Peavey T-60

1981 Peavey T-60. Made in the U.S.A. by my recent online acquaintance Chip Todd. This is probably one of the most "actually usable" versatile solid-body electrics of the past 30 years.
This was made by Peavey Corp. in Meridian, MS in 1981. It has a Bi-laminated bolt on maple neck/board w/adjustable truss rod & micro-tilt adjustment, medium-jumbo nickel-silver frets, 6 per-side tuners, 25.5" scale, double-cut away, string-thru poplar body w/ "fire-engine" red finish, 2 special designed "rail" humbuckers, 2 volume/2 tone configuration with 3-way switch as well as mini-toggles for "phase" and for "coil-splitting" and a special "molded" Peavey hard-shell case... Again, all made in the USA.

This instrument suits any music style really. When I look at the guitar and play, it really lends itself to funk of all things as well as blues/rock. I currently use it with an all-tube Peavey Delta Blues 2x10" amplifier. I also occasionally use a solid-state Fender Twin 2x12". I use Visual Sound pedals only! The guitar is wonderful... even in single-coil mode the guitar is very quiet. Throw some massive distortion to it or crystal clear clean... it performs wonderfully. The sounds are very versatile...they are all over the place really. The "in-phase/out of phase" options are great as well. I can make this guitar mimic that of a hollow body. The instruction manual even claims this feat as well!!! i really have no qualms with the guitar. It sounds and plays wonderfully. I love the "coil-tapping" circuitry! The pickups are actually tap-able via your volume knobs. Anything above 7 puts you in single coil mode and anything below 7 is full humbucking. It is like a TBX tone control in many ways... just about 10 years earlier in terms of innovation.

I had to do some semblance of a setup upon receiving. The action as well as the neck-tilt needed some tweaking and the pickups needed to be brought down considerably. The action is to the 1978 Peavey factory specs. 5/64" on the bass side at the 12th fret and 4/64" on the treble side at the 12th fret. The relief is set at .012" and it is setup with .009's. It feels pretty slinky but, certainly not lacking in tone or in girth. It can thin out at the "flick of a switch" and "beef up" just the same. It all looks great and is made with the utmost precision... this guitar at the time was a groundbreaking feat... being made almost entirely on a CNC router. According to Guitar Player magazine, this guitar defined one of the top 100 greatest moments in guitar history...in terms of production/construction.

The T-60 is an institution really. These guitars are like polyester and cockroaches. When the end of the world comes I do believe all the cockroaches will get all decked out in their polyester suits and grab their T-60's and rock us all out of extinction. The T-60 is a testament to what the american worker is capable of and what the USA used to be oh so re-knowned for. It is 1970's innovation at it's peak that has more than stood the test of time.

You can always contact Chip Todd on the T60 forum. He is an extremely nice man and very very helpful. He is the designer of this guitar and still very proud of this accomplishment. He still plays T-60's to this day. In all honesty, if a product is built right the first time... there is no need for a warranty. This is just that. In terms of in-destructability, the Peavey T-60 runs a good race against the Steinberger GL-series guitars of yesteryear. The resources are out there and the folks on the forum are wonderful people and very passionate about this instrument. There is really no need for the Peavey company to get involved... although they are quite good themselves in terms of tracing serial numbers and production dates, ect. They are just an e-mail away.

Fantastic value! Hands down. I don't know where else you can pickup a solidly built, versatile, easy playing, great sounding, USA made solid-body w/case for under 4 bills. If you know where I can find anything better feel free to let me know... but, you will be searching along time. Even if can fulfill this criteria it will most likely be a one-time fluke.

My only wish is that it had a tremelo. If it had a wonderful 80's era tremelo it will eradicate the Stratocaster.

Same features as everyone else has said

I play mostly Punk, Surf, and ska. This guitar is amazing. A lot of people take points off in this category because it does a close les paul sound an a close strat sound, but neither perfectly. This is true, but if you want a les paul sound then buy a les paul this guitar has a great sound and a lot of possibilties.

