Peavey JF-1

Peavey's 335-alike with slightly more pointy horns, as opposed to the big mickey mouse ears of the 335 or Epi Dot. 22 Frets, stock Peavey Humbuckers, rosewood neck, gold plated hardware. Nice looking guitar - more contemporary than the 335 shape - not better, just different.

Neck pickup really nice, warm and bluesy. Set your amp EQ right and you can get passable jazz tones. Bridge pup snarly with overdrive,, quite bright clean - rockabillytastic. Really versatile sounds out of this thing. Like many semi-hollowbody guitars could easily be used for any stylr

Finish is about what you'd expect for a guitar that cost 250GBP. Mine is jet black (the only choice in the shop and didn't see any others in my other haunts) and looks nicely bling with the gold hardware - although my acidic sweaty hands have already started to take the gold plating off at the saddle. Roadworn already? Cool! Action need raising a tad, very light gauge strings removed and 11s added - truss rod adjustment, action readjusted, intonation set. Oops - stickin' in the nut. Very fine sandpaper, folded, eased the nut problems and now plays very nicely. Lovely fast neck and tuning problems are minimal (difficult to tell at the moment - heatwave in Belfast, Northern Ireland so may be wood expanding etc. We only get heatwaves twice each millenium though, so expect this to settle down soon...). Pickups are fine. Probably the Gibson variants would improve, but frankly its just me in my house so I've no plans to change. Overall, no problems that anyone with a little guitar experience couldn't sort out.

Not sure about live. Hardware is bound to be the flaw in this guitar (easily sorted though). Haven't played live in over 20 years so can't give an opinion.

5 year warranty. Sounds good to me.

I'm 42. Been playing (on and off) since 12. Have owned a large number of guitars over that time but generally no more than 1 acoustic and 1 electric at a time. I'd say this is up there with the best I've had and is fantastic value for a good blues/jazz guitar at the price. At the moment I'm playing through a Vox Valvetronix VT30 and I can get just about all the sounds I want (maybe not Gilmour but that is so Stratcentric that I knew that might be an issue). I love the look of it, after some minor guitar techy work it plays really well. If stolen, I'd go steal a real Gibson 335 or a Heritage 535. Until then, it will do me nicely... at least until I get the next bout of GAS.

22 frets, Peavey Humbuckers, semi hollow-body.

Large cutaways make for easy access to the upper frets...

2 tone knobs, 2 volume nobs, 3-way selector.

I've owned the real deals that didnt sounds this good.It takes a little tweeking at first (set-up, action etc...). But once it's there, you've got yourself a bargain.

Like I said get it professionally set-up and you're ready to play with the big boys.

Who knows????

Never had to use Peavey.

With just a little patience and breaking in period, this guitar will be one of your best friends in instruments that you have ever played. Nest to the 59 Les Paul and the 57 Strat.

As far as semi-hollow ES-335 type guitars go, there are neither more nor less features than what you look for when buying a guitar of this variety. Everything is pretty standard. For the price, the pickups are very decent, the tuners solid, and finish not spectacular but serviceable. I have concerns about the quality ofthe electronics (pots, jacks, wiring) from experience with Asian-made guitars in this price range, but that would be easy enough to deal with down the road.

I'm primarily a strat player with thirty years of experience, playing a variety of styles. There are some songs that just work better with the 335--and I play those guitars differently. I sold a Gibson 335 some years back and still kick myself. This is not in the same class as a Gibson, but for the money it gives me a reasonably close sound and feel. The neck PU has that mellow rounded sound that works well for blues-type stuff, and the bridge PU can cover everything from mean metal to '60s pop.

Reading many of the other reviews, I was concerned about what I'd find when the guitar arrived. I usually don't buy guitars without playing first, but this was almost an impulse purchase and knowing Peavey gear I didn't expect the worst, but did expect to spend a lot of time with the set up. Not at all the case. The guitar unpacked nearly in tune, and the frets were dressed and polished to perfection. The action was even in the ballpark, and very little tweaking put it into my comfort zone. The strings needed to be replaced, but otherwise the set up was great from the store.

The neck is maple (not mahagony) and is a bit chunkier than my other semi-hollows, but I find it very comfortable. The rosewood fingerboard's dye rubs off on your fingers the first few weeks of playing, but it doesn't show any wear after months of playing. The neck tilt helps the playability, and although the guitar is on the heavy side, it is well balanced. I can play this guitar for hours on end without any fatigue setting in.

The finish is a no-frills black with semi-gloss, and if you look at the right angle to the light you can see there wasn't a lot of effort put into the finish. But it's just fine for a working guitar. I doubt it will take a lot of dents and dings, but that doesn't worry me. The binding is cheap two-ply plastic (as is the pickguard) but is fitted flawlessly to the neck and body.

