Peavey T-40

4 String Bass. Made in 1978. Made in USA. Solid top, heck, the body on this one is a solid chunk of hardwood. Some sources say it is swamp ash. Satin finish on body; Rock maple neck with maple fretboard, glossy finish originally but pretty well worn by now. Usual compliment of volume/tone per pickup (4 total knobs); two Peavey humbucker pickups, 3-pos selector switch an 2-pos switch which, from my reading of the schematic, reverses the phase of the bridge pickup with respect to the neck pickup. Passive electronics. The body is style is somewhat P-bass/J-bass like, but heavier than any Fender I???ve ever held. Massive solid metal bridge, usual adjustments for intonation and string height. All the hardware on this thing is massive. Tuners are massive Peavey open gear deals, work great, last long time. Neck is medium fat, wide, more p-bass than j-bass shape, great for players with big hands (my hands are not so big). Standard ???fender??? bass scale. I got this in 1979, it is box stock as it came from the factory except for strings. Pretty versatile sound, all the knobs and switches do useful things. The control layout is easy to get used to, and switching things around while playing is easy to master.

Not tons of features, but all I've ever needed on a bass.

This is one solid sounding bass, and quite versatile for its vintage. You???ve got the expected neck/both/bridge pickup selector, volume+tone on each pickup, plus a switch that inverts the phase of the bridge pickup. Oddly, the phase switch makes a subtle but noticeable difference when only the bridge pickup is selected, too.
I???m a guitar player who also plays bass; my long-time bass playing accomplice in musical mayhem also uses a T-40, and used this one as a backup for some time. I loaned it to my little sister when she was in an all-girl punk band. I???ve used it for Jazz, coutry-ish folk, blues, and serious stomp, plus it's stint in above referenced punk band. It can thump, twang or even slap. Very solid, deep sound. These days I play through a GK and custom JBL loaded cabs, with a GK head or a Yamaha head (solid state), sometimes through my Fender tube amps too. Played it through a 60s Bassman, and other amps over the years. Never had a problem with any amp.

I like the sound. The only thing not to like is the heft ??? this sucker weighs a ton. When my skinny little sister used it it was a toss up which weighed more, the bass or her (the bass - she may be skinny but she's strong). I give the tone an 8 - only because a "10" is a vintage Jazz Bass and this isn't one of those.

Can???t comment on the factory set-up, as that was sooo long ago; As far as I know, my bass-tech friend did basic set-up, left pickups factory stock. Everything if fit properly, and has stayed that way for 30 years. This is a high quality, rock solid axe. It was a bargain when new. For what it is, it's fabulous.

This can withstand live playing, and close quarters combat. Not only is it a good sounding bass, if the stage is rushed you can beat off the horde with it???and play it the next night after a good cleaning. This was built to last, and has???it will survive the nuclear winter and rock on. Nothing we???ve done to it has affected the finish. This was used by my long-time collaborator as a backup bass for a while, been on the road, ridden hard, and put up wet. Everything on this beast is solid. Can you depend on it? Like a faithful hound (it???s just as homely, but doesn't shed); If you can find a woman as dependable, marry her (I did). Gigged with it back in the day when I had no other bass. My half-sister gigged with an all girl punk band with it. As for durability, this should get at least an 11.

This is another ???11??????or maybe 14. Peavey support is nothing short of mind blowing. I emailed them not to long ago to figure out the year it was made from the SN, someone responded that day with the info, years of production, how many were made, and even sent me a wiring diagram for it just because he could. This is for a 30 year old instrument! Every time I???ve dealt with Peavey, they have been great.

Been playing for, almost ever. I???m a guitar player, current stable is Gibson (Les Paul, ES, Firebird), Guild acoustic (D40 cutaway), ancient Harmony acoustic, and a custom ???strat type???. My friend and long time collaborator picked Peavey in ???78 because it was more flexible than the other offerings, with some then-innovative features and because it looked like it was built to last, good value and very consistent quality. At the time both Fender and Gibson had inconsistent quality ??? we liked the idea that if anything happened to it on the road, the next one would be just as good. He still has one, and so do I. It is a very competent instrument, does what it promises. If I had to replace this one I???d probably get a Jazz Bass. The only gripe is the weight, its a back breaker, takes a big dude and/or bad *** girl to play long sets standing up.

Very much a sleeper, few people know what it is. If you see one cheap, pick it up???even if you don???t play it, you can use it to beat off hostile fans or drive nails.

"8" becasue there are better basses out there, but this is pretty darn good.

This bass is pretty heavy i admit, but its worth it...4 knobs and 2 switches, this thing is amazing...the way it looks and the way it feels...its better than my younger sisters fender...

Nice sound....when I play with an amp however, its kinda hard to hear what comes out of the amp, but i guess thats because I turn the amp down low inside the house...I enjoy popping with it, but besides that its amazing

Has a nice look to it...its pretty thick and heavy however...I don't notice any flaws, but it has some pretty awesome wood for the basses ive seen with the same design

This bass seems undestuctable. Can almost endure anything XD

Never had any dealings with C/S

I havent been playing bass for long, but my dad does and so does my younger sister...this baby has been sitting under my bed for a coupla months, so i decided to pull it out and play it...and im completely satisfied...my dad gave it to me so thats a good bit of pocket change i saved :D

I have just finally put into commission my '79 T-40. Once I finally got my hands on a schematic for the 4 knobs and two switches on this thing, I was in hog heaven. Pick a sound, any sound! I'm used to an American hot rodded P, which just has two volums and a tone knob, so this is defnitely new.

I bought this thing about two years ago on craigslist because another older bass player told me to buy one of these if I ever saw one. I paid around $250 I think. Obviously, its one of the most stylish basses ever made and mine looks perfect, but the sound was not right at all due to years of having no upkeep. I just finally got around to taking it in to a professional last week, and now I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. He adjusted the intonation, neck, cleaned all the electronics, adjusted the pickup heighth and steel wooled the frets. OMG this thing absolutely sings now! I got it back from the shop the day of a show (one of my bands is a cover band). I brought both this and my Fender and I hate to say that my Fender didn't even make it out of its case this time. This thing makes you feel like a rockstar. It does anything except slap (and I'm pretty sure I just haven't found the setting yet.) My favorite part was the way that it sounded while playing the bass solo on "Godzilla"...past the 12th fret it gets even better! I'm a very happy boy.

The setup is great now. People, unless you're a professional at setting up your bass, let a professional do it for you. Michael at Aviator guitars in Seattle be praised for this one. I have my own profession, and it is certainly worth $65 to make my baby sound like this.

I'm a 200 pound tank, and this big heavy monster feels great. (I can't stand light basses...make me feel like a putz.) Its older than I, and the finish is every bit as good as my Fender which I bought new in 2001.

Don't know...first Peavey product I've really owned.

Sounds awesome, feels awesome....looks awesome. I actually had a couple of girls in the crowd comment on how sexy the thing was. I think they were getting a little bothered ;) I used to play my Fender exclusively, and I'm positive that it'll be 50/50 from here on out.

I've got a white, second run T-40 (with the rail-style pole pieces).
This would put it in the early to mid 80s.

His name is Popcorn.

About a 34'' scale neck, two fat passive humbuckers, original electronics, etc.

A strange phase shift. It has me confused.

The string through body seems to add some power to the bass, but it leaves standard bass strings a little short. But, this isn't so bad.

Dah da dah, check out the other reviews for real in depth details.

This bass can cover most anything.

Say I want to play some dub. I will, of course, rest my thumb on the neck. From there, I can get several different dub tones by playing with the pick up combination and tone settings, all with noticeable quirks. (A real good one is neck pickup only, tone around 5 or 6. Mmmmmm.. But, funny enough, another good one is both pickups going, both rolled all the way off. Then shove a piece of foam under the bridge. Like a bass drum.)

This bass is crazy agressive, too. With a pick, all things to ten, a very satisfying punk twang can begot by playing over the bridge pickup. With the same control settings, playing over the neck pickup gets a really nice thump-growl.

Etc etc.. All this **** is great, just playing with it will get you somewhere.

My only issue is that there is a whole lot of mid-range twang. I had been playing an Eleca jazz bass knock-off for the longest time, and was not used to this. I've since gotten used to it. (and even like it, tah-dah) So, I suppose it isn't even an issue.

Unfortunetly, it does not sound like a Rickenbacker. I don't know why this keeps popping up in these reviews, but let me just say: It doesn't sound like a Rickenbacker. At all.

After horsing around with it, I've got the thing pretty set. Peavey has this cool screw in the neck plate for (relatively) quick action adjustment.

A big issue is that I can't manage to get the action just low enough to feel real smooth, but also have it not fret buzzes too much. And, the retarded ****** rail pole pieces are slightly raised, not allowing me to really wail of the strings. I can lower the pickups, but then the power starts to decrease. This all means that it's just a balancing act. Perhaps I'll get it professionally set up.

I went with medium gauge round wounds. They feel pretty good, but by no means let Popcorn play himself. I'll go with some lighter round wounds next time.

Popcorn is pretty beat. All sorts of bumps and scrapes and ****. There is even a hefty crack by the E machine on the tuning board. But, this is to be expected from a bass from the 80s. Plus, I don't have to worry about beating it any more.

Popcorn has never failed me. It's heavy as ****, and will gladly get beat around.

Sure, the switches are scratchy, and the finish is pretty dag nasty. But that's just Popcorn's life. He's rough and tumble, and doesn't take ****. I going to give the J-bass to my girlfriend. I'm not going to insult Popcorn by doubting his potency.

Warranty is long since gone, never had to deal with Peavey.

I've been playing about three years now. As I said before, I own am Eleca jazz bass copy, which was my first. I practice through a Fender Rumble 60, and also regularly use a some sort of rig my friends got. The details escape me...

If it got stolen, I would have to ****** work again and save up. God ****** ******, if it got stolen, oh my god. I would be pissed for weeks.

I only plan on getting one other bass: A Univox Hi-Flier, as all original as possible. With these two basses, I could reach any tone I want (except a Rickenbacker.. god dammit, Rickenbacker..).

I'm not a fan of active tone, I like to scoop the mids on the equalizer, and I like me some bass wah. Stylistically, I'm all over (metal to reggae to punk to jazz to ****** disco and straight ****** music), etc.

One thing I don't get: The phase switch. It seems to only effect the bridge pickup. Pushed away, it makes the single coil mode super quiet and hollow. Humbucking, it booms about. Then, throw the neck pickup in there, and you got yourself a cluster ****.

It's great.

I feel like I payed a little much, though... It's just so beat. But, then again, this bass will last till I ****** die.

Great. The double humbucker makes for a plethera of sound possibilities. I have played and recorded with this bass on everything from funk to christmas albums, and I have always been impressed.
The case (I like to call it the "indestructo" case) is solid as a battleship. Nothing is getting through this thing.

Sounds great! I use it for all of my Wooten covers on stage. The harmonics ring for days off of the maple neck!

The action is set up to my standards, so of course I like it. It's a wood finish, no paint, and whoever had it before me (sometime before 1990)woodburned a pink panther into it. It's unique! It plays great (action) but looks bad.

This bass could fall out of a plane and still be plugged in that night. It's crazy strong. Like it was made from a solid tree.

Never had to deal with them.

Great bass. This is my only 4 string left, I sold the rest of them because this one plays and sounds the best. I also play on a curbow 6 and a pedulla 5, so all of my bass player friends think I'm crazy for keeping this one around until they play it.

1979 Peavey T-40, natural finish, maple neck, stock. This is the most unique and versatile bass ever made.

Very versatile with the 3-way switcher and Humbucker and single coil modes. With both pickups on in Humbucker mode you get a nice biting rock tone. Flip the PU selector up and turn the tone knobs up past 7 for a blues/funk tone. Flipping the selector down adds presence and treble which is nice for cutting through or when your strings start wearing out. It has a nice warm vintage tone.

The neck is very solid and smooth. It has a similar feel to my buddies vintage strat. The action can be set very low and with a nice set of stainless steel strings it has a very smooth and buttery feel. It is the easiest playing bass that I have ever played. It is very easy to bend the string like your playing guitar. It is a tank, but I don't mind because I'm a big guy. A heavily padded strap is a necessity though.

