Peavey Firenza

American made Peavey Firenza P-90 guitar with a SG Red gloss paint job. Body is a hybrid of a 3 piece solid mahogany (slab) Les Paul Junior, Stratocaster and a Telecaster with a maple/ rosewood "Wolfgang" style neck (15" radius, satin/ raw feel finish, straight string pull and a slight pitch back), 25" scale. Medium frets and a slightly pitched back headstock.

Gotoh made stop tail piece that is set into the body to max the sustain. Seems to be of good quality.

Japanese/ Gotoh P-90 pickups (bridge pickup is weak, neck pickup is nice), One Volume, One Tone with a Three Way LP style switch. Non locking mini tuners, good quality.

Play some Metal, but mostly White Boy Blues and some Jazz. The neck and middle setting on this guitar is near perfect for those applications.

The neck pickup has better tone and balance (and is louder) than the bridge pickup.

P-90s are fatter single coil pickups and are great for blues and jazz applications. Takes to some pushing of overdrive as well (Ramones, Green Day...). My amp is a 10w Single end Class A Magnatone Varsity from the 50's. A Champ style amp for about 1/8th the cost of a real 50's Champ Amp.

The stock pickups are OK... the bridge isn't good at all and the neck is pretty nice. I'm going to replacing ALL of the guts of the guitar with better quality pots, Vitamin Q oil filled capacitors and tonefordays.com P-90 pickups.

Acoustically, the guitar sounds quite good with naturally good sustain. She has real possibilities to be a really killer guitar.

I find the neck to be very comfortable to play, generally liking a slightly beefier neck profile and a flatter radius on the board. Nut could be cut a bit better to set a lower action. After re-wiring the guitar, I'm going to have the neck worked on, including having the nut re-cut.

I bought it used... so I'm still working on the action, but not too much since I'm waiting for my custom wound P-90's and the other electronics. Then I'll be tweaking it to my taste.

Fret job seems to be quite good actually, may need a polish, but intonation is just fine and neck plays smoothly.

Peavey guitars are truly utilitarian/ workingman's instruments. They generally aren't that elegant and this one is no exception.

But this does have something that DOES appeal to me.

I would prefer if it did take another page further from the Strat School of Design and it did have an upper arm bout cut and a belly cut.

Finish seems durable. I doubt I'd invest in a re-finish, bought the guitar for $260.00, including shipping.

The hardware seems to be of good quality and the strap buttons are solid.

This is a good choice of a guitar for someone who is looking for a solid backup guitar that has the tones a P-90 equipped guitar can offer.

Never dealt with them. Since I bought it used... doubtful they would be of any real help.

I've been playing off and on since I was 15... so about 22yrs. I mostly get "mutt" guitars like this one; fix them up, get sick of it and sell it off, then get another one.

My MAIN axe is a Neck-thru-Body ESP Horizon (another eBay special for CHEAP) and that one I won't get sick of.

I do like this Peavey. Many of the 1990's Peavey's are quite under-rated/ valued guitars. They really did step up their quality and build for a period there, but have always made a solid quality instrument that have served students and working musicians for years.

For about 6 years, I've actually always wanted one of these Firenzas because I like the neck and like the tone of P-90's in a mahogany body. Pairing it up with a maple neck does lend a bit more of a "spank" to the mellowed mahogany tone, which is why someone like Zakk Wylde has his signature models with a maple neck.

What this is not is an elegant guitar, but it's really good for playing dirty blues and bashing out some Punk rhythms. The neck is "meaty" in some peoples opinion... my hands tend to like a neck that can grab at some meatiness.

Since you can get these for under $300.00, they are worth checking out and doing some customizing on. tonefordays.com can and will wind you a set of P-90s for about $140.00 including shipping. A pair of CTS pots are about $15.00 and a new switch is $10.00. The Vitamin Q Cap is $6.00.

My overall for this guitar is a 7. With a bit of work and some upgrades... she could be a SOLID 9. My ESP, as it is... is a solid 9, going to do another customization on it for it to be a 10...

Final opinion... if you are looking for an inexpensive guitar where you do want some Junior meets Telecaster qualities, then this is a really fun and inexpensive choice to make. You can find near-new examples (like this one is) on eBay for under $300 including the shipping and either a case or a gig bag.

