Peavey Power Slide Guitar

Alden Speirs · Post by **Alden Speirs** » 19 Jan 2010 2:51 am

What are your oppinions on the Peavey Power Slide model guitar?

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 19 Jan 2010 7:53 am

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=175685

We've had a number of discussions about these guitars in the past few years.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=162678

I'm on a hiatus from buying more instruments, or else I'd have tried one myself.

Steve Cunningham · Post by **Steve Cunningham** » 19 Jan 2010 10:31 am

Good guitar for the money...here are a few videos I shot with one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trSNcDptoWQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mlqctUF2J4&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sli8cnzR ... re=related

Jaclyn Jones · Post by **Jaclyn Jones** » 19 Jan 2010 1:05 pm

I have one and love it. I still am playing around with differnt tunings. You can't beat the price for good quality.

Alden Speirs · Post by **Alden Speirs** » 20 Jan 2010 2:18 am

I have a slight buzz on number one string. Are the strings supplied with guitar of top quality? Any suggestions for remedy or improvement? I am using open "G" tuning.

Chris Drew · Post by **Chris Drew** » 20 Jan 2010 3:34 am

Is it buzzing at the nut or bridge?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 20 Jan 2010 8:15 am

I don't have one of these guitars yet, still working it into the household budget. but I was looking at the website last night, and I think I read that the guitar comes supplied with an .013 first string, which is awfully light for open G, when one considers that dobro string sets typically contain a first string of .016 or .017.

If it were me, I'd start there and put on a heavier string and see what happens. It just might eliminate the buzz.

Alden Speirs · Post by **Alden Speirs** » 21 Jan 2010 1:43 am

Thanks for the help, I replaced the string (used .017) and what an improvement! Great improvement in tone and no buzzing! Honestly the original felt so rough and dragged my bar so badly it seemed like a piece of rusty wire! Maybe I should complain to Peavey? My suggestion to any one purchasing this guitar to replace that string! Thanks again

Bryan Daste · Post by **Bryan Daste** » 21 Jan 2010 2:24 am

Fender? Thought it was Peavey.

Roger Palmer · Post by **Roger Palmer** » 21 Jan 2010 2:54 am

I'd complain to Gibson as well while your at it

Alden Speirs · Post by **Alden Speirs** » 21 Jan 2010 6:36 am

Sorry, Thats the way it is around 3 am talking with brain dis-engaged.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 21 Jan 2010 7:44 am

Alden Speirs wrote:Thanks for the help, I replaced the string (used .017) and what an improvement! Great improvement in tone and no buzzing! Honestly the original felt so rough and dragged my bar so badly it seemed like a piece of rusty wire! Maybe I should complain to Fender? My suggestion to any one purchasing this guitar to replace that string! Thanks again

Glad to be of help!

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 21 Jan 2010 7:49 am

Usually the first thing I do after I buy a guitar is change the strings. You don't know how long they've been on there or who's been touching them.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 21 Jan 2010 9:02 am

Me too, Brad. But I think this is a different situation than say for example the Taylor six-string hanging on the wall at Guitar Center that has been played by 47 people and you can see the grime on the strings. Likely these Power Slides that Forum members own for the most part have probably been ordered over the internet, and though some walk-in retail stores have them, many customers that walk through a store and see them hanging on a hook on the wall probably have little or no idea what to do with them, let alone take them for a test ride.

Alden could have changed to a new .013, tuned the guitar to Open G, and the D note on the first string might still buzz.

I'm guessing that Peavey's reason reason for shipping the guitar with a .013 as the first string is that they figure that the typical player that buys this guitar is a rocker, perhaps getting into lap guitar for the first time, and for an open tuning they would choose E. I call it the "Duane Allman Effect" since E was known to be Duane's favorite tuning for slide. For that matter, there are plenty of members here that like to play lap steel in E tuning, it's obviously not just a tuning to convert rock guitar players to lap steel.