This thing is heavy duty. Nice wood, very solid hardware. The only complaint that I have is that the PU selector switch breaks easily. Pickups can slip out of adjustment too. Not a big deal though.

I've never contacted them. I don't think they could help much with a vintage instrument though. Parts can be hard to find.

This bass is a fantastic value on the used market. Built like a rock, versatile, easy playing. The thing I like the most is the feel of the neck and versatily of the 3 way switcher and Humbucker/single coil modes. The weight is an issue for a lot of people but not me. A small guy or someone with a bad back may want to consider this. I do have a permanently damaged sciatic nerve and a torn muscle in my back and I've been fine playing long sets. A nice padded strap is enough to keep me comfortable. I bought this because my USA Fender strat twisted up like a snake and I wanted something more solid. The T-40 delivers in that department and then some. I did like the sound of my Jazz a little better but the T-40 sounds nice too and it's more versatile. For the price you couldn't get a nicer bass.

i'm in love w/ the dual pickups and the two tone and volume knobs. the only down fall is the string loading through the back of the bass but a bass that has that many fancy knobs and switches has to bo worth a 10!!!

This bass has some of the best sounds i have heard the lows do not distort or anything but when you strum the lower notes on the top string will raddle a little bit toward the bottom of the neck. the treble on this bass is the best quality.

I got this bass off of my friend for a wakeboard, a mini fridge, and an acoustic gutair that i paid $30 for. but there were few flaws to it all the screws were there but a little nick on the back of the neck, and the top switch is broken off. it has the natural wood finish i think it is a 78'

I have had no problems with this gutair just the top switch i will have to touch it sometimes cause the sound will cut out but after the touch it will not quit

??

I have only been playing for 1 1/2 years now but this is the best bass i have ever seen i had a cheap drive wildfire i bought it from on of my budies. i would highly recomend buying this bass if you have the chance to buy it its genna hold up and sturdy and heavy (very heavy)

i think mine is an early to mid 80's model
-arch top
-ash wood body
-white paint job
-alder neck
-rose wood fret board
-blade style pickups

along with the normal 2 tone knobs and the 2 volume knobs
along with the phase switch and the picup switch

AMAZING!
nice treble
and deep low end

and the best part is....
when the tone knobs are at 10 the pickups are in single coil mode
but when you roll them to 7 or below they pickups go into humbucking mode HOW RAD IS THAT!

action is nice and low but not too low
the body is heavey as all hell
but i dont mind it becuase not only can i feel every vibration in the bass but it makes me feel like im playing a BASS not some 12.oz toy that looks a paint splatter

it held up this long but it got mine used from guitar center and it looks like some of the machinehead screws are missing and some one had replaced the nut with a metal nut (i dont know if they came stock with a metal nut but im guessing no) but tone wise its as solid as the day it was made
plus it feels/sounds/looks/is better then the T-20

ill give it a 9 becuase it is rock solid but im missing some part and i dont know if thats due to the prev owner or the parts falling out

havent delt with them yet but sometime soon

GREAT BASS! if you see one and you dont mind heavey basses pickup they go for pretty cheap now (200-350) and they are always on ebay
this thing will get every sound you want out of it low and deep to treble madness! and every where in the middle do your self a favor
throw away the P-bass or the J-bass and pick one of these up
(or trade. people are dumb)

1978 natural made in USA baby!!!

incredible tone and versatility. Still haven't figured out all the settings yet.

solid as a rock, heavy as a rock also.

It is perfect for a 30 year old instrument. The previous owner bought it new. He was a smoker so I need to air it out.I

I have been playing a few years. I have a Rogue Violin bass and an Ibanez R series, as well as a Rick 4003.

I believe it was made in '78, i was at an outdoor swap shop and saw my dad's friend pull out a guitar case, and as soon as he opened it, was truly love at first site, and now 8 months later, i'm still just as in love if not more as then, i'd never had a bass guitar before and when i plugged it in it was exactly what i had expected of a very high quality bass, the only problem, is that i began to think a lot of other instruments i was trying out sucked horribly because of lack of tone power or the ability to push out the low end, only to realize that the T-40 is simply a beast,

i'm still finding out how to get new sounds out of it, which seem limitless, it can sound like a top of the line new bass backed with tons of sound, to a sound like your clich?? early 80's bass with a twang to it.

from having strings been left tightened on it for about 30 years, the neck had some bend to it which raised the action, but a small truss rod adjustment made it perfect.

i am also entirely in awe of the beauty of this instrument, it may seem beastly in pictures (which believe me in real life still is) but up close it takes on a slender sleek look also, or i'm just obsessed.

hahaha....dropped this a few times, once out of the back of a car onto a driveway, once i forgot to shut the latches on my case...and down the stairs to top it, it's still beautiful as ever. the strap buttons are a wee bit small, so get a good strap, or some strap fasteners like i did because i couldn't find a good strap cheaper than 59.99

N/A

i've tried and played many basses, but i still love the sound, shape, and feel of this instrument..i believe with the right person (which isn't a hard kind of person to find) this is easily one of the best basses ever made (And you can still get them for less than 300!!!!!)

I have a 1984 T-40. Made in the usa.
4 strings, not fretless
passive loud pickups
natural finish
hard peavey case
i paid $100 for it in 1992

this bass surprises me with the different tones i can get. I don't like the fret buzz i get when everything is turned all the way up.
I have the worst amp in the world, yet we are soon recording, i'm blown away, this thing really does play itself. So many different sounds. i am getting a bow soon. i record and play live with this, my only, bass

the setup is a bit low. action seems a little odd. but it sounds great once we begin playing.
no flaws in the bass.

this bass has been moving around with me for 15 years. it has been dropped and decorated with hot glue and furry fuzzies. It has been to hell and back. and it sounds amazing. finishes are for stupid nerds. I'm never selling this bass so who cares about the finish, scratch it, paint it , whatever. strap buttons suck, get a locking strap or new buttons. never adjusted the truss rod. don't think i ever will. I need no backup. never even broken a string, yet my fingers bleed often.

never dealt with peavey. no warranty.

I've been playing for 20 years. I have a couple guitars, keyboards, processors, pa's, etc. If this bass was stolen, I would replace it with a stingray. This bass is like a pet, you never get rid of it or sell it, it will be with me my whole life.

I bought my Peavey T-40 about 30 years ago. It came with a rigid Peavey rectangular case, with a gold/brown velvet interior, it still has the pickguard protective liner, with the written functions on it.

the pickups (4 in pairs) were explained as working to create a field used in pairs as in one transmitter and one receiver. when the knobs were all at Max, all 4 pickups kicked in.

A very heavy bass, but a divine touch, and a very wide range of sounds. the only problem I have with it, is that it lacks when it comes to belt it on. if you raise the neck, while playing, hang on, it jumps out of the loops. the top peg is not in a good place.

it responds well to fingering (my style), picking (i go there once in a while) and tapping. (someone else did that on my Peavey, and i had to sit down... wow, what a surprise... it covers pretty much any range or depth or style you want to work with. I play this one on an old Traynor Bassmaster YBA-1.

never had to adjust anything on it. still going on strong. no rust, no static, still good for another 30 years, i guess

the color, wood grain, and a whiteneck to boot! since i like to take care of it, after every session. and offer to break anyone else's finfers if they touch my baby. it's still new after 30 years.

aside from the poorly placed small strap buttons (the top one, actually), never needed to use my backup. darn thing is a heavy tank, but then again... i'm big and old myself. the weight makes it sit there quite well. the only remaining thing is to let your fingers do the walking.

never needed any help. if it ain't broke... don't fix it...

I played an Ampeg shortneck fretless with a Jazz band. great trip.
played on a precision, a Jazz, and very briefly tried a Rick.

the T-40 will not match ant of these gems, but will range a lot closer to any of them than they will between themselves. This one's my baby. practice or play.

This one dates back to 1978. I bought it off of my friend who bought it at a pawn shop for $300. Natural finish. It is an original right-handed model, but 1 of the previous owners had restrung it to be a left handed version.

I play in an instrumental prog/experimental band. I bought it for the looks, but the sound blew me away. Very 70's-esque (we use lots of old equipment), so it fit the band just fine. Live, I plug into a Marshall DSL-401, which I plug into a peavey basic 112. I also use a marshall supervibe chorus and a crybaby wah pedal, along with the built-in marshall effects. It handles them all fine. The sound is dark. It sounds great when picked, slapped, and bowed. However the pots are worn and crackle a bit, and the pickups loose power when turned up all the way. It is also great for studio work

Good action. However, falls out of tune after hours of playing. The original nut was badly worn so i replaced it with a bone nut. The problem is the neck is wider than most basses, so i had to custom make one. The bridge, although massive, was grimy and dirty, along with pitted chrome.

Band practice frustrates me often, so it survives being thrown. It has marks from the previous owners, along with a couple from me. The upper part of the body is beat up pretty good (fell inside friend's jeep), but that only adds to the character. I'm not sure if these are the original strap buttons, but very solid. Never had to adjust the neck. I use 2 basses at gigs (even though it is strong, always expect the unexpected). This bass will survive a nuclear holocaust.

Had to contact about the amp. Very helpful.

I've been playing for almost 4 years (6 as a drummer). I also own a mustang bass. I'm not sure I'll need to buy another, but if this dies, i will. I love the reliability/weight. The look is what caught me, and my friend sold it to me to buy a ric. However, the peavey is so much easier to play than the ric. I use a violin bow in many songs for a creepy, murky sound, and it is very easy to bow. Wish it was a 5 string. I also own a mustang bass. I've played my friend's peavey tradition bass from about the same time period and it doesn't even compare. It is perfect for the prog stuff. I also use it to record a solo project I'm working on (indie-rock stuff) and it works just as well.

I,m not sure of the year yet-waiiting for a reply from peavey.This my second one(sold my first one out of stupidty :( )My sons found me a replacement on ebay.I loved the natural ash finish.I.m in search of a case that it fits in.I've played the first one for about 15 years on stage.The pickups are awesome sounding and lOUD!

This thing almost played itself.It was low and mellow for ballads,loud and crisp for high energy rock songs.The pickups were hot enough that i could play one handed.I've read other posts and i can say from experience that you can "slap" it with some neat effects when you put the pickups out of phase.

I bought the first one new and it was basically plug and play,didn't need adjustments.I agree that the strap pegs could have been larger,I had my strap come off while doing some dances on stage.All electronics were reliable and I never had to do a thing with them,other than play.

This this beast was played 4 to 5 nights a week at a club and on sundays on stage shows.The strap buttons never came loose,but I had to invest in a heavy leather strap with reinforced holes to hold this tank up.I never had a backup,this was the only on i had.The only thing I had to was have the neck adjusted after a clumsy stage hand dropped it about 4 ft off the stage. Other than that it was reliable instrument

I never had to deal with customer support.One of our band members owned his own music store(He's the one who adjusted the neck).
Although I do have a request for a plastic bezel for the t-40 I currently own.I am also looking for wedge shaped case that was originally made for this.

I have been playing professionaly for almost 40 years.I currently own the t-40 bass,a fender BXR 300C amp,a black dean edge(a little lighter-used for pratice),a supro double neck lap steel,a gibson skylark EH-500 single neck lap steel.If my t-40 was stolen i would be looking high and low for another one.My Dean plays well,but my T-40 is like having my best friend on stage with me.I love the feel,the action,the sound,and the dependability.The weight of the guitar also keeps other musicians from borrowing it.The only thing i wish i had was the original wedge shaped case (when you stuff the bass inside you had a lethal weapon ;> ).I hope the peavey never stops making instruments the can stand the test of time!

