it was the fastest playing bass I'd ever picked up, at least for my hands & style. The finish is really eye-catching as well (I got the tiger-eye one). It's obviously a cheap laminate if you really want to dig, but it looks really nice.

Tougher than it feels. The one I got feels substantially lighter than any of the other BXP AC's I've picked up, don't know if it's a problem or a feature. I like it. Has withstood many gigs already. Hasn't taken any big spills or anything, but seems ok. The strap buttons are really good, haven't even had to go to strap locks yet. Very big and sturdy.

I adjusted the truss when I got it, just to adjust for my playing. Very easy to adjust, haven't touched it since. I don't ever do a gig without a backup anymore, but it's never failed me yet.

Haven't had to deal with them yet.

I've been playing for 20+ years. I joined a Rush cover band, but only had a 5-string at the time, and well, it just doesn't feel right doing Rush on a 5. I purchased it almost on a whim - the deciding factors were the thin neck and the individual bridge pieces. Amazing what you can get for the price these days. It's not the be-all, end-all of what I want, but it's got me on the right path.

Any gripes I have are about the electronics. The pickups are rumored to be the same VFLs as in the Cirrus. That may be true, but the pots certainly can't be the same. The balance knob is more like a 3-way selector switch. If you move it off the center detente, it very noticeably switches tone to either pickup, rather than blending. It eats through batteries like crazy too, way more than any active system I've had - and I've had almost exclusively active systems since I've been playing.

If you're a beginner, this is an absolute gem. I wish I'd have had something like this in this price range when I was coming up. It is absolutely fantastic for the money. If you're more pro, it is still a great bass, but you will probably want to upgrade the electronics ASAP.

This bass has a very thin neck making it very easy to play. The pickups work great giving it a nice sound. It has 21 frets and a maple neck.

I love the sound of this bass, especially for the price. I use it with a peavey amp and it sounds great. I slap with it and that also sounds great.

When I bought it it was set up very well and i brought it home and played it that day.

I have played live with this bass a couple of times now and it still sounds awesome. I feel this bass is very reliable I havent had a problem with it since I bought it about a year ago. However, i did have a problem with one of the volume knobs but it was easy to fix.

This bass has a fantastic sound and is very durable. It is only about 250$ and it is excellent value. I highly suggest it for a someone who is looking for a good, cheap bass.

Made a few years ago in Indonesia of all places. Active humbuckers with 18 volt controls which are volume, pickup selector and 3 band EQ. I like the way on each of the pots theres a click 2 either signify half way or pickup (this isnt on the volume pot btw). I got the trans black finish which shows the maple top which also changes colour in different lights (purple and red so far). The tuners worked very well and i usually didnt need 2 tune it 4 weeks on end. I also like the way the bridge is string thru but strings can also be mounted to the bridge to accomondate thickers strings. The truss rod is good because as it has been mounted body end Peavey has made the end into a wheel which can easily b adjusted with the tool they provided meaning you dont have 2 remove the neck 2 adjust the rod.

I found the pickups 2 b quite powerful and the use of the EQ could get a range of tone. I used it in a death metal band and it looked and sounded the part. I used this live and in the studio and it worked well in each situation.

The action from the factory was how i like it and the pickups are arched on top so they didnt need adjusting. The finish was very nice but it is noticeably black in day light but it doesnt take much to make the maple come thru (different lights etc).

This bass withstood playing live and practices and handeled heat well in the practice rooms and it is dependable (ive gigged without backup). The hardware is very solid and worked very well.

Never had to deal with Peavey

I've been playing bass for a bit now and i've played many (Fenders and Yamahas) and i still really like this bass. The neck is very comfortable and thin (almost electric guitar size) which is very important for live work. If it were stolen I would definately buy another. The only thing I wish it had was a whammy bar so I could go mad on it but then they're not standard on many basses and this is hardly a negative point.

The features on this bass are A1. You get a 3 band cut/boost EQ connected to a pair of active humbuckers and it sounds SWEET. The blend works really nicely and makes it easy to choose your tone and the volume control goes incredibly loud even on my lowest amp setting. The neck is more a Jazz style neck. Thin and very easy to play. The look of this thing is really nice aswell. I got it in Maroon and the top wood looks beautiful.

I really like the sound of this bass. With its EQ its almost impossible to not get a great sounding tone for any style. I play a mix of things, from Jazz to Metal and you can dial in anything and it seems to always sound great. So far I havn't managed to make it give me any hum but I havn't yet tried it at its loudest.

Came from a music shop so was pre set-up, no problems here.

Havn't had it long but it feels extremely sturdy. The finish is pretty solid so probably won't give out and the bass is a pretty chunky piece of kit. No opinion until later days.

Long warranty but havn't needed CS yet.

Overall this is a great intermidiate/semi pro bass that sounds great and can give you a lot of versatility for the money.

2005 with tons of features, including active electronics, great looks etc..

Using mainly with small practice amps, 20 -100 watts. Full sounding, can be changed using on board EQ.

The set up was a disgrace. This bass went immediately to the store for a full two weeks. Everything had to be changed, from the saddle height to the truss rod, the cheap nut, the terrible strings. It looked great. But great looks ain't music. The pegs are crap too, come to think of it. This is the only instrument I ever had to get a complete re-set on. While, I agree that store purchasing is best, I normally have no problems with bass or electric guitars. Acoustic and classical are different beasts, whether machine or hand made.

I have to defer on whether this thing will last. I doubt it very much.