Hey, there were PRIMARILY USA made guitars... imported hardware, so improvements do need to be made. But well quarter-sawn rock maple necks, thick slab of rosewood to mellow out the tone and a nicely sawn slab body, which could use a bit more contouring.

Can certainly tell where they applied the designs of the Wolfgang/ EVH model, including the Music-Man style spoke trussrod. The 25" scale has nice tension to it... so it's almost a poor man's PRS.

Nice wood, functional electronics. Could use another set of volume and tone controls, but really doesn't need to. Decent stock P90s. Nice finish, impressive workmanship.

I bought it off ebay and bought a set of Lollar pick-ups to mount in it prior to delivery. I was somewhat disappointed that the stock P90s sounded pretty damned good, none of the unbalanced string-to-string output referenced in other reviews. Nice punch and scorching, edgy tone. Sounded decent clean, but I bought the thing to have scorching lead tone and it delivered. After installing the Lollars the tone was even better but the single-coil hum was also much louder. I'm sticking with the Lollars until I get a vintage Gibson at a yard sale to pop them into.
This guitar has P90 pick-ups. Do not expect humbucking noise levels. Do expect screaming lead supremacy.

Very tight action, perfectly intoned. Nice finish. Decent tuners. Low-cost pots and hardware. The cavity cover bowed out on its flat edge after re-installation. I'll add a screw to fix that. It has Les Paul-style bridge and stopbar, nicely nestled in routes. Overall, I'm very impressed with the workmanship, materials, and tight tolerances.

Should be bullet proof. Pots will probably start crackling and failing before too long, but no biggie. It has a rock maple neck, so it could double as a battering ram and probably stay in tune.

If I ever call any manufacturer, kill me.

I was going to buy a Collings 290 for two grand and decided to save $1500 and get this guitar and some Lollars. I've played Peaveys before and was unimpressed except for the Wolfgang models which are well built, comfortable to play, and sound great. This guitar is like the Wolfgang in that respect. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a P90-equipped axe. Much higher quality than the various low-cost imports which are now flooding the market. A definite bargain for American-made quality.

Make - 2000 Peavey Firenza, Made in Mississippi, USA.
Neck - Hardrock Maple, Rosewood board, 22 frets, 25 scale, Telecaster neck profile.
Body - Mahogany, Shape is a cross between a Longhorn Strat and a Wolfgang.
Color - Tobacco Sunburst.
Pup's - 2 x P-90's.
Controls - 1 Vol, 1 Tone, 3 Position Toggle.
Bridge - Gotoh TOM.
Tuners - Gotoh.

The sound is what I was expecting - pure P-90. The best way to describe it is somewhere between a Gibby 490 Humbucker and a Strat Single coil. The pick ups, overall are pretty noisy - but - they do cancel if you switch to the middle on position. There isn't much of a sound difference between the neck pick up and the bridge pick up on mine for some reason. I have noticed the lead 'pup is a little louder, but also much noisyier than the rythem. It does sound good and bluesy though. I currently play through a Laney TFX300 with an extention cabinet - all loaded with Eminence Modeling 12s. I have a Boss Blues Driver, a Digitech Hotrod and a Dunlap Wah.

When I received the guitar, the action was spot on and it has remained that way since. The strings are able to sit very low with no buzzing. I wouldn't call this guitar a "Lead" model by any stretch of the imagination. I may be used to the Ultra Fastneck on my SG but, the neck on this Firenza is as fat as a Luisville Slugger and the playabilty is as slow as grass growing. I would rate it about as good as any Telecaster. It would make a great rythem guitar in a rock and roll or country band or a pretty good slide rig if you raised the action a little.

As was said before the pup's are noisy and I have run into the same "quiet" E string problems as others who have reviewed this guitar.

This Firenza does have some flaws. I recieved it and it has 2 small "Strat" cracks on either side of the neck pocket. They are pretty much cosmetic, probably from a side slide to the floor at some point in its former life. There is also a factory finish flaw on the back of the neck where it seems the finish was applied a bit too lightly and has worn away, leaving a slightly sticky slow spot.