I'm not going to retell the obvious,you can read the others.But i'd like to tell some of the differences of old and new T-40's.i've owned 4 and am down to 1 that i will not part with. its an early model,77 i think,6 digit serial# patents applied for.natral blonde ash. with a custom polished aluminum pick gaurd, wich by the way is 100% improvement over the black one. makes it ooze class.but out of all t40's i've owned,from a new with plastic film still on pickgaurd to an old beat up one,i'm keeping the old one!!and here's why. first the pickups, the newer with the exposed pole piece,WEAK and thin!they look similar but are very different.OH! and here's a tip for you guys with the old style,play a Pick? the exposed rubber on bridge p/u tends to wear through to the magnet. buy some of that Plastic Dip paint in a can and you can refurbish/paint them,looks good and tough.old P/U are Red Rhodes designed i've heard but don't know who he is? Next the body, early ones are 3piece laminate,and flat,so the top looks more like a single piece of wood,the newer have 4-5 piece laminate so you can see the joint on top above bridge wich sucks if you love your wood grain,but the newer ones are contoured wich is nice they fit your body a little better when sitting.so somewhere they either ran out of good big pieces of wood or cheaped out like on the P/U's.and the electronix, couple of newer ones tended to hum, my old one is dead quiet,but thats only speculation,i never really took'em all apart and compared the pots at once,but the soldering is all top notch.other than that everything is basicaly identical. tuners look the same,but there are some minute differences,internals won't interchange.

? sounds like a winner to me ? it is pretty versitile,but i don't think its like having all these different basses sounds at your disposal!! it can be very bright to a creamy rich baritone,i've plugged in same time with many different bass and you CAN NOT sound exactly like a p,jazz or rick for example,it is a t-40 and it sounds like a t-40,just like those basses you can change its sound by switch p/u and adjust tone and volume BUT also go from single coil to humbucker and a phase switch,but the phase switch only operates on one p/u,bridge i think, it kinda thins it out and gives a kinda hollow sound to it. its cool enough to have cuz its already there, but i wouldn't bother adding it to a bass.but if you're a player and not a collector(they will be very collectable SOON)i opinionate(hehe;) you to rewire everything!!! basicaly to lose the single coil deal(tone adjusted below 8 turns both coils on and bass gets more dynamic and alot louder!) which they have an ingenious design,but it makes your tone control Useless!! i love humbuckers!! they are hot and hum free!! i settled for hot dynamic output,and my tone controls actually work,and install some vintage bumble bee caps!!! my tech did it for me,but i think its just a rewire ,you don't have to buy new pots,bumble bee caps are not cheap but there great!!!! tone is smoothly adjustable from 1-10,you know how some tones don't do any thing from like 7 down?? you might as well have an on off switch there!!i think push pull pots might have been a better original design,you could do that too. if you want to keep all versitility.

first things first,you Will have some degree of trial and error finding strings that are long enough to fit your T-40,particularly on the E string,with the string through body deal,you need some pretty long windings to reach the Knut,many times i've burned off the silk windings cuz they go halfway to the 1st fret,only to see the winding steps below the knut!!bass string are not cheap!!so take a tape measure with you to the store,most places will pull out the E for you so you can measure it.all t-40's have the same features since they were basicaly the first guitars in the industry to be made with CNC technology, so out with hammer and chisel and hand crafted,just put your wood in a clamp and press a button and a computerized machine hoggs it out perfectly!!!so unlike vintage Fenders where you sometimes find that bass or guitar that just feels right and plays excellent,or you got one that will never be right. all T-XX are virtually identical in every tolerance.and here is some advice to all looking to replace your t-40 neck!!!you can hope for an actuall t40 neck to pop up on ebay(i have seen them!!faily cheap too)or you can customize one!!i;ve done this 3 times and its pretty easy,t45 patriot necks will not work!! they're 21 fret you need a 20!!!so close yet so far away!!the closest with least mods is a Fender tele bass neck with a squared butt end and truss adjustment on head stock(p and jazz are rounded and must be cut square for a proper fit!!!!and that cut is trickiest!!but heres how. shim,brace,and clamp the neck SQUARE FLAT AND STRAIGHT IN EVERY MANNER in a small mitre box,cut with appropriate mitre HAND saw,slowly,let the saw do the work.cut just enough off end to barely square it,leave some material for HAND sanding,and pray you don't cut into truss rod pocket,havent yet but i know its there somewhere,unless truss rod is already exposed and you know what you can get away with, you are taking a chance!!next,the t40 neck has a bastard neck width(2-3/8 i believe)fenders are usually 2.5 to 2-7/16(prefered)tape off area not in pocket and with a sanding block sand each side equally on area that fits in pocket(use fine paper BTW)now there is some gap in stock t40 so test often for fit,basically 1/32 must be remove on each side for fit,thats not alot!!.You will have to shave a little of the plastic pick guard or sand above it for clearance as well.you want it tight but shouldn't have to force it in,and don't forget to seal bare wood with something, like some linseed oil or wipe-on polyeurethane.and finally once you get it in,gently clamp it in place and use a nail to mark new screw hole locations.this is the only time you EVER use any kind of power tool,stick a screw through the body(w/plate!) and measure hole depth,use a DRILL PRESS not a hand held(trust me)and drill holes as marked a little less than half diameter of your srews 1/8? and have some sort of depth stop(a must!!)you'll get better sustain with tighter fit and you will like the wider fretboard,plus raised string height(thicker heels(p/u don't go into the body far enough for low actions.you must have some mechanical aptitude for this, if not get help from a friend(preferably one with a mitre box and a drill press!!)Fender necks are too plentiful and most aftermarket necks are made to fit Fenders and peavey CAN NOT provide any help at all for a new/used neck.Take your time.its easy as it is hard?but it can be done. Then go have a steel knut installed and your In.

TANK TANK TANK TANK TANK TANK.but dont take a shower with it!!!I've played countless, owned too many, and seen the rest, and after the storm settled, there was one.One cherished,prized and gracefully aged customized bass.My T-40 stands alone, I don't worry myself with a backup.its heavey enough, i couldn't carry one more.Are there strap buttons not solid????screws keep coming out on buttons??Take some toothpicks,dip'em in elmers glue(optional), sick'em in screw hole and break off flush,pack a couple in there then screww button back in,good as new(better with glue,screw is removable)stays tight

there awesome for new stuff,but they can only help you with the date of manufacture and only sell the truss rod tool, other than that,you are on your own. Heck,they haven't made t-series in over 20 years!!!!any spare parts are looooong gone.

Sorry i've been so winded on off topic material!This is a great bass,and you have hours of reading here to learn all about it.Just wanted to share other info you don't see often. I know replacement necks is a huge issue,and i've found an easy(kinda) do it yourself solution, all the bass forums tell you sorry about your luck,should've bought a fender!!i think the older models are of a higher quality.but the newer ones are great too!!i play mostly rock,but the bass enjoys being slapped now and then,you just gotta find that sweet spot but it can be done.If it were stolen,the sucker better run,cuz the LoJack in the case will lead me right to him!! SOMETIMES,PRECISION JUST ISN'T ENOUGH good luck.

solid maple neck with black inlay dots to dual coil, humbucker, soapbox whatever u want to call them. new switches installed but they still need tweeking, all four knobs intact(why wouldnt they be this guitar is a tank).

this suits all types of music especially jazz, classic rock and funk. it has a rich tone that that hums beautifully. this bass can be really punchy if switch to the bridge pickup, and soft and muddy on the neck pickup. the phase switch gives it great versatility. this guitar has that rich vintage sound.

this guitar was built flawlessly and that all i have to say. eccept i bought it used from my uncles pawn shop and it has some paint missing on the back were somebody was wearing a beltbuckler(idiots who wears a belt buckle while playing?)

this guitar could with stand the apocalypse its big bulkly and reliable of course every thing made back in the day was reliable. everything is so solid on this guitar this guitar will last forever.

never had to deal with costumer service.

this bass totally kicksass i played an ibanez and an esp and they both felt like a made in china p.o.s.(but they were alot lighter than the t40 but the weight of tht t40 is what makes it so good). the neck is very fast and playable. i can eat up any stage with this guitar. i wont ever need another bass.

Stock Peavey T-40 built in the USA in 1978, two selectable-coil pickups, four knobs, two switches (one replaced). I found my T-40 to accompany my impressive T-60, and it quickly won my heart over as my favorite guitar, bar-none (I'm more of a bass player anyway :). Incredible number of tones possible with this thing, great playing neck, but just a little too heavy for some people! Personally, that's one of my favorite features, but I'm a big dude.

The sound is HUGE! I've let my buddy play it with his punk band, I've played it with a metal band, I played it with my dad's oldies band, I bought it off a guy who played it in a country band... It does it all! The pick-ups are the most MASSIVE passives in the world - this thing can, will, does, and has blown quite a few speakers out! The wide range of tones and slightly playing area make it a little more suited to the studio, but it certainly is up for a live gig, as long as you can handle it! Also, great slap sound for a passive, but can be cumbersome playing wise for above mentioned reasons. Also, volume knobs on both this and my T-60 tend to get crunchy...

My man at A-String instrument repair totally overhauled the action and pickup adjustments on it, made it super sweet to play. So I can't comment on what it would have felt like back in the day, but it plays great now! The switches, tho, do have a tendency to wear out.

How dare you question the tank! As far as violent physical abuse, this thing laughs at it. 20lbs of pure Swamp-Ash skull-crushing power (and I ain't talkin about music here). Extra long 36inch neck gives you extra power, but can make your swing a little sluggish, so make sure your hit counts! Don't be afraid to smack this flat against a bouncer's mid-area, it'll take it - trust me. Where it tends to fall flat is years of loving use and abuse to it's electrical apparati. Switches go lame, dials get crunchy, and my neck pick-up is only half-there on occasion. Not bad enough to turn me off, but something to consider. Check EVERYTHING before you buy!

Peavey's customer support just flat-out rocks. They'll send you any parts you need, usually for free, and they'll tell you anything you want to know about your guitar over e-mail. They're are the best, bar-none.

This is my favorite bass, even ahead of my sparkly-smooth Tobias and my sharp 5-String Schecter. Ages old, still in one piece (one good looking piece, too) Loudest passive pick-ups in the galaxy. Phyically, the thing is completely invinvible. The electrical hardware has a tendency to crud up, tho, but that is the only problem your likely to face. The sound is fat, punchy, and surprisingly versatile! Wide range of tones, all with that kickin bottom your need so bad! (Except for the phase-switched variety, yikes what a bite!) Definetly a nice toy for the tone-connessiour, and just a bad-ass live-axe - for the able bodied! This thing has crushed the spirits of many an honest and well-meaning player (and speaker, btw) who just hasn't had the balls to put up with the most ultimate of music-makers. My opinion? At $285 or less? This thing ROCKS!

Hey. I've got a Peavey t-40 that was my dad's and it's sat in my closet for 15+years. 1983 Black w/ Ash body. Includes hard case. Needs new strings.

I'm trying to get rid of it to fund car repairs. $250+ship

hob684@yahoo.com
Hob625 on AIM

I personally have never played it. I never learned and frankly don't have the time or patience. My roommate has played it recently and said that everything worked on it and that it sounds great.

Again.. like all the other reviews.. this thing is a TANK

This bass is exactly how it came from the factory except it has 1 small scratch on the body, frontside, just above the strings. Not noticable from 2-3 feet away.

just like everyone else's reviews..

I'm from Meridian, MS (hometown of Peavey) and I've met Hartley personally. I know a few of their repair techs and such but I've never dealt w/ them as a customer.

This T-40 looks like it's a late '70's model, but it's had plenty of abuse, so maybe not. It's a Curbside Upgrade bass snagged from the piles of debris left when the collegiate types make like lemmings in May. Two pickups, three knobs, and no frets. Barbeque brown stain swabbed on in probably a drunken frenzy.

After I pieced it back together, it sounds pretty good, can cover a wide variety of bass tones. Farts like it camped out at Taco Bell if you push it. I usually use my basses for home recording, so all they have to do is work.

