Peavey HP Signature EXP

Made in Korea in 2007
24 frets
two volumes and two tones and a three way selector switch
2 x humbuckers with passive electrics
Maple neck and body
Mine is the sunburst model with Ebony fretboard

I play mainly blues and rock, thi guitar through a marshall JCM 800 is excellent, Hard and clean without any sharp edges

Its extremely quiet apart from the usual noisy pick up selector as also found on ??1500 Gibson Les Pauls

Its not got as much bite as a Les Paul and when distorted up it has a bit less scream but it still rocks big time

The Finish is sublime. It is a lot better than many Gibson Les Pauls I have owned, the hardware is great too apart from the gold finish which seems to fade a bit quick

The neck is gorgeous, it feels like an old 335 its slim and wide and the ebony fretboard feels really nice.

I couldn't find a single blemish and the bookmatching is perfect as far as I can see

Gigged it regularly since I bought it. Left in the toast rack at the side of the stage are a Gibson Les Paul Classic, a 1980 Fender Strat and an Ibanez Jem

It never goes out of tune on stage and usually comes out of the case at every gig almost pitch perfect

I still play them when I need a certain sound or the trem, but if I have to pick one for exampke to go to a jam night there is no contest the Peavey walks it

Never needed it

If I lost this I would get another imediately, this is a keeper for life
Its my numero uno now and considering the price is probably the best again I've ever bought. That guy who gave it low scores must be on something you can't buy in the shops

I purchased the exp in transparent black. Absolutely stunning w the gold hardware. The body has a modified strat, or PRS, look to it, but the excellent headstock absolutely makes this a personal statement - beautiful! The patented string-thru-body, using metal ferrules, allows maximum sustain. Grover tuners and a thin neck w wide rosewood fretboard is, for me, a perfect match. 24 3/4 inch scale, which I prefer. Don't be put off by the Korean manufacture - this is a marvelous instrument! Mahogany body w maple laminate top and mahogany neck. Two Peavey-made humbuckers w two volume pots, one tone pot, 3-way blade switch - nice and simple. I'll give it a 9, only b/c two tone pots would be my prference.

My exp is not quite as chunky as a Les Paul, nor as bright as a strat (and I own both). The best way to describe it is that it's right in the middle between the two...a near perfect balance. An EXCELLENT guitar for blues, rock, indie, country - just about any style. Depending on the amp and effects pedals, of course. There is NOTHING I don't like about this guitar. Period.

Here's my story: I own 9 guitars, 7 electric, two acoustic. The electrics are the standard guitars owned by most everyone. Various Epis, Gibsons, Fenders (and a Rickenbacker 360 12 string). I set out to make a personal statement...to own a guitar that is not owned by everyone else. To that end, I was considering a PRS, at $2000 +. It just so happened that I called one of two local music stores to see if they carried PRS (I knew the other one didn't). While talking to the guitar tech, I let him know about my desire for a PRS. They don't carry PRS, but he suggested that if he could just get the Peavey HP Signature EXP in my hands, I would want it. It is, he said, so very close to a PRS, and for 1/4 the price. Hell, I have a Peavey amp from 1982 (still going strong!) as well as a Vox and Behringer modeling/effects amp. I wasn't aware that Peavey made guitars! (I've been playing for some 40 years now, off and on, pro, studio and hobby.) Having played (but not owned) PRS Custom guitars, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. I went and checked out the Peavey HP EXP, and I'll be darned! This guitar IS so close to a PRS, in every way. Action, fit, finish, electronics - I was truly amazed (and it takes ALOT to amaze me these days)! The Peavey had already been set up by the guitar tech, and a damn good tech he is! The action on this guitar is the best I've ever played, bar none! There is barely a gnat's hair between the top of the frets and the strings, with no buzz whatsoever! I laid out my money and bought it right then and there!

I don't play professionally any more, except for a gig here and there, but I've played pro, on stage, in studio, for many years, so I know guitars and gear. I love everything about this Peavey, especially the slight resistance in rolling the pots - firm and solid!. And I love that headstock! The finish is mirror smooth and seems "thick", as though a slight ding wouldn't harm it at all. I'd gladly play this guitar live w/o a backup. Everything about it is top quality and will last for more years than I will!

Haven't had to deal w Peavey at all, so no comment. And that goes back to 1982, when I bought a Peavey Bandit 65 combo amp! That amp is still like brand new to this day!

I've been playing since 1964. Since then I've owned more guitars than I can remember. I now own 9 guitars (seven electric, two acoustic), all cherry-picked over the years. Of the Gibsons, Fenders and Epis I own (as well as a Rick 360 12 string), the Peavey HP Signature EXP is now my favorite guitar. It's just perfect in every way! The action, as good as the others are, is the best! This is my dream guitar - a PRS without spending 5 times the price! Check one out. I bet you'll agree with me! This guitar should be right up there with the very best, no matter the price!

This guitar features a quilted maple top, my personal guitar has the Tigereye finish. It looks like a strat in shape, but is also kinda carved, not flat like a regular Strat. It has a dual-compression bridge, and Grover tuners. The neck is thin, which allows for easy barre-chords, and fast playing. It has 2 covered humbucking pickups, not really specified except they are custom-wound Peavey pickups. One volume control is given for each pickup, with a 3-way switch, and a master tone control. The pickups are passive. It has 24 frets which to me are pretty easy to access. As far as I know, these are made in Korea, and these are a fairly new line of guitar.

My personal musical style requires a lot of distortion, a lot of clean, and a lot of whatever else I feel I need. When used with my Boss ME-50, I can get awesome blues tones. I can turn up the distortion, and get some good heavy-metal sound, and a Van Halen-ish tone, which as a Van Halen fan is very important. The cleans, when used with a decent amp (or in my case, processor) are excellent. I get good lead tones out of the bridge pickup, and I generally use the neck pickup for cleans. I can get good squeals; nothing like Zakk Wylde, but they'll suit me.

With the neck pickup, you can expect a full sound with some bass, and on the bridge, you get a lot more treble. Personally, I don't like using the bridge pickups on most guitars unless I have a lot of distortion, and the neck allows for a nice bluesy sound.

I bought this guitar off the shelf at a local music store, and they had it all set up and everything. Not much to say about that.

I've looked for flaws everywhere, and have noticed only minute ones. There are a few spots where it looks like they messed up on the lacquer or whatever that clear coating is. The wood is good quality, and looks proplerly matched to my unprofessional eye.

I does have a noisy pickup selector. If I'm not careful, I can get this metallic sound. And sometimes my pickups don't get full volume even with the volume at max.

