Peavey Generation EXP w/ACM

[mockchoi]

I just received a Peavey Generation EXP with the piezo bridge saddles that I bought off of Ebay. It's the two humbucker made in China version

 

 

Does anyone know what the five position blade switch does exactly? I can't find a manual anywhere. It sounds as if 2-3-4 use both pickups, and 2 and 4 sound a little bit spanky, but really not very different. I'm guessing some kind of splitting or coil tapping, but if anyone has one and can tell me exactly I'd appreciate it.

 

I like the acoustic modeling by the way. Run directly into a PA it has exactly what I've always thought of as 'the Ovation sound'.

 

Thanks much.

[tlbonehead]

Same as my Nighthawk, I think. Haven't played my EXP/ACM for a while. From neck-bridge it would be, 1. Neck HB 2. Neck split(or vice-versa) 3. both split 4. Bridge split 5. Bridge HB (or vice-versa again.

[docrock55]

Second and 4th position, are neck and bridge split. I bought mine second hand, so I have no manual, and just guessing. BTW, the acoustic modeling on the peavey is one of the best I have heard. I had a Micheal Kelly hybrid, but got rid of it after I bought the peavey. The MK just couldn't hold a candle to the Peaveys modeling.

Try mixing the acoustic and electric together, use the tone control and pickup selector to get some great acoustic tones.

 

Here's mine with block inlays.

 

 

 

[iamjethro]

I thought with Peavey Exp was Korea usually and EX was China made?

[dabbler]

Not really. I just know that they are all usable tones. But TL might have it right. And I agree with doc, even if you don't use the splitting cable, mixing the piezo with the magnetic pups makes the guitar very versatile too!

I don't have a picture of mine by itself, but here it is with some of its siblings:

[A-20]

Hello - I have owned 2 different ones of these - 1st sold to a guy who just wanted it bad and the second sold after modding the electronics quite a bit here on the forum. The moddeling is very good on these.

[FredJr]

I have one of these I heavily modded because the ACM circuit did two bad things: 1. - it produces an ungodly amount of noise & 2. - the magnetics went thru it so no battery no guitar sound. I really don't know what all the noise about the modeling is because tonewise it sucks big time - the acoustic modeling does not even come close to a real acoustic.

[mockchoi]

 

I have one of these I heavily modded because the ACM circuit did two bad things: 1. - it produces an ungodly amount of noise & 2. - the magnetics went thru it so no battery no guitar sound. I really don't know what all the noise about the modeling is because tonewise it sucks big time - the acoustic modeling does not even come close to a real acoustic.

 

 

I'm pretty sure something was wrong with your guitar. The ACM in my guitar makes no noise, and it really sounds wonderful. You are right though, if the battery dies you lose the magnetic pickups as well as the piezo.

[Wes G]

I just bought a lightly used EXP off craigslist today, exactly like dabbler's butternut model on the far left in his pic.

It's easy to figure out what the 5 way switch does. Just turn on the pups and tap lightly with a small screwdriver on each side of the pup.

If the coil on the non screw side is active you'll hear it pop when you tap it. So what mine does is ....

#1 two coils on B pickup only

#2 two coils on B and 1 coil on N pickup

#3 two coils on both pickups

#4 one coil on B and 2 on N pickup

#5 2 coils on N pickup only

 

This guitar had supposedly been 'professionally' set up after original purchase. I hope he didn't pay much for that. It was by my standards completely unplayable.

The neck was set dead straight, no relief and the action was inordinately high and intonation was all over the place.

The top 4 or 5 fret positions were completely unplayable because the 22 fret was waaaaaay higher than the rest.

So, out came the big file. In the leveling process I also discovered that #4 fret and to a lesser extent #5 were much, much lower than the frets on either side. I had to take a lot of metal off in order to get them level.

However..... All of that is behind me now and the action is very low, buzz free and I can play to #22, no problem.

Love the feel of this neck.

Combined with the piezo you can get a lot of really sweet usable sounds out of this thing but

I'm afraid I might have to do some butchering and add a single coil in the middle before I'll really fall in love with it.

I miss the quack.

I'm an old timer, have had many different guitars over the years, starting with a 1960 Gretsch Duo Jet 50 years ago.

It blows me away, what great gear you can buy for so little money now.

 

Anyway, this is my first post. I'm off to search for some G&L asat fans.

 

[JoeBoy]

I bought 2 back when I was in search of an electric to cover acoustic also. The play ability was great, but the piezo did not give me what I wanted. I wish I had given it more time, but I sold them. I was in a kinda dark place then. Not really much satisfied me. Might have to give 1 another chance. I like Peavey.