The bass was pulled out of a trash can after the students left town--the poor old thing was a mess, some doofus had yanked the frets out then tried to fill the fret slots with Plastic Wood without sanding everything level, then they put a Wilkinson bridge on it, but about 1 1/2 inches too far forward. When I got it home, I just dissassembled it and tried to clean it up. Fortunately, I had an old Cort P-Bass copy lying around, so I swapped the necks, much easier than refretting the Peavey neck would have been. Now I have a fretless P-Bass and a fretted T-40, no problem. Both necks are fairly similar, so they play about the same, except one's a bit closer to being in tune.

Well, the Peavey was beat to Hell, but I brought it back to playable condition and all I bought was a set of strings, so it was built tough--it improved my opinion of Peavey guitars enough that I bought a USA Predator (used and cheap, of course). I would do some more cosmetic work on it if I were going to play out with it, but nobody sees it at home, and it's too heavy to play all night anyway. If I were going to play bass in front of people, I'd get something newer and lighter, just to save my back--oh yes, and it would have strap butttons on it too.

Never had to contact Peavey, I do all my own repairs.

I've been playing for 38 yrs. blues, rock, jazz, whatever. Doing repairs for 25yrs. and I've had lots of guitars and not many basses--now I have two, heh, heh. I like the T-40 since it doesn't automaticly sound like a P-Bass and has a little more range of tone--put a limiter on it, then straight to the board--done! Several of my guitars are of the recycled variety, and most of them work pretty well, and allow for a range of quirky things to happen that people who have to have brand-name instruments will never know. As the song says, I am resplendent in divergence.

I believe my tank is as issued in 79 or 80. Plenty of sounds at hand with nonstop fiddling. Natural burst ash body with rosewood fretboard over maple... Peavey says rare combo for that year. It's the loudest passive I've ever played.

Fat swelling wood tone. Solid lows, a little muddy at quiet volumes. Bright and rich tonal mids and highs. No tin sounds. When they tell you as a beginner to buy as much instrument as you can afford so that the sounds that provide your positive feedback are as quality as possible? I started on this bass.

It sat in a southern smoky dank pawn shop for years and then went to dry Colorado. With only new strings and some cleaning the tank fired up clear and lusty. Local luthier barely had to touch truss rod. Stays in tune through seasons.

Everybody knows the fight is fixed when you pack a T40... nothing can bring it down.

Never had an interaction with Peavey before I bought this. Forums on their website seem very helpful.

I'm new at this. Guitar player for a few years, bass for less than a year. I play a Danelectro U1 reissue, Jay Turser JT200DC (double cutaway LP knockoff), a Fender HM bass V, and a wacked out home modded chinese silent bass. I play them through my Trace Elliot 7210 bass amp. My T40 is the one I have a serious relationship with. I would buy another and don't care about the weight. I like it so much, I keep an eye out for another and would like a companion T60 guitar someday.

I purchased this guitar off ebay after 22+ years of enjoyment with my Peavey T-60 electric guitar. I didn't know Peavey made a 'companion' bass guitar to their T-60 guitar until I tripped across it in a pawnshop by accident. Unfortunately, the pawnshop overpriced their T-40 and I found a better deal on ebay. The T-40 is constructed almost identically to the T-60; ash body with a maple neck (I think...not sure as I am not an expert on this), 2 pickups, 3-way selector, 2 tone and 2 volume knobs. The body has a natural wood finish and can hide scratches, dings and dents very well. The frets are laminated - Peavey's guitars are the only guitars I've owned with gloss lamination on the frets and they are a joy to play.

I'm just starting to learn how to play the bass guitar (after playing regular electric guitar on an amateur basis on-and-off for about 22+ years) and feeling my way around. I play 60's & 70's rock songs (Beatles, Pink Floyd, Cream, a little Yes, etc.) with classic bass riffs (Money, Badge, etc.). Just like the T-60, I'm very pleasantly surprised and happy with the T-40 tonal range...very broad and fun to mess around with. I can get soft warm bass sounds or crisp, higher intonations and everything in between. It also has a deep presence that can make my apartment floor shudder (although the amp helps out a lot there, too). I don't slap yet but I understand from other reviews that the T-40 can handle it (or anything else for that matter).

The other thing I love about this guitar is the neck action - slightly thin neck that allows low and fast playing (just like the T-60). I have had a slight problem with the occasional buzzing strings, but that's probably due to my lousy playing. If I play clean, it comes out clean. The glossy laminated finish on the frets is unique and nice. The neck is solid and seems to hold all these years. However, this bass is very heavy but it you get used to it after a while.

I haven't used this for live gigging; mostly used in the privacy and comfort of my home (will remain there until I can play better). This guitar is rugged, heavy and built to last. My T-40 came with a hardshell case that can handle just about anything thrown at it. I'm considering getting strap guards as this guitar is heavy and the straps are not exactly 'held' in place.

N/A - Never had to deal with customer support which attests to the strength and durability of this guitar. Spare parts are available if you break a switch or something on the body (as I found out when I had to repair the pickup switch on my T-60....ahhh, the joys of having children).

Overall, I love this guitar. I bought this guitar to match my Peavey T-60 electric guitar and I love both of them. Terrific guitars, great sounds, great neck action and fantastic value. Pound for pound, these guitars have given me the best bang for the buck! Just like my T-60, I love my T-40 and I will never give it up until they pry it from my cold dead fingers.

I think I'm at least the third owner of this bass, so it's is understandably lacking. I don't have those two switches that everyone else seems to have, but I do have two nice holes in my pick guard...
There are four knobs, and I only know what two of them do.

It is loud, but kind of fuzzy. I think that it just has to do with the crazy people who owned it before me. It sounds way better on stage than on my little 30 watt amp, way less... gross. Muddy is the word for it. I really don't know how to manipulate the knobs too much, but I can change it to sound really awesome wherever I am, mainly with the tone knob.

I think my action is massive, way too high, but the E-string still smacks the pickups when I pluck it even moderately. Weird. But the thunking doesn't get picked up on the main speakers, just on the moniters. The G string is a little close the egde of the neck, so it slips off sometimes.

It holds up pretty well. It better, it weighs about 5,000 pounds. Ok, more like 14, but it is still really heavy. But hey, if you play it you end up a beast, like me! Trust me, I've dropped this guitar on cement, hit it with a ceiling fan - you name it. And it still sounds fine and stays in tune! The strap pegs are a little on the small side though: I've had more than my share of drops.

Well, I haven't had to use it much, but a free manual on the Peavey site really helped me figure out what some of the knobs do. It's pretty easy to understand.

Eh, I give it an 8. It's sound isn't the best, but I can blame it on it's previous owners. This is my first bass, and I've only been playing for about a year, but I love it. It is amazingly heavy, but that just makes it even better. It's a great, solid bass that is good for a beginner like me. I will never, EVER sell it, I would rather sell my Playstation 2 - and that's saying something!

@ Humbucking Pickups, 2 volume, 2 tone nobs, mute switch, Phase(i believe its called) switch. Tons of options.

The only reason i gave it a 9 is because you have to be playing at medium to high volumes to get the full effect of what this bass really sounds like, the louder it gets the better it sounds. At lower volumes the E string can be a bit muddy. But once you turn the volume up a bit this bass sounds just as good if not better than most every bass i have played, and owned. Im running through an Ampeg B2 head, and a 4 10" cab, and i have never played another bass with better sounding highs....the lows are great, but where the bass sounds best is on the mid and high notes. For the money, or 3 x the money i couldnt ask for a better bass. Not the best for slap bass...but i dont play slap so thats not a problem for me.

the only thing i have had to do since i bought it used was raise the action for the E string a bit...it had a little rattle. But other than that, and making sure i buy long enough strings everything is great. One thing...i would recomend straplocks.

I think you could drop it off a 3 story building pick it up and keep playing.....this bass is built like a tank. And as heavy as one too...but i actually prefer a heavier bass. It also has solid hardware.

Never dealt with them.

Ive only been playing bass for about 4 years now, but i have played everything from a dean, to a music man, ric, fenders, and everything in between....out of all of them this is by far the one bass i could Not part with. If it were ever stolen i would DEFINATELY replace the bass as soon as possible. Some of my favorite features other than the amazing sound, is the bulkyness and weight of the bass. I hate really small and light basses....i feel like they will break if im not careful, or if i drop them. No worries here, also the weight helps because it doesnt flop around when you move around on stage.

Read other's reviews for info on features.

Most versitle passive bass I have ever played. Loud as well. You can get any sound you want out of this bass.

The action can be adjusted, although one of my saddles is partially broken, but I still get very nice action on this bass. The controls are very smooth, with no crackeling, and the switch has no pop when changeing it. Truly more than is to be expected of a bass that sells for under $200. I love the natural finish. It makes even deep scratches unoticeable.

Peavey T-40=A tank
Enough said.

Peavey's webiste is extreemly informative and I found the manual to the T-40 on there. Very helpful indeed.

Out of all the basses I own, I only prefer my Earnie Ball music man (Cost 10x what this cost me) to this one. The T-40 is the perfect backup bass; even the perfect lead bass if you dont have the money to spend. It is so versitile, and rock solid, it is hard to reccomend anything other than this for the price range.

Typical Peavey T-40 with natural finish body and maple on maple neck. 2 humbucker pickups each with volume and tone controls and a 'phase' switch and 3 way pickup selector switch. The volume pots are designed so that at approximately the '7' position the pickups change from single coil mode to humbucker mode. Solid tuners and a massive bridge. Heavy duty composite case.

You can't imagine the wide variety of sounds you can get with those 2 humbuckers and the phase switch and the volume pots designed as they are. You can dial in just about any sound you want, especially if you have a decent amp. Who needs active?

Vintage quality design/construction. Almost flawless.

Vintage peavey quality.

You can reach them on the phone or on the web.

It is without a doubt the best bass I will ever own sound and quality wise. It evens looks real nice in the natural wood finish with the maple fretboard, but, IT'S WAY TOO HEAVY. I am in very good overall physical condition but my neck aches after a half hour standup session with this beast. I can maybe survive an hour sitting down while constantly readjusting the bass to redistribute the weight on different areas of my shoulder. Heavier is better may have been the way to go in the 50's and 60's, but it just ain't necesary to get the sounds desired from a quality bass guitar. I didn't want to ruin this beautiful vintage instrument so I sold it and got a Peavey Fury and a Peavey Milestone II to replace it.

ok ive been playing for like 17 months now and i got one of these baby's recently, WOW!
i used to want the typical jaco fender jazz but now i realy dont care that are the biggest beasts on the planet man.
i love to play like jazz and metal, anything actualy and this puts up with it all.
the weird thig is that its older than me!

as i said above i liek to play owt with a good bass line in it and this just dosent let me down ever!

sice the guy befor me kinda killed the action adn neck the i had to get that set up myself but the whole rig of it is grate another 10 deffo!

THE THING IS A TANK!!!
enough said

peavy got back to me very quickly and were very helpful when i asked what year it was made (1980).

The bast bass i have ever palyed and am aever likely to own.

Late 70's,maple neck,ash body natural finish, heavy, controls and accesory's(your cookie cutter t-40)original hard case(big rectangle ones)the humbuckers look mean!!i wish i could have had that style of bridge on my previous basses,its a work of art and all function. quality tuners.Oh and never forget the metal nut!!looks like aluminum but who knows????its sad to know alot of supposed "quality" bass lose tons of tone with a plastic nut.