I have played this guitar in small gig situations and many band practices, and there are no reliability issues. The hardware does seem that it will last a long time, but some of the gold coloring has worn off in the 15 months I have owned this (or I haven't done a good cleaning job in a long while). The strap buttons are no problem for me, though I don't play real wildly. It is another quality product from Peavey, and seeing as I have no backup, I would use it without backup. Still, it's always good to have backup either way.

Sometimes, the electronics malfunction. I'll switch to the bridge pickup, and I'll get a metallic click, or sometimes the pickup doesn't seem to work. It seems like it's only working at half-power for some reason, and the volume knobs give off a fuzzy sound when I do a volume swell.

I've taken it to the shop a few times, mostly for the action and truss rod. I haven't dealt with customer support, and it came with no literature. I don't know if that's because I bought it at a store, or if they just don't come with it.

I've been a guitarist for three years. This is the only working guitar that I have. If it were lost or stolen, I think I would upgrade. I would still consider getting it again, but I think that at this point, it's just best to upgrade. I would definitely be upset, however. I compared it to a Peavey Jack Daniels' guitar. I thought the Jack Daniel's would be cool because it had the Jack Daniel's logo on it, but the sound didn't impress me as much as the HP. I have also played the HP Signature USA series guitar, and honestly, I would rather stay with this one. It's less expensive, and gets the job done. I like to play a lot of music that requires a whammy bar. I like this guitar, but in the future, I can see myself playing a nice Stratocaster. There's just a sound quality you can get with single-coils that humbuckers just can't duplicate.

My is a "Tiger Eye" Quilt Top. Two Humbuckers, Grover Tuners, definitely has a rosewood fretboard - this one is not ebony (unfortunately). Most other features stated in other reviews.

I play classic rock and was looking for something cheap to turn into a Les Paul clone. I already own Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul's. I was looking for a "project guitar" to see if I could build up an LP tone on a cheap foundation. When I found this guitar made by Peavey - I knew I was on to something. I bought this off Ebay without ever having played the thing. My plan? Put a 57 Classic in the neck and a 500T in the bridge and rework the electrics. Maybe I'll get around to it but I'm in no hurry at the moment as I'm enjoying this stock guitar awesomely! Seriously - I think this is the best value guitar on the market. It SOUNDS incredible. Very warm and creamy tones - it's already in LP territory easily and this is a very gigable guitar right out of the box. Distorts extremely well and cleans up very nice. You can get distorted tones or smooth jazz tones out of this box. Plays beautiful Blues. I play it through a Marshall Half Stack, a Fender Champ, and a PODXT and it's all wonderful!

Action was low and buzzy when I got it - but I adjusted it and it's great now.

Thing's a tank. Never gig without a backup unless you have a hot girlfriend in the audience with whom you can spend time with after your axe has fried itself and you are no longer in the band!!

Never tried them - although I'm a little miffed that Peavey doesn't have a manual for this on their website.

Awesome axe - buy it for a fun axe that is also cool. Incredible tones dude.

Finish: I chose the sunburst model. It's very good quality for such an affordable guitar.
Body Style: I believe it's based off of a PRS Custom 22. Doublecut, solidbody, basswood with maple veneer.
Bridge: All hardware is gold, including the Tune-O-Matic bridge.
Tuners: The tuners are also gold, and i believe they are Grovers. They work very well and don't slip much at all for non-locking.
Neck/Scale: The neck is one piece maple, with a rosewood fretboard that has rectangle pearl inlays, like on a Gibson Les Paul Custom. The neck is thin and easy to play, with easy access to the upper frets. My only complaint is that since the back of the neck has a paint finish on it, if your hands aren't very clean, it can be slightly sticky...but your hands should be clean when you play anyways. Oh yeah, 22 frets.
Accessories: None.

Miscellaneous: This guitar is a solid top, has two volume and one tone knob, a 3-way selector switch, and two humbuckers. I believe they are alnico's, but i'm not sure. Passive electronics.

I suppose it is pretty basic, but when you take the price into account, it's a steal.

I play classic rock, blues rock, some hard rock/metal, and some newer stuff as well like Franz Ferdinand and Rage Against the Machine. This guitar can really cover it all. With the neck pickup set right, i can get a perfect Eric Clapton tone, and a Jimi Hendrix clean tone. It really can play just about anything, except for heavily distorted stuff, i don't have any pedals yet.
The guitar is really quiet-there's a little bit of hum, but it's barely noticeable even if the sound is cranked (on my 100-watt amp)
It gives a very bright yet mellow sound and even sounds great unplugged. No complaints really, except that the switch makes a click noise whenever you change it, so i can't just jiggle it to use it as a killswitch, but that's ok.

There were no flaws in the basic guitar body, ie, nut, frets, hardware, tuners, etc. I don't how it was set up at the factory, i bought it from a local store and i know they do good setups, so it might have been them.

No complaints at all, very solid, high quality, wouldn't have any problem not having a backup.

Haven't had to deal, although i registered it at peavey.com, and it has a 2-year warranty.

I completely love this guitar. I couldn't ask for anything better for the price paid. A few minor (VERY minor) flaws, but the good immensely outweighs the bad. A good guitar for nearly any level of playing.

Mahogany Body with quilted top, mine being the sunburst finish. The machine heads are Grover (always been my faverourite machines). Two humbuckers of unknown origin I suppose they must be peavey. They sound good but not great, certainly not on par with a pair of Semour Duncans or EMG's but then again you get what ya pays for. It has a slim neck with massive fretsand an extremely low action, topped off with an ebony fretboard which is something very unusual for a Korean made guitar.

The sound is quite bright and through my marshall JCM 800 does a passable impression of a les Paul. once you get it wound up with some distortion this guitar is capable of what any guitar with pretty decent pickups is capable of. It won't send your senses into overdrive but then again it won't let you down either

This was where this guitar came into its own, the finish is what can only be described as gorgeous, the attention to detail and the overall appearance are fantastic. The neck plays better than any Les Paul I have ever owned and I have owned a few. The playability is superb. I can't see myself ever getting rid of this guitar. My Strat hardly ever gets touched since I bought it. I have been trying to think back to a guitar which was better to play and I can't think of a single one I have played in over 30 years of playing that plays better than this one, thats how good it is

I am gigging this guitar regularly and it stays in tune and hasn't let me down so far. The strap buttons have been changed for a locking set, the gold plate is starting to show signs of wear but otherwise its in perfect condition, not even buckle rash.