As a whole, with the exception of the finish issue, the guitar is well put together.

One thing to note about Peavey's in general - they are build like tanks and are about as heavey as one. This Firenza is no exception. It is without a doubt, the heaviest solid 6-string guitar I have ever played. As I have said before, the guitar is well made and I would say very reliable. The body finish is very thick and even though this one is 6 years old, I cant find a single dimple, scratch or ding on the body. The hardware appears to be well made and fully functional

Others have said they have had good luck from Peavey as far as support goes - but, I'm sorry to say that I have not. I e-mailed them several times about how to read the serial numbers so I could confirm the year and sadly, I recieved no reply. I ended up having to research it myself, which isn't a big deal, but it left me wondering about if I had a real problem with the guitar, would they help me.

I bought this guitar via an online auction for pennies because I wanted to try something with P-90's in it. I'm generally a Gibson man and was looking for a Les Paul Jr. - but I saw this Peavey, found out it was made in the USA (Thank You Harmony Central) and best of all, couldn't believe the rediculasly low bid price.

Loves - The bodies finish and coloring are gorgeous, well made and very solid.
Hates - Heavy!, neck pocket may be a weak spot, neck finish is light, no body relief cut.
Wishes - Lighter and a body relief on the bass side.

If it was stolen, I would probably replace it with a Les Paul Special or Jr.

I always liked the stock pickups on the two Firenzas that I've had, but have found that, for some reason, the high E has very little output. I've ended up changing the pickups (DiMarzio Virtual P-90 in the neck; DiMarzio DLX NECK [production version of Yamaha Q-100] in the bridge). This guitar now SCREAMS, has become the perfect barroom rock'n'roll lead instrument, and the sound finally lives up to the playability it always had. If you can find one of these cheap enough, consider the pickup swap right off the bat. I've also put in a 1 megohm volume pot with a 'treble bleed' capacitor--makes the Firenza into the biggest, baddest Tele on the block.

I'm a fan of these guitars and it seems there is some confusion about the different Firenza models that Peavey has released over the years. As of this writing, there have been a total of five (5) different versions of the Firenza.

All five Firenza versions were designed by Jim Decola, currently Master Luthier for the Fender Custom Shop in Nashville. Other Peavey guitars designed by Jim Decola include the Generation Series, the Wolfgang, and the Limited, to name a few.

All Peavey Firenza's utilize a 25" scale length maple neck, with a 15" radius rosewood fingerboard, and 22 medium jumbo frets.

Here is a rundown of the different Peavey Firenza guitars, and how you can tell them apart:

Impact Firenza: The Impact Series, unlike later versions of the Firenza, are easily identified by their plastic pickguard and 6 inline Schaller tuners. The Impact Firenza was the first Peavey guitar to carry the Firenza model name. Offset Strat shape body made of poplar, high quality alnico pickups in a fat-strat configuration (H/S/S) with one volume and a single tone knob. Gotoh Powerbend tremolo system. Made in Meridian Mississippi USA between 1994-1996, MSRP for the Impact Firenza was $599.

Impact Firenza AX: The AX designation is used by Peavey for their deluxe models. The Impact Firenza AX is virtually identical to the regular Impact Firenza, but it came standard with locking tuners (also by Schaller), and had an ash body option. It is unclear how many Impact Firenza AX models shipped with ash bodies and how many had poplar bodies, but if it's heavy, it's ash. Made in Meridian Mississippi USA between 1994-1996, MSRP for the Impact Firenza AX was $699.

Firenza (aka "Soapbar" Firenza): Probably the most popular Firenza ever built. Offset Strat shape body in solid mahogany. Appearance is kind of a cross between an Impact Firenza, a Wolfgang, and a Les Paul Special or a PRS McCarty. Two Gotoh "KMS Old" alnico soapbar pickups on a 3-way switch with one volume and one tone. Pickups are mounted directly to the guitar body, i.e., no pickguard. Gotoh tun-o-matic style bridge set into the body ala the Wolfgang, and 3-on-a-side Schaller tuners, also similar to the Wolfgang. Unlike the Impact series Firenzas, which were made in Meridian, the later model Firenzas were all made at Peavey's now legendary Leakesville plant. All of the Leakesville Firenzas feature three-on-a-side tuning machines, and Peavey's patented "torsion wheel" that adjusts the truss rod at the base of the neck, the same as the Wolfgang. An interesting bit of trivia about the Leakesville Firenzas is that none of them are stamped "Made in USA". Since the soapbar pickups and all of the bridges were sourced in Japan, it is a common misperception that the entire guitar was made in Japan. In fact, all of the later model Firenzas were made in Leakesville Mississippi, USA, between 1998 and 2002. MSRP for the "Soapbar" Firenza was $699.

