Peavey Predator

This is a brief addendum to my 7/11/98 review of my '94 USA pawn shop Predator. I recently replaced the pickguard assembly of this guitar with a Fender Lone Star Strat pickguard assmenbly (two Texas Special s/c and a special design Seymore Duncan Pearly Gates hummer).
This has significantly improved this guitar for me. It was always a nice body and neck with okay electronics but this Peavey *Lone Star* has quickly become one of my favorite axes. The tuners really should be replaced as Peavey used (on this model anyway) very inexpensive machines.
I'm now into the guitar $200. $100 for the original guitar and a $100 for the LS assembly (purchased right here on HC). I also own four Fenders (USA '52 Tele reissue, USA '62 Strat reissue, MIM Jimmie Vaughan Strat, and a MIM Standard Tele with an aftermarket custom one-piece swamp ash body and '52 bridge, pups, and pickguard). With this electronics upgrade the Peavey now compares favorably with any of these for sheer mojo and tone. I couldn't be more pleased with this little pawn shop special!

Plenty of features, more than on most other guitars in it's price range. The guitar I am reviewing is an older model. It was made in the USA, and was discontinued in 1995, i think. The difference in features between this one and later Korean-made is significant. The old USA type has a bridge humbucker, coil tap, slightly different cosmetics, and overall better build quality. The new one has three single coils and low quality components and build quality. Mine is built of poplar, has 2 single/1 slanted humbucker, a master tone pot, a coil tap switch, and the standard strat body style.

The other people to review this guitar seem to be beginning kids that don't have much experience. I've been playing for a long time, and this was my fourth guitar. I think it sounds great, contrary to the other reviewers who claim that "humbuckers have more of that Fender sound", and "I only use the front pickup because it sounds warm". This guitar has the fenderish, chirpy, neck and neck/middle sound. It is plenty bright, has more than enough output, and isn't muddy. The humbucker is mounted at an angle, like a standard strat's bridge pickup. I wish they didn't do that, but it sounds fine anyway. This guitar can get any tone you could need for rock, blues, electric jazz, experimental, and almost anything else. It doesn't sound as good as a 63 strat at stratty tones, or as good as a Jackson at metal type tones, but can do most anything well. It is an excellent stage axe, as you won't care if it gets thrown around.

I don't really remember exactly how well it was set up from the factory, but do know that it was good enough to play right from the store. I changed the strings to 11's, but the stock set-up was fine for what it was. The finish is great; it is a nice thin polyester finish that doesn't wear off soon. The pots wore out too soon, but for the price of the guitar I felt I got much more than what I paid for.

This guitar HAS withstood live playing for several years. It will hold up to anything reasonable, don't worry about that. The hardware hasn't rusted yet.

Guitars aren't Peavey's main business, so customer support won't be too great. they will help you out, though, as I found out when I called for some replacement parts.

As I said, Ive been playing for a looong time, and own tons of other gear. I love this guitar for so many reasons. Nobody else plays them, so I look different. It was inexpensive, so it makes a great beginner's guitar. If you want a guitar that you can mess around with and customize, this will be perfect. Basically, this guitar will be just fine for anybody. I love it's versitility. If I'm playing a strat type tone, and need just a little more power, I just click on the humbucker and I'm all set. It is plenty durable. I don't hate anything about this one, it has treated me fine. I highly recommend this to anybody. Try it out fot yourself. You might find that you like this guy.

22 fret, two tones, one volume, 5 way selector, humbucking, whammy bar very nice paint job, great appearance.

The tones are decent, I like playing very hardcore such as Metallica, Pantera, and Van Halen. I use a Peavey 158 Blazer and it sounds very nice. I generally play on the 4-5 volume, in my bedroom, which is plenty. The distortion is a little better than average for beginnger axes.

Never had a problem with it, don't expect any either. Peavey makes a great product.

Again service-wise I never had to deal with them, because I never had a problem. The warranty for both amp and guitar is one year.

I been playing for a couple months now seriously. I love the nice distortion it has, though it could use more. I hate the clean sound, it doesnt have it there. My next guitar is a Peavey Wolfgang and that is coming into my house very soon.

Made in the U.S.A. Made in 1998. 24 frets, 3 controls (1 volume, 2 tone, 5-way selector switch). 2 single pick-ups, 1 double. Fret-board is maple, the body is poplar. The finish is gloss black with white pick guard. Has a Fender Strat style body, with a Power Bend III tremolo system. Came with Rage 158 amp, gig-bag, hook-up cord, picks, etc.

I think that this guitar is good for a beginner to find what kind of music they want to play. It suits all types of music, but if you want to really get into a certain kind of music, then go for another brand. For me, I like playing heavy distorted stuff (Metallica, AC/DC, etc.), and it works for that, espically with the double pick-up in the rear. I use a Peavey Rage 158 amp with it and it sounds fine. I also use a Zoom 505 pedal, and it's kept on Metal Distortion effect. Probably the thing that bugs me the most is that you can't get this model of guitar with just double humbuckers, which is really what I was looking for.