They got right back to me. Blamed the dealer. The dealer blamed them. At first I thought it was a return, but I double checked the box with a magnifying glass. I am shocked that the instrument came without a warranty card or manual.

Ramirez classical, Washburn accoustic, Taylor acoustic, Ibanez SZ520, Fender American Stratocaster, acoustic bass.

From Peavey: player's bass for their solid low end, playability and craftsmanship?in fact, pros such as John Campbell (Lamb of God), Josh Sattler (doubleDRIVE) and Marco Mendoza (Ted Nugent, Whitesnake) are avid Millennium players.Each Millennium AC BXP bass features an agathis body, hard rock maple neck with rosewood fretboard and an attractive quilted maple cap. An active electronic system, driven by Peavey Cirrus? neck and bridge active pickups, provides an extra boost in volume and tone with more expressive sound control. These 21-fret, 34 inch scale basses also feature volume, pickup blend, bass, mid and treble controls, as well as the new Peavey headstock design.

Features

* 34 inch scale
* Five-bolt attachment with hard rock maple neck
* Rosewood fretboard and agathis body with quilted veneer
* 21 frets
* Hipshot? Y-style machine heads
* Standard wheel torsion rod
* Finger-style bridge, string-thru with string-thru ferrules
* Peavey VFL? active pickups
* Volume, pickup blend, bass, mid, and treble controls
* Satin black hardware
* Case not included
From me: For the price, unbeatable features. Sure I would have liked to have a Hipshot D-Tuner and battery compartments that were more easily accessible (Screws? Really now, how about a spring switch?) but that is really nitpicking on this fine instrument.

I play alternative and traditional metal and hard rock mostly. But with the range of tones you get can get from this thing with the 3-band EQ and pick-up blend I would expect it to be suitable for anything as long as you have the right amp.

Perfect! Simply the best feeling bass I have ever had my hands on. I thought nothing would beat the feel of my Peavy Foundation's maple neck, but the rosewood fretboard here is as smooth as silk. I love the super low action and effortless playing. I never knew I could play that fast!
The neck is a Jazz style narrow/tapered affair (as a converted guitarist I hat ethe fel of big old logs in myhand and prefer slimmer necks) This (and my Foundation) beat anything I have ever tried from Fender or Ibanez for that matter as far as comfort goes.

There may be some pinprick imperfections in the gloss finish, but you'd need to get real close to see them. The color is black violet over a gorgeous maple quilt. I expected the black violet to be bluer than it is, but it is shaded a bit towards red giving the guitar a magenta-ish look under some light. Still it is a looker.

No other issues here.

This is the big question isn't it. I have hear mixed things about agathis, but I think everyone agrees it is softer than maple of mahogany. Time will tell, but if my American Foundation is any indication it should hold up fairly well. (I had to replace the pickup jack face plate and do a resolder on the Foundation after a few years).

In the past getting a response to Peavey via email was like pulling teeth, and they never did satisfactorily explain to me why they never went ahead with the much-hyped but never-manufactured BAM 110 amplifier.
And though they have manuals online, the specific manual for this bass isn't available, only the manual for the American Millenniums of a few years ago.

I've been playing guitar for 21 years and bass for about four years.
Other than the Foundation which I mentioned above, I have a Kramer Ferrington electric acoustic guitar and a custom made Grant/Reed Renaissance electric guitar. I work primarily in a home studio environment with Marshall solid state guitar amplification, Boss effects and Roland COSM amp modelling which is what I use for this bass.

Made in Indonesia. Active pickups that take 2 9 volt batteries. Controls for volume, pickup blend, low, mid, treb. Soapbar p-ups.
You couldn't ask for anything more at this price!

For the price, the sound can't be beat. Great control for switching live from finger style to slap. I have full manipulation of the sound from super tinny to a rediculous fart style dub sound and everything in between. There is a hissing noise when the treble is turned up much more than half way. This is not so noticable through an amp or live but it is VERY noticable when in a studio situation or with headphones. You can only hear it, however, when playing solo. I play jam packed electronica so it's no issue to me. Otherwise the general tone is spectacular. Had some issues with the tone knob*** SEE BELOW

The action was fine- Awesome actually as usual for Peavey. I was about to leave the store with one when I realized that the pickup blend knob had a LOUD scratching noise. They took it to repairs and tried to fix it and they said it was a bad pot so they ordered another one. 3 weeks later I went to pick up the new one and the batteries that came with it were dead. They assured me everythin was OK so I took it home. When I put new batteries in it... Guess What??? Same Problem!!! LOUD scratching when I turned the tone knob. This time the store put in a knew pot. The knob now sits 2mm higher than the others and there is still a slight scratch (only audible when the treb is cranked.) but it is acceptable by my standards. God only knows what kind of cheap pot they put in there!
The strings were fresh when I bought the bass and they were completely dead by the next day when I took it back. Where did they even find such crappy strings?

Neck and body are solid. Electronics are questionable. I have only had it for a week so I won't give a rating.

I emailed Peavey and posted on their forums. I didn't hear back for a couple of days and then their site went down. It's over a week later and nobody ever contacted me. A message is now up saying that their server was destroyed by KATRINA. This is why I will give them a mercy 3 instead of a 0.

Aside from the problem with the knob. This bass is hot. As far as I am concerned, Peavey makes the best and most comfortable necks on the market. The sound is great (especially for the price). This outperforms my much more expensive Fender "Stu Hamm Signature" bass.
This is the best Value on the market right now.