The feature bass for this week proves where there’s a will, there’s a way, as this particular Peavey started out in rather rough shape, but ended up being great in the end.
(We’re also glad to see the owner kept the original bridge and control knobs. Peavey T-40 knobs in particular are increasingly becoming rare, so if you have a set in good condition, hang on to them.)
Owner Todd Costner writes:
I bought this bass for a couple hundred dollars off eBay and it was rough… fretboard had shrunk so the frets would rub your fingers as you played, its natural wood finish was stained and worn, the A string turning key was stripped, had a screw in place of a strap button….. but the sound was killer and after 38 yrs it needed some love! Lynn Mace of ‘RockMace Guitar” fame was our guitarist in HighWire, so I knew if anyone could bring it back to its former glory it would be Lynn. He stripped it down, did a ton of neck and fret work, went through the electronics and gave it a beautiful royal sparkle blue to make it an original. I had a T-40 in the late 80’s and always loved the heft of it and the wide variety of tones that it produced. Its northern ash with massive hardware so YES it is heavy … but it has amazing sustain and in reality only a couple pounds heavier than your typical Fender P bass.
The Luthier that refinished this Peavey T-40 was Lynn Mace:
Lynn Mace
lrm_3@tahoo.com
828-216-6482
Well done!
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What a lovely job, well done. I to had a T-40 back in the 80’s and still remember it being heavy and left my shoulder sore at the end of the night. I do sometimes regret letting it go, but looking at your reconstruction, brings back very fond memories. Good job.
can’t say I’m a fan of the pickguard but damn is that a good looking paint job. I’ve still got my ’78, it’s a killer bass. sure don’t want to play no 2 hour set with that thing. I’m considering routing out most of the body and putting a top on it to hopefully save a couple pounds
Peavey’s Mentor, Idol was Leo Fender. This Bass was quite similar to Fender Basses. Inexpensive price tag for a decent instrument.
Looking for my first bass, I found I could not afford a Fender or a Gibson, and the rather decent Japanese products were not showing up where I lived at all. I was really wondering if I could find a good instrument at an affordable price anywhere, when an astute salesman at my local store showed me one of the new T-40s. For well under $400.00 I could buy a great-sounding, great-playing bass! Frankly, I much preferred the neck to the thicker ’70s Fender necks, and the T series Peaveys were one of the first guitars made with CNC machinery and finished with just a small bit of hand work…hence the low price. They were string-thru capable, high mass bridged, metal nutted wonders of tone. The complex all passive controls offered an unprecedented degree of sonic variability, modern to classic tones were available in a single unit! They stiil hold their own among modern competition, and yes, when it was my primary instrument, I had a big hump of muscle above my left shoulder despite the custom extra-wide leather strap, but never complained because that thing delivered in spades! Rock on, T-40!
Beautiful axe you got there… BUT, as an owner of a T-40, I can’t say I like the covering up of the wood grain. To me that is the T-40 signature look; beautiful exposed swamp ash and maple wood grain. (IMHO) paint is to cover up the cheaper materials like bass wood or the old layered (plywood) bodies. But if you just got to have color, that’s a really sweet look…
I love a T-40’s wide range of tone and its incredible sustain. The bridge, through body string terminations, dense & heavy ash body, and hard rock maple neck make for one helluva thump monster! The unique pick-ups and how they shift from single coil to humbucker as the tone control is swept really creates a wide dynamic range of tonality. Really great bass no matter what the choice of finish!
A T-40 purchased new in 1980 at Wurlitzer Music in Boston, MA was my very first instrument. I still have it and it is my favorite (as well as the people I am playing with) for rock because of its tone. The neck is very good. The more I have learned to play it, the better I like it. I have played numerous basses from very cheap up to Alembics, and I really like to play this one. For the price at the time, it was a steal. Yes it’s heavy, but that’s probably part of the sound.
@Ted Blumstein, that’s not swamp ash. It’s heavy northern ash. Swamp ash is lighter in weight and has a more subdued grain
Looks great. I’m not sure the original was in that bad of shape by the picture, but when you get the bug to mod, by all means give in!
The T-40 is one of my all-time favorite classic basses and I get why some folks would be sad to see the nice wood grain disappear but natural is by far the most common finish and it’s by no means an instrument who’se value will be damaged by a refin.
Congrats on the redux and play it in good health!