Don't know really, their gear has been that reliable over the years I have never needed to contact them

I have been playing Pro for over 25 years, I own several guitars including Strats, Teles and others. I play through a Marshall JCM 800 2201 Head through a George Denis Blue 4x12, I also have two back up amps, a Crate 2x12 combo and a Marshall VS100 combo. I use boss pedals for virtually everything. I can't believe how lucky I was getting this guitar for the price I did, God Bless E-bay. If it was stolen/lost etc I would run out and buy another one straight away

24 fret 24 3/4" scale, mahogany set neck and 3 piece mahogany body with laminated top.
2 humbucker pickups with individual volume controls and shared tone, 3 way pickup selector switch.
Tunamatic bridge and Grover tuners.
Gold plated hardware.
Could have done with coil-tap on pickups for versatility but otherwise features suit me fine.

Sound is superb - very good imitation of a Les Paul or PRS Singlecut although the former has a little more low-end grunt.
Sound is rather on the dull side but this can be dealt with by EQ settings on amp. In comparison with a Les Paul played by another member of my band, the Peavey offers a slightly clearer sound with pretty much the same "grunt", so much so that my bandmember colleague has decided to invest in one himself.

The action is very low with no buzzing and seems to be set up well from stock. Intonation is fairly good but needed some very slight tweaking which was a piece of cake owing to the tunamatic bridge. The woodwork and finish seem flawless. I don't go much on the tiger eye finish but this was the only model in my local shop and was so good in other respects I dare not mail order one of the other (nicer) colours.

The guitar seems robustly constructed and I have had no problems at all in the six months I have had it. At this stage there are no obvious signs of wear at all. The hardware is all gold-plated and as such has totally resisted staining or corrosion so far, unlike the chrome hardware on my previous Ibanez.

Overall opinion has to be 10 owing to the fact that this guitar cost me ??360(GBP). As mentioned above, I spent several long visits to guitar shops and ended up with three favourites; this guitar, a Gibson Les Paul and a PRS Singlecut. The sound was barely better on either the Gibsons or PRSs which really is a miracle when you consider the price. Prior to going to several guitar shops and trying more or less every guitar out, getting a Peavey would never have crossed my troubled mind. After whittling away the competition - and nothing else in this price bracket vaguely competes - I was left with the choice of this guitar, a Les Paul which sounded great but was awfully "clunky" to play, or a PRS which was great to play but sounded no better at over five times the price. The only thing that gave me pause for thought was the image - what would people think about me playing a Peavey? But then with the obvious quality and huge difference in price, if people are going to be snobbish about the fact it's a Peavey, then that's their problem. Opinions change very quickly once they either hear the sound or get to play it themselves.

I think its worth mentioning before continuing that jacob jest and Bubbagump's reviews were about the cheaper peavey EX model NOT the EXP. Anyway, the features have been covered already but the features you get for the money are superb.

Straight out the box, a quick tune up and i plugged into my amp. From the first chord to when i eventually put it down four and a bit hours later i was blown away by the sheer quality of this axe. With the stock 9 gauge strings on, this guitar sounds so warm and tasty. Les Paul? to me it sounds far more consistent, no muddy chug chug as you hit the strings, but a full bodied roar. This puppy does the job, and it does it well. The neck pickup although for me does not do sweet child of mine with as much punch as the Les it still is in the right ball park. clean is a pleasure on the neck pickup too very warm and round, and any doubts as to the sound due to the 24 fret neck are quickly whisked away when you hear the thing. The bridge pickup was played with a bit of gain at first, and the first few chords of VH's dance the night away again blew me away. Nearly spot on tone. Vintage sound with a bit of modern punch is the best way to describe it. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a 300 quid guitar- the same amount i had to spend on my 62 reissue strat to make it sound better. Yes this one would probably sound the dogs bollocks with 160 pounds worth of pickups in it, but it really isn't necessary whereas the strat needed the upgrade in my view. For Rock and Blues its as sweet as they come.

The action was very low, without string buzz and was pretty playable straight from the box. I like my action quite high and the neck was a little too bowed and so required a truss adjustment, but to be honest it doesn't take two mintutes to do those, and it was what i expected. As for the finish- flawless. It looks like a guitar that should cost three times as much. The cherryburst maple top, although a veneer looks very good with a 3D quality to it so it doesn't look like a cheap shitty photograph finish. Very impressive. Neck was not flawed at all,the three piece structure is obvious from the back, but the joints are very neat and tidy, frets perfectly installed and the ebony fretboard although dirty (i put this down to it sitting in a storeroom for a long time)looked very cool with a dose of lemon oil. Gold hardware- very cool and sturdy looking addition, grover tuners, new dual compression bridge adding some more cool flexability to this instrument (you can string through the tailpiece or through the body) and again only for three hundred quid. The matched headstock may be up for scrutiny from people, but i like it for its different look and think it's very nice. Only Gripe with the overall setup is that the stock strings supplied are pussy 9's and the nut slots don't offer any flexibility for a heavier set so nut filing is required to pop in beefier strings, but i bought mine off an internet site and got it set up at a local music store, so no real life threatening problem. I'm sure if you buy from a music store they will be more than happy to set the axe up with heavier strings. Another thing about the neck, compared to my strat after an hour or two on the strat my hand is a little achy and i do have to put it down after a while, but after half the evening on the peavey non-stop (even forgetting to have some dinner)i still felt i could go on into the small hours of the morning. Benefits of a shorter scale, more comfortable neck i suppose...

This beast is a keeper, i'm very confident that it will outlast me in terms of reliability, in a years time i may decide to swap out the pots, switch and pickups but as i said before it ain't necessary i'm just a perfectionist. Everything is far more solid than my "ooh made in the USA" shit bucket strat.

I've heard good things about peavey along the lines of they do care what you say and have a good customer service, but as i am not yet acquainted with them i won't rate this one yet...

I've been teaching myself for about four years now, and feel i can progress further into the relms of guitar skill thanks to this guitar. It is so refreshing to play its fantastic. My 1200 dollar strat has taken a back seat- i never thought i'd say that. For the price i cannot think of a better playing, better sounding, better value for money guitar. The made in the USA benchmark is bullshit as far as i'm concerned. I have an expensive made in California guitar, and that came with dents and an unworkable trem not to mention the below average stock sound. So what if the Peavey is made in Korea? The work ethic there is like China and Japan and is far more hard working than most other countries and i'm sure that a few if not many lessons can be learned from these countries. The most important thing when buying this guiitar is not to expect the polished platinum $5000 vintage custom made wonder guitar. It isn't that. It comes damn close. This is a guitar that is up there with the best of them, surpassing many, and with a few adjustments and maby some more electronics (in my opinion)you'll be kicking yourself for not getting it sooner. If vintage vibe is your thing, and you like the merged wolfgang/strat/les paul influences, buy this guitar- it really is as good as people say it is! I'm gonna be ordering another in the new year.