This guitar is pushing 30 years old and with the exception of a ding, the finish is in perfect shape, the action is great. I like the feel of my les paul better but this guitar is a close second

This guitar is a tank, peavey is an amazing company with the most reliable products i have used.

You can get the owners manual from the peavey website and they are great with answering questions

I got this on craigslist for $80 (yes only $80) and it rivals my gibson les paul. I love this guitar and it will stay with me forever

Look, first thing: it's American-made, by people who really knew how to build guitars in Meridian, Mississippi! Mine was built in the early 80's, pure vintage USA quality! This isn't one of the latest off-the-assembly-line, crappy woods and parts, made by slave laborers in sweat shops JUNK guitars coming out of a lot of places in Asia most commonly found today at a price most can afford. That says a lot right there.

Mine is a 25 year old guitar that looks like it could be five years old owned by a home hobbyist who never learned to play. The feel is SOLID. I love the thin maple neck because I have small hands. The neck is fast, the action is low. I was thinking about knocking one point down because it lacks locking tuners, but these stock Peavey tuners hardly ever go out of tune. Obviously, the stock tuners are of high quality. So the point value will remain at 10.

This guitar has two very nice humbucker pickups, both of which can be split to single-coil with a simple turn of the tone knobs. Plus, the pickup configuration can be changed with the phase switch. This offers a wide range of tonal options that would require multiple guitars of other brands without these features. I like the look of the single blade pickups too. They are solidly installed and don't rattle around.

The finish on the black body is very good. Most dudes prefer black guitars. This one has not faded nor chipped over the years. I like the Fender Strat style head with all the tuners on top. It's just more convenient and less awkward to tune. The Peavey bridge is very solid and has no rust, plus it's easy to adjust. The solid volume and tone controls are quiet and smooth with good pots and wiring. The cord jack is recessed into the body, shielded and quiet. The bolt-on neck is light, completely unwarped, well-fitted and firm. The frets are nearly perfect. I can't see nor feel any fret wear. The body is somewhat oversized and solidly heavy, but I like that; especially combined with the feather light neck. It adds to the wonderful sustain of this guitar.

Okay, so it has tons of cool features not found even on most of today's guitars. But what's all that worth if it sounds like crap? Well, the tones on this guitar sound as good as the guitar sounds in print. I think people here have done a very good job of describing the tones and versatility of this baby. The cleans, either pick, set to single coils, absolutely sparkle. I can chicken pick jangly country or clang new wave and punk classics by bands like The Clash and the Police. The neck pickup set on humbucker is warm and punchy. Perfect for jazz or driving rock rhythms. The bridge pickup set to humbucker is brighter and more trebly and does very well with 80's heavy metal. I don't know how it would do with new thrash metal, so I won't give it a full 10 for sound. But a 9 speaks to this guitar's versatility and genuinely professional range of beautiful tones.

I agree that the Peavey T-60 is a hybrid of a Fender Strat and a Gibson Les Paul. I love that, two guitars in one. Actually, I'd say it's 3-in-1 because I can get mine to sound like a Fender Telecaster in the bridge position on single coil. The ability to play sparkly clean is very handy when playing through amp modellers so commonly found on today's amps and software recording systems. And yet, the humbuckers have all of the attitude and punchy, raw bravado required by most of today's brutal rockers.

The phase switch really broadens the tonal range -- I've even made it sound like I'm playing through an AM radio, which will come in handy on some recording sessions.

As said, I love the action, quality and setup. My action is low -- just enough where it generates the slightest fret buzz, but not enough buzz to be picked up when amplified. Pickup placement is perfect and doesn't get in the way of picking and palm muting. The bridge isn't ideal for palm muting but it works.

