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Author Topic: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?  (Read 16475 times)

Scott Olewiler

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Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« on: August 18, 2014, 02:21:10 PM »

Sorry meant to put this on the lounge. Have reposted it there.
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Scott Olewiler

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Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2014, 02:23:41 PM »

Accidentally posted this on the big board.  Moving here:

When I was rocking in the 80s and 90s almost every band with a 100 mile radius was using a Peavey PA. Saw FH stacks everywhere and plenty of SP2s and SP3s as well. It was pretty much standard road gear back then.  Now I'd be afraid no one would hire me if I had Peavey gear. Is that justified?

I went to see some former band mates over the weekend and they were playing to an outdoor crowd of about 700-800 people. I was hovering in the back trying to get some food and the mix was absolutely incredible. It was one of tightest cleanest mixes I have ever heard from a local band doing their own sound Sounded like a CD. I would think anybody playing to this crowd size would have been pleased as punch to have this mix.

 I knew they were using a 32 channel A& H board just from phone conversations with the drummer but I could not tell from a distance what they were using for mains. So during their first break I walk up to say hi to everyone and then I see they're using Older Peavey SP4s over top of some Peavey subs (single 18s) that I did not immediately recognize( really not familiar with Peavey stuff).  I was shocked (perhaps unjustly) that this incredible sounding mix was coming out of these Peavey cabs.

Really got me thinking about how we've managed to go from everyone using  Peavey stuff to now writing it off as not being up to snuff.  How did the Peavey name get so trashed? 
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2014, 02:41:05 PM »

Accidentally posted this on the big board.  Moving here:

When I was rocking in the 80s and 90s almost every band with a 100 mile radius was using a Peavey PA. Saw FH stacks everywhere and plenty of SP2s and SP3s as well. It was pretty much standard road gear back then.  Now I'd be afraid no one would hire me if I had Peavey gear. Is that justified?

I went to see some former band mates over the weekend and they were playing to an outdoor crowd of about 700-800 people. I was hovering in the back trying to get some food and the mix was absolutely incredible. It was one of tightest cleanest mixes I have ever heard from a local band doing their own sound Sounded like a CD. I would think anybody playing to this crowd size would have been