Hmmm...the last reviewer must work for the competition and is mad at Peavey, because this is actually a GREAT guitar! I even heard a Gibson rep comment one time on what a great design it is. The guitar blends a strat and LP into a design all its own. I was just amazed at the wonderful design where the neck meets the body. Great job Peavey! It allows perfect access to the upper frets. Why hasn't another manufacture come with this? Gibson could learn a lesson or two from the design.

The sound, as others have said, is like an LP, but the EXP still keeps its own character. You will just have to listen to it to know if you like it.

It's made in Korea and they, IMO, have become the new, "made in Japan", now that alot of guitars are made in China; like the China made, Epiphone LP, that is just as much $$ as the HP EXP. I have always loved Korean made guitars and the HP doesn't disappoint. I could not a find a single flaw in my EXP. I own a Gibson LP (older one) and it honestly is not as well made as my HP EXP. (My LP is great, but the fret job could have been smoother) I do my own set up, so that part was not an issue with me.

I will find out, but judging by past reviews, on all Peavey products, it will last a long, long time.

I have been playing for 15 years and have owned many (expensive) guitars. This HP EXP is just about as good as it gets, folks. I love the design, sound and quality. I am very impressed with this Peavey product. I suggest you check one out if you are in the market for an excellent guitar. I might have to get the USA made HP, too!

Korean made set-neck guitar with a one-piece maple neck
Rosewood fretboard, mine is tiger eye color 3 piece maple veneer top - Grover tuning keys with 18:1 ratio, tune-o-matic dual compensation bridge which means you can string through body or not,two humbucking pickups with 1 tone and 2 volume pots for each pickup

the machine heads are complete crap. They are difficult to tune, skipping positions, cannot fine tune with any sense of granularity, the guitar will not stay in tune, the intonation appears ok when setup but not true, as many notes up on the fretboard sound out of tune, neck is not comfortable as compared to a fender strat or my gibson nighthawk. The guitar is low quality in my opinion, something to be avoided.

sound through a marshall is tolerable, through a fender amp or just about anything else is absolute crap, perhaps the worst sounding guitar I have ever heard in my life. I must have been on heavy downers to have bought this junker, cause that is what it is, complete junky sounding guitar with $2 pickups. Garbage in, garbage out. Peavey is not exactly known as a quality shop, and this guitar serves as evidence of that.

action is ok but who cares when the neck is awkward to hold, good if you want to get tendonitis, cannot be tuned easily, will not stay in tune, sounds like something that should be banned from existence. If you are tone deaf then ok I forgive you. I don't forgive myself for buying this horrendous instrument. I traded it in for $250 CAD, probably $249 more than it is worth. I got my old Gibson Nighthawk back whew!, which is a 1000 times better sounding, better playing guitar. Acoustically the guitar sounds better then when plugged in. I tried rolling the tone completely off, using it as a cheap acoustic guitar, but even for that it is completely useless.

I played it live for a couple of gigs, shame on me! I probably lost a bunch of fans: "Who is that moron playing that crap guitar? Let's shoot him" I will never even look at another Peavey again. Their amps sound flat, their guitars sound like crap.

who cares

junk junk junk. For beginners, deaf and dumb humans, tasteless boobs.
something your mother buys you when she wants to cure you of guitar love. This guitar will end the romance toute suite. I can't say enough negative things about the sound, feel, for this sorry excuse of a musical instrument. There is nothing musical about it in the least. It might make good firewood, I cannot understand Peavey's reasoning in using such an awkward neck shape, and putting the cheapest pickups on the planet in this guitar. Dumb and dumber.

This is what the Peavey web site says:
- Korean made, metallic gold body, comfortable to handle.
- 24 3/4 inch scale, set-neck guitar with a one-piece maple neck
- Rosewood fretboard with white synthetic binding on neck
- Flame maple veneer top on a three-piece agathis body
- 22 frets
- Grover?? die-cast machine heads with 18:1 ratio, dual torsion rod
- Tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece
- Two humbucking pickups
- One master tone and two master volume controls with three-way switch
Gold-plated hardware
Case not included

I feel that the straight sound may be just a little inferior, somewhat cloudy. However I use Boss pedals to enhance the sound and it is acceptable for gigs. When distortion is used, it delivers very well. Not a major issue.

Action: This is why I bought this guitar. The action is incredible for the price and sets new pricing standards for all the rest. Though I had never laid my hands on a Peavey, after feeling out several guitars at the guitar shop, such as Fender, Gibson, etc (for almost 1$k more), I came across this Peavey and was totally blown away. The neck felt like it was custom made for my hand. Months later at a gig, a member of the audience was asking about this guitar and how great it looked. As a courtesy to a fellow guitar player, I let him try the guitar out. After telling him that I paid $320.00 for it, he expressed that all the other guitar manufacturers were in trouble. He begged to buy it for that price, and I declined.
Fit: The Fit is excellent.
Finish: The finish is excellent.

I have owned the guitar for about 6 months with no problems. I read one review about issues with maintaining tuning. This is not a guitar issue, it is a knowledge issue. To help in preventing the strings from going out of tune, especially new strings, do this. After installing new strings, or prior to tuning, grab the string with your fingers and stretch the string and let go. This will pull any slack out of the string along the neck. Then check and adjust the sting tuning. Repeat this process one more time. The string will remain in tune much longer this way. One more hint to maintain the strings from rusting is to use the ???quick??? car wax after playing the instrument. This will prevent rust build-up from the sweat of your hand. It also helps the slide action.

I give this a ten. I emailed Peavey Support one time and received a timely response.

TEN. I have been playing for 35 years. I have owned quality guitars such as a Gibson Les Paul Custom and Fender Stratocaster (American). Since I have owned this Peavey Signature, I don???t even bring the Stratocaster to gigs any more. In my opinion, the action quality of this guitar is one heck of a deal that you cannot legally buy through another manufacturer. If you???re a working person, before you spend $1200 or more on another guitar, at least try this guitar out. You won???t be disappointed. I was disappointed that Peavey did not provide a guitar case with this, but I got over it.

