Peavey Predator?

[Dave L]

I´m on the lookout for a good, bang-for-your-buck classic strat. I keep coming across USA-made Peavey Predators selling quite cheap. Just looking at them, the specs seem fine. The four-point trem is a weird compromise, but all in all they look sweet. Does anyone have any experience with these?

Here´s one, and I´ve seen several just like it these last few months.

http://www.blocket.se/vi/10596696.htm?ca=2_s

[Dave L]

Well, I guess this was buried beneath all the more pressing NAMM-threads... here´s a bump!

[straycat]

They are not bad at all.The Peavey guitars to get are the impact, older predator,nitro.

[lerxstcat]

Bear in mind that some of the newer Predators are Asian-made. If it has 21 frets, it's not USA. Other than that, I owned a USA Predator and thought it was on par with a USA Strat. Not quite as cool looking but equal in other respects. Neck was a little fatter but not at all uncomfortable. I didn't use the trem on mine as I have guitars with locking trems for that and it was more of a blues axe for me.

[lerxstcat]

They are not bad at all.The Peavey guitars to get are the impact, older predator,nitro.

Don't forget the Tracer and the G-Ninety. The Detonator is nice too if you don't mind the half-pickguard.

[Dave L]

Thanks for the input, guys! I´ll probably be making a little trip to check one out in person.

[straycat]

Tracers totally kick ass.I love them and they are cheap usually $75.00 or so. The necks are very fast very Charvel like.
I know where a T-60 and T-25 are right now that are almost mint and its all I can do not to buy them.I know I could flip them for twice what I would pay for them.
Don't buy the asian ones only the USAs

[charvelguy]

Predator is ok..much like a competitor to a squire.. I would say above most Squires, but I've played a few decent Squires. A Tracer is a nice bang for buck axe. Predator is the classic strat layout.

[Dave L]

Predator is ok..much like a competitor to a squire.. I would say above most Squires, but I've played a few decent Squires. A Tracer is a nice bang for buck axe. Predator is the classic strat layout.

Are you talking about the USA Predators or the imports now?

[charvelguy]

USA. I think Peavey started manufacturing in Korea after 2000?
I haven't played any Kor ones as far as I know. US models are stamped made in US on the back of the headstock. The one thing different about Peavey as opposed to a strat is they use a 3 part multi construction neck as opposed to a two piece from what I've seen. Peavey mass produced the necks utilizing a process of taking two split halves.. having them channeled for the truss.. laying the truss and slapping the fingerboard on top. I never had any problems with their necks, they seem strong and are shaped like a C profile. The ones from the 80's seem well made.

Are you looking for 3 single, vintage trem setup or are you open to other layouts? Like a wilk and a bridge humbucker?

[Dave L]

OK, thanks for the input!

Well, what I´m looking for is basically a three-single setup with bolt-on neck and maple or ebony board. Vintage trems are definitely not necessary, and preferrably not included at all... Wilkinsons or Floyds would be better. Did you have something else in mind? If it´s frontloaded with H/S/S I could always buy or make a new pickguard for three singles.

Post edited for lousy spelling.

[charvelguy]

My disclaimer..these are a just my suggestions to offer a couple other options. Everyones personal tastes vary on this and they may or may not suit you depending on how much you may want to spend and the type of neck you like. If you are looking to only spend a hundred.. you're options become limited. Therer ae good buys out there used.. but,..a hundred dollar axe is sometimes just that.
The following guitars I'm going to mention are pretty similar, but there are subtle differences and they're all fairly inexpensive guitars easily obtainable from eBay.

Aria pro makes a Fullerton with three singles. They have a vint trem as well as a wilk model. They're korean made, but solid guitars.
I've seen these go for about 100.00 or less for the v trems and around 200-250.00 NEW for the wilk ones and around 150.00 used for wilk models. For awhile.. ebay was flooded with these guitars as it appeared they likely were a discontinued model? Alot of vendors trying to sell mass and you could pick them up cheap. I wouldn't pay more than a 100-200 used.
You can probably find somebody will be selling some of these off with a hard case to boot.

Hohner Revelation. This is a Wilk design. Czeck made. They do pop up on occasion altho you may have to wait for one. Roller nut..wilk bridge.
Fast neck.
They made a few different p/u variations. They're discontinued and I've seen them sell around 175-300.00. Nice axe when they come up for sale.

Ibanez Blazers.. you have the old 80's ones which are fine as well as the newer reissued ones which came in the mid 90's.. ('97) that have multi switchable p/u configs.

You can probably even score a mexi strat for 150.00 off craiglist, a forum, local paper or even eBay sometimes.

[Dave L]

Man, those Revelations look pretty spaced out... probably a bit too wild for my tastes... but thanks for the heads-up on the Aria Fullerton! I´d forgotten about those.

Overall I think I might go higher than these, though... it´s a bit tricky to compare swedish and american used-market prices, but since I´ve looked at the Fender SE Light Ash strats you might get a bit of a comparison point there.

[Guitardude86]

No pickguard, but check out the price. And it's got a Floyd. I'd hit it..

http://www.musikmarknaden.se/annons.lasso?id=59739#

[Guitardude86]

Here's a Jackson for ya btw.

http://tradera.torget.se/auction/Gitarr___Bas/aid_38217917