The machines are pretty solid for this price range, but the bridge is a future problem. Slight adjustment of the intonation started to strip a couple of the saddle screws, so I plan to replace the bridge sometime soon. I might replace the nut at the same time, because it is clearly not of the highest quality.

Otherwise, it has been holding up well so far and I can't foresee any major problems. I always gig with a strat and a second guitar, and this one is my second, but it sees a lot of action.

I'm a long time customer of Peavey gear, and in the past their record of support was unparalleled. I was even able to talk directly to one of their amp techs when I was having a problem on the road, but that was back in the '80s when they made their gear in Mississippi. Now that their production is taking place elsewhere, I'm not sure what the story would be. But I'd be very surprised if they let me down.

You can pay a lot for the right guitar to serve your purposes, but if there is an option more reasonably priced, why not take the better value? So long as you know going in that there is a reason the price is lower, you won't be disappointed. I've played a lot of semi-hollows and archtops over the years, and the JF1-EX is hands down the best of the "budget" options out there--certainly better than the Ibanez or Epiphones in this price range.

Korean Model Peavey JF1 EX in vintage sunburst color - Same as JF-1, JF1 EXP from what I can tell.. other than some cosmetic defferences.

Features have been gone over in other reviews. Pretty Standard other than the neck angle which i think is really great. This guitar is definitely a looker!

Over all I consider this guitar's tone very warm sounding, almost mellow. Currently playing through a Blackheart little giant head and two 1x12 Blackheart cabs. To get the most tone out of this guitar, use heavy strings and if you can't handle heavy than at least a medium blues/jazz string. The heavier strings makes a huge difference and once you get the neck straight/flat the guitar plays and sounds very good!

Intonation was dead on out of the box? Wow, go Korea I play rockabilly/blues/pop styles and the guitar seems comfortable with everything I've done with it. Lots of sustain, sustain, sustain! Peavey pickups aren't bad.

This intonation thing boggles me, it's rare even Fender or Gibbson guitars as of lately comes in the box properly intonated. It's Big bonus in my opinion! Less setup time:)

Note: I had to tighten the truss rod about half of a full turn to compensate for the extra tension of the heavy strings. Once you have the neck flat (no bow or arc) and the heavy strings on thiuitar theoretically sets up perfect and feels like it as well. If you're like me and like things to feel right the nut needs some work too. properly seating your strings in the nut makes for easier setup past the 9th fret and helps you get that high end feel/setup out of this neck. I shoudl also mention that with the heavy strings and proper setup that it stays in tune perfectly even when played with spirited attack & heavy strumming.

The neck angle is another thing worth mentioning and really does add to the feel and playability of this guitar. I have an 87/88 Sheraton ll that was made in the Samick factory and although cosmetically the Peavey isn't as nice it sounds as good and plays just as well as the sought after Korean Sheratons..

Built like a tank out of laminated maple?. It's a tad heavy just the way I like it. I would gig with it.

Never dealt with them..

Bang for buck guitar. Once setup it plays and sound better than the epiphone Dots and the ibanez Artcores and at almost half the cost!

Well... As the other reviews have noted, this is a pretty guitar.

22 frets, Peavey Humbuckers, semi hollow-body.

Large cutaways make for easy access to the upper frets...

2 tone knobs, 2 volume nobs, 3-way selector.

I play rhythm guitar in a... well, kind of a progressive rock group, I suppose.

Our lead guitar plays with a California Fat Strat going through an Ampeg VT-22 and a Rat Deucetone. So I needed something that would have muscle, yet would have a completely different tone from the lead.

Having a hollow-body guitar gives me all the natural reverb I could wish for. I put on some heavy gauge strings and it sounds amazing. I play it through a Garnet Lil'Rock with a Fulltone Fulldrive 2. It's the tone I've always wanted. The Humbuckers are fat, yet they're not too bassy because of the body's reverb, which mostly accentuates the highs. I don't even have to use the boost on my pedal to get a decent tone... this baby kicks ass and the sustain is absolutely phenomenal.

Factory... well, yeah, we did have to adjust the truss, because the action was a bit too high for my tastes. I like a low action.

The guitar is absolutely gorgeous, no doubt about it. It plays like a dream, now, too.

The pickups have a really nice tone. I have absolutely no complaints.

As others have noted, the stock strings are VERY dull, and I had some tuner problems at first. I had to adjust the bridge myself, because some of the string supports were loose. This took ten minutes and made all the difference in the world.

The frets feel nice, it's got a perfect action now, and I'm totally going to play this guitar for a long, long time.

At the factory, though... the settings are, for lack of a better word, average.

I'm going to start gigging with this guitar in about a month, so maybe I can tell you more about it then. As for now, though... I used to play with a Godin LG, and I don't regret the switch. The action is very similar, the neck is wide and the whole guitar feels really solid.

It would be nice if the pickgard was adjustable, but...