As said, this beeotch is over 25 years old but could pass for less than a couple years old! All the parts are stock -- and they all function flawlessly. This is a working man's guitar because it's reliable, playable and versatile. I would confidently do a small gig with it without a backup and still be able to do a variety of popular covers on a good amp without fear of malfunction. The solid feel of the Peavey T-60, the perfectly machined steel parts, and the elegant and soft, smooth, comfortable neck all give me a rock-hard boner.

I haven't dealt with them but their reputation is stellar. I've emailed a lot of amp and guitar companies. Most just ignore emails, others take at least several days to reply. That pisses me off. So I dig hearing that other people have received excellent service from Peavey. Plus, they're an American company based in the USA so we can just drive (or fly) right on over and give 'em a piece of our minds if they give us any hassle! ;)

I can't believe the deal I made on this AMERICAN MADE, HIGH QUALITY, HIGHLY VERSATILE, VINTAGE electric guitar. I've never owned a high end guitar, I've searched for tone with low-end guitars for a long time. Even at the price I paid, I feel like I finally own a high-end electric guitar. I've played new and vintage Pauls and Strats that didn't sound as good, nor play as comforably, as my T-60. I can't believe what these are currently selling for. That must be because so many were sold when they were manufactured in the mid-70s to mid-80s and because they've withstood so well through time. And, it's just because the word isn't out. I agree with others here -- this may be the most under-valued, overlooked electric guitar out there. I paid less than most of the new junk that's on store shelves today made in Third World sweatshops with not even a fraction of the high-end features on this guitar made in the good ole' USA. I highly recommend picking one up if you can, I think word is going to get out and the value is going to skyrocket. I feel fortunate that I landed a deal on mine before it does. I'm sure as hell keeping this sexy girl no matter what.

All black, blade pick-ups, metal knobs...
don't know too much tech stuff.

this is the bomb...

it's everything I dreamt about.

It beats any guitar, any price, any brand, it's there when they cross the finish line.

I play athmospheric, feedbacky, drone rock, it's perfect.


Amp: Line6 Spider II with foot control and programmed efx.
Efx: Boss me-6, Danelectro Fab Tone, line6 dm4, line6 fm4.

I got it second hand, never touched anything from the day I picked it up in the shop... about 8 yrs ago.

it's super strong, i'd say it'd take a lot of rough treatment and stand up to it.

no need

I was so happy when I got this, I'm delighted that I have it, and seriously laugh at anyone that pays a fortune of a "name", this is one of the best kept secrets.

I may consider having this buried with me, just in case...

Solid body/2 cut aways. 2 humbucking pick ups that can be taped too single coil using the 2 tone controls(from 10 to 7=single coil.from 7 down=humbucking) 2 vol. 1-pickup selector switch and a phase reversal switch. Very this but sturdy neck. Super chromed hardware. Mine is a 1978 and the hardware still looks new.

This is a universal sounding guitar. It has a solid sound regarless of the electronic set up. It sounds expensive compared too most electric out there today. It goes fron chicken picken ice pick too almost a Kenny Burrell smoothness. I can't think of any guitar that does what it does so completely. Even in single coil mode, its very quiet. I like this guitar a lot and I play it frequintly on stage. With the right amp,it will compete with any guitar regardless of price. The sound is that good.

With its thin neck and its placements of the pickups and low action, it cant be beat. I bought this guitar used and have been using it now for almost 10 years. It had 10s when I got it and I put 9s on it so I had too do just minor ajustments. I can't beleive this guitar has stood up so well over the years and I find when I start too play my other guitars, I always go back too the t-60-wonderful!No flaws and stays in tune better then any guitar I own. Even the frets don't seem too ware out.

This is the Hummer of electric guitars. Its a tank. I have never seen a guitar take so much and nothing bothers it. Besides its made in the USA.

Peavey has the best customer support in the busseness. Bar none! They will bend over backwards too satisfy their customers no matter how old their guitars are...LOL! I have a lot of Peavey equipment and never broke down. All I needed was too find out what size cover or what year something was and they were on my e-mail within minuts.