This neat guitar is a 2005, Korean made, Translucent Black HP Signature EXP model.
Laminated quilted maple top.
Three piece mahogany back and solid mahogany neck.
Lovely Grover tuners.
Two solid humbuckers
Ebony fretboard
Dual compression bridge (strings can go through the body or mount straight off the bridge itself which is my current setup).
All gold plated hardware.
Wide - but comfortable - neck with good quality inlays.
No Case included, and costs extra.
Body style similar to PRS but slightly larger - I prefer this

Until recently I was only playing Ibanez GB10 or most jazz sounds and events, and a custom made - beautiful - Strat (Necx Guitars UK) for just about everything else. I have a friend whose PRS is a neat instrument but I just can't really justify the spend so I was on the hunt of a humbucker sound like a Les Paul or PRS. The EXP appeared on ebay. I checked a whole bunch of reviews on the web and became convinced this might be what I am looking for. I have not been disappointed. The sound is so close to the LP and PRS it has to be heard to really be believed!

I play through a Roland JC120, with an old Boss GT3 setup, xotic RC booster pedal and Daphon overdrive. This is a sweet rock setup but the settings on the GT3 had to be tweeked most of the stock settings are OTT! (read the manual and reprogram,.. there is a lot of fun waiting for the patient!)

The EXP performs so well through this line up but equally pleasing straight to the amp, balanced EQ and slight reverb. I can get a LP roar out of this and also a fat sweet crunch for rythmn sounds. This axe is really versatile, BUT the absence of coil splitting means no 'twanging'! Tele/Strat sounds would not be possible without pickup replacement and a rewire (No problem for me I have an amazing Strat!).

I am now looking for a vintage Fender amp to to widen the sonic options.

The guitar arrived very well setup but - as is my custom - I always go to a local shop for 'my action setup'. The luthier said,"I hardly had to do anything, this puppy was already barking!"

For a used guitar it was in an immaculate condition not a ding in sight, but with one slightly loose strap peg (Three turns on the screwdriver fixed that!)

The transparent black finish is good, and compliments the gold hardware.

Discoverd a noisy pot on the back pick up volume and in the clean up decide to change ALL the pots. Others have noted this as a common fault...easily corrected if a problem at minimal cost

The neck action is fine but is came fitted with 009 string set. This may be just a little light for the beast, as string bends and pedal riffs tend to move the tuning slightly. I will be changing to medium gauge.

All the hardware was secure.

This is a solid guitar and I wll continue to gig with it and even play it at church!!!(our congregation can rock!). My only reason for the backup/additional guitar at event would be the need for a single coil sound on the gig!

The hardware my lose the gold finish but the jewellery quarter will fix that - should I want to

Very depandable axe

No comment. A private sale means I have no dealings with peavey reps etc

I have been playing for over thirty years and had a number of guitars including some high Fenders, Grimshaw and Ibanez and custom models.

I let my Fender princeton amp go to pay for rent (a giggers nightmare and a BIG mistake!) but the roland JC120 is cool and will probably stay until a new Fender amp arrives.

The EXP is a very good new addition to my current collection (Ibanez GB10, Godin steel, Ibanez spanish cutaway, Necx Strat)

If it gets stolen I WILL replace! the quality and affordability make it such a attraction and a fantastic deal. I did well on ebay to get the deal I did, but even at standard shop retail price, The EXP will not breal the bank and delivers so well...try one out today!

Finish is great quality although the range of colours is not great (I got the Tiger's Eye which although is the best of the three available in my opinion it still looks a little like somebody has puked coffee over it).
The body style and shape is compact with surprising sustain and looks good.
Tuning drifts a little from time to time but this is not problematic for me at all.
The frets are quite small and thin which I actually don't mind and in some respects are easier to live with than "jumbo frets".
I would have liked to see a coil-tap feature available to give access to single-coil type sounds, hence only a 7.

The sound is very full and meaty and similar to that of a Les Paul, albeit not quite as chunky. Of all the guitars I tried, this came closest to the Les Paul sound, and compared favourably with pretty much everything else I tried, although a ?2,500 PRS Singlecut was a close competitor.

If you want a Les Paul type of sound, this guitar is only beaten by the original. If you like a twangy single-coil sound then this guitar is not ideal.

The factory set up is superb. Action is very low with practically nil fret buzz. Intonation is pretty good and I haven't noticed any problems, but I've yet to get the tuner on it and see. As far as the woodwork goes it looks flawless.

The guitar seems to be rock solid and I don't believe there would be any issues with durability.

I have not needed to contact Customer Support. The guitar has a standard 1 year warranty.

I would rate this guitar very highly for sound and playability. Visually it's not a totally stunner but this is more the choice of colours available than the shape; however I was prepared to make the compromise for the sound.

I recently purchased a Peavey Signature Series EXP guitar with the Tiger Eye finish. It has a three-piece mahogany back and veneer maple with a solid mahogany neck and ebony fretboard.

It has a 24 3/4 inch scale with a set neck with 24 frets, Grover? die-cast machine heads with 18:1 ratio, dual torsion rod, and Tune-o-matic bridge with Dual Compression? tailpiece with string-through tubes, two humbucking pickups.

It has one master tone and two master volume controls with three-way switch and gold-plated hardware.

The guitar has very good sound for my use. I play mostly rock and blues. My little Fender amp has seen better days but when I play it through my effects peddle it sounds great. I started playing as a teen when the Beatles were hitting the charts. Played for a few years and then pretty much gave it up until about 5 years ago. In my history I have had some fine axes, 62 Strat, Gretch Country Gentleman, and unfortunately sold them without knowing what they would be worth today. Had a Fender Super Reverb amp back then too. Ah, hindsight!!!

This guitar sounds as good or better than any I have had.
PRS, Gibson, and Hamer guitars. This guitar is a real competetor
to these lines at a price that can not be beat. The stock pickups
are adequate for most rock. The guitar has a real punchy sound. I
may replace the bridge pickup eventually with a Seymour Duncan JB
just for a little more gain.

The guitar was set up perfectly from the factory. The finish is smooth and shiney and there is only one little ding near the rear strap button, but I got it for a reduced price because of it, and it won't be noticed. The rest of the finish is beautiful. I bought a Peavey Preditor a few years back when I got the bug to play again, and was impressed by the quality of what is a very inexpensive guitar. I always thought I'd be able to justify getting a getting a better instrument as time went by, but when I started looking,(Fender, PRS, Gibson) I realized I'd have to sell the kids to be able to afford what they were asking. I was so impressed with the playability of my little Preditor, that I was just checking the Peavey website to see what else they had in their arsenal. Bang! I took one look and I was hooked. I live in the midwest and guitar stores with knowledgeable employees are not on every corner. I finally located one in a nearby town, drove over to see and play it and wound up bringing it home.

I don't play gigs or travel with my instruments, so for what I will use it for, it should last a good long time.

Haven't had to.

