Peavey Predator

this guitar has a poplar body.the neck is bi lamanated rockmaple.this is a very nice neck.the neck has 22 frets.this is the crafted in the usa guitar.the only thing wrong wrong with this guitar win i got it was the fret ends.the were a little sharp but easily fixed.

this guitar sounds okay with the stock pickups but really comes alive with the fender custom shop pickups i installed.the electronics are junk so you will want to replace them to.now the guitar is a keeper.i am giving this guitar a lower rating with the stock pickups and electronics.if it came with the new pickups it woould be a 10.

this guitar is very well made as far as the neck and body go.the tuners are complete garbage.i changed mine to vintage shallers like the old fender ones.they were a direct fit.the neck pocket on this one is very tight.this can very from guitar to guitar.i had one peavey predator that had a very sloppy neck joint.this one is very good.the tremolo on this guitar is ok but i changed the saddels on mine to stainless steel.i also changed the tremolo block to a solid steel.

with the changes this guitar is very reliable.i also added dunlop straplocks.i could use this guitar live without a backup.it would hold up just fine.the finish on the body and neck seem fine.with the new parts i would give it a ten.

they seem very helpful.very good web site.

i bought this guitar nos from stock from a closed music store.it came with the gigbag.this guitar was built in 1994.i bought it in 2005 but it was still brand new.i paid 150.00 dollars for it.think of it like buying a body and neck and building your own guitar.this is a great guitar now.

The guitar is pretty basic, nothing fancy. It's a strat copy. It has a solid feel and plays well. I replaced the pickups with Fender Vintage Noiseless $100 ebay), and that one modification elevated it's status in my collection. Mine was red, and I painted it purple several years ago, mainly because I was bored. It's a great guitar to try modifications on, because it's not expensive.

Like I said above, I replaced the pickups in it. Originally it's sound wasn't terrible, I just wanted something more vintage. Notes are bright (maple neck) and sound as authentic as I would expect them too. As far as I'm concerned, put whatever pickups you want in it, and it will rival a real strat--at least sound-wise. I'm definitely of the mindset of buying a solid, versatile guitar (without the bells and wistles of a custom shop or vintage guitar) and putting custom shop or vintage pickups in it, and use money you save for other stuff.

I'm using it for home recording as my main single coil guitar (along with a Epi LP w/SDuncan pickups as my humbucking guitar). It has a great bright and cutting tone, like a single coil bolt-neck should. I personally don't think an experienced listener could notice it's not a real strat.

I'm giving it an 9 assuming the owner spends $100 to replace the pickups in it. It has the potential for really great strat sound.

It has a really nice action. Fret's are decent--I'm not too particular about frets as long as there is no buzzing, which there isn't. I'm sure I modified the action and scale over the years, but I don't ever remember a time when it was unacceptable. It can be easily tweaked to play how ever you need it to. Visually, it's nothing special to look at (except for having the classic look of a strat), but if you don't care about looks, this guitar is great for getting the job done.

I've owned this guitar for 10+ years. The only problems I've had with this guitar is the hardware does tend to corrode/rust. My hands sweat a lot too, so that doesn't help. The tuners do seem cheap, but I have absolutely no problems with them keeping tune. I don't use the tremelo that much though. Like I said above, it definitely feels solid and well made (in the USA, at that).

I've never needed customer support.

I'm a multi-instrumentalist and home-recording musician/singer/songwriter (doing it all as an experienced musician for about 7 years). I play rock music in a mixture of forms: a lot of it is alternative/progressive/experimental/classic rock/pop. I want a classic strat sound at times, but need to spend money on gear to cover all instrument duties and recording equipment (drums, mics, recording equipment, etc). I can't spend $1500 on every instrument in my arsenal, so this $200 guitar w/$100 worth of pickups gets the job done. It sounds good and plays well, and that's all I need it to do. I wouldn't ever need to buy another strat or copy unless I got a really good deal on one. I don't own an American strat, but I have played on them on a few occasions, and I don't notice much difference. I'm giving this an 8 overall, relative to the price. It's definitely worth the money.

early 90's strat monkey, USA, 22frets, alder body w/maple caps me thinks, 2 part laminate maple neck
v/v/v
h/s/s: 6.9 ohm early 70's t-top, seymour duncan lipstick tube, 8.0 ohm 50's dearmond

i play jazz/blues/rock and have played for 17 years
use 50watt bassman head, closed back 1x12 cab
i thought this thing was a joke, but the acoustic sound was so great, i figured i'd toss what extra pickups I had lying around to make a frankefurter guitar.
It goes from creamy rhythm pickup, to dano middle, to spanky strat bridge. Those are all the sounds i could hope for. So, for the price of electronics, I've put my les paul custom under the bed.