This is the most under rated guitar in the world and I hope it stays that way so I can pick these things up and rediculously low prices. If it were stolen or lost, I would buy another as quikly as possible. Its strong. It sounds wonderful. It plays like a dream and its fast. Yes it is a little heavy but I have a certain Gibson-- -- custom thats about the same weight. And My t-60 is far better in my personl opinion.

This is a follow up review on what is starting to become a legendary guitar in my collection. A natural 1978 Peavey T 60. Since there have been so many prior reviews on its design, setup and details, will skip that. I got this in a pawn shop about ten years ago. I fixed the broken phase switch tip with a replacement. Along with its rectangular heavy duty molded plastic case, it has been on countless gigs since then. Because of its unique circuitry allowing the two pickups to change from humbuckers to single coil and the possible blended every thing in between, its sonic capabilities are truly endless. It is built heavy duty with no cheap parts. It's metal nut adds to its unique tone. The T60 is not a one trick pony guitar. Rather, its design, build, toughness and low cost combine to make this a sought after instrument. IMHO, after buying/searching/selling many guitars over the last fifteen years, I can't think of a better bargain.

AAAhh the sound! Because of the materials, there combination, various switches, unique circuitry changing the pickup sound from thin single coil to thick humbucker tones, with countless variations in between, this guitar wins hands down with its multi voice. I have other quality guitars to compare with the T 60. I would categorize the quiet tone as bright, long sustain, can get sparkly, rich,growly in full humbucker mode, makes my solid state amp sound more like a tube amp.
It is strung with .10's so it allows string bends easily. It is a heavy guitar, but I can hack it.

My first year issue is natural wood, the neck is glossy on all sides. The frets are low and wide, thin neck. All hardware is first class and heavily made. Nothing dainty here. Despite its 25 years, this guitar shows little wear. The large rectangular plastic case cushions the guitar well and it also has a couple of large pockets. I would say that the looks/design is not elegant like a PRS, for instance, but I can't see any second rate materials or workmanship.

I have played this outside and inside, smoky, high humidity, subjected to very hot and freezing temps while stored in the van, etc. It is built to withstand the rigors of gigging. Natural finish is very durable. I rotate five guitars for my jobs. I take two guitars, subject to my mood, type of situation. The T 60 is able to handle any type of venue, and music choice. Replaced strap buttons with strap locks for added peace of mind. Never have gone to a paying gig without a backup guitar. About once every four or so gigs, I break a string. With a backup guitar, I switch, without a backup, you would have to stop and replace the string. The audience becomes impatient.

I have no opinionas I bought it well into its second hand life and no contact with Peavey. I got my replacement switch tip from ALLPARTS.

Learned to play in 1963. I have had a variety of amps, guitars. I now regularly rotate a Heritage Prospect semi hollow, Gibson Les Paul Jr Lite, Robin Artisan, Fender 52 reissue Telecaster, and the Peavey T60. Amps are a Roland JC 120 and Carvin SX 300. Sometimes interject a Line Six Pod 2.0 between the guitar and amp. I really like the sonic tones, unique pickup circuitry, heavy duty construction, low price and American inginuity/construction. This guitar is fun fun fun to play with quick action to boot. I play classic rock and the blues, which are no problem for the T 60.

Wow! Quite possibly one of the most underrated guitars of all time. It is the cross pollonization of a Stratocaster and a Les Paul. It weighs a ton- has a heavy, balanced Les Paul feel with a Stratocaster type neck. Equipped with special Lawrence Humbuckers, three way toggle, two way phase switch, 21 fret, passive electronics,bolt on neck, jumbo frets.. all the specs have been covered in previous posts. It is a splendid guitar! Mine is tobacco burst with a black pickguard and maple neck. A 1982, I believe- complete with adoring "chainsaw" case. I think the body is ash? Made in the USA!

