Peavey NTB-4 Grind

Hand made (cheaply) in the Far East. 34 inch scale. Neck-thru design made from laminated mahogany and maple. Rosewood fingerboard. Imbuya body wings. Scalloped lower horn. Generic tuners, plastic top nut, 24 frets, 2 Peavey passive soapbar pickups, passive electronics (2 volume, 2 tone).

I play mainly rock and metal. This bass produces pretty decent sounds - above what you would expect from a bass in this price range. Fairly warm fat tones with a bit growl. Good scooped mid-range ideal for some metal tones - although the mids can easily be fattened up using your amps mid control a bit higher than you might usually have it. Neck pick-up can be a bit muddy when using fuzz or distortion. Rolling the volume down slightly and fitting semi-flat or flat wound strings results in decent blues and jazz tones. Brilliant smooth sustain. Great harmonics from bridge pick-up.

Came fitted with awful strings, and the top nut was very roughly cut. Fretboard was dry and desperately needed some lemon oil. Otherwise fine. Intonation was excellent, action a touch high (but easy to adjust). No problems with pick-ups or electronics. Simple bridge and string thru-body makes it very simple to re-string.

Unfortunately the frets are very soft and wear down quite quickly. Strap buttons aren't much good either. Other than that it isn't too bad. I've had no problems with the electronics, bridge, or tuners, and I've never had to adjust the trust rod - despite regularly changing string guages.

Never had to deal with Peavey customer support.

Overall this is a decent bass - ideal for beginners or occasional players, but if your going to play it for hours every day look elsewhere because the soft frets are a pain and its hardly worth refretting such a cheap bass. Shame because this is an amazing bass to play. The neck is smooth, the thru-neck gives completely unrestricted upper fret access, the large soapbars are a great for resting your thumb on when playing with your fingers, and the long upper horn makes it well balanced on the strap (if you trust the strap-buttons)!

Neck-thru-body design
Mahogany neck with maple stringers
Imbuya wings
Passive humbucking pickups
24 frets
35" scale
Scalloped bottom horn

I was fortunate enough to pick up on a free hardshell case with mine. I waited quite a while for that option to be "in stock".

I play a varied style from Bluegrass to corn fed rock. This bass is pretty versatile. I play through a Peavey TNT with a 2 x 15 Kustom cab. The sound is a little much on the middles and not quite as bottomy as I expected but good enough anyway.

Action was too low when I got it. 'Course that was no problem to change. Everything is rock solid. The only flaw I found was the stain used on the headstock ran some onto another shade and smudged.

The bass is a very dependable and built solid bass. As far as the finish goes I haven't even decided if there IS a finish....pretty raw looking wood to me. But, it adds to the visual appeal as far as my tastes go.

Good correspondence.

I have played for 40 years, now. I have 8 basses. If something happened to this one I would try to get another one. I like the overall feel of the bass. Seems like I can get around on it pretty fast. My favorite feature is the neck thru neck. It would be cool if the electronics were active, but you can't have it all for under $370.00.

2004 Vietnam(!!??) 24 Fretted Model. Nameless "Humbucking" (I suspect single coil) pickups with standard V,V, T,T. This neck through body has imbuya wings on a maple/mahognay neck with a rosewood board. The maple used in neck is only for the stringers. This bass is satin finished and sounded to good to be true but at under $200 new I could not pass it up...READ ON THOUGH...

The sound of the NTB4 is very good based on the asumption that you throw all previous EQ settings out the window. This goes for amp, DI, effects processor etc. In order to get a specific tone IE funk, jazz, you have to fiddle with the volume and trim of both pickups almost endlessly. I think the pickups are identical which really makes 1. No sense and 2. Exceptionally difficult to set. Once you dial it in, the NTB sounds great...but you also need to match the EQ on your amp as well. A good sound overall with WAY too much work involved. One note: the pickups, although passive, sound active. This high output requires you to set your amp's gain at near clip level in order to get the most tonal characteristics from the bass itself.

Horrific. Other reviews sing the praises however, I was not so lucky. This was actually the second NTB that I had within a 2 week period. The first one had NO functioning electronics. All the pots were soldered incorrectly and terribly. The neck pickup did NOT work at all. Volume and tone were crossed and not functioning. Even after my Techs replaced all the pots to DiMarzio and we received a new pickup from Peavey (the wrong one) the bass still did not funtion. High distortion, clipping, etc.

As far as "fit and finish." The first bass sent was neither "fit" or close to "finnished." Knot holes were in the front of the body, a gouge had been finished over, satin finish was near missing, headstock had checking in its lacquer, scratched tuning machines. Other reviews have said their wings were matched...far from it on mine. The bass also ships INCREDIBLY dry. When you unpack it from the box it looks like it could turn to dust.

The second bass sent came dircetly from the Peavey factory in the USA. I was told that this one was in their showcase in St. Louis MO. Keep this in mind, as this represents the "best" of the NTB's. Again when unpacked, the bass was BONE dry. The second NTB had fewer flaws but under close inspection, flaws abounded. A total of 12!!! coats of lemon wax were applied to body and neck and the fretboard was conditioned and sealed 4 times! Even with all the work, the NTB is just starting to look as it should.