Firenza AX: The Firenza AX is kind of a cross between an Impact Firenza AX and a Wolfgang. 3-on-a-side Schaller locking tuners, and two high-output alnico humbucking pickups on a 5-way switch which allows for a wide variety of tonal possibilities. Pickups are mounted directly to the guitar body, i.e., no pickguard. All Firenza AX bodies are made of solid ash. Gotoh Powerbend tremolo. Made in Leakesville Mississippi USA between 1998-2002, MSRP for the Firenza AX was $899.

Firenza JX: The least expensive of the Leakesville Firenzas, but still a performance quality instrument suitable for professionals and entry-level players alike. 3-on-a side Schaller tuners, offset Strat shape body made of basswood, high quality ceramic pickups in a fat-strat configuration (H/S/S) on a 5-way switch with one volume and a single tone knob. Pickups are mounted directly to the guitar body, i.e., no pickguard. String-through-body Gotoh stoptail bridge usually associated with custom Telecaster-type guitars. The geniu

This is not a review. I’m a fan of these guitars and it seems there is some confusion about the different Firenza models that Peavey has released over the years. As of this writing, there have been a total of five (5) different versions of the Firenza.

All five Firenza versions were designed by Jim Decola, currently Master Luthier for the Fender Custom Shop in Nashville. Other Peavey guitars designed by Jim Decola include the Generation Series, the Wolfgang, and the Limited, to name a few.

All Peavey Firenza's utilize a 25" scale length maple neck, with a 15" radius rosewood fingerboard, and 22 medium jumbo frets.

Here is a rundown of the different Peavey Firenza guitars, and how you can tell them apart:

<b><u>Impact Firenza</b></u>: The Impact Series, unlike later versions of the Firenza, are easily identified by their plastic pickguard and 6 inline Schaller tuners. The Impact Firenza was the first Peavey guitar to carry the Firenza model name. Offset Strat shape body made of poplar, high quality alnico pickups in a fat-strat configuration (H/S/S) with one volume and a single tone knob; Gotoh Powerbend tremolo system. Made in Meridian Mississippi USA between 1994-1996, MSRP for the Impact Firenza was $599.

<b><u>Impact Firenza AX</b></u>: The AX designation is used by Peavey for their deluxe models. The Impact Firenza AX is virtually identical to the regular Impact Firenza, but it came standard with locking tuners (also by Schaller), and had an ash body option. It is unclear how many Impact Firenza AX models shipped with ash bodies and how many had poplar bodies, but if it&#8217;s heavy, it&#8217;s ash. Made in Meridian Mississippi USA between 1994-1996, MSRP for the Impact Firenza AX was $699.

<b><u>Firenza (aka &#8220;Soapbar&#8221; Firenza)</b></u>: Probably the most popular Firenza ever built. Offset Strat shape body in solid mahogany. Appearance is kind of a cross between an Impact Firenza, a Wolfgang, and a Les Paul Special or a PRS McCarty. Two Gotoh "KMS Old" alnico soapbar pickups on a 3-way switch with one volume and one tone. Pickups are mounted directly to the guitar body, i.e., no pickguard. Gotoh tun-o-matic style bridge set into the body ala the Wolfgang, and 3-on-a-side Schaller tuners, also similar to the Wolfgang. Unlike the Impact series Firenzas, which were made in Meridian, the later model Firenzas were all made at Peavey&#8217;s now legendary Leakesville plant. All of the Leakesville Firenzas feature three-on-a-side tuning machines, and Peavey's patented "torsion wheel" that adjusts the truss rod at the base of the neck, the same as the Wolfgang. An interesting bit of trivia about the Leakesville Firenzas is that none of them are stamped &#8220;Made in USA&#8221;. Since the soapbar pickups and all of the bridges were sourced in Japan, it is a common misperception that the entire guitar was made in Japan. In fact, all of the later model Firenzas were made in Leakesville Mississippi, USA, between 1998 and 2002. MSRP for the &#8220;Soapbar&#8221; Firenza was $699.

