Obviously I just ran across this video. I own 2 Peavey T-40's. Both are from their 1st year of production. One is before the patent (it says patent pending) and one is after the patent. I even have a letter from Hartley Peavey discussing the T-40 with me after I wrote him about the Bass. Yes, I have the letter still. To me, and out of my 17 Basses, I really enjoy the T-40's. Thanks for sharing this video.

Peavey was always ahead of it's time. Usa made old peavey guitars and basses are high quality and low price. Great products and the only brand of anything I use.

@maxallen5296

6 жыл бұрын

WAS low price. Have you seen what the T-40s have been going for on Ebay lately? I guess the secret is out. They're still a good deal though.

@ernestochang1744

5 жыл бұрын

@@maxallen5296 i traded a shitty Fender precision bass highway one for my T40, now the kicker here is that... prior to me trading that fender precision highway one, i traded a green Jhong myung yamaha RBX6JM which at the time costed me believe it or not $300 at a pawns shop, those $300 i invested on to trade for the fender precision highway one... which backfired very badly because if you look at how much the yamaha is going for right now is like $900 or $1,000 which is close to the asking price of a peavey T40 today but slightly higher, anyways im glad to get rid of that yamaha because i could not play it very well the neck was all thick and wide and i think it hampered my ability to play. Im just glad i wound up with a nice solid USA made instrument in my hands that can do anything from single coils to phase switching and humbuckers and gibson heavy type stuff, without breaking the budget and you know what we've got bass guitars that literally changed the industry of the modern world of guitars, the Peavey T40 and T60s of guitars where the first guitars to be manufactured by CNC machines while heartley peavey did not invent a CNC machine he did compute one to make the necks and bodies, before that youd have a single person working on the necks alone turning about 10 necks in a day? well now with CNC they could do well over 300 necks in a single day!!! before Hartley came up with this brilliant idea it was completely unknown if it was even possible to make guitars with CNC machines and everyone called BS well here is proof kzread.info/dash/bejne/i5ipk7d8hde5cc4.html

@kenny1man

5 жыл бұрын

Thomas R. Bowen !

I was truly astonished at how close the Musicman imitation came to the real thing. Great bass and great playing!

@mouthmw

Жыл бұрын

lol, nope

one of the best bass put together the t-40 Peavey bass I love that bass!!!

One of the best, most truly helpful videos on YouBoob. Thanks!

And now on topgear, James may plays the best

@TheEmac70

6 жыл бұрын

Ernesto Lone Wolf Wow!

The tuners are smooth as silk, Quality bass front to back. Period. All there old USA equipment back in the day was, is top Quality.

Thanks for posting this. I have an '82 that I have since about '91. Your two videos have given me better sound options out of this bass than I was ever able to get before.

So versatile, and I love it. Now I just need the original pick-ups.

If I had to choose just 1 bass guitar to use for the rest of my life, I would choose a Peavey T-40. Criminally underrated and a real workhorse! By the way, it would take a lot of years for me to understand how it works fully....and there are ways to make it lighter on the back of the base without ruining the front .... if you don't care about the resale value. PS. I love the sound of the EB-3 if you juse it right. ;-) DS

Well done! I had a Peavey Foundation in the same era and it was a beautiful bass in every way. I played jazz with flatwounds and it was sweet! Pearl white withmatching headstock-wish I still had it! Nicely done!

Well done presentation I now have a much better understanding on what this bass is, and what it does. Thanks.

Very informative. Well done & thank you. I've chanced into an elderly treasure.

Got my t 40 almost 20 years ago for graduation but did not play it much from emberrasment that it was not an instrument with a major brand. Now, being older, wiser, and having experience on many instruments.... I always come back to this bass. Hands down the best out there for the price, AND for some 3 to 5 times more costly

Awesome tones coming out of your T-40, man! I own an '83 and I love it. I have it strung up for C Standard and it sounds ridiculously heavy.

This is one of the most helpful videos I ever saw. I wish someone would do one for the Peavey T60.

I had one of these 30 years ago, along with a Rickenbacker. This was a heavy bass, but the sound was so rich, I loved it. Sold all my gear, sadly when I chose another profession, but have gotten back into music again the past couple years and bought a couple new Fender basses. I may have to get one of these again.

Had that bass sitting under my bed forever, after seeing this video, got it out and i'm loving every minute of it. What can i say, i have a Ric 4003, a good Fender Jazz Bass a vintage Fender P-Bass and a PreEB stingray, i can testify that the Peavey T40 can do all those sounds and it's a way better chameleon than the Lakland 44-94! I am lucky because i have the sunburst with the rosewood version which is somewhat rare! Thanks again for this video, it has opened a whole new perspective for me!!