If you are thinking of purchasing this bass because you think that it will have the appeareance of a Ken Smith, Alembic or the like...THINK AGAIN. Bear in mind, the retail of this varries from $380-450 and you will really get what you pay for. Having paid a mere $200 for mine brand new I was not expecting much. Needless to say I got what I expected.

Having gone through this ordeal I would hate to speculate on this bass. At least this one works...for now. The neck is surprisingly good and fast. For live situations, it has a comfortable balance. It is a fairly hefty instrument (11lbs.) which offers a slight piece of mind in its long term usage. That being said, it does not have a "solid" feel despite the weight. The strap buttons are cheap and poorly drilled. Once you set the truss the neck stays put (multiple drill holes under truss cover from poor manufacturing). I would NEVER use this without a backup. Ever. Are you getting the idea of this by now?

Customer support is actually very nice and helpfull. The dealer explained the situation on my behalf and Peavey even shipped an advanced replacement. A sentiment was expressed from Peavey which was alarming and disturbing. They are completely aware of all of the issues with the NTB series. Read the reviews for the NTB5 and NTB6 which further corroborate my accounts. This model is basically a Cirrus that has been outsourced to Veitnam to save costs on labor and some materials. Having been in music for over 20 years, I have never heard of the Vietnamese as being precise luthiers, if know for being luthiers at all. You will know doubt experience similar problems with an NTB. Know this: the comapany is FULLY AWARE of all flaws and malfunctions but at the price offered, there will be nothing done to change this model. As I have stated, Peavey sent me a bass from their showcase directly and it was still riddled with flaws. If this bass represents the "best" in the company (I was only able to get it from dealers assistance) imagine what the worst in the line looks like?

The people from Peavey are excellent and I have dealt with them for other products as well. With this bass you have to consider that any/all flaws are at the disgretion of the company to repair. Most manufacterers have a "deviation equation" which basically means the terms and conditions for a replacement to be issued. Statistically, 9 out of 10 times you will not be issued a replacement due to cosmetic issues. The only reason I was granted my replacement was due to electronic malfuntions. Consider this when buying the NTB. Should you have cosmetic issues (and you WILL as its admitted by the company) they will only "repair" the flaws. I could harldy imagine how they would even go about that.

I would love to rank the support higher however, I have a problem knowing that they are aware of the countless issues both electronically and cosmetically and yet continue to sell this NTB model. Production should be halted immidiately!

I have been playing both guitar and bass for over 20 years. I own a successful music instruction business and have been collecting for as long. Being a professional musician for 1over 0 years, I have had many opportunities to check out new instruments and add some to my extensive collection.

I currently own 34 guitars and basses... PRS, Parker, Martin etc. Owning such high end/quality instruments gives me an excellent basis of comparison when looking at lower end models such as the NTB.

This model represents an old adage my Great Grandmother was fond of...."If it looks to good to be true, it probably is." No truer words can be applied to this bass. From the literature, reviews, and general knowledge of instrument manufactering, this bass appears excellent. When you consider the company also produces the Cirrus, the idea of an NTB seems novel...especially at its price.

My issue is not even with the money I spent, which was close to nothing. Please learn from my experience so that you will not have to go through it yourself. This NTB is by far a total waste of money. The cheap price tag might intice you initially...use the same money for a down payment on a QUALITY instrument. Abandon the notion that this is a neck through model...any USA Fender bolt-on would blow the NTB away in both tone and appearence.

I do not want to take away from other reviewers who may have had a good experience with this model. However, I suspect that the general market would be easily fooled by this product.

Bottom Line:
I would have paid $1000 to not go through the aggravation and dissappointment then the $200 to actually own this bass. Look seriously to other brands in the same price range, or simply save the money to by a QUALITY neck through model. I own several excellent neck through models which I would happily recommend.

As a last resort, and if you HAVE to part with $350 take your wife/husband to a top-notch dinner instead. Anything is better then this...

I hope this helps all who have read!

Brand new 2003 model, made in Vietnam. 24 Frets, 4 strings, a pair of passive soapbar pickups and some really nice looking (and smelling!) Imbuya wings on a maple/mahognay neck with a rosewood board. American Musical Supply did a killer deal on these for $380 including a OHSC, which is why I jumped at it. I'm glad I did.

I'm going straignt into a Nemesis NS-210P. Sounds fantastic- lots of sustain, growls well, decent punch and dynamics for a passive bass.

Exceptional setup and finish, nearly flawless. The pickups were perfect, intonation was fine.

I'm sure this bass can handle live playing. Everything appears to be solidly assembled, and the hardware is as good as anything else I've seen come from Asia.

Didn't deal with the company at all, but one of the things I like about Peavey is that they're EVERYWHERE.