Sounds like a winner! The humbuckers are bright and growly. I plugged it in to my Peavey Mace and it roars. I used my Hartman Fuzz and my vintage 1981 DOD Flanger and it was rocking!! This guitar can handle all types of music.

I put D'Addarios elevens on it with a wound G string, loosened the truss a bit and PERFECT!! The finish is beautiful. Lots of flame in mine.

This guitar would withstand a nuclear assault, though let's not try that! I would use it as a backup to my Les Paul, though it should be used first in line. These guitars are a gem. Play one if you can.

I think Peavey gets an unfair rap because of the basic affordability of their products. The consensus of Peavey is generally that they are a second rate company. Not true. While the majority of my collection is Fender/Gibson, I have huge respect and admiration for the artistry and quality of Peavey. This guitar is the sum of first rate craftsmanship and ingenuity. If you were to juxtapose this instrument to what Fender and Gibson were producing in the late 70s-early 80s, this guitar is superior in many ways. Not the mass produced, consumed guitar, but rather a diamond in the rough. Please read the previous reviews here. They are what influenced me to buy this guitar.

Mine has a nice black finish, a black pickguard, and black and silver blade pickups (apparently this was a bit rarer than the non bladed ones).

The pickups are two humbuckers that can be coiltapped and you can get a tone of tones out of them. They were designed for peavey by Bill Lawrence who is a famed pickup maker who made pickups for many famous artists such as Dean Dimebag.

It has a lot of cool little features. First off the nut is some kind of metal which I've noticed adds a lot of sustain and bite. It's also a string thru body and has a really heavy thick bridge which adds sustain as well.

The neck is bolt on which adds a bit of a bite to the tone. You could say the sustain is compromised but it is easily compensated by the thick bridge and the string thru body. It sustains as much as my 78 paul! I kid you not.

Mine has a 22 fret maple neck with black clay dot inlays with medium-jumbo frets. The neck is overally quite fast. It feels very similar to a strat so if you like fenders this guitar will feel great to you!

Overall it has a lot of nice touches and an overall good feel. If the neck had been set or neck thru I would have given it a ten though.

Fantastic

Distorted Untapped-A nice bluesy wail. It is chunky yet bluesy at the same time. Listen to the Dr. Feelgood riff by Motely Crue to sort of get what I'm saying. Heavy yet with a lot of soul. (From what I hear though the non blade pickups are quieter so they might not be as chunky as mine) It's not quite heavy enough for metallica but can do most metal fine. Also the neck has a nice sweet child o mine tone. If you never heard that by god look it up.

Distorted Tapped-Very nice. Quieter but has a bit of a bite to it that humbuckers don't have. It sounds like a cross between a tele and a strat. Not as thick as a strat not as thin as a tele. The bridge has a Man on the Silver Mountain by Rainbow tone to it. Neck has a purple haze by Hendrix sound to it.

Clean Untapped-Surprisingly good for a humbucker. It has a lot of clarity for a double coil. Almost sounds like a single coil except without the quack. Think the Knockin On Heaven's Door cover by Guns N' Roses.

Clean Tapped-Wonderful. Very stratlike. Melodic and glassy. A little thinner than a strat though but you couldn't call it "thin" it's just right.

Overall for a 250$ guitar to get tones like this is fantastic. Definetly a 10.

Well for being used mine was in great condition. Just a few nicks on it. It aged very well. You can tell that it was made well. Frets were well aligned, great tone wood, tuners holding up. Pickup selector is slightly noisy though.

Solid as a rock. Absolutely inpenetrable. I'm a kind of big guy. I'm 5'7.5 and weight around 180. I could probably stand on it and jump up and down and it wouldn't get a scratch on it (Not that I would! lol) Everything just feels totally solid and considering this is a 27 year old guitar it being solid after all these years is impressive! a definite 10

haven't dealt with peavey about it so no opinion

Great. Very durable and great sounding. A real trooper.