<b><u>Firenza AX</b></u>: The Firenza AX is kind of a cross between an Impact Firenza AX and a Wolfgang. 3-on-a-side Schaller locking tuners, and two high-output alnico humbucking pickups on a 5-way switch which allows for a wide variety of tonal possibilities. Pickups are mounted directly to the guitar body, i.e., no pickguard. All Firenza AX bodies are made of solid ash. Gotoh Powerbend tremolo. Made in Leakesville Mississippi USA between 1998-2002, MSRP for the Firenza AX was $899.

<b><u>Firenza JX</b></u>: The least expensive of the Leakesville Firenzas, but still a performance quality instrument suitable for professionals and entry-level players alike. 3-on-a side Schaller tuners, offset Strat shape body made of basswood, high quality cera

i would give this guitar a nine because even though it is mahogany with 2 singles and a dimebucker pickup it did not come with anything

all that i can say is that this is one of the best guitars that i have ever heard ranging from blues to hard rock on a peavey supreame amp this guitar is great. it sounds great with stairway to heaven

i got this guitar which they no longer make at a little store called live music after they had it for 8 years and it is in exellent condition

this guitar is extreamly solid i have had it for over half a year and there is'nt a scratch on it including one time i accidently put a hole in the wall with its headstock i got in major trouble with my family but not a scratch on the guitar

i did not talk to the peavey company but the store i got this at was extreamly helpful and told me what it was mainly used for.

i have been playing for over 3 years and i have 1 other guitar an acoustic ibanez G7. if this guitar was stolen i dont know what i would do because i have never seen another solid black one. i love how this guitar sounds and my favorite feature is probably the dimebucker pickup. i was going to get a fender strat from guitar center because this was 1000 dollars but this was way better and it went almost 75% off. i also like that the input jack is on the side so it doesnt hit your hand when you play.

made in 2001-in USA--22 tall vintage frets--mahogany body--volume/tone control wired to a 3 way switch--p90 pickups by gotoh--trans red finish with a satin finish maple neck and rosewood fretboard--TOM bridge and stop tailpiece by gotoh along with gotoh tuning heads--i would describe the body shape as an 'elongated strat'coalescing with the 'slabness' of a tele--

also has a tusq nut(factory equipped)--very nice touch and if installed aftermarket, it would be around $40-50--straight string pull(ingenious)--small headstock(another great idea)--15" radius(it is the 21st century finally!!!!)---

this is a rather interesting hybrid of a guitar--even though p90 pickups are associated with blues/rock music, the first jazz guitars used by charlie christian and others were p90 equipped--which leads me to think that the history of jazz guitar must definitely be related to this sound--the pickups are noisy when overdriven, but no more than a typical single coil--the quality of the pickups is quite impressive-- a warm and transparent jazz sound in the neck, a great tele sound in the middle, and a very present lead sound in the bridge--i think more and more that the p90 is the closest thing to a 'perfect' pickup--

i have compared this one to $1200--$1500 ernie balls and $2500 tom andersons and quite frankly, it is every inch to these in fit and finish--a remarkable construction--there is not one flaw anywhere on this instrument--perfect---

the boutique instruments on the market have nothing on this one--its too bad peavey discontinued it--probably because enough people didn't really see this guitar for what it is--my only comment has to do with the 'noise factor' from the pickups--and in all probability, i will change them to hum-cancelling p90's, as i play out a lot and also record frequently--

Made in USA with a slab mahogany body, bolt on maple/rosewood neck, and 3 to a side tuners on small wolfgang style peg head. Body is sort of a PRS double cut style with a longer upper horn. Pups are 2 P-90's with single tone and single volumn knob 3 way selector switch. Stop tailpiece with an adjustable bridge. Mine has a very nice red wine transparent finish.The fret board is very flat 15" radius and has a bone nut. There is a unique neck adjustment wheel at the base of the neck. A very basic guitar that grows on you as you play it. Simplicity is a good thing.