This is my second bass and my first decent one; I'm primarily a guitarist. IMO this is THE best value to be had in a bass for under $500, and I shopped exhaustively before I chose this one.

It's one from first batch they had produced in 02. Just like the other reviewer, I found mine tucked in a corner of my local music shop (a Peavey Dealer). 24 frets. Neck through. 5 pc. Mahogany/Maple neck. Imbuya wings. 2 passive soapbar pickups. 2 volume, 2 tone pots. Basic bridge, sealed tuners, powder-coated black. Fast, very thin neck. They say on the Peavey site that it is Rosewood fingerboard. If it is, it is the nicest sharde of rosewood I have ever seen. If it isn't I'd like to know what it is. I got the bass and a case (not peavey) for $449. If it had active pickups I'd have rated the features at a 10.

I have not particular style. I am a drummer with a home studio. The style of my music varies with every song I write and record. This bass worked with everything I have thrown at it. Pluged in with no effects it has a natural rich warm sound. I call it "Lush". Some of the gring 5 & 6 reviewers didn't think much of these basses when it came to slapping but I'd have to disagree. I have had no problems at all. Should have had active pickups.

Step up well at the factory. Action a bit too high for my taste. Had to lower it slightly. No "fret buzzing" anywhere on the neck. Checked it out carefully at the music shop before the purchase. Played every fret one each string. Not one buzz. Inspected it for flaws. Not a one. Other Grind reviews complained about the finish. This one is perfect. I was lucky there was one in such good shape locally. I would recommend to anyone thinking of buying one to get it from some place within driving distance. Even if you have to pay a bit more than "catalog" or internet price. You can sit down, check it out, find one with out any finish flaws. If you do, you will get a bass that looks and plays like a bass that costs 2 or 3 time more than what you paid for it. This thing looks amazing, sounds greats, and plays well. The biggest bang for the buck for under $500.

The bass is solid. It looks fragile till you pick it up. Its heavier than my Les Paul (guitar not bass) and as heavy as my P-bass. Dark tungoil type finish. I think it will hold up well. Won't be playing it out. As I said, I am a drummer when not in the home studio.

N/A

I have been playing drums for over 20 years. I have a 59 Les Paul Standard, a Martin Acoustic, and I have always had a bass around. Never anything new but always something decent. This is my first new bass. Other basses may come into my life down the road but I will never part with this bass. I love everything about it. Very impressed, can't you tell? It is a beautiful instrument.
Buy the way, my wings match. If you want a $1000 bass with out spending $1000, this is a bass you should consider. But take my advice... Don't get it mail order. Go to a store that has them so you don't get stuck with a less than perfect finish. (see the Grind 5 & 6 reviews)

Passive pickups, Imbuya wings, neck through (given), FAST neck, natural wood finish, etc... Would be nice to have active pickups, but doesn't really matter.

Awesome sound, particularly for the money, wide range of sounds for pretty much anything. Sounds awesome slapping, but also good for jazz, punk, ska, whatever.

Extremely awesome action and setup! Very fast everything, string heights and everything else is perfect! Finish is awesome (beautiful!) and it seems rock steady and very well-fit.

Not quite sure yet (only had it a month) but so far it's doing great, I probobly need to put something on for the finish every once in a while. Strap buttons are VERY good for all your jumping around needs.

Haven't dealt with them.

Fantastic value! My 4th bass but it kicks the pants off all my others (even a Samick with active pickups that retailed for $1k). I like everything about it, even the scalloped part and the neck is the BEST! Might be a little heavy for a long show, but it's WAY worth it. I'd buy it again if stolen, might even get the 5 string. Great inexpensive bass, especially if you want something that sounds good slapped.

This is a 2002 mid-year nodel made in [as Peavey says] "a small little factory that is able to manufacture an unbelievable product".
It's a 4-string natural finish, 24-fret, 34-inch scale bass, with a thru the body neck design, Passive electronics, a mahongany neck with maple stringers and an Indonesian Rosewood fretboard. It also boasts clear exotic Imbuya wood wings and a scalloped bottom horn.
NO Case !

I play all kinds of music from hard rock to smooth jazz. The tone is generally warm, mellow when necessary with a nice playable punch as necessary. I would have like active electronics on this baby, but you can't expect that the price. Might be worth adding later ?

Bass was set up just fine from factory with medium gauge strings. In fact, I bought it 5 mins after I saw it and played it. Nice action, well balanced - definitely not neck heavy - with nice inconspicuous sculpted body. No noticeable flaws - just in great condition straight from factory.

Only had this baby for 3 months but no issues so far.

Never had to call...

This was a mid-year '02 Peavey release and wasn't to be on the market until 2003. I found it at a local store where the Peavey dude had jsut dropped off a 4 and 5-string model. In retospect, I should have forked over the extra $50 and bought the 5-string, but I was watching the $$$ at the time. MSRP if $450, I paid $350 and worht every penny. I would buy another. It's one of the best I've played in price range and woudl rank quality and playabilty up there with a large number of basses at over twice the price.
Suits me fine !!