Overall, I'd give this guitar a 9. It is light years ahead of the instruments I have owned previously, but then you would expect technology to improve. I played lots of instruments before going after this one and was disappointed by many. I was very surprised at the PRS offerings. I had heard they were really good, but I wasn't impressed. For the asking price of some of these instruments you can't go wrong with this Peavey. It compares very well with guitars that are 2 and 3 times the price. I am an old school guy and not up on all the fancy dodads and things the modern equipment has, but this guitar will serve anyone well and not break the bank.

usa made 24 fret solid one p. Mahogany back Maple arc top.all controls are top rate. verey good looking guitar.finish is perfect.the guitar is smaller than it looks on there web site but that makes it easyer to handle.6 lbs in all.Schaller Tuners. the Pickups H/H are Passive verey hot peavey made with a gold outer rings. Bridge style is there Dual-Compression Bridge System includeds a case

this guitar plays all types and dose it verey well.has a vere bright clear sound no feed back that i can hear.cons.the headstock seems too small looks odd when your playing.likes every thing els

this guitar is set up perfect right from the factory.action is perfect lots of solo room no buzz.frets and bord polished plays with ease

verey durable will last a verey long time.this is a verey solid guitar.it came with strap locks.this guitar was made well.

n\a

been playing for 16 years and own gibsons, fenders, krammers,ect...and exp peaveys this is the first usa pv guitar i have own and i am pleased it is worth the money the best thing about this guitar is that it plays soooo well and looks realy good.

This is a 2005 Cherryburst HP Signature EXP model. Laminated
figured maple top (listed as .20mm on a Peavey forum post), with
a three piece mahogany back and solid mahogany neck. Grover
tuners. Two humbuckers with a dual compression bridge (strings
can go through the body or mount straight off the bride itself).
All gold plated hardware. Fairly wide neck with decent inlays.
The neck has a very comfortable feel to me and is substantial
in thickness. Case is not included and costs extra. Made in Korea.

The guitar sounds very good for this price range. I also own
PRS, Gibson, and Hamer guitars. This guitar is a real competetor
to these lines at a price that can not be beat. The stock pickups
are adequate for most rock. The guitar has a real punchy sound. I
may replace the bridge pickup eventually with a Seymour Duncan JB
just for a little more gain.

I bought the guitar sight unseen after seeing them on the Peavey
website. My favorite music store ordered it for me. The first one
was damaged (poorly packaged). The second one finally arrived and
the dealer called me. I pulled it out the box and it played perfectly.
Set-up was perfect. I took it home and really did not need to adjust
anything. Plays effortless and the neck is great. Finish is flawless.
It is a very attractive guitar as well. My hats off to the Koreans.

Everything seems to be pretty durable. I am sure the gold-plating
will wear out eventually. I have read that the volume pots may
be a little "iffy". No problem, as 10 bucks will cure that. I like
to tinker on cheap guitars anyway and customize them. I bought this
to use as a "scratch and dent" model for practice and save wear and
tear on my expensive guitars. The only thing is, I like the guitar
so much that I may buy a second one at this price point. Great value.

Well, Peavey immediately replaced the first damaged one. The shop
manager liked the guitar so much himself, he was trying to talk
Peavey into selling him the damaged one for next to nothing. He was
so impressed with it, that he said he was going to start selling them
in the store. That says a lot. I am very impressed myself. I hope
to acquire one in the black finish next. The price on the website
has already went up since I bought mine.

I have been playing for 30 years. These things are a real bargain
for what you get. Great looker and great player. Hard to beat the
combination. I have been eyeing the Jack Daniels EXP model they
offer too. I just do not see where you can go wrong with these kind
of deals on great guitars. The imports are catching up with
quality and value in a great playing instrument. At this price,
you can take it to a gig and not really worry if it is stolen. I
would buy another one and actually plan on doing so in the future.

It's a Korean made guitar.
24 freets.
2 pickups, separate volum knobs for each pickup, and one tone control.
Pickup configuration is H-H with passive electronics.
Body and neck made of mahogany.
Groover tuners, tune-o-matic bridge with strings thru-body.

It's very versatile guitar. I play rock/hardrock/heavemetal etc. and I can get any sound and tone I like.
Stock pickups seem to be very good, they not produce any artifical noice.
One thing I don't like is the electronics, after month of playing I hear cracks while using volume controls. I think I will replace them for better ones. I don't whink it's a big problem so I'll gieve 8 here.

Action was ok, but I always set-up any guitar to suit my style.
I haven't noticed any flaws on this one.

Guitar is OK for live playing, it's very comfortable, it lays great in hand and stays in tune. Just before live playing check the electronics like I have mentioned before ;)

Never dealed with customer support yet.

I play for about 7 years. I owned few mayones's, zak's (it's from the same polish company, just different trademarks).
I always played very fast guitars with thin necks ibanes RG's-like. When buing this guitar I thought I'll have some problems to get used to the neck which seems to be thicker than guitars I've played before. But at the first time I put my hands on it, I had no problem with playing it, it was even better. I didn't like gibson's neck profile that's way I thought It will be the same with peavey, but I've been wrong and I'm very happy about it. You can go very fast with this guitar up to 24 fret ! that's why it's so versatile.
While searching for guitar I wanted it to have a little vintage look but 24 frets, I was considering ibanez SZ but it has 22 frets, so I keept searching and I found this model already in a music store, without too much thinking I bought it, and here it is :) and I'm happy about it :)

Made in 2004, Handcrafted in Korea.
Mahogony back and neck (set) with quilted maple top.
Ebony Fretboard MOP trapazoid linlays.
Dual Humbuckers....passive.
PRSish body style with gold hardware.
Grover tuners, string through design stop tail w/ tun-o-matic bridge.
Jumbo frets.
Fit and finsih is superb.
Does not come with case or gig bag!

I like to play different kinds of music but mostly heavy rock and blues. This guitar can do it all. It has a very full sound with a lot of "chunck" ala PRS and Gibson LP. The guitar has a wonerfull clean tone much cleaner than Gibson IMO and can get right down RUDE if you want it too. The stock PU's are very adequate.....IMO they are better than Epi, santana SE, Duncan Designed. I cannot put it down once I start playing. I'm currently playing through a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL-401 112 combo and they are a match made in heaven. If you enjoy the sound of old PAF's or Classic '59's you will absolutely fall in love with the instrument. The only thing I didn't care for is the lack of a case of gig bag w/puchase. But, not much at this price point does.