Overall best value I have gotten out of ANY guitar. Sounds just as good as my 78 Les Paul if not better and it's more durable and lighter. Not only that it was 250$ compared to the nearly 2000$ I spent on the 78 paul.

This is a true gem and you need to check these guitars out!

My T-60 is a 1979 model,according to Bobby,the guitar-playing sales guy at Bibb Music (Macon,Georgia)who I bought it from, on consignment ($250,with the original case).Natural satin (?)finish ash body,maple neck.The two tone knobs,two volume knobs,the 3-way tone switch and the phase switch are industrial grade and will apparently last forever.The maple "C" neck is fast,smooth and the action is almost identical to my 1999 Fender Stratocaster.The heavily-chromed bridge reminds me of the interior finish on a 1966 Plymouth Fury 2 I owned years ago.It was a tank,too.I have to give it a 10 on the features because they are solid,dependable and,to my experience,rather unique.

I guess that you can describe my style and 36 years of playing experience as rock,country,jazz and blues.The T-60 sounds astounding,for just about any musical style.The only problem with the sound is the fact that I can't seem to stop monkeying around with the phase switch; endless tone possibilities.I amp through a Peavey Transtube 110 EFX and a Fender Blues Junior. The T-60 produces great tone through the "clean" toned Fender amp,and it has already cozied up with my Peavey amp.

The rather skilled guitarist/salesman who I bought it from at Bibb Music (I still can't believe that he sold it,even if he did have 15 guitars)has owned it for about 15 years.He set it up himself,when he bought it.I find the set-up to be perfect, for my playing. Except for a couple of very shallow,short dents on the back of the neck,I can't find and finish flaws,and this guitar is 27-28 years old.

One of the other guys referred to the T-60, in his review, as the Peavasaurus. I think that just about covers it.This puppy was built to outlive all of us.I have never owned or even played another electric guitar that feels so solidly built.

If I take care of this guitar as I have with all of my others,I hope to never need Peavey's customer support.However, I have heard and read that their folks are very helpful. And a little Mississippi southern fried courtesy is a wonderful thing.

As mentioned above,I have been playing for 38 years.Besides the two amps described above, I also own a Martin DCX1E acoustic/electric (my favorite of my current acoustics),a Samick Greg Bennett acoustic/electric (nice, but not a Martin),an Ibanez GA60 acoustic/electric classical (nothing special,but a rather good Ebay price),an Ibanez thinline,narrow neck classical acoustic/electric (much more comfortable to play than most classical guitars,due to its narrower neck and thin body),a Mexico-made Fender Stratocaster (the way it sings,I don't care where it was made),a Fender Squier thinline hollow body Telecaster (tone is more like Epiphone or Gibson than Squier),an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus (you don't have to pay Gibson prices to get a Les Paul tone)and an Epiphone G-400 SG (ditto).

this guitar has tons of features, even coil switch,, i can play for hours and never use same sound twice,,,set lists become endless without switching guitars,,this is a caddy with all the bells and whistles

if you cant find a sound you do not fall in love with, you are tone deaf!

action needed slight adjustment, lowering without any buzz was a relief,, fit is awesome ,,it hangs heavy and doesnt slip or sway during bends and pulloffs in the leads,, it hangs heavy and very stable in lead solo's, finish is perfect, natural and doesnt reflect the overhead colored lights in my eyes like a some shiney paints

built like a tank i heard someone say,,, more like a harley davidson i think,, use thicker screws on your strap locks when you put them on and they stay forever, mine is a 78 and the electronics are still static free and the neck shows no bones or wear,, its a grove machine for years to come

my t-60 has supported me over the years,, made quite a few bucks with it..i give it a 11,,haha

it has outlasted my usa strat and les paul,,, what can i say,, except,make sure you have an oversized leather strap cause when you strap this baby on it don't come off for a while