NBD - A new growing family

[Fullmoon 1971]

As some of you know I love lesser know guitar models I.e. the american Epiphone / Gibson Spirit series. Some times you can some killer instruments dirt cheap because don't know what their selling. So it is with the Peavey C- Series. These basses were a European only release from 1999 - 2002 and were Peaveys way of testing the water for a passive version of their Cirrus range. They were available in bolt on neck 4 string, thru neck 4 string & thru neck five string. Last year I managed to get 2 x 4 strings (1 thru & 1 bolt on) and a 5 string with a veneered front and back, these are some the nicest basses I've ever played, the 2 I was missing were a non veneered 5 string & a veneered 4 string - until this week that was.

I was trawling the net for bargains but not really searching for anything in particular when I saw a Cirrus BXP advertisted on the Cash Convertors website for £200 (while I was weighing it up using my usual argument i it's better to ask forgiveness than forgiveness.

Just as I'm about to click buy it now when a friend phoned me, while we were chatting I told her about the BXP when she said to me "there's a couple of early Grinds at Richtone in sheffield for about the same price.(the Grind is the bass that replaced the C-series, they look similar but the Grind is more asymmetrical. I open their website page and go to the 2nd hand basses - sure enough they have 2 grinds listed (£250 each which is probably at the top of their prices from what I've seen) I suddenly realize that it's actually 1 Grind & 1 C-4. decision made.

Two days later she arrived and she's better than I hoped for, very minor playing marks - mostly on back but nor really noticable less your looking for them the colour is fantastic and I thought already loved the sound of these basses but this one is something else. The previous owner had added push/push pots to the volume and tone to make the pickup's coil tapped, when tapped she really sings.

And a picture with her sisters. I need a better camera to do these justice

 

[soulman969]

The Cirrus are great basses. Are those 35" scale length?

 

[Space1999]

Wow! Those are very nice. What type of wood are those made of…?

Pat

 

[Fullmoon 1971]

Wow! Those are very nice. What type of wood are those made of…?

Pat

@ soulman969
No these are 34" scale lengths

These basses are a European only release between 2000 - 2002 by peavey to test the market for a passive thru neck cirrus style bass refered to as either C series or Zephyr's, they were never imported nor sold in the USA. Available as neck through 4 and 5 strings or bolt on with 4 strings. These were replace 2003 by the Grind models.

There's a few differences.
C series models had symettrical bodies whereas Grinds have assymetrical shape
The dot markers on the C series are in the middle of the fretboard whereas on the Grinds they are under the E string
Scale length, Grinds were 35" scale length.
Pickups. Zephyrs have 4 wire soapbars wired in series, you could go parallel or tap. Grinds are 2 wire in series.
Bridge. Grinds had mono saddle bridges with through body strung option.

As for the woods used, I seen various models with both plain bodies or veneered fronted and backs

Peavey C-4 Zephyr #1 (7 Piece Maple and Mahogany thru neck with imbuya (Brazilian walnut) body wings)

Peavey C-4 Zephyr #2 7 Piece Maple and Mahogany bolt on neck with imbuya (Brazilian walnut) body wings)

Peavey C-4 Zephyr #3 (7 Piece Maple and Mahogany thru neck with Alder body wings, Walnut veneers both front and back)

Peavey C-5 Zephyr (7 Piece Maple and Mahogany thru neck with imbuya (Brazilian walnut) body wings, flame Maple veneers both front and back)