The sound is spectacular!!!!!tone options are almost too complex. i play heavy rock, some slap and funk, gets perfect tight and bright slap tones,great beefy bottom, overall its powerful.i play through a meso 400+,8x10 & 2x15, the only effect i use(seldom) is an old MU-tron auto wah.the phase deal is kinda cool,with a slight hollow sound.the controls are top quality silent and smooth,BUT... in my opinion there are too many options,especially for stage use, i usally just use the p/u switch to go from bright to boomy and the rest stays untouched,

i bought it used recently(last week) off e-bay. its probably 25-26 years old. it looks rather new,and probably will forever, its really built like a tank!!!! i set the bass up my self,it wasn't far off, but it yielded a fast and smooth low action, the overall craftsmanship is top notch, you can see it 20 ft away and know that it is all American Made!!!but 26 years ago, i know it would've been flawless.

this bass could block a roundhouse kick and not lose tune. i think they designed it to really outlast the person bying it.old as it is, the chrome is mint. i installed strap locks(Always).i would gig without a backup sure! i don't think anything really needed to be adjusted EVER!!

never had to deal with them(yet)

i've been playing 12 years,i just own this current rig. i avoid collecting too much,always selling one to buy another. IF it were stolen, i would hunt the creep down untill i got it back.i looking to buy at least one more just to have it,maybe even 3 more?string up B E A D since no 5 string was ever available.i love EVERYTHING about this bass, i'm big so the weight is not really an issue, but for a little guy YOU WILL have back problems!!!i just sold my steinberger(spirit) to get this one, and i was hooked on them for years, i liked the compactness but the tone stinks,i've had a gibsons, epi, rick, pedulla, different peaveys.i'v always wanted a music man but couldn't ever pony up.but with my t-40,i'm blown away with sound and price, i will never again dream of owning a music man or an original xl steiny or any other bass. i want more t-40's ,they even look great, has tons of class!!

Late '70s patents applied for on headstock, made in USA. 20 frets, ash body/natural finish, maple neck/fretboard, brass nut. Two tone, two volume controls. Passive Humbucking pickups will switch to single coil when set to 10, a setting of 7 or less is humbucking. 3-way pickup selector switch, reverse phase switch. Lots of tone options here. Double cutaway body style, similar to P bass/stingray. String through body bridge, massive cast metal bridge with large string saddles, am abundance of adjustments available. Massive tuners, similar to old style schaller, subbest a little locktite on the screws. 43 inch scale, neck is a bit wide, but easy to play. Micro-tilt adjustment at the base of the neck.

Abundance of tone options suit many styles of music, the pickups are very hot even though passive. Currently being used with a Peavey Mark IV Bass head through two 4x10 guitar cabs, produces bone jarring teeth rattling bass when turned up. Have found no noise from the pots, no string buzz even though the action is set low. Can produce bright rickenbacker sounds from the bridge pickup, deep dark tones available from the neck pickup when set to humbucking, and interesting out of phase tones when the selector is in the middle position (both pickups active) and the phase switch is activated. The only dislike is the weight, it's very heavy, but you get used to it.

Don't know the factory setup as was purchased used, needed intonation set (someone has apparently disassembled this guitar, given it a thorough cleaning and refinished the body. Once intonation was set, no other problems have been identified. Action is great, no fret buzzes.

Have used live without backup. As instrument is appx. 25 years old, there is normal wear and tear, (minor pitting on some of the chrome, but you get that when you chrome pot metal or aluminum) but it appears that this thing was built to last, and I don't see anything liable to wear out in the near future. Large strap buttons, doesn't seem to need any truss rod adjustment

Haven't dealt with peavey on this item, but in other cases the support I have received has been surprisingly fast, efficient, courteous. They have gone th extra mile to make sure that I got what I needed. Thanks, guys!

Have been playing for 31 years. Own a multitude of equipment, Gibson, Fender, Mesa, Peavey, etc. etc. etc. This has been one of the most pleasant surprises I can remember. This guitar was an incredible value, worht probably more than twice what I paid. Now all I've gotta do is find a case that it will fit in.

Red USA made Peavey four string with rosewood fingerboard. Features are the same as all the others, however I modified mine with push/pull tone pots. Originaly the tone knobs would switch the humbucking pickups to single coil when set to 9 or 10. Mine switch to single when pulled out.

Strings go through the body and over a tank of a bridge. The tuners are smooth, but the screws that hold the gears tend to come loose. A little thread lock fixed this. Pots and switches are easy to reach.

I've owned this bass for 10 years and the only repairs I've needed was a partial re-fret. This was the first time the frets ever had work on them and they're about 25 years old.

This thing is a beast! It almost has too much low end. Almost. I run this through a Peavey Mark VIII 600 watt head and a Fender 2x10/1x18 cab. I can kill small animals with the low end I get. Each note sounds clear and thick. Playing high on the neck sounds bright and clear. With a Boss Bass Overdrive pedal I blow my guitar player's Marshal out of the water.

I found it a little hard to set up for me. I like my action kinda low. It gives you all the adjusting options in the world though. Each string has it's own saddle and each saddlehas enough travel to set the intonation perfectly, and more than enough height adjustment. You can even adjust the pitch of the neck with a hex wrench screw. Very handy. But with the loose string action, its hard to find a happy middle between playability and fret buzz.

I ACTUALY HAVE DROPPED IT AND IT STAYED IN TUNE! All the hardware is original and does not need replacing. The bridge saddles are showing wear from the strings, but this looks like normal wear and tear. Some dents in the finish from belt buckles but no chips or gouges. The metal nut looks great. And no neck problems. Would I use it on a ggig without a backup? I do. Oh yeah. The original case is in fine shape also.

I have never dealt with Peavey customer support.

I've been playing for 17 years and dreamed about owning many basses. All have dissapointed me in some way. I play live with my T-40, I record with it, I scare guitar players with it. It always pulls through. My drummer says, "It's a thundering beast". That just about sumes it up. If only I could find more of them with a rosewood fingerboard (I hate maple boards).

Probably the same as all the other descriptions below (can't read 'em all!) Mine has a natural ash body and a maple neck.

I used to look at the photos of this bass and think, "That's only something a funk player could use." I realize now what a disservice I did it... you can play anything on this fine, affordable instrument.

I play straight-ahead rock (whatever THAT means) mixed with a little British invasion and Motown, and this bass does it all. I stick with the neck pickup alone. First rehearsal I used it, the drummer- on-loan got up from his stool and said, "Whoa! That bass!" A few months later we played a gig with our new drummer, and the old drummer was there, and again he came up to me to say, "Man, that BASS!" Sounds great no matter what amp it goes through... the maple neck and big humbucking pickups just OOZE tone.

When I got it, one of the pickup surrounds was cracked, but still all there. That's the only flaw I can find. I changed the strings and cranked the truss rod a 1/4-turn (needed a special wrench that I was able to buy from Peavey's customer service department for like, all of six bucks! They were cool, and fast!), and it played perfectly.
I always assumed the string tension would be "tight", but I was obviously just basing that on nothing besides the "look".

It's not a fancy-pants piece of furniture... it is what it is. And for that, it deserves a 10, 'cause it's solid as a rock.

I could probably drop this off a building, pick it up, and it'll still be in tune. Just like Peavey amps (I own 3 or 4, plus their huge 1810 speaker cab), you can't bust 'em!

I normally wouldn't bother a company over used gear (they're not making a penny on me, after all) but they were helpful when I needed the truss rod wrench, and I once wrote with some questions about the speaker cab and they emailed me even more info than I'd hoped for.

I've been playing piano, guitar and bass for 40 years (though you'd never know it to hear me!) I probably have over 100 instruments and 50 amps, and I love every last one of 'em!

I actually own the "companion" T-60 guitar, too, and I swear the bass weighs less! And I saved the best part for last...

In the original, molded case compartment, I found the original sales receipt, and the shipping labels that sent the instrument to the army base in Germany where the owner was stationed. And who was that owner? Shorty The Bass Man -- it's written on the body with press-type lettering! Cool!

I know that tens across the board may seem like overkill, but this fine piece of wood and metal deserves some props! For the price, even
new (maybe $375 if I remember correctly), it's an awesome machine.

1978 vintage- sunburst finish-maple neck-volume and tone for each pickup-phase switch-huge string through bridge-molded case (tough as nails)-body constructed of concrete? (actually ash i think)-yes it is as heavy as everyone says, a definite asset for tone and durability-i play mine sitting down

i play bluesy rock and spacy stuff-home recording-this bass can make darn near any sound, from big fat bottom to a whiny single coil squank-almost have to take notes to remember where i set the tone controls to get a particular sound-extremely versatile. clean sound through most settings-

i set the action very low, and got some fret buzzing-adjusted it up a touch and problem solved-can play it softly or wail now with no buzz-body finish is flawless-very beautiful guitar-neck has a funny dark spot about 1 inch wide and 5 inches long running the length of neck around the 5th fret area(knot in the wood?)-i cant feel it and it hasnt affected the neck stability, sound, or playability, so lets just call it a birthmark and say it gives it character-would make the guitar immediately identifiable if some jerk stole it. all parts are solid and well fitted

had this since 1989-still looks and plays like new-no finish wear-no hardware wear-yes folks, this is has the durability (and weight) of a tank

pay close attention other gear manufacturers-peavey rules in gool ol USA service-havent called them on this instrument, but i have on other products-you talk to an actual person, promptly, in a professional polite manner, and you get the answer you need. period. new item or 25 year old item like this-doesnt matter to them- keep it simple stupid-tech support is for solving problems, not being a salesman-and peavey has figured this out. good job

i am not a bass player as such-i play guitar mainly-i use this for home recording for my own amusement-i own one other bass-an old firstman which i love-its a blast to play and weighs what the bridge weighs on the T40-overall the T40 is solid, solid, solid, and can give you the sound you want with enough twiddling of the knobs-yeah its not the sleek lightweight super cool modern bass, but so what-i play in my basement studio(a rock star in my own mind)i was going to trade this in for other equipment-but i just couldnt-

It's a peavey t-40 (usa), with quite a bit of switches, knobs, dials, tv remote.... etc. Alright, so I'm exaggerating. What this bass does have is a big neck, big pickups, big body, and big weight. Typically these could be cosmetic items, but for the sound I go for, these are definate features.

As far as the year goes, I've never bothered to investigate. I'm going to assume it's a late 70's model, simply because it makes me feel better to know that it's been around the block a few times.

It's about 15 pounds of ash, which means if you're a small guy, don't bother unless you feel like getting muscles. That's what I did, and now I'm the animal man.

Passive electronics, giant bridge, humbucking pickups, with phase control for 'fattening up the sound.'

Okay, I play really fast hardcore, think of bands that sound like early D.R.I. or Void. I play this monster through a mesa/boogie rig, consisting of a Bass Buster 200watt all tube head, and a 6x10 deep cabinet. I turn the gain all the way up, and ease the volume up as I need it. I drop the highs on the amp back, just to dirty it up some more, and turn the horn on the cab up, just to get a really noisy high end slash to it. The lows are adjusted to the room I'm in at the time, but the cab handles that well. I've used a Fender Jazz Deluxe (american) through this same rig, and it doesn't have the push of the peavey. Obviously, they put some thought into this thing before building it. My T-40 has so much control, it blows the $900 bass out of the water. I feel like a jerk now, because for the 150 I paid, I could have scored 6 of these damn things, and I bet you, all of them still work.

Everything about it was right when I bought it used almost a year ago. Any flaws are hard to notice, since the bass has a nice natural finish.... This finish feels like a real light clear coat, it hides dents real well, and it feels more like it's been coated by the sweat and grease of others, rather than any factory finish. This is a good thing to me, it looks good, and well, unless I crack it in half (if that were possible) no one will ever notice how big of a dumbass I truly have been... re: "oops, I can't believe I dropped it" or "jeez, that kid sure has a resilient head!"

Lots of dents that you'd never notice unless you were really looking for them, or unless you made them.

I do, however, have to drop this thing down just a bit, simply because it's not for everyone. It's very heavy, and younger players couldn't handle it. I'm a firm believer in the idea that manufacturers should really concentrate on making an all around bass for everyone, so nobody ever wins in this category for me. When they do, everyone will already know about it. So far though, peavey has come the closest with this piece.

I have hurt myself, other people, and practically everything in my little michigan-based world. You name it, I've damaged it intentionally or not. Everything except this damn bass. Trust me, I've tried. I pitched it about 10 feet in the air, and it came down hard. It didn't even need an adjustment. I tossed it at a drummer in the middle of a set. Never needed adjustment or repair. It's simply the most durable thing I've ever played. And that list goes from squier, all the way to rickenbacker.

I have not had to, so that's a good sign. I also own a peavey P.A., and I once had a peavey board. Nother ever went wrong with them. I think that customer support starts with the sale. If it never has a problem, that's pretty damn good customer support. I think that maybe fender should learn a lesson from peavey, and give us customer support by giving us good products. Not cracking necks and faulty wiring.