Yeah, I'd wager this is a tough guitar. I'm really impressed with it. For the price I paid, I really didn't expect that much.

I only dealt with the store that sold it to me.

They adjusted the action to my liking, and they fixed my tuners free of charge.

Can't argue with that.

As for Peavey, though, I never had to deal with them, so I can't say.

Oh, I've been playing for a couple of years. I am by NO means an advanced player, but... I am picky with the instruments I play.

I don't own any other guitars at the moment, and if this one got lost or stolen, I would replace it in a heartbeat with the exact same thing.

We'll see how it holds up. If I have pickup issues down the line I might upgrade to Gibson or Gretsch humbuckers, but for the moment, I'm happy. Eventually, I'd like to replace the Garnet with a Fender Twin Reverb 2X12 combo... my favourite amp tone-wise. I have been looking at Vox amps, though, and some of them do have a mighty sweet sound.

Lots of reviews for this guitar, but wanted to add my 2 cents.
I've had this guitar for almost a year now, so its had time to be broken in. This 2005 model is from China and is painted a glossy black with cream binding. The only problems with it were a spot on the upper f-hole where the binding didn't set quite right, and the G and B strings buzzed bad at the 15th fret (quick fret dressing took care of that though). Otherwise looks pretty cool and plays comfortable.

I play mostly blues and blues-base rock. I tried 3 different models at the store. The neck pickup on the black one had a very different tone than the other 2 guitars. Very "Chuck Berry Johnny B. Good" sound to it when played through a Peavey Valveking 112 and Rage 158, and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The neck pickup (Chuck Berry sounding one)is consistently bright, even through heavy distortion. The bridge pickup stays deep, going from clear to bassy to crunchy depending on how you push it. If your looking for perfect 335 sounds, spend the money on the Gibson. But, this a good intermediate guitar for a rockabilly/blues/rock player. Don't know about jazz, don't play that style. BTW, sounds pretty good playing classical stuff with the amps. Purists need not apply.

Action sucked from factory. In-store luthier did setup before I took it home. After that, was great.

Pickups were set just fine, never messed with them.

Other than the previously mentioned 15th fret and binding blemish, not anything wrong with the one I bought. Buying mine from a non-chain music store vs. online or national chain might have an effect on quality of merchandise on the floor.

Haven't gig'd with it yet. Play mostly strat style live, but it might make it onstage later this year.

Tuners stay in tune pretty well, but will probably be replaced if it becomes a regular live player. Otherwise, mine is solid.

I believe I can depend on it, but would never gig without a backup. Nothing against the guitar, but accidents happen.

Haven't dealt with Peavey so don't know. In-store help and support was great, too bad the guy closed shop in the fall because of lease problems.

I don't have a regular band or gig, just fill in for a few bands when the regular guy can't show or is "indisposed". Happens more than you'd realize and it keeps me fairly busy.

If it were lost, I might get another one if I could get one that sounded the same, otherwise I'd get a epiphone dot or ibanez artcore (unless I had $2g burning my pocket for a Gibson).

Obviously, no gig bag or hardshell comes with or specifically made for it. Got a generic 335 hardshell case, seems to fit fine if a bit snug on the top.

Love the sound. Wish the setup came from the factory better.

As said, if you're looking for a good semihollow sound, it very good. If your looking for a buget 335, save your bucks for it.

I like the position of the pick up selector on the top horn.

Neck is comfortable, bindings are well done, gold hardware, flame laminate top, etc

Decent sounding pickups. Acceptable range. Peavey humbuckers are actually pretty good.

Bought used. After a fret dress it played fine. Always expect to have some aggressive tweaking done on a lower end instrument.


6 for the way the frets were. The fit and finish woul be a 9.

Seems solid enough. Very comfortable to play.

N/A

Decent 335 style for the money. Nice player once set up and fret dressed. Bought used and have the reapirs in it to bring the total price I have in it up to what a new one would cost at retail. I'll keep it and play it and maybe pass it on if I get a better replacement, but for now it suits my purpose.

Built like a "Farm Girl" with lots of everything in the right places!
Pickups are fine, yet you could easily modify this platform into a real "rock demon" with some 490's or 57 humbuckers.
I wouldn't call this a jazz performer, it's a boxer..not a dancer!

You get what you pay for here...a better than "entry-level" Hollowbody with a real flair for hard rock & even slide blues.
It's big, fat & fun with some nifty sounds to delight any string bender!