It's great that you still have your first one!

IMO there's only 2 basses a man would ever need... thats a 1981 peavey T-40 and any era USA musicman.. T-40's are badass and thats it

@maxallen5296

6 жыл бұрын

strocat25 . . Plus they have excellent build quality. I'm sure you could hammer fence posts with them, and then play a gig afterwards.

@Pepper-cd9yr

4 жыл бұрын

you can't just pretend like you'd be okay with ignoring the fender precision or jazz bass lol

@kimseniorb

4 жыл бұрын

Pepper3961 exactly

@ernestochang1744

4 жыл бұрын

I would pick the peavey T45 theres something about basses having only 1 pickup that makes magic on the strings, idont know if its just the magnetic pull but bladed humbuckers with split capabilities with high treble and controlled bass outputs turn me on when theres only 1 thats placed in the sweet spot, i would pick Peavey T45 and a wal bass wal basses in my opinion is probably the only bass you will ever need not in terms of how many sounds it can do but just in raw savagery. When you think of a wal bass think of a piano now take off all the high keynotes add more piano like tones and you got the ultimate rock machine without adding any distortion imagine that!

@awllypollyas8292

4 жыл бұрын

@@Pepper-cd9yr i can.

i just got one of these basses traded a jay turser and a dean acoustic electric. its in an off white finish which i haven't seen from my research. but i love this bass i own over 70 instruments and out of all my basses this is my favorite and thank you for the video it really help to be able to expand the sound of this bass.

Hi, just bought a T-40 this evenning!! Great vid (s)!!! Thanks :) :) :) !

Awesome pick sounds!

Badass bass !!!Thanks for sharing.

Interesting, I had know idea the T40 was so complex. Great presentation.

You know he knows what he is talking about when he says "ghastly" while describing a Gibson EB-3 HA!

I thoroughly enjoyed your description of Gibson bass tone haha

Wonderful video man, just got one of these and was so confused about the circuitry

wish I still had my peavy T-40

I love my T40! 1979 w/ohsc! Peavey makes great basses!

Excellent review. I've had one of these since '81, and it has been played right around the world. Many sounds & VERY tough. Best bass ever. For anyone who wants to know more about the T-40 just google T-40 mafia.

Great Video!

Great vid. Will try these on my 79 asap !

No worries, I'll have to do another one covering a few other sounds..

Ten years on and I’m just now seeing this video in 2023.. but man I am sold on the bass. But the weight of the thing is what’s keeping me from getting one.. maybe if if I’m sat down it wouldn’t be so bad

Just got one..I love it!!!

one of the best basses for many people

Bought one for $50 at a pawn shop in '82 ,was my first "real" bass played it for a couple years.....later moved to Fenders but can't say anything bad about this bass..great bass .

I owned one from when I was fifteen until I was forty and never knew all of this! I would play with both pickups on, everything up all the way on the volume and tone controls. If I wanted the out of phase sound which I thought sounded like a Rickenbacker, I would back the neck pickup volume down to about eight to keep the volume about where it was with the phase switch off.

nice video - you really know your stuff.

I'd love to hear the rosewood T-40, I wonder if it would make certian sounds easier to nail.. Play it with Pride! You know I never quite expected this video to bring so many T-40s back into the light, you never know perhaps Peavey will get the message and reissue the T-40 and promote it properly, wouldn't that be something?

Yes!!! Thank you!!!

many thanks, i have this great bass !!!

You know you're a drummer when you watch this and everything he does sounds exactly the same haha.

@edwardjamyangmacarchick1847

3 жыл бұрын

I have played guitar and bass for 30+ years, and most of those sounds were nearly identical to me. On my instruments I just got the tone I want and use that. I never tried to get the same sound or tones from any other musicians.

I had a T-40 for a good 25 years. I never fully got the hang of the pots. And the darned thing was darned heavy, too.

Back when T-40s were dirt cheap, I pulled the guts out of one & put them in a Jazz. Still my main bass to this day

6:28 - I was just thinking this. I LOVE my T-40, but pretty much need an adjustment every time I play it for extended periods!

Fantastic range of bedroom sounds and tones but,,,,,you aint never gonna hear those subtle changes when playing live!!! Really only useful when in the studio.

I love this noodling

Yes you do need to get the pickups down fairly low on a t-40, I think it is the nature of the pickups with their inside-out magnetic structure (on the early ones anyway, later ones with "rail" pickups were more conventional). I think the pickups are as low as I can get them on mine. If you can't get them low enough, you may have to reset the neck back a bit (use the microtilt thingmy) and then reset the action to suit... Light gauge strings may help too...