I've been playing too long.

If stolen, I'd replace, I may get another.

I enjoy this thing entirely, but I'll probably think different when my back goes out at 30 years old.

This was an impulse buy on cosmetics alone that I'm glad I made.

It's just great. Buy one... at 150-200 bucks, you cannot lose.

Made-Late 70's
Made in U.S.A.
4 string (nice and standard, nothing fancy...yet;)
2 volume 2 tone, 3-way pickup selector, phase shifter(very cool feature)
2 vintage humbuckers that get John Paul Jones/Phil Lesh/Roger Waters type sound.
Maple neck Heavy wood body.
Precision body style

This Bass is unbelievable. If I could trade my Rickenbacker and my Ibanez 5 string P.O.S.'s for a mint condition T-40, I would do it in a heart beat. I play Psychedelic/Jam Band/Jazz/Heavy Groovin/Funk/Fusion type music oh and blues and it can be manipulated to fit any genre with it's intricate pickup config. Rich/Full,Dark,Warm,Bright and in between it does it all. It can sound like an upright with the Phase Shifter or it can sound like a fuzzy Jazz off of Zep I if you want it to. In the studio it is perfect. I cut a record w/9 11:00 long songs and my friend asked where I got the money to afford all the basses on the album and I just shook my head grinning (if he only knew...!) On stage it is a crowd pleaser for sure. It has vintage features that make you and the crowd feel free and right at home. Best bass of all time!!!!!!!!!!!! 13.5 (off the chart)

This bass feels like it's new and its 20 + years old! The pickups...well...they speak for themselves, play a T-40!!! Almost mint cond. A few dings but who's counting.

This is the bass that all other basses have nightmares about because they hear stories about the toughest bass in all the land and they all know that it is the dreaded....T-40!!!(Dun-Dun-Dun in background)...O.K. enough of that 'ahem' it's really F@#(kin tough alright. Backup...We don need no steenken backup. (Blazing Saddles-Mel Brookes...Watch it, very funny)

This is a pleasure I have not yet graced.

THIS BASS IS GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mid 80's model made in USA. Black finish. Came with a solid OHSC. Features have been done. Needs a Torsion Rod Wrench, Part # 75031006, available from Peavey by calling 877 732 8391 and asking for the Parts Department. It's reasonably priced at $5.00.

Decent tones out of it but there should be more given the features.
The neck pup has a slightly growling tone to it, the bridge has a hollow sound, and together it's a mildly muddy combination. I don't have much use for the humbucker mode on either pup as it muddies the sound too much.

I got it used and it was set up well but with light roundwounds. The cracking sound from the stings hitting the fretboard are minimal for some reason which is very nice.
I wish I could set up the neck pup lower. Frets are original and in great shape. Some rusted screws around the pups that alot of t40s have.
Needs to be rewired. All the parts and soldering is in original/pristine condition but hasn't aged well.

The bass will withstand live playing fine. Above average weight at 13pds. To be fair, this just won't be for everyone.
Everything on it was built to last except: the screws around the pups and the wiring and/or pots (at least on mine).

The great thing about PV support is that even when you have a product that's 10 or 20 years old that they no longer stand to profit from, they treat you like you bought it new yesterday. Peavey is paramount in standing behind their products.

Been playing the better part of 12 years and own and have owned many basses and guitars.. If it were lost or stolen I wouldn't buy another. I've always had a been there, done that attitude and would want to try something else. Off the top of my head, I'd probably replace it with a P...but I love P's.
I like it's look, solid construction and materials, variety of tones, string spacing.
I dislike the muddiness from humbucker mode. If the neck pup was half an inch further from the neck it would be much more slap n pop friendly. And, Holy Crap, did they need to put so many screws to hold down the pickguard! It takes half an hour to get in there. However, the counter sunk holes in the wood make a nice tight fit. Great idea but only for dense woods.
Overall, I guess I just prefer the simplicity of a P Bass (for ex., I have a high end bass with active EQ that I've never even put a battery in; the volume, tone, and a 3-way selector is all I need).
So I guess I'm speaking for people with the same minimalist perspective when I say: This bass has overly pickups, too many knobs, with too many uses, a useless phase switch, too many screws, a needlessly large bridge and heavy body, need for a special truss adjustor where a hex key is more than sufficient, etc, etc... Excess for the sake of excess.
I don't get it but I know many people do and LOVE these basses. All I'm saying is consider this b/f buying one. I don't regret buying it; it retains its' value and I really enjoy trying new gear.

Feastures have been listed in detail in previous entries..

Bought it on eBay for $200. I have a 1978 model, still looks like it was a couple years old, the molded case is not in great condition any more, but it definitly does its job.

Can't beat it for the price.

The sound is impressive. You have a lot to choose from- it can sound bright and biting, or deep and mellow, and anywhere in-between. Can be a little noisy when the tone is turned to 10 (single coil mode). But that varies with the pre-amp/amp. I dial the tone back to about 7, and it's fine. I play a variety of styles between mellow space-rock and "punk." I use an Ampeg SVP preamp/QSC power and an Aguilar 212, and I can get virtually any sound that I could ever want with this setup. One thing I don't like about this bass, and I think might be common in all T-40s, is the action is super-low. You have to play pretty mellow, cause if you wail on it- all you get is buzz buzz buzz. Maybe I just need to learn how to play bass...

Like I stated, the action is too low for my taste. It's not horrible though. Everything else about it is great...

For being 24 years old, and still rock solid- I'd say the quality is pretty damn good. Everything about the thing is solid. I'm confident that this bass while last longer than I will. No need for a backup!

Never dealt with them

Been playing bass for about 8 months. Pretty new to all the equipment. I would definitly buy another one if it were stolen. This bass is just kick ass for the price. It's unbelievable.

Plays well, sounds good, many tone options.

I will use this bass for recording mostly. The variety of tone options is a huge plus. Great sustain.

It is a solid bass built in 1976 with no signs of degradation. An American-made beast.

I bought the bass from Charles @ Kuciel Electronics. He was patient and always in contact. He also took the initiative to forward extra
valuable information about the bass on his own good will. Another excellent Harmony-Central transaction, and another really cool Canadian.

I play all kinds of music (mostly indie-ish stuff). I first saw this bass in action when I watched Thirty Ought Six (One of the best bands the
world has ever seen) play at the WOW hall in Eugene Oregon. I have never heard a bass sound like that, and I have never seen a bass look that
good on stage. 30:06 has since broken up, but I have something other than their albums (Bozozoku and Hag Seed) to remember them by; I will
steal that bass tone.

1981 T-40, Made in the USA. 4-string Swamp Ash Body. 2 Volume/2 Tone, 3 was selector switch and a phase switch. 2 Red Rhodes designed passive humbucking pickups. 20 fret 34" maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. More features than you possiby need.

Name a tone. Go on, I dare you. I'll bet you $100 that I can get it with my T-40. J-Bass? You betcha. P-Bass? Of course. It's never noisy, exept perhaps if you put the pickups directly against a television.

When I got it (about 3 months ago) the wanker who owned it before me had put a set of light strings on it when the nut was carved for heavy strings, so the nut buzzed when I played the open E and A strings. A set of heavy-gauge strings fixed that whippety quick. The only other problem was with the neck pickup volume knob (it didn't work) but that was easily fixed.

This think is a TANK. It's not all that heavy, but I'm a big guy so I'm not the best judge for weight. I could beat off groupies and still stay in tune. When world war III comes, there's gonna be 3 things left after the bombs drop: Lawyers, cockroaches, and my T-40.

I emailed Peavey to enquire about the age of my T-40, and within an hour they had emailed me back with the pertinant information. Past that I have had no interaction with Peavey.

This bass is incredible. I will be playing this bass for years to come.

'80 natural finish.

Nothing I can say that hasn't been said. Although the crazy coil-tap/tone knob deal they've got going is pretty cool.

Mine isn't one of the paticle board ones they made from 80 on.

Heaviest bass on the planet, that I know of. I love it. I'm not afraid I'm going to break it like my Ibanez (which I ripped the bridge completely off of the body during a very vigorous song where slapping wasn't enough and I was punching the strings.) The body shape is unique enough to stand out from the sea of Fender and Ibanez that everyone around here seems to have.

The added neck-tilt adjustment is great, as well. When you use it with the truss rod and bridge adjustments, you can pretty much keep this neck playing great forever.

I play in a melodic hardcore band, but there are a lot of different styles I integrate into my playing. Mostly simple blues and galloping metal, but I do quite a bit of slapping, too.

For practice, I play through a POS Crate BX15 practice amp, which I plug into my Hartke TP 4X10 cab, just so it sounds halfway decent. On stage, I borrow a friends rig: Two 2X15 Sunns, Two 4X10 Sunns, and if it's outdoors, we add a 1X18 Peavey. All of this is powered by either an old Peavey power head w/a Peavey Preamp, or a Gallien Kreuger RB1000 (I think that's the model.)

LOUD LOUD LOUD!!! Excellent volume without getting harsh...will distort speakers in cheaper amps at higher volumes, so be careful!

This bass definitely sounds more vintage. Not entirely versatile, but the sounds you can coax from it sound great. I don't get the EMG tone I like with modern EMG-Equipped basses, (like the Spector I'm pining for) but the sound is very reminiscient of a P-Bass, while still being slappable. Nice and Fat, but the highs aren't harsh. On the neck pickup that is. The bridge pickup, no matter how I set it up, sounds tinny and annoying. All of the wiring is fine, so who knows why it sounds so bad. I don't recommend using the phase switch, as all it really does is add a hollow sound. Not really all that useful.

Comparing this bass soundwise to anything else in the price range is laughable. This is a legitimate bass that you can play on stage and still sound good. Try doing that with a Squire or low-end Ibanez after having it for about three months. Only if you play in a punk or metal band where there's so much sound coming off the stage that tone doesn't matter. But for the price of a cheaper bass, you can just get this one, which has an excellent sound for punk and metal.

Being as this bass is over 20 years old, the setup was outstanding. The E-string rattles on the 13th fret, but the rest of the fretboard is nice and quiet. The E- string does get a little floppy when you detune (and since we play a lot of dropped-D which is then tuned down a half step, this can be a small problem), but it stays in tune and is still articulate when coming through an amp.

The neck joint has room to fit a playing card into the gap, but it's secured to the body very tightly, nonetheless.

The neck is too big for me. I started out on Ibanez, and I prefer Jazz bass necks, but the rest of this bass is good enough that I just have to practice more to compensate for the size of the neck.

Compare this bass to anything in the price range. NOTHING even twice as much will last as long. Like I said, when I got it the 13th fret on the E-string rattled. But a little adjustment brought that down to where it's barely noticeable.

There is no tougher equipment on the planet than old Peavey stuff. NOTHING!! I bought this bass strictly for this fact after destroying an Ibanez. I also have a T-60 guitar, and it's a '79 model. We had to fix a scratchy pot and replace the screws (the metal was corroded), but in 20-some years that's all that needed to be done. We've done the standard Peavey durability tests, too (all accidental, of course)--dropped it off a stage, down a flight of steps, off a truck, and it's still great.

Also, you know that a finish that the manual says should be periodically wiped with cr wax will hold up!

Peavey is the best in the world in this regard. There are some that are close (Spector, for instance), but Peavey is the absolute best. That's why us Peavey players are die-hard Peavey players. Go to the website. Download the manual free. E-mail them with your serial number. They'll get you info on your instrument in a day. Fender when I have called, have been cheerful when I was looking into spending tons of money on a custom made instrument, less so when I wasn't. Gibson is horrible.

I've been playing bass for 3 years. Before that, I was a sound tech for several years. That's where I got my introduction to Peavey stuff. I also have a Peavey T-60 guitar (which my brother keeps stealing to play on stage in favor of his Custom Jackson SL). We play exclusively through Peavey Amps (Transtube 212 or 5150 for the guitar), and when I can afford it, I'll be getting a Peavey FireBass head to go with a couple Peavey cabs. We started out playing Peavey garage sale finds, and those instruments are still going just as strong as more expensive instruments we've bought, so why bother to change? Our old Peavey Bandit guitar amp is on its thrid person after I got rid of it, and it's still cranking out loud rock!