The flamed maple veneer has some reasonably attractive figuring, and the semi-hollow maple body gives it a very full, bright tone. It has a tune-o-matic-type bridge with a stop tailpiece which i may soon replace with a bigsby. The tuners are somewhat difficult to get in tune because they are an awkward ratio compared to what i normally use, however once they're in tune, it holds. I left it in my basement for a month while i was off at summer camp, and i tuned it the day i left. Upon returning, i picked it up and began playing it with little to no sharpness or flatness. The neck claims to be mahogany, but apparently it's maple. Either way, it plays nice, and i rather enjoy the shape of it. It's good for complex chordwork as well as advanced arpeggios and yes, even shredding. The action is rather pleasant. It was made in China. In the box, i also got a mediocre peavey cable. It works, mind you, but it's thin. I feel as if i used it live...There would be exposed copper by the end of the night. The pickup switch is a 3-way toggle, and the controls are 2 volume and 2 tone. H/H setup, standard passive no-name pickups. again, the body and top are maple and flame maple veneer, respectively, and the neck SHOULD be mahogany (i don't feel like sanding it down to find out) and the fretboard is a rather nice strip of rosewood. It is currently in the shop for a full setup, as well as a new set of pickups. Dimarzio Air Norton in the neck and Dimarzio PAF Pro in the bridge, as well as a push-pull coil tap system.

Surprisingly enough, this guitar does suit my musical style, which, oddly enough, is metal. The bridge pickup is slightly weaker output but it cuts through the mix more (however it is being swapped for a higher output pickup), and the neck pickup is acceptable. I will keep it as a spare. Very smooth tone, but does not cut through as much. I use it through a number of amps, currently a Fender FM212R 100-Watt combo, and the following pedals: Boss tu-2 -> Boss CE-5 -> Boss AC-2 (useless) -> Boss MD-2 -> Ernie Ball Volume Pedal -> Line 6 DL4 -> Amp. It has a very full sound, that, as a result of the maple can be quite bright. The new pickup combination and coil tap system should open up an even greater variety of sounds i can get from this instrument, making it that much more a pleasurable experience. And a bigsby must be had.

Stock, the guitar was mediocre. Strings were a waste of metal, intonation was slightly off, but the action was reasonable. No visible flaws on mine (thankfully), and the top looks stunning. The tuners are sort of unstable at first but have been settling in well recently. Gold hardware matches the rest of the guitar beautifully, and really makes up that bling factor that i appreciate. The pickup selector can be heard when switching but i'm pretty sure that it's because of the resonance of the body. generally it's average in terms of Action, Fit and Finish.

There is no doubt in my mind that this guitar can be trusted all the way to the stage. The hardware feels rock solid, the finish is too thick to flaw, and the strap buttons are average. Im going to swap them with some proper Schaller Straplocks as soon as i recuperate from all the gut-work i'm doing to it. I would NEVER use it on a gig without a backup because firstly, you never know when something could go wrong, and secondly, because i have 5 other guitars. It doesn't make sense to just use one live.

I have been playing a little over 3 years now, and i also own:
Guitars:
Jackson JS30KE Kelly (Dark Metallic Blue)
'94 Fender Standard Stratocaster (Sunburst)
Takamine G530S (Natural Gloss. BEAUTIFUL shining finish)
Art And Lutherie Cedar (Satin Blue)
Mahalo Guitar Ukulele (Gloss Orange)

Amps:
Fender FM212R
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (not dependable enough)
Brand X X-15R (Would not advise buying unless desperate for a practice amp)

Effects:
Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble
Boss AC-2 Acoustic Simulator (not pleased.)
Boss MD-2 Mega Distortion (Great variety of tones)
Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler (GET ONE. confusing at first, but unbelievable once you understand the controls)
Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
Dunlop GCB95 Crybaby (currently not working)
Boss BF-2 Flanger (cool, but outdated and temperamental)

Other equipment used:
Planet Waves and Pure Tone instrument cables, no-name patch cords
Dunlop Tortex Black Gold Jazz 1.14mm Picks
Shure SM57 Dynamic Microphone
Radio Shack Microphone

Yeah. I wish i'd asked to get all the work done BEFORE i took it home. Been in the shop for 3 weeks now. Stupid chain music stores.

I would unquestionably buy this guitar again (perhaps in red though. That looks REALLY nice)

I love the playability of this guitar, but i hate to admit that it's a peavey.

I sorta got it as a gift, so i didn't compare it. But after getting it, i compared it to an Epiphone Dot, and a couple of Ibanez guitars. The ibanez artcore models felt a bit better but the necks were too big and the epiphone was just a chunk of crap.

I wish it had a laser gun to shoot hecklers in the audience with. But modern technology can only accomplish so much.

My peavey JF1 is made in china 2004 model, sunburst color.See other reviews above.

I personally really like the sounds of it.I bought it for blues, bluesy and classic rock 70's and 80's.The PU sounds good enough, don't need to change.

needed ajustment of the neck truss.The action was a bit high.The frets need some polish and the nut as well.the stock strings are crap.

It's a very solid guitar.

Never have dealt with then.

Playing 2 years.I would replace this if lost or stolen.The peavey JF1 is a very nice guitar.