Great bass. ps I liked the sneaky snippet of Roundabout by Yes :)

I've got my dads old peavy t40 in hanging in my room. The inputs broken, it's spray painted white, and the neck looks like the St. Louis arch. I had no idea they were so popular.

@TheEmac70

9 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't say popular, just clever...

@j_freed

6 жыл бұрын

It's an output. Guitars output a signal.

Amazing, it's like Variax's grandpa

Was gifted a Red 1980 last year by my partner and I'm STILL trying to make a decision on my tone settings haha.

What you are hearing is the acoustic sound of the bass (with its rotosounds) being picked up by the condensor microphone I was talking into. The sound coming out of the amp however is not so "grindy". That being said, the bass does have a lowish action...

Ultimate control room bass🍻

Thanks for posting. I own an "8M" serial number T-40. I'm re-discovering it's glory.

Hey Mac, great video. You are to blame that I got one of these basses! jaja. Perhaps you can help me: I noticed that the gain is quite high, it saturates when the bass is on phase. Even when I turn down de gain on my amp and the volumes are not at 10 (I am using a Laney BC-120). Do you know how can I "clean" the sound? Perhaps puckpups are too close to the strings? Thanks in advance. Again, wonderful video.

Hey TZGreg, could you possibly add whether or not it is in phase for each setting.

I THINK " MIMIC " IS NOT THE PERFECT TERM HERE...PEAVEY T 40 WAS REALLY A REVOLUTINARY INSTRUMENT OF IT'S TIME...THE ONE OF A KIND HUMBUCKER & SINGLE COIL COMBINATIONS OFFER A HUNDRED OF DIFFERENT TONES & SOUNDS...HOWEVER THE FAMOUS BRANDS LIKE FENDER & GIBSON DIMMED THE COMPANY'S ( AND T 40'S ) STAR A LOT...

@fanoboss

5 жыл бұрын

Agreed

@JohannesLabusch

5 жыл бұрын

Does the Peavey T40 have a caps lock release button?

@ernestochang1744

5 жыл бұрын

you know whoever owns 1 of these owns a piece of history that changed the modern world of the guitar right? These basses like their counterpart guitar T60 and the T series where the first guitars to be manufactured using CNC machines by a group of highly trained engineers, NOT musicians, keep this in mind. Later fender contacted one of these guys by the name of chip todd (yes one of the men behind it all) to direct research and development for fender, which made him quite a lot of money, so now the same modern way of making peavey guitars was no longer a secret, CNC machines suddendly became the new fad for guitar making over at fender and suddendly soon after the competition followed making guitars into what they are today mass produced and no longer a luxury of the modern era, because you see it was so easy to mass produce one of these now, that it opened the doors for young children to start learning on cheaper instruments made overseas in korea china and sunny indonesia and japan. So you see it really doesnt matter how much these sell for these guitars bearing the T right next to the Peavey name are historic pieces of art that must be kept alive because i believe... no EVERYONE should believe that this is what kickstarted and inspired the many people that dont have a single cent to their name to buy a cheap knock off guitars and start learning with minor issues as well as the title of knowing that you have one of the first production of guitars or basses being manufactured by CNC machines its absolutely unique and legendary just like the man that invented "the log" yes thats right the first electric guitar was invented by les in new york in 1941 (not Leo fender, Leo fender was probably the most noticeable in the news but it wasnt leo fender) who would later become best known as the gibson les paul. But anyways enough about that, i have a life you have a life we all got lives and this comment is too fucking long

A had the maple neck t40 and i can say that the rosewood model sounds smoother, and plays better. A reissue would be great, maybe the can do a lighter bass with improved looks. Also a 5 string model would be nice too.

i love t-40's ut that one has a lot of fret buzz

I have an original t40 from the '70s and it's got a few broken switches and was considering selling it because I'm moving to Hawaii but after careful thinking and being a musician I think I'm going to keep it. And I'm sure someone on the island can fix it and do adjustments since I am not exactly a basis but more of a guitarist.

@thebionicbassplayer

2 жыл бұрын

You actually have a classic in the Peavey T40, wise move to have it restored.

@headbangerministries

2 жыл бұрын

@@thebionicbassplayer Yes indeed. I played it last night using Amplitube then recorded a track for a song I have and the sound rinded me of YES or Bill Ward but more like YES so it's staying with me alright.

@thebionicbassplayer

2 жыл бұрын

@@headbangerministries Sweet! I have a Peavey Foundation bass and I love it. Peavey basses and guitars seems to be an anomaly in the music world. Overlooked and not as popular as the other manufacturers, but musicians who own them, almost swear by them.