If it were stolen, I would find another one. The only other bass I'd rather have is a Spector.

The lone things that keep this from being a ten is that the neck is too big for my hands, and the resale value is horrible. Guitar Center offerd me 50 bucks for it, and it's in mint condition. Hence the reason I avoid GC...assholes all around! I know I overpaid for it, but I was looking for one in mint condition for several years.

Bottom line, what are you going to get in this price range? A Squire? An Ibanez GSR? PUH-LEEESE! The only thing even close is if you look really hard, you may find a used Gibson Ripper for a little more than one of these will cost you. But then you'll be playing a Gibson. I prefer to defiantly beat on my Peaveys, and I always will.

This is a 1981 Peavey T-40. Two humbucker pickups with separate volume and tone controls for each. A three way selector switch for bridge, neck or both pickups and a phase switch to run them in or out of phase. 22 fret maple neck with maple fingerboard. The body is solid ASH wood.

The T-40 is the chamelion of basses. Name the tone and this baby can get it. I haven't found a style of music yet that I can't play on this bass. The Peavey Humbuckers are built to last forever, and after 21 years, they are still going strong.

I bought this bass used and it was in pretty sad cosmetic condition when I got it. The guy before Me didn't believe in cleaning his basses or something. I had it refinished in Gibson's transparent red and the chrome cleaned. You can still tell the bass isn't new, but she sure looks a damn sight better.

I've had the bass for a little over 9 months now. This thing is built like a tank and weighs just about as much. Peavey equipment is built for the long haul and is some of the most dependable stuff out there. They are a highly underrated company, and more people should give them credit where credit is due. This bass will probably outlive Me.

Peavey has some of the best customer support going. Anytime I have e-mailed with questions, they have responded within 24 hours with good reliable answers.

Overall, I'd give this bass an 8. The only way it could really be better is if it were brand new. Sadly Peavey chose to discontinue the T-Series line of guitars and basses. they are fast becoming collectors' items and once you play one, you'll know why.

I had a Peavey T-40 bass, with the natural body and maple neck, when I was in high school. I later modified it somewhat, and then sold it (which I still regret). The recordings I did with this bass are probably still the best bass sounds I've ever gotten.

I have read that this bass is now favored by many Nashville session bassists, who won't record with anything else. I used to play four sets a night with when I was younger, but I don't think my back could put up with it anymore.

I recommend a couple modifications. The bridge (which is a through-body) looks like milled steel but is really empty pot metal, as are the bridge pieces. I eventually took it off, filled in a hole in the body with wood putty, and put on a 62' Jazz bass bridge, which brought the weight down and opened up the sound a little (wasn't so dark). A Badass bridge would work well, of course, for hard rock. Carvin sells nice Gotah through-body bridges too, which are much better made.

The other thing I did which helped a lot was rewire the pots to standard volume/tones for each pickup, without the single/double coil feature being tied to the tone control. It was an interesting idea, but the problem was the stage volume goes through the roof whenever you back off the tone control, making it very hard to make tone changes live without blowing your stage mix. So I rewired it standard (Les Paul schematic, basically) with a coil tap switch for each pickup. They have an out-of-phase switch, but I found this to be completely worthless. The tone sounded like paper, and the volume drops out completely. Why? Because out-of-phase sounds bad! The three way switch was fun, and an unsual feature for bass and useful for solos.

I later turned it into a fretless, which worked out pretty well, but I later regretted it because it had such a nice fretted sound. At one point I had a Dimarzio Pbass pickup in the bridge position, which was kind of cool. The stock pickups are a little tame sounding - the Dimarzio definitely was not.

Anyway, this is a great bass, even stock, and probably sounds as good as a Musicman, for about $150 over Ebay. One guy here said the black bass was cheaper made, but I'm not sure about that. I thought they were the same. Also, the natural body is Ash, not alder, which he said and was wrong about that. I think it's hard ash, not swamp ash, like the old Jazz Basses (which were also a lot heavier than the new "reissues" which are actually a lot lighter.)

Full and ringing sustain, with nice overtones.

Very nicely.

Will be here long after humans have vanished from the planet. Maybe the cockroaches will learn how to play them.

Peavey is always excellent in this. Plus, you gotta love those accents.

This is a made in the USA 1979 T-40. The neck seems like a mix between a Jazz and P-bass. Two humbuckers that can be switched to single coils with a turn of the tone knobs. The body reminds me of an old worn lousville Slugger baseball bat. Its heavy and hard wood. I have been hearing alote of comments about how heavy the bass is from fellow musicians. Come on people get to the Gym.

The bass has a really good variety of sounds due to its ability to go from humbucker to single coil. It also has a phase switch which gives it that woody sound. The bass sounds great through my GK amp and is definatly in the classic sounding bass catagory. As far as recording goes I would have liked a stronger Mid response which is so important but that can be resolved in the mix.

Purchased from Ebay. When buying a bass off of ebay try to avoid buying one from a pawn shop since they no nothing at all about its condition or playability. This was the second T-40 I purchased from ebay via a pawn shop and it was in pretty bad shape. The action was bow and arrow like and the strings were kept in place by 20 years of crud. Fortunatly I was able to get the bass back in playing condition and all is well.

I can beat Barry Bonds home run record or wipe out a crowd at a gig with this bass. The bass is solid and the hardware is big and heavy. This is one of those gems(also see old 70's Kramers) that you can get these days for practically nothing on Ebay cause the kids don't know about them.

The best in the Business. I had many questions answered on one of thier forums by a Peavey rep named A.J in less than 24 hours.

Whatever you want you get with this bass. You can switch amps and just adjust the tone knobs, don't even worry about the EQ on the amp. Lots of options, lots of sounds. Its a genie in a hardshell case, whatever you want, you get.

I can't believe how good this thing sounds. My amp sucks but it manages to over come the amp and still sound good. I can't wait till I get my SWR, man that'll be some tone. Its good for anything, live, studio, whatever you want. Its sounds perfect in whatever enviroment.

Plays like butter. The maple neck and finger board feel great. Pickups rock. Bass had no flaws bridge and neck are too big and heavy to be knocked out of adjustment.

This bass could withstand anything. I call it the Mack Truck of bass giutars. If you ever had to use a guitar to knock down a wall, use this bass. its heavy, its got quality metal hardware, solild body, bolt on neck. You can't bust em.

Never had to deal with them, but I am sure they're great too.

I bought this from a guy who wanted an acoustic bass and wasn't sure of the value. I told him I had $120 to spend and he said he'd take it. I got a 1978 model in the original hardshell case with the original owners manual in the case aswell. I kinda felt bad that I gypted this guy, both him and I were oblivious to this guitars value and worth. I'd keep this bass forever, its my baby, you know how you feel about your first really nice guitar, well this is mine, and I would have to go on Paxil for weekks if it were ever stolen, T-40 is a religion and I am a believer.

This is a Peavey T-40 4 string bass with a natural finish, black pickguard, 2 volume and 2 tone controls with a three-way switch and a coil tap switch, 2 exposed blade humbuckers. The body is solid ash and the neck is rock maple.

AMAIZING AND EXTREMELY VERSITLE. The best sounding bass I've heard!
These pickups are of very good quality. So many sounds can be achieved.

I bought it from a pawn shop so the action had to be adjusted. This is a very heavy long scale bass. Very solid. I'm giving it a 9 because of the weight although it doesn't bother me that much.

This bass is solid enough to chop down a tree and you probably wouldn't hurt it. You deffinately don't need a backup with this.

Peavey has probably the best customer support there is. Very helpful.
Never needed them for this bass but have called them about other questions.

I've been playing for over 20 yrs and I would deffinately find another if someone stole this one.

Very easy and sweet to play. Just turn a dial and change your sound. Humbucking/single coil pickups with a turn of a dial. I used to have two. An all natural wood grained natural finish from the 1970's and a shitty painted black one from the 1980's.

Differences between the two:

Natural finish T-40=Alder body, Maple neck, nicely made, better components, a superior bass, and much rarer. The kind you find in a musician's collection. Nice.

Black Painted T-40=Poplar body(many chunks of wood glued together), Maple neck, quality went down(5/10), cheaper electronics, and all around poorer bass. Much more common. Typically the kind you find in a grimy old pawnshop. Beater.

Natural wood finish T-40: Nice sound, no hiss or extra noise from pick-ups. Nice full sound.

Painted T-40: Hissy and pissy pick-ups. The wood doesn't resonate at all.

Pretty good on both. Depends on the set-up.

Painted T-40 bass: poorer quality wood, fret are average.

Natural finish T-40: Alder, nice fretwork.

They will last longer than mankind.

Peavey is always helpful. Thanks for the extra info on the differences between the T-40s!

Below. Price paid is for my Natural Finish T-40.

I have been playing about 17 years. I used to own both kinds of the T-40 bass. I still have my one form the 70's Natural wood grained finish T-40. The other T-40(some painted black POS) I had was horrible garbage so I sold it to a bassist I didn't like for $200.

FANTASTIC VALUE IS FOR THE NATURAL FINISH T-40.

THE PAINTED T-40 IS JUST PLAIN CRAPPY.

Very straight forward and easy to use. I mean it! Easy as a Mississippi girl in a rainstorm. Solid body(alder) which is a nice wood for bass, maple neck, nice thick steel pots and dials, and nice warm tone. I won't say what's already said so that's about it.

I'm talking about the T-40 Bass with the clear finish(natural finish) not that mediocre T-40 bass from the 1980's(the painted one.)

Very Warm. Reminds me of a G+L bass sound minus the big price tag. Great for studio, gear presence for live work. It's heavy, so that's the only bad thing I can say about it. Great for modern basswork or doing the old classics. If Fender(pre-CBS Fender) and Gibson got together, this would be the product. The T-40 Bass is great. I can'r say enough good things about it, so I'll shut up.

Plays well, made well, pretty good condition for bass made in the 1970's.

You could use this as a battle axe and still play it at you Saturday gig. The hardware will out last me, my kids, and their kids, and so on. Get the picture

Never had to phone them up so no comment.

If you are going to but a T-40 bass, here's a few things you'll want to remember. Buy one from the 70's. The T-40's from the 1980's WENT WAY DOWN IN QUALITY AND STARTED USING woods like popular and small chunks of wood glued together. Pianted ones. Forget those too. Stick with the natural finish one's from 1977, 1978, 1979. Anything after is mediocre. These are getting to be really collectable, especially the ones kept in great condition(not the bar, beer and puke ones). Great as an investment. Great as an instrument. Expect pay anywhere from $500 to $1000 for the Peavey T-40. Anyless and you are getting a deal.

The big feature on this bass is that you can switch from humbucker to single coil by the turn of the dial. It's just how these puppies work. I love this bass. I've had it for about eight months now. Great bass. Great sound. Lucky I bought it cause with all these US prices going up for gear these have gone up way up too!

Sound is as good as any boutique bass today. Great sound and versatile too. Just sweet. Works with all kinds of music.

Nice action, very playable. Nice build quality and I love the metal Peavey used for the dials, pots, switches and so on. Vey nicely built. Looks and play wonderfully.

It's lasted this long. 20 odd years. Mine is in good condition. The prices went up so I wan lcuky to by this T-40 for $500 bucks. The ones that are in excellent to mint sell in stores from $800 to $900 dollars, so I am just stocked that I got this bass for a steal of a deal.

Peavey's great and one of the few big players in the biz that cares about their customers.

Well, The T-40 bass (the one for the 70's with the natural wood finish is really collectable now. The thing that happned with old Fenders is happening with the T-40 Bass. Lucky I bought mine when I did cause I could afford the $900 they sell for now. The painted T-40'S are not collectable cause Peavey made way more of those in the 80's. The ones to look for are the T-40s from the late 70's with the natural wood finish. It's like a clear spray over the wood.