I bought this because I wanted something with P-90's to try. These things are super and are very vintage sounding. They play well clean and then get down and gritty as you add the gain. A very good vintage rock sound. These are actually pretty quite unless you sit on top of you amp then you can get some hum.

The flat radius takes abit of getting use to. When I bought it the previous owner had 8's on it. I immediately replaced with 9 GHS boomers and it was a big improvement. I have really gotten to like the action and feel of the neck. The fit and finish are excellent and the hardware seems excellent fretwork is well done . Again it is a pretty simple guitar but the execution is super. I would no be afraid to take this guitar on any sort of gig .

Like I said simple with good quality hardware and electronics. Solid slab body. I would expect this thing to last and last unless you are extremely hard on your stuff and then I can't think of a guitar that I think might out last it.

No contact so I don't have an opinion.

I've been at it about 5 years now . I have a strat and a hwy 1 tele . This guitar is finished well and a rock solid guitar. When you handle it you can just see that it is a well made piece of gear. It is quite different in feel than my Fenders and the body would look better cosmetically if the upper and lower horn were more balanced in size. But once you get use to it you are hooked. It is a lot of fun to play and sounds super. I would really hate to lose this guitar. It is clearly the equivalent of the gibson slab body juniors and Les Pauls I've seen and costs just a fraction.

Mahogany body, two P-90 pickups, one volume, one tone, three way switch, tune-o-matic with stop tail piece. 4 bolt neck with micro-tilt adjustment. Rosewood neck with what seems like 12" radius and medium jumbo frets. Compact ( read smallish ) headstock with enclosed tuning gears.

I play blues, worship, country, jazz...whatever floats the ol' boat at the moment. I use a variety of tube and solid state amps, various emulation devices along with overdrive, delay, fuzz and assorted other noise makers.

This little guitar really has surpassed my expectations. I got it for cheap as the store had it for 3 or so years and wanted to blow it out. Since I had been jonzen after a P-90 equipped guitar, I was ahppy to take it off their hands. It had been years since I last had a P-90 equipped guitar and when the opportunity to get one for less than the price of an effects pedal, I had to jump. Glad I did. While it will never replace my #1, I could see myself playing and being happy with this guitar if it was the only one I had. The elongated strat body style is not my favorite, but that has nothing to do with the stellar tone this thing puts out. I bought it without plugging it in as it played so well and felt good. My thinking was I would upgrade the pickups at first opportunity to some Lollars. While I still may do that, the stock P-90's suprised the crap out of me! They sound darn good. I'll keep it as is till a nice used set comes along cheap, then upgrade. The Peavey Firenza is an excellent example of not having to spend stupid bucks to get a nice sounding, nice playing guitar. One of the P-90's is reverse wound, so it's hum cancelling in the middle position. It's not real noisy anyway on single pickup settings.

Action, fit and finish are very nice. As good as any out there for this range of guitar. It's basic, but that's fine with me.

As far as reliability, the Firenza reminds me of a telecaster in the way it's put together. As such, I do believe it would take a licking and keep on ticking. I'm lucky to have many fine guitars to choose from when I play out. I'm lazy and have a bad back, so I rarely take a backup guitar....and for many years I had only one guitar, so I had no backup! With that, this would be a fine guitar for many different types of gig. From blues to top 40 to rock to country. The tone control is not very well voiced, so it would need a bit of attention to do a jazz gig. Since I gig so infrequently, I won't worry about it. Must be getting a bit less anal in my old age.

In 30 years and many, many,many,many....MANY guitars, amps, pedals, etc., I have never had to use customer support. I take good care of my gear. I've been lucky enough to be able to do my own set-up and repair work if any thing went wrong.

All I can say is this" If you find one for 2 bills or so, buy it. You won't regret it. Think of it as another color in the crayola box. Since I do some recording, having P-90 tones availabe is refreshing from the usual single coil / bucker tones that are so prevelant today.