I purchased the guitar from a local dealer so the set-up was right one. The action is great and the pickups are also adjusted properly. There are a lot of great guitars coming from asia and the fit-n-finish is excellent. I am as nick picky as they come and I have yet to find a flaw in the design or implentaion of this guitar. Body and neck binding is perfect, poly finish is smooth as glass. Neck joint is solid, bridge and tail piece look awsome. I swear if you didn't look at the name on the headstock you would swear it was something that cost 10 times as much. Peavey also has the American made model that has a retail of $2500.....I've compared the two side by side and played em both......there is no diffence as far as touch and feel. The American made model has better electionics and has a solid 1 piece mahogony body and thicker maple top.

I don't play out but I would have to say this guitar can probably withstand a lot of gigging. The gold plated hardware is top notch but will probably loose it's luster over time.....just like LP customs do. The Poly finish is durable and seems to be fairly thick. All the knobs and strap buttons are solid. If i was playing out on a regualar basis I would not think twice about using this as only guitar.

I have owned several Peavey products. Luckily I haven't had to contact customer support for anything. I think the warranty is limited lifetime.

I've been playing for several years off and on. I've recently decided to start playing again and bought this to help inspire me to play better and more often.........It has done just that. I've owned many great guitars in the past, Gibson LP's, SG's,Flying V, fender strats and a few asian made guitars. This guitar can hang with anything out on the market today and costs 5 times less than some that I mentioned earlier.
If it were stolen, cause I can damn sure guarantee I wouln't loose it, the SOB better pray that I never find him. I would definately buy another one.
I absolutely love the finsih on this guitar. The cherry sunburst is absolutely beautiful. There are 2 other finishes available but this one is my fav. I also love the detail and vintage look with the gold hardware. I haven't found any thing to hate about it yet.
Before buying this I looked at Epi, Ibanez and the PRS Santan SE. For the price, features and sound this is the way to go......my second pick would have been the Santana SE and it includes a gig bag but also has a street price of $499. I honestly feel the Peavey is a lot more guitar for the money.

"Handcrafted in Korea" with serialnumber
24-frets, mahogany body with maple veneer
2x humbucker (passive)
Set neck in mahogany with ebony fretboard
Peavey patented tune-o-matic type
Gotoh machineheads

Stock pup's had to be replaced right away, bareknuckles OF COURCE!
Stock was 4-conductor so i'll probably buy a cheapo stratlike and put them in there. Stock should be fine if you like old PAF sound....
See action below, the 8 is based on how it sounds were you actually CAN play it!

Here comes the bad stuff!!
Truss rod was not set right and when i was going to fix it either koreans OR Regent Guitars in UK had made the allen screw all round!
Neither Peavey or Regent Guitars have been willing in help me out with tips on what to do other than that Regent asked me to send it back to UK...wich would probably mean without guitar for a couple of weeks....not an option!
Guitar is so severely backbowed so it's not playable and i've tried everything possible i could think of...so PAY MORE and get them US.Made!! CRAP!!

Have no input here as it's quite useless without the ability to adjust the truss rod!

C R A P!!!!!

Been playing for 15 years give or take, never seen this shit in any other guitar i've owned

Peavey HP Signature EXP, made in 2004, purchased February 2005.
Made in Korea, as are all of the EXP models for the HP Signature.
24 frets, 24-3/4 inch scale, set neck.
Quilted maple veneer top on a three-piece mahogany body.
2 volume, 1 tone control, 1-3 way selector switch.
Two humbucking pickups, no coil-taps.
Tiger Eye Flamed maple top.
Similar to a PRS body, Tune-o-matic bridge with dual compression tailpiece with string-through tubes.
Grover die-cast machine heads.
Case not included, but I purchased a hardshell case at the same time.

I play mostly Rock/Classic Rock, hard rock type music. (AC DC, Judas Priest, Headstones, GnR, ZZ Top, etc)
I use it with a Line 6 Flextone III 1x12 75 watt amp, also purchased from Axe Music in Calgary.
I also have a Line 6 POD 2 that I use it with, but it mainly is played through the Flextone III.
Sound quality is very warm, and woody. Definitely has that ballsy, vintage Les Paul tone I love.
When using a clean channel, the tone is very crisp, but still meaty, whether using the bridge pickup, neck pickup or both.
When playing beefier stuff, it has all the tone required for Rock, or even heavier stuff. The tone from it can be very warm, and smooth, or you can get glass-cutting, howling rhythms out of it.

I asked for it to be shipped with the strings loose, to relieve tension on the neck.
The packing was very good. It was in a new hardshell case, and they had wrapped the neck in bubble-wrap, to stop it from bouncing around.
I let it warm-up to room temperature for a couple of hours before I tried it out. It was shipped via purolator, so it had been in the cold for some time.
I was surprised when I opened the case, as I was expecting the Tiger Eye finish to be medium-dark brown, as shown on the Peavey web site, and as I have seen it in person in the store. The finish was actually more of an orange-yellow colour. I asked Peavey customer support (Thanks AJ) about this, and apparently the shade of the finish can vary according to the grain of the wood. If the grain is lighter, the finish will be lighter...if the grain is darker, the finish will be darker. I think I like the lighter finish better anyway.
Also, the pics on the web site, and the ones I've seen in person in the store show no inlays on the neck, or a single "SIGNATURE SERIES" inlay at the 12th fret. Mine has the (imitation) Mother of Pearl inlays on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th (split), 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, and 23rd frets. More traditional than no inlays, and I prefer the look with inlays.
I have to admit, it wasn't what I was expecting, but I have since found out (again, from AJ at Peavey Customer Support) that all of the HP Signature EXP models have the full inlays on the neck now.

The action is very good, no buzzing on any of the frets, pickups seem very well adjusted...not too high, not too low....
The Bridge is actually partially set-in to the body.
I could not see any flaws in the finish, or the construction. The frets are all smooth on the edges, nothing jagged, nothing loose that shouldn't be. Peavey QC was doing their job.
I'm giving it a 9 instead of a 10 due to the unexpected lighter finish. If the shade of the finish is going to be affected by the grain of the wood, I feel that Peavey or the reseller should note this fact somewhere, to make the consumer aware. Perhaps I'm being picky, or ignorant to the properties of wood-finishing, but when I receive something that is not what I expected, it throws me a bit.

Having said all of that, I love this guitar. It looks great, it plays amazing, it makes me want to play more.
I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone considering a new electric.

I haven't had the opportunity (or the courage) to play live, but I can't imagine there being any problem with this guitar in a live situation.
All of the hardware is very good quality, and like anything, the better it's taken care of, the longer it will last.
The finish seems like it will last. I haven't heard of any problems with the finish on Peavey guitars, so I am not expecting any problems.
I will be replacing the strap buttoms with Schaller locks shortly.
If I were a gigging musician, I would always prefer to have a backup.