See other reviews for features. this is the same as the rest of them. natural finish. ASH body (not swamp ash). this bass is very versatile due to the 3 way selector switch and in/out of phase switch. in conjunction with your amp's EQ it can get a LOT Of different sounds. in/out phase switch can be used as a coil tap with the bridge pickup selected (VERY useful!). tone knobs turned down past 7 switch from single coil mode to humbucking mode. HUGE string through body bridge. Peavey t-40s are made in the USA.

This thing sounds like a really really really good jazz bass. there are a lot of variety in the tones you can get. i have mine strung with DR Hi beams that are a few weeks old and it sounds really really nice. very good for slap and solo stuff, esepcially with the bridge pickup and the coil tap on. with both pickups on full and the tone knobs down just a tiny bit it gets a very full sound that is almost good for any situation. this bass is pretty bright, due to the woods used, so one of my only complaints is that the highs can be a little too crisp/glassy on top if you're not careful. also, through my yorkville BM200 (a very good bass combo), it has a LOT of high mids. using the bridge pickup and leaving the hi mids flat results in an ugly, almost distorted tone. i think it sounds pretty cool, but it's not always very useful. turning the hi mids down really smooths it out, so keep that in mind if you're looking into buying one of these. i'd rather have too much than not enough! i dont use any effects, and i love the way this thing sounds. my BIGGEST complaint with this bass is that it's easy to make it sound bad. when you turn the tone knobs down a little bit, it goes straight into humbucking mode and it gets REALLY loud, the pickups are already high output and humbucking makes it even louder! i think it sounds pretty ugly on humbucking mode. your highs disappear and everything gets REALLY muddy. i never use the humbucking mode. i wish the tone knobs would keep it in single coil mode. but you have to admit, the humbuckers sure look cool! all in all, this bass can sound great with stainless steel roundwounds or nickelwounds. nickelwounds have a much softer high end, which is good for fingerstyle but the stainless steels give it a treble bite and makes this thing a slapping machine. this bass sounds wonderful as long as you know how to use it!! like i said, it's very easy to make it sound bad.

i bought mine used, it's in pretty fair shape. the neck has some ugly scratches, the wood grain on the body is getting way darker than it should be, and there is a spot where it looks like there used to be a sticker that said 101 on it. this doesnt matter because you can only buy them used now, so if you buy one, make sure it's in good condition. i like the scratches and the color of the wood on mine, it gives it character! setup was very easy on this bass, you need an "ice pick" to raise or lower the bridge saddles. i havent messed wiht the truss rod yet because i didnt need to, but i hear you need some kind of weird tool to adjust it. one complaint is that the neck pickup is right where you would usually want to slap, so you have to get used to slapping in a different spot, like closer to the neck. if you dont, slapping on the G and D strings sometimes results in LOUD pops from the string hitting the pickup. this isnt a problem if you solo the bridge pickup, then you can slap wherver you want to. also, the neck is kind of sticky. there is a thick laquer on the back of the neck, which keeps it from feeling silky smooth like some basses. not a big deal, but it's also one of the few reasons i dont deem this bass as being perfect

this thing is WAY tougher than i am. if you dropped it i doubt it'd really matter. the wood is so hard and dense and heavy that i think you could play baseball with it if you were strong enough to swing this thing. as for the finish, this is a natural finish, and it's apparently very thin because it feels like this thing isnt finished AT ALL and it's really cool. i like how it's like an actual piece of wood, not like a piece of plastic. this thing will last forever.

peavey's webpage is cool because you can email them your peavey serial number and they'll tell you when it was made. mine is an 83 model.
other than that , i have no idea how good their customer support is!

this bass is really great. the rest of the review says it all. i love everything about this bass and it never ceases to amaze me.
the only things i wish it had:
1) a way to switch to humbucking mode without turning down the tone knobs.
2) a smoother neck
3) tone knobs that didnt change from single coil to humbuckers.
other than that, it's just about perfect if you ask me. yeah, it's heavy, big deal! i would definately buy another one if something happened to this one, and i'd recommend to the reader of this review that if you really want one you should save up and get one soon because they're getting more and more popular. i love my peavey, it's a very high quality made in the USA product. it's a shame that new basses cant be this high quality and be for such a reasonable price. email me if you want any advice or have any specific questions about my Peavey T-40. it's not for sale, either!!!

Shipped from Peavey in April of 1978. Two blade Humbuckers, 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 3-Way Military Grade Toggle, Phase Toggle...Natural Finish, B/W/B pickguard, maple neck and fingerboard, massive string-thru bridge! The bitch ways a ton!!

I play alt-country, roots-rock and this bass is perfect. It can even take my metal beatings and still play in tune when I'm done. There are a few crackles when I turn the volume knobs, but other than that, I love the sound. I play thru a Carvin R1000 Head into a 4x10 Red Eye cab and a Fender BXR 2x10 cab...this bass sounds great thru it, especially with the tube pre-amp turned to 5. I've been playing it more than my Stingray and P-Bass.

Haven't had to adjust anything since I got it. The frets are great and the neck is perfect. I wouldn't touch the pickups, they sound great.

This bass has gone across the country with me and has played each and every show with flying colors. The hardware is massive and I don't expect anything to go wrong with it. I did put some Strap-Locks on it, but that's just my preference. I love the beat-up, worn finish as does everyone I run into. I DO use it without a backup.

When I called the Peavey factory in Mississippi, I got right thru to a tech, he ran the serial number, told me what I needed to know and that was it. In and out, what more could you ask for?

I've been playing bass for damn near 14 years and this, by far, is the best bass I own. I have three other electric basses, a '76 Fender P-Bass, A Musicman Stingray I picked up in '95 and a Niki Sixx Edition Gibson Blackbird. Out of all of them, that huge, heavy hunk of wood is my favorite. I love the fact that it can take abuse and still sound great. If it were stolen, I would weep and search for the fiend who would take my baby!! If you can find a Peavey T-40, BUY IT!! Buy it before everyone else realizes how good a bass this thing is!

It was made in the Mid 80's i think im not really sure.. 22 fret 4 string 2 blade humbuckers Very nice...

The sound of the t-40 is crazy it has such a heavy sound it is amazing! I play in a band and we tune down to drop "c" cgcf and the t-40 handles it perfect.... i would have to say it is perfect for on stage or studio... its a all around awsome bass

This is one bass that can take a beating... never had trouble with it at all...

Havent had the pleasure

This is a awsome bass... i love it!

Standard featured T-40. Has the 2 blade style humbuckers, string through body bridge, 2 volumes, 2 tones, three way pickup selector, in/out of phase swtich, maple neck. natural finish, black pickguard, made in USA. it has a huge bridge too. all the parts and hardware are of very high quality, im still impressed with it all. new basses with this amount of features and quality are really expensive. it also has a P-sized neck and fat string spacing (which i really like)

i usually play regular rock music, but i like to play slap and other styles too just for fun. My amp is a Yorkville BM200 with a 15", it has a very neutral sound.

first of all, unplugged this bass has a very bright sound. playing hard makes the wood vibrate and it even sounds like reverb sometimes. it sounds much brighter than my Charvel 3b (passive P&J P bass rosewood neck). plugged in this bass has a very loud and aggressive sound. i have mine strung with DR Low riders, which are nickelwound.
the two humbuckers are VERY high output, i mean this bass is really loud. with my charvel, i usually boost the bass and mids a little bit. with this bass i have to turn down the mids if i turn up the volume, there is just too much of them. turned down it smooths everything out. there is a good amount of highs in all the pickup selections, and the bass is always satisfying. this bass is naturally not a hi-fi sounding bass, and i like that. it sounds very "rock and roll", but softer tones can be gotten easily also.
The bridge pickup with the hi-mids turned down to about 10 oclock and the highs boosted a little bit gives a really good solo/slap tone. i think if i had stainless steel rounds on my bass it'd sound very stringray-like. the out of phase switch with the bridge pickup gets a sound that sounds like of like an OLP stingray when u turn down the first knob and crank the rest. it's pretty cool also. the middle selection sounds pretty good with everything about flat. the highs boosted a little can add for a little more clarity. it has a nice fat sound, great for slap. i dont like to take the mids down too much on this setting or it sounds too modern.
the neck pickup sounds good with the settings about the same as the bridge pickup. if you leave the mids on flat there is just too much and it can even sound distorted at times. it's hard to slap with the neck pickup on because the neck pickup is close to the fretboard, where i slap. so the string bonks the pickup and makes a really loud popping noise. i also like the sound when u drop the highs to 10 oclock and the hi mids to about 10 oclock, it gives a good soft sound that i like using for sour girl. it sounds good like this in any selection really.
with the out of phase switch on and the pickup selector in the middle it gives a weird hollow sound. im not very big on it, it doesnt sound very useful, but it's kinda cool i guess.
im overall VERY happy with the sound this thing gets. sounds very high end, i played a warwick thumb that seriously didnt sound this good. the sustain on this thing is crazy, it'll go forever. i like how im able to get good mellow and aggressive sounds out of this bass. it's definately a winner.
complaints: the tone knobs are weird. if you turn them down very much they switch from parralell to series (this is what ive been told), which makes the pickups even LOUDER. so by doing that u get to the point of overdrive, and the tone knob is down so it sounds muddy. i dont like using the tone knobs at all on this bass, so i use my treble knob on my amp as it now. it's kind of an inconvenience, i wish the tone knobs wouldnt make it get into series mode, it just makes it sound muddier and louder, when it's already almost too loud!!
other than that, i have no complaints. this bass gets a lot of different sounds and i can find one for just about every occaision. and for the price you CANT beat this. my charvel still sounds good compared to this, it'll be my backup bass, but it doesnt have the low end that this thing does. the Peavey just does everything it does, but better and gets a lot more sounds while it's at it.

i was very impressed. i bought this thing used off of ebay and the guy hasnt used it in a long time, so i expected that the truss rod would need adjusting and the bridge saddles were gonna need adjusting but no. the neck is perfectly straight. My charvel has some high frets, this thing DOES NOT. i couldnt find any, they're all smooth and even. this bass is of high craftsmanship. all the construction is top notch. the finish is a little messed up and there are some dings but that's because it's used, im sure it didnt come like that when it was new. so that doesnt count. i give it a 10. nothing to complain about.

this thing is more durable than i am. it's really heavy, not heavy to the point where i need a graphite reinforced strap, but it's heavy enough. i think if it fell it'd be just fine, that wood is really hard and dense. but i have one more complaint about this bass: in order to get to the controls u have to get about 20 screws off so u can get the pickguard off, and then u have to take the humbuckers out and THEN u have to take the strings off. if i ever took this on a gig and something happened it'd take me all night to fix it! so i wouldnt gig with it without a backup. but thats the only reason. i doubt anything would happen on the inside unless i dropped it really hard or something, but still, u cant take your chances.

peavey is cool because you can email them the serial # of ur bass and they'll tell u how old it is. im in the process of doing this right now.
but ive never had to deal with them in terms of warranty or repairs. so i cant really say.

Ive been playing for about 3-4 years. im in love with this bass. everything about it, the looks, the sound, the way it plays is just perfect for me. it's a little heavy but that's okay. if i lost this one or it was stolen i'd cry, and then i'd go buy another one as soon as i could. i think i'll buy another one sooner or later just to have one in better condition and to keep in case something happens to the other one. they're really a great deal, they go on ebay for about 170-250 bucks. and im telling you, this thing probably sounds just as good as a stingray. and u can get a lot more sounds out of it and it costs WAY less. they also make T-60 guitars, which have like all the same features but it's a guitar. they go for about the same price and i hear they're great as well. im glad no one likes peavey or else this would be pretty expensive. it'd be the perfect bass if it wasnt quite as loud (a little smoother), weighed a little less and had the control cavity in the back. other than that it's perfect. i'd buy another one if i had another 250 bucks. i was originally looking into an Ibanez ATK 300 but i think this is better, and the ATK has active electronics, which i dont like, and it only has one bridge humbucker. and it costs more too. so im glad i found this one. ill hopefully have it forever. if u have any questions about it u can email me and i'll tell u to buy one right away.