Hi Mac I have one of this bass wonders but when I got it someone had mess with the wiring can you point to where I can get this fix to the original state thanks in advance

Hey guys, is there a way to get a nice Gibson Thunderbird sound out of your T-40? I've always wanted the sound of a T-Bird but don't know how. Thanks for the vid as well TheEmac70 this has shed new light that I can still keep this thing.. It just needs the right set up and amp. I almost sold my T-40 cause I didn't like it but now I think I can keep with it.

I wish you could remake this video with update editing.Great vid though.

Is there anywhere that I can find these settings in writing?

@jamesh497

2 жыл бұрын

The Talkbass group has it as a pdf.

That's right!

This with an eq would be kinda hot

Very Cool! this one is not an 8M, I suspect it is a 79 model....

There is still plenty of help out there for the T-40, just put "peavey t-40 wiring schematic" into Google images and there is all sorts of diagrams that will help. Earlier and later models have some slight differences but if you wired one as earlier or later it should not make too much difference to the sound..

Peavey T-40 ...the Navy seal of bass...

there used to be a pdf with all these tone settings laid out. anyone know where I can access it now?

@jamesh497

2 жыл бұрын

Talkbass, the Peavey section.

Why would flipping the neck pickup will give it a more Ric like sound? Just asking because I just purchased a T-40 and would love to know about this.

@TheEmac70

8 жыл бұрын

Reversing the neck pickup puts the single coil in a very similar position to a Rickenbacker and will get that sound a little closer, however it will also make the Fenderlike sounds harder to achieve. The T-40 mimics so well as it had coils in the right positions and the variable taps changed the pickups character. My T-40 is gone but the sound lives on...

Goddammit! just when I thought my GAS was under control!

I've done a summary of the settings of the sounds in both videos (except for the EB3 ones because you don't actually tell us what you've done! LOL!) into an Excel spreadsheet. Just wish I could post it here!

@TheEmac70

10 жыл бұрын

I never did it as I'm just about illiterate with a computer. But for the record the EB-3 sounds are Neck tone off, Treble tone up and set to out of phase. All volumes up.. The neck and mixed sounds are the most EB-3ish the treble pickup setting is just the MM mimic again...

the T40 seems to habe a nice huge sound. But I don't hear any significant changes, when you twiddle the controls. To me the main component of a bass's sound is it's attack and how fast the overtones build up. And this doesn't change by electronics.

@bromixsr

9 жыл бұрын

bass monster The T-40, actually the electronics play a big roll. Granted the attack plays a great roll, but don't discount the T-40. People don't seek them out because they love the weight...that's for d**n sure.

That was my first real bass in 1980.

RIPPER AND GRABBER G-3 sounds!!!! Center switch, both volumes at 10. Ripper: Neck tone at 8, Bridge tone at 10/ Grabber: Neck tone 10 bridge tone 8.

@TheEmac70

9 жыл бұрын

Sounds good, thanks for that!

very nice, but could you get a hoffner sound out of it?

@TheEmac70

10 жыл бұрын

Yep, sort of. Just check my other T-40 video for an attempt of the Hofner sound...

Hello! Maybe I'm too lazy but can I ask you to summarize your sets in a table? Thnaks Szilárd

The only reason people sell those is sore back. And maybe partial deafness.

@dreamalicesfern3340

5 жыл бұрын

only the weak people or people who are too pussy to carry one weren't chosen for such a legendary instrument.

@edwardtrimble3848

5 жыл бұрын

@@dreamalicesfern3340 Well said my friend. Well said.

I must have a T -40

that's cool but to be honest the tones kind of all sound like a peavey T-40, which is fine because it sounds great

I had the guitar version of this [T60] It was a fine instrument but ridiculously heavy so I figured the T40 could only be that much worse and never considered owning one. But upon viewing your video if I happen across another [they do come up on Craigslist] I think I'll try and grab one at least for home sit down playing.

@jamesh497

2 жыл бұрын

Parents around the world are side-eying folks that make "heavy" comments about something that weighs less than most one-yr-olds...

@SotR59

2 жыл бұрын

@@jamesh497 parents around the world don't have a one year old hanging off their shoulder by a 3" strap for hours on end year after year

@jamesh497

2 жыл бұрын

@@SotR59many Army & Marines walk around for days on end with a 24 pound M60/M240B, plus ammo on a 2" strap, not to mention another 50 pounds inna ruck... frankly, my view is that if someone is complaining about a 12 pound bass, or a 12 pound M4with scope...they need to go to the gym and get some real strength, badly.

@SotR59

2 жыл бұрын

@@jamesh497 jeez, talk about a ridiculously uncalled for comment.

Did you think you could get this to sound like a Gibson Grabber?

@TheEmac70

10 жыл бұрын

I don't really know what the Grabber sounds like with its mobile pickup, but I suspect the T-40 could at least get half way there....

The necks alone make USA Peavey instruments worth having.

@morrisdane

5 жыл бұрын

And the tuners are smooth as silk,Quality.

Is "in phase" when the switch is in the up position?

@pletonicsolids

9 жыл бұрын

***** And thanks for the video and spreadsheet. I obtained a fretless T40.

@TheEmac70

9 жыл бұрын

Yes it is!

Ok.. Turn both pickups on full and in phase then turn both tones down to 7 or 6.... That with a little amp EQ should get you close..

Just select the sound that does it for you and leave it that way, at least the option is there..

I've heard that this bass is too heavy and causes back injuries with the pass of the time, is that true?

@skybluemarshall

3 жыл бұрын

A typical T-40 bass weighed between 11.7 to 13 pounds. Today, a typical Fender Precision weighs between 8.5 and 9.5 pounds. I owned a new 78 Peavey and an 80 pound Peavey Combo 300 bass amp with an equalizer and 15 Black Widow speaker and no wheels on the cabinet. It was a fantastic setup. Between the amp and the guitar, you could get virtually any sound that you wanted, but it was an "Oh my God!" heavy rig.

What is the baseline from 4:32?

@TheEmac70

4 жыл бұрын

That was me trying to play Rock the Casbah without using any of the right notes..🤪

@slipstitched

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheEmac70 LOL I liked it! Alas, it sounds like casbah's proggy cousin for sure.

I traded my T 40 and 2 hundred dollars for a 73 Gibson Triumph bass never regretted it , but the T 40 was a nice axe , this was in 84

What song is that at 4:33?

@TheEmac70

10 жыл бұрын

Rock the Casbah by The Clash. However I'm not really playing it correctly at all..

tracking one of these down.

@ernestochang1744

5 жыл бұрын

had any luck yet? you know whoever owns 1 of these owns a piece of history that changed the modern world of the guitar right? These basses like their counterpart guitar T60 and the T series where the first guitars to be manufactured using CNC machines by a group of highly trained engineers, NOT musicians, keep this in mind. Later fender contacted one of these guys by the name of chip todd (yes one of the man behind it all) to direct research and development for fender, which made him quite a lot of money, so now the same modern way of making peavey guitars was no longer a secret, CNC machines suddendly became the new fad for guitar making over at fender and suddendly soon after the competition followed making guitars into what they are today mass produced and no longer a luxury of the modern era, because you see it was so easy to mass produce one of these now, that it opened the doors for young children to start learning on cheaper instruments made overseas in korea china and sunny indonesia. So you see it really doesnt matter how much these sell for these guitars bearing the T right next to the Peavey name are historic pieces of art that must be kept alive because i believe... no EVERYONE should believe that this is what kickstarted and inspired the many people that dont have a single cent to their name to buy a cheap knock off guitars and start learning with minor issues as well as the title of knowing that you have one of the first production of guitars or basses being manufactured by CNC machines its absolutely unique and legendary just like the man that invented "the log" yes thats right the first electric guitar was invented by les in new york in 1941 (not Leo fender, Leo fender was probably the most noticeable in the news but it wasnt leo fender) who would later become best known as the gibson les paul. But anyways enough about that, i have a life you have a life we all got lives and this comment is too fucking long

This video is misleading. The volume pots don't make the pickups into single coil. The TONE knobs do. This is clearly explained in the Peavey t-40 manual.

@TheEmac70

6 жыл бұрын

Yes you are correct it's the tone pots turn the pickups to single coils However the volume pots have a treble bleed cap in them that will keep the sound clear as volume is reduced. What happens is that when the pot hits zero this pot becomes a ultra high treble cut to the other pickup (if it is on) the audio trick is that it sounds like a subtle mid boost. It's hard to explain...

LOL~ (As Per the Gibby.. First person I've sen saying my Exact Sentiments!!)

I'm sorry, because I love this bass, but none of those sounded much like what they were supposed to. They all sounded like a slightly different T-40.

That one sounds like a bass, ooh and so does that one... This one sounds like the other ones....... I'm laughing with you there!

Please, can you tell us, what's the wood used for the body of the bass?? :)

@peacefulruler1

6 жыл бұрын

dimiaraujo90 it’s made of Oak. Oak wood is cheap and plentiful in Mississippi, where Peavey is located.

@ernestochang1744

5 жыл бұрын

Northern Ash wood