It survived being tossed in the trash outside my building. That works for me. If it had a professional fret dressing, the guitar would be top notch. The neck is so good my friend offered to buy it off me right on the spot. But he also has a guitar buying problem.

The tuners are wack and wiggly, but they work well enough. The paint job is pooh.

A great back up, or #1 if you don't mind people giggling at your peavey headstock.
I love the fact it sounds like a strat and plays better than most "pro" guitars.
Just wish the frets didn't blow.

1995 usa peavey predator. standard "strat" features- 3 single coild and a 5 way. 22 frets, start feeling neck. solid poplar body, 2 piece maple neck fingerboard right there. nice. mine is black, black pickup covers, black knobs and black pickguard. I like black. this one has the trem bridge screwd down with 3 extra large screws and I threw 5 springs in so she's tight as a rock. cheap peavey tuners but they work. strat scale, strat feel, strat vibe, strat sound.

Sounds like a strat. you know the drill. I play it through a Marshall 100w half stack. Cranked. Loud I'm saying. Just a Crybaby and a tuner in the line. Adjustable poles on the pickups. Dialed in. Nice.

Built like a tank. peavey usa is high quality stuff. my predator is a rock. handcrafted in usa baby!

usa peavey on par with usa fender

gret website peavey.com has it all old manuals everything answer any questions.

amazing usa guitar very low prices used

I have a 1969 Peavey Predator strat style white on white, which has the look of a Jimi Hendrix strat and a beefy smooth neck (best neck I have ever played on.)Has new Fender tuning knobs chrome, new bridge (Fender) and is currently in the shop to have new wiring, pickplate (white), and 1969 Peavey single coil pickups installed...
very good manageability on the tremolo arm ("whammy bar") 1 volume 2 tone knobs. Sounds better than my stepmoms 1970 Fender Stratocaster (based on my personal opinion.) on Roland Microcube 15 watt amp. TKL Soft Case. guitar is supposed to be picked up Wednesday November 2nd 2005.
I will reply as soon as possible. These guitars are better than you think, they are very under estimated for a very low price, I have a USA made 1969 (which sounds very uncommon, which many were made 4 years after Peavey was first established est. 1965.)They do not make USA Peaveys anymore, ESPICALLY THE 1969 MODEL VINTAGE, UNLESS YOU BECOME LUCKY! Good luck all & everyone who supports Peavey Products I Will Review as soon as possible...

I would guestimate mine is an early 90s usa model. It has an unfinished maple neck and red body. The fret board is very flat. It came with a non-original gig bag.

I played gibsons for years then briefly Rics. Then started playing strats and teles. I play mostly originals/classic rock/surf instrumentals. The predator sounds like a "strat." What else can I say? The pickups are cheap. They are not quite as good as the ones in MIJ fender strats but they are passable. I would like to replace them eventually but part of the charm & value of the guitar is how much you get for so little. I doubt if anyone who just listens to music would even be able to tell the difference between this and a real strat in a blindfold test so PU change is not a priority. I like to keep guitars all original if possible no matter how modest they are.

I LOVE THE NECK ON THIS GUITAR. Yes, it's unfinished, looks cheap and say's peavey on the headstock but it's the best playing strat neck I've ever had. I've owned (74 fender strat, 86 and 87 MIJ strats, 83 Tokai 62 reissue strats.) Of those hand downs the best quality built strat is not the 74 but actually the tokai. The peavy just has a great neck and is super easy to play and do whatever you want on: Lead, rhythm, playing high up on the neck, pull offs, etc. The neck is plain great. Really. I've heard that the new fender eric johnson model strat has the same radius as a peavy usa predator. The hardware and plastic parts are embarrasingly cheap. A non guitar player could spot them. The tuners feel cheap but seem to work okay. The paint finish is chiping allready. The wood, fit and action are all great and as good as any us or japan made strat I've played. My favorite strat neck of any I've played so far.

Peavey are indestructible. Drop it off a truck. Play golf with it. Door stops. Whatever. Really great, underated products. Sold me and I was a confirmed vintage snob.

Never needed them peavey has a reputation being great and even backing up discontinued products.

There great. I will buy a back up one when I get a chance. Not worried about the price going up they made a ton of these. I have a dream about sticking frailens on one but that would just be wrong. I like that I paid $50 for this and can do just about anything. I'm very satisfied with this guitar. No, it doesn't say fender on the headstock best playing strat neck yet. So cheap feel like going out and buying for my friends. The hardware, plastic and finish suck. I know that is a poor discriptive word. The neck and fit great

1994 USA made Peavey Predator "strat" copy with Poplar body (very light weight), two-piece "bi-laminate" Maple neck (no separate fingerboard) with 22 frets 12 radius and 25.5 scale. Typical Strat controls and layout - 2 tones, 1 volume, 5-way. S-S-S passive Peavey pickups (more on that to come), Power Bend tremolo bridge. My predator is "blonde" - looks like Yngwie Malmsteen's Strat. Cheap-feeling stock tuners seem to do the job. Guitar does go out of tune with moderate trem use, and I have 5 springs in the cavity with it screwed down tight flush to the body. The guitar has a plastic trem block and neckplate, which at first seemed cheesy but has never been a problem and contributes to this instrument's nice light weight. Also features a micro-tit neck adjustment fo lowering the action. The neck is thin- not as chunky as a Fender Strat, but not thin like an Ibazez Wizard either. Kind of inbetween those. Reminds me of the Peavey Wolfgang neck. I put a Seymour Duncan Lil 59 pickup in the bridge to make it a "fat strat." Stock Peavey pickups are OK- not great but not bad by any means.

This guitar has all the features of a Strat, is USA made, and playes well. Exceptional value on teh current used market.

I play classic and modern rock covers in a bar band. My original music is more heavy metal or thrash punk. With the SD Lil 59 in there it covers a wide range of rock music well. I use this guitar through a Marshall 100 watt half stack with a few Boss pedals. Single coils are typically noisy. Guitar is bright- Poplar and Maple woods. Thin sound with single coils, but that is the "strat sound."

My biggest complaint is that the tone knobs on most strats are not connected top the bridge pickup, and I forgot to do that when I put it in. The Peavey USA Predator does everything the USA Fender does but the Peavey is a fraction of the cost.

Peavey USA are solid instruments. I currently have 3 of them. Never a problem with any of my USA Peaveys. Soild, well made, no flaws.

I use thsi guitar for gigs all the time. Never let me down. I bought it used, had a pro set up, and never adjusted anything since.

Plastic trem block bothers me in theory, but again no problems in 3 years of heavy use. Tuners seem cheap, but again never had a problem. Finish is strong, I use strap locks on all my guitars.

This guitar is very dependable. It is mot my #1 main player, it is my #2, but I always break strings so this guitar is uses every gig and many practices.

Peavey is very customer-friendly. Their website has a lot of information. I have contacted Peavey 3 times and they were always helpful.

I have been playing guitar for almost 30 years. I've owned tons of guitars from most of the major brands. I bought this guitar because I couldn't believe the used price and thought it would be a #3 back up. I liked it so much, it moved up to my #2 and replaced my 1979 Fender Stratocaster. In fact, I sold the 1979 Stratocaster because this $70 copy played and sounded better. My main #1 guitar is a USA Hamer strat. I have had several Fenders over the years, and the Peavey is comparable at a much much lower price.

I love the fact that this is a USA made strat copy and I got it for under a hundred bucks. I hate no tone knob for the bridge, and the plastic hardware kind of seems lame but again- I have never had any problems with thsi guitar and it gets a lot of use.

This is an un update from my earlier review. I discovered that when I dismantled the guitar that it was made in 1992 (date is inside neck cavity). When I sanded the body down, I found out that it was made of poplar, capped on both sides with maple. The online manual doesn't seem to mention the maple caps. I also discovered that it has a neck tilt adjustment between the bottom two screws in the neck plate. This made it so easy to set the action on the guitar and get it just the way I like it. I believe that in the last few years fender came out with this feature on some strats. Not mine though. I think it was called micro tilt or some shit like that. I put 3 american standard strat pickups in it that I bought on Ebay for $31.50. I painted it a soft pastel yellow (3 coats). I learned VERY much about painting a guitar this time around. It has the same amount of gloss as my MIM strat, but when I looked at the 2 guitars on the wall side by side I noticed that the strat had lines in the finish. Mine didn't, but then I spent a lot of time wet sanding it and buffing it out by hand.

It sounds soooo beautiful through those 6BQ5 tubes. The strat pickups made the sound come alive. I can get really nice clapton type sounds just going straight into my amp with no gain. It's time to dump my MIM Fender strat. This thing cost me half the price in the end and sounds twice as good. If you want to restore and modify a strat type guitar, this is the one to do it with. I don't have an American strat to compare it to, but I'm sure the sound is close if not equal.

I can't stress enough the importance of proper setup of a guitar. So many guitars get a bad rap on this site because they are set up improperly. There are many sites on the internet that show you how to do a setup and Fender's site even show you how to to do a rough intonation setup, which is your starting point. A lot of times people think they have poor tuning keys when they actually don't have the right tremolo spring tension or some other minor problem. This guitar sounded like crap until I got everything adjusted just right.

Yep

I would definately get another one if stolen or lost. I may get another one anyway and make it a hardtail fat strat.

Pretty much same as most of the others. 22 fret, SSS. Appears to be all origonal. White body with black pearloid pickguard that's not easy to remove, because it slides up under the end of the neck and the neck pup gets stuck on the cavity when you try to remove the pickguard. This is not a big deal though, I will fix that when I give it a nice paint job (that's right, I'm going to paint this sucker). It'll be my second guitar paint job. I painted my son's Squier Tele black and it looks better than any Squier I've ever seen, but that's not saying much. The 5 way swith looks different than a Strat switch, but seems to work pretty well. All of the pots are 500k. The whole underside of the pickguard is shielded with foil which is good and the wires leading to the pups is nice but the rest of the wiring is pretty jinky. Especially the wires leading to the input. For the price all of these issues are minor and easy to fix.

I use 2 tube amps with my favorite being a converted 15 watt tube hi-fi with 6BQ5s that will remain unnamed, because I'm already competing with too many people on Ebay for a second one. I can nail just about any sound I want with this amp, depending on which guitar I use. I also have a 2003 Mexican Strat to compare this Guitar to. First of all, my Mexican Strat SUCKS for the 300 and some bucks that I paid for it. When I first got the PV the pups needed tweeked. Once I got the right height for all 3, it easily sounded as good if not better than my Strat. It is slightly noisier than my Strat but I'm hoping to fix that through better shielding and wiring. I can get some real nice sounds with this guitar. From a clean sound with a wet glassy edge to ZZ Top Tush type sounds. Little wing sounds very nice through it.If this guitar were a woman, it would be a slut because it can get nasty dirty sounds that the Strat can't. I like nasty! I prefer to play my Samick LP copy with a Seymour invader at the bridge for most of the stuff I play. I like having a Strat to play certain songs that I just can't get with the LP though.

The frets are better than my Strat.
The neck is smoother and easier to play than my Strat.
Even though the tuners seem cheapo, it holds it's tuning MUCH better than my Strat. I can slam the tremolo arm numerous times and it stays in tune. Not so with the Strat.
The bridge on the peavey seems to have a cheap thin chrome coating on it, but I like the shape of the saddle grooves and the tremolo seats well. The finish seems to have held up well considering the moderate fretwear. It seems that someone loved playing it before me. Although the frets have plenty of meat left on them.

Even though the guitar will prolly never leave my house, I'm sure it could take a beating.
Will it last? It's a PEAVEY!

Peavey customer support is the best. No doubt about it. Peavey is a standard for others to follow. I can ask them any question about any product, no matter how old it is and I WILL get an answer.I have also ordered parts directly from Peavey for My Bandit 112 amp. Customer service is very important to me and Peavey is the very best. Check out the forums on their site. It's a shame that the Peavey amp I want is discontinued, because if I were to buy new, it would be from them.

My ratings are based on the price of the guitar. If I had payed $400 for it I would have given it lower ratings. But for the price you just can't beat it.

A guitar from the '80s, bought from the other musician. It's an American guitar, not an Asian. It looks like a standard Stratocaster, but has a different headstock and the neck is bigger. It has 3 single coil pickups and the bridge with vibrato.
Made from an alder or maybe hard maple.
A solid made American Strat, really heavy duty guitar. Black with a black pickguard.

It sounds great - that means far better than the Mexican Fender, Squier or other cheap and crappy guitars. with the Marshall amp I can sound very similar to the Edge from U2 and with the Mesa Boogie I can even play some good sounding agressive metal riffs.
This guitar sounds very bright, full and rich. Maybe the pickups needs to be changed, but "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" at the local music store...
Anyway - it's a great guitar for me and I love it's sound.

I bought it used, so it has some scars and the screws are a bit rusty - but looks great with them. Tuners works very fine, there's no problem with a bridge, too. It's not as perfect like a Fender American Stratocaster, but a far better than some cheap and crappy axes you can find...

It's a perfect guitar for the live shows, as well as in the studio. A very solid working horse and I love it. In fact it's the first electric guitar that's mine. Earlier I borrowed from my friends some Fenders, Gibsons, Yamaha and even an Ibanez - so I can compare them. It's a typical rock guitar, maybe not for the metal guitarist, but it can suit many styles from rock'n'roll to hard rock, folk, blues, country, jazz, etc.
If you want to play heavy metal buy an Ibanez or Gibson instead of Peavey Predator, but if you have balls and want to play rock'n'roll - buy this thingy. You won't be disappointed.
It's my only electric guitar, but I can use it live without any backup.

Peavey has a WWW, but I don't need to contact them, because I have no problems with their guitar. Even if it was bought used.

I'll give it 10, because it's a fantastic guitar for that price. Very comfortable, easy to play, sounds great and looks very good. If it was stolen, heavily damaged or lost it could be like a death of the best friend. really... I loved this guitar so much from the beginning and I don't want to use anything else.
If you want to look good on stage and sound great, but you don't have enough cash to buy a Fender - have look at used Peavey Predator from the '80s. I think you'll be very satisfied. It's not an Asian made today's Peavey, but a real American handmade Stat. A very cheap and great Strat ;-)