My dealings with Peavey customer support are limited to this experience, but I am very satisfied by the quick response I received on the web forums from AJ.
As for Axe Music in Calgary, where I purchased the guitar and my amp, I cannot say enough good things. Very friendly, and extremely helpful.

I have been playing for 23 years, recreationally. I'm a hobby player, not a professional.
I also have an old Les Paul copy that I've had for 20 years. I've had other copy guitars as well in the past.
When I first saw this guitar, I was doubtful, as I have always preferred Les Pauls, but Kieran showed me this one. He persuaded me to try it out, and once I did, I was taken with it. I couldn't believe the tone of it, and the feel. The neck was very smooth, and easy to move over. I like a medium to heavy neck, and the neck on this is right there.
It's also lighter than a LP, but none of the depth is lost.
The price is too good to be true as well. I have looked in many music stores over the years, and would expect this guitar to be at least $200-$300 more than it is.
Overall, great guitar, and even better value.

This guitar is sort of a wierd marriage of diiferent axes. Part PRS, part Les Paul. Dual humbuckers, Vol/Vol/Tone + 3 way, 24 3/4 scale, Mahogany core with a quilt maple veneer top, binding ect. Very simple, but excecuted very well. The bridge on this guitar is pretty unusual, you can go string through body or directly from the bridge. I cant explain it better than that, but the option of two different stringing methods is a good feature to have.

The sound is pretty damned good for a stock guitar. Easily competes with Gibson offerings that cost four times as much. I play through a Crate Blue Voodoo 120 halfstack, and my sound is primarily Metal. The stock pickups have enough output to really drive the front end of my amp, so its easy for me to get a good, saturated tone out of this beast. Chuggs very nicely, choke harmonics come out clean.
The clean tones are equally impressive. Not to brittle or too mellow.
It would benefit from some new pickups (i have a Duncan JB to drop in the bridge), but shit, you have to do that to most Gibsons and Fenders to get them to sound OK.

Awesome! This sucker is extremely light and you can dial the action in way low before you start rattling the frets. Soloing on this thing is very easy, due in part to the ebony fingerboard. Very hard, very slick. The guitar itself feels very short, like a Les Paul minus 3 inches of wood. I really like this, but play this with a strap when you try one out to see if it fits you.

Very solid, Peaveys can usually take a good beating.

Havent ever needed them.

This is my only guitar right now. I have been playng bass for about 12-13 years, and have decided i needed a change. About a month ago i got the Crate BV stack and this and i couldnt be happier. I would buy it again and i plan on getting a peavey V-type ST for my next purchase.

Yeah this thing is Korean made, so what! This thing shits on Gibson Les Pauls and US Fenders. Really the only difference between this and the $2000 Gibsons i tried out was...............$1450. Thats it!

This is a brand new unit, manufactured in Korea -- probably by Samick. It's got 24 medium frets, a solid figured maple top over 3-piece mahogany body, mahogany set neck, and a wonderful ebony fretboard that is gratefully devoid of garish ornamentation, with the exception of one 'signature' block inlay at the 12th fret. Hardware is gold. Pickups are two peavey humbuckers. Controls consist of a volume for each pickup and a single tone control, along with a 3-way toggle -- pretty standard passive wiring. Finish on the body, neck, and headstock is gloss -- in my case transparent black. The body style is reminiscent of a PRS, but a tad wider. This is subjective, but it was the body shape that first attracted me to it. It's got a solid through-body tailpiece and a pretty standard tune-o-matic bridge. I'm tempted to give it a 10 in this category because it has precisely the features I like, and none that I don't, but others might find the lack of ornamentation Spartan, so I'll give it a 9.

This is tough because I recently discovered a pickup/wiring setup that precisely suites my tastes, and I'm going to redo this to my own specs (http://www.exotic-scales.com/Electronics/les_paul_wiring.htm), but if I didn't have this specific setup in mind, I'd leave the Peavey just as it is. the pickups are nicely balanced, articulate, but with a nice crunch when you drive them. They're definitely as good as any stock humbuckers I've heard, and I've owned a bunch of high-end guitars over the past few years. (BTW, the pickups I'll be swapping in are a Seymour Duncan SH2 Jazz at the neck, and a Dimarzio Virtual PAF at the bridge -- both with gold covers to retain the stock look.)

First of all, I bought this online, based solely on the specs and pictures, without ever having handled one (it just sounded and looked like everything I'd been looking for). I was definitely not disappointed. When I opened the box I scrutinized it thoroughly, and there are no visible glitches, save a thin line of polishing compound residue near the neck joint. I moist Q-tip took care of that. The finish is spectacular, without that thick, 'poured-on' look you find on a lot of imports. The setup was exemplary ? No buzzes, low action, beautifully polished frets without any hint of scratchiness. Just no place to find fault anywhere.

Difficult to say, but it seems pretty solid. Probably a bit more delicate than, say, a Strat or a Tele. I won't be surprised of the gold hardware wears, as is usually the case. Strap buttons are good and solid, thought I'll probably replace then with strap locks (do that on all my instruments since somebody picked up my Les Paul Standard by the strap, dropped it, and broke the neck.) The finish seems ample, without being too obviously thick.

Well, haven't needed it for this one yet, but I've had occasion to deal with Peavey in the past, looking for help with a Classic 50/50 power amp that I bought used. they were incredibly responsive, and I certainly expect no less if I need them in the future.

I've been playing for about thirty-five years. In that time I've owned some pretty impressive instruments -- A Gibson Johnny Smith, a '61 Les Paul/Sg (original, not reissue), a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III, an American '57 Reissue Strat -- I guess I've come to appreciate a well made instrument. I've also developed definite preferences, and it's rare that I find one instrument that meets them in every way. For example, I favor Ebony fretboards, but generally don't like big fancy inlays; unfortunately, they generally come together, but not in this case. I prefer a set neck and a 24-3/4" scale, but I like the basic Strat body shape better than a Les Paul. Here again, the HP Signature it it on the head. I like 3+3 tuners better than 6-on-a-side, another check box for the Peavey. I could have lived without the figured top (to me they all look like the cheap photo-process used on the cheap imports, even when it's a full-thickness cap, as in this case) but the transparent black finish is pretty subtle, so I don't mind it. I would definitely replace it if stolen or lost.

The only thing I would point out is that the neck is on the heavy side (Front to back). Again, I like a beefy neck like some of the old Les Pauls, but someone with smaller hands might find it clubby.