When I received the guitar it was straight out of the box. The pick-ups were sounding great, and the strings were all in tune. The finish was flawless, and the hardware was spotless. It had never been used.

I do jam with this guitar alot and I have broken a few strings because of hard hitting. But hey, that's what I like to do. I would recommend having a back-up for a gig because you never know what's going to happen. Everything on it seems to be holding up just fine.

Never had any problems yet.

I have been playing for about 7 months and I still like this guitar. If this guitar was stolen, instead of buying another one I would probably buy an ESP or a Gibson. Sometimes I wish the strings were raised higher above the fret-board. They always seem like they're too close. I wish they would offer the Predator model with a double humbucker setup. I think alot more people would consider it then.

I bought this guitar about two years ago now. My guitar teacher (the bastard) raved about this guitar so much that I felt it was the only guitar in the world worth buying. Being USA hand made I felt that I was buying a quality instrument. It's a basic strat shape, and to be honist it's pretty dull to look at. The scratch plate and pots are pretty run of the mill. The pick ups are just basic single coil. The back pick up has a real bite to it but I find the others arn't worth bothering with as they don't suit my style of playing. It has a maple neck which is well made but the body is cheap and doesn't have that feeling of real quality. When I purchased it I recieved no extras.

When I first purchased this guitar I found that on the front pick-up the tone had a very rich warm sound. On the back pick up it has plenty of bite and it suited my style of playing which is mainly heavey rock/grunge style. After about a year of playing it, I found that the rich tonal qualities that it once had began to fade. I don't know what it was maybe missuse but the guitar started to sound rather crap!

There was no factory set up on this guitar when I purchased it. I had to do it all my self. Overall the build quality is very good. The kneck was flawless although I did notice rust on the saddle after the first year, but that's probably just me, as I'm a sweaty bastard!

I would never use this guitar to play live with. I use a basic Fender Strat when I play live. The Peavey Predator is just a dull guitar which seems to have no charisma to it. I just don't enjoy playing it. The hardware is good. I havn't had any problems with it since I purchased it. Everything is solid and well made although I find that it goes out of tune quickly if you move around a lot.

I got it from a guitar shop who offered little support, just a basic year warranty.

I've been playing for 3 years now. I own a Trace Elliot SuperTramp. This amp is highly reccommended. If my peavey was lost or stolen then I would be very releaved as I never play it and I think its a pile of shite. There is nothing I like or hate about this guitar. I would reccomend it to a beginner guitarist, but if you've been playing longer than a year then this guitar just won't cut it. It offers an experienced guitarist nothing in playablity or feel.

This Guitar was made in 1993 in the U.S.A. Basically it is a strat. Red finish white pickguard three single coils (peavey Stocks), 5 way selector, 1 volume 2 tone, Cheap Peavey tuners that are actually quite nice, and a standard one way fulcrum tremolo. Not that biog on features, pretty Basic.

Sounds very nice, I like to play allot of things and so far it is nice for almost everything. It's very bright in the lead, and you can really change the sound of the pick ups by changing their height. I am using an HM-2 Heavy Metal distortion pedal it can be ,a little bit noisy at times. When you combine the end pickups with the middle one it cancels the hum though which makes the guitart very versitile. Any sound you want it can do more or less.

Everything is very well made, in fact I don't think you can destroy this guitar. When I got it it was stickered up retty bad but most of them came off without harming the finish. The intonation is tricky but it can be done, it took a generic brand new pick guard very well with almost not problems, I like to play kinda high but the action was very low when I got it and it sounded fine. The only thing I would do is maybe drop a set of grovers in it and maybe put a scremin demon in the lead but right now it's almost perfect, it's been beat to hell and back and returned unscaved. The previous owner actually threw it into the audience at a school talent show. No one caught it and it hit the tile floor onll to return and play the rest of the show with no problems.

You should not mistreat your instrument but you could take this gutar anywhere without a backup and you would be fine. As before the tuners could do with a changing but they are fine tuners as they are.

Got it used so there is no warranty besides it's never broken so why call?

Would buy another peavey guitar if the price was right

Poplar body, Maple Neck, standard strat style. Better neck design than Fender. Truss rod is pressed between two sides. No skunk like bore.

The guitar is a price/value monster. It is a standard strat. Sounded good for a while but pickups had to go. This is where Peavey went cheap.

The finish is nothing special. Basic colours only. I had mine refinished in a white gloss. Cheaper finish means more quality somewhere else.

Been using this guitar since 93' for all sorts of stage work. Also been used for recordings. Comes out nice. Bit better becasue it is slightly larger than a strat.

Peavey customer support stands behind its product regardless of how much you paid.

Been my main guitar since 93'. I've owned various kinds of guitars but htis one is great. The most important factor is that it has potential for expansion. I have since replaced the pickups with 2 Texas Specials and a SD Pearly Gates. I have also replaced the neck with a Warmoth Rosewood. For the total investment I have built a Lone Star Strat (1300.00) for about $800.

standard strat copy. 3 single coils 5 way selector one volume two tone. maple neck & fretboard

I play it through a fender blues deville 410 with a tube screamer.or clean . good sound on bridge & middle pickups but i battle a wall of mud on the neck pick up . i use 11s on it and it stays in tune always.usually in tune right out of the box . Run through my amp it is virtually indistingushable from a standard strat

took the stings off immidately after i got it . pu 11s on it & set the intonation and saddle height ..hardware seems fine. i take very good care of all my guitars so the finish is in great shape . had it four years and its the only guitar in the band that has required no repairs .

never needed a backup. cant seem to break it! it gigs almost weekly and withstands practice twice a week .mine is bullet proof

no breaky no cally!!

i have a tele,several acoustic electrics and a jap strat. this is the only one that has needed no work .might try some different pick ups to get some brightness but as is it it works for me . for the money its tuff to beat .if it got stolen i would prob bite the bullet & go gibson but ill use it till it breaks . overall i dg it

This is an American made Stratocaster similar to the Mexican made Fender Standard, but slightly better. I believe it was made in 1993. Three single coils with 5-way selector. Master volume with two tone controls. Body is poplar with maple neck and fretboard.

I play a lot of hard rock, like Nirvana or Metallica. I use a small Crate amp without any effects equipment. The pickups give off the hum that you would expect of a stock pickup, especially in the neck and bridge. They're pretty weak but still give off a decent tone. But their tonal range is limited to rock songs with light distortion and lots of mids. I replaced them with Seymour Duncan humbuckers, to get higher output and more of that Fender sound.

The action on this guitar in great considering it's price. The fretboard is painted over in black, which I've never seen on any strat before, but it still has the same feel of any other maple fretboard. The finish is wearing off slightly on the fretboard, but it is barely noticeable, and that may be due to the fact that I don't wipe it off after I play a lot of the time. It stays in tune very well, despite the fact that it has pretty crappy tuners. The bridges are very loose and it seems as if they are beginning to rust. The nut could be cut a little better.

The finish is beginning to wear off. The hardwear is probably going to stard rusting any day now. But it still sounds just as good as the day I got it. I have never had any real problems with it. And I'm sure it could survive a gig without a backup, although I'd never risk it.

I've been playing for three years now. When compared with a Fender Standard Stratocaster, I think the Predator comes out on top with superior sound and action, and especially considering the fact that it usually sells for about $75 less. Its an great guitar to start out on or turn into a project. But as a quality instrument it just doesn't cut it. If it were lost of stolen I definitely wouldn't but it again, but only because I'm now looking for someting in a higher price range. I'm considering getting Floyd Rose bridges with a locking nut, and maybe Sperzel tuners. As far as overall value goes, the Peavey predator can beat any Fender or Yamaha in the same price range.

Strat type. 3 single coils. 22 frets. Poplar body, Maple neck & Fingerboard. Black. 5 way selector. Standard tremolo. Non locking tuners. Thin strat type neck.

I play the thing through my Line 6 Axsys 212 with upgrade, and so it really sounds good. This is due to the amp, which pretty much takes the guitar and pickups out of the equasion. You could play any peice of junk through this amp of mine and it would sound good. As far as the guitar goes, the single coil sound is not for me. I always use the bridge pickup to be as warm as possable. I plan to put some dimarzio humbuckers (Evolution bridge, Tone Zone neck) in it and the I know it will then really sing. If I were to play the guitar through another amp I believe I would not be happy with the sound of the single coils.
The wammy bar makes some noise if jiggled around because I stripped the insides by tightening it up to much the first day I got it. DONT DO THIS!
*9 rating for sound with Line 6 amp. Without Line 6 amp probably a *2, but only because I cannot stand thin sounds. The *9 rating will be a *10* soon because I am getting the dimarzios.

Really good factory action. Very low with no buzz. I even lowered it by slight adjustments to the bridge saddles, and now the action is extremely low, still with no buzz. When I bought it, the salesperson and I looked at 3 or 4 of the same guitar to find the straightest neck possible. This was most important to me. It plays excellent. I have played almost every guitar out their including top end guitars, and I can say my neck and fretboard are the very best save one: a Parker Fly Deluxe. In my opinion their is no better neck or fingerboard than the Fly. Finish good. Fit fine. Volume knob cuts out at 6, but not a big deal. The nut is a cheap plastic one, so I filed the grooves a little, and I put lubricating oil in the grooves everytime I play it, so it stays in tune quite good. I wammy a lot and like my Elixor super light strings streached out. 10 for neck, action, and playability.

Guitar holds up. I will upgrade the hardwear soon to the highest grade. Hardwear is ok. Black finish is good and lasts pretty good. Strap buttons are fine. For a $250 guitar it is pretty good.

I bought this guitar for its playability and because it was cheap. I am extremely happy with its neck, frets, fingerboard, and overall playability. I plan to turn it into a GREAT guitar by putting sperzel locking tuners on it, some sort of fishman peizo wammy bridge, some dimarzio humbuckers, a more flexable pickup swich (including a split signal), and by getting a new volume pot. Then it will meet all my flexability demands.A good value for the buck in my opinion.