That cat named Gypsy that is in the Power Slide demo video, there's a good chance that's his frame of reference.

b0b sells here on the Forum a GHS lap steel set for Open E on a six string steel, and string #1 is indeed a .013.

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 21 Jan 2010 10:21 am

I've usually used standard medium 013-056 for E tuning on my 25" scale Asher (don't know the scale of the Peavey), same set for highbass G except I replace the first string with a 015.

Alden Speirs · Post by **Alden Speirs** » 22 Jan 2010 1:30 am

Question: How is scale length measured? From nut to bridge? This length is 25 inches on the Peavey. Actual length of diagramed scale is 20 1/4 inches. Please excuse my ignorance.

Steve Hamill · Post by **Steve Hamill** » 22 Jan 2010 9:28 am

Nut to bridge. 12th fret should be exactly 1/2.

Travis Bernhardt · Post by **Travis Bernhardt** » 22 Jan 2010 11:45 am

Personally, I really didn't like it, but I only tried it in the store. I suppose better strings, a better amp, etc. would have helped. The guitar didn't quite fit me, physically, and felt heavier than I expected.

It is cheap, though.

-Travis

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 22 Jan 2010 1:54 pm

I guess I'm in the minority on this, but I actually like the "futuristic" looks of it (but then I've never claimed to have good taste...

). It would have been a cool and cheap backup for my Asher if I'd had any extra money to spend on one..

Travis Bernhardt · Post by **Travis Bernhardt** » 22 Jan 2010 7:24 pm

I don't mind the look, although it's bulkier than I'd like. It's the sound, and the weight/feel.

-Travis

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 25 Jan 2010 3:36 am

I love my powerslide, after modifying the bridge and nut... intonation is perfect, sustain is much better. It's so much fun to stand and play!
Dom

Jim Keith · Post by **Jim Keith** » 28 Jan 2010 10:12 am

Does anyone know the string spacing? I had a Fender lap and just could not get used to the wide spacing after playing on pedals. I am sure considering one of these.
Thanks, Jim

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Feb 2010 5:31 pm

A friend I was giving lessons to on Saturday brought one with him for me to check out. It's pretty cool. It had an E tuning on it. I don't think he changed it after buying it. So, the question is, what does it come tuned to? I'll probably tune it to an E or A. Most of the songs I would use it on are in E and A.

I have one coming from Musicians Friend tomorrow. I have always wanted to add slide guitar playing to one of the bands I am in, and this should make the transition easier for me. No matter how much I try, I can't get my pedal steel playing to sound like a slide guitar, no matter what effects I use. I have a Vox Tonelab Le multi-effects unit that this will go through so I can get some overdriven tube amp models happenin'. It sounds good with my Tele, so it should sound good with the Power Slide.

Mike Harris · Post by **Mike Harris** » 3 Feb 2010 8:45 am

Jim, the string spacing at the bridge is just wide of 3/8"

Travis, you're right, the amp can make a huge difference. I once tried an Epiphone Les Paul that my teenaged son wanted and I thought it was junk. I went back a few days later and tried the same guitar through a decent tube amp (used solid state the first time) and I was quite impressed (for the money).

I like my Powerslide, lotta bang for the buck. I don't like the bridge or nut and would love to hear what mods Dom or anyone else has come up with. The blend control (instead of tone) goes gradually from single coil to humbucker and back, pretty nifty. The fingerboard looks as if it would glow in the dark, actually, but it doesn't. I find the f'board a little confusing because of the pointless scallop designs on it, giving an inconsistent use of the black and white. I'd also like easier access to the higher pitches (and I'm a really skinny guy).

A lot of fun,overall, but the bridge and nut have got to go!

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 6 Feb 2010 11:04 pm

Just one more small thing... The case that comes with the Powerslide is too small. It's a perfect fit but with no extra room so it really takes patience to get it zipped up.
A hard shell case would be nicer too!

I am thinking of just using a standard guitar gig bag...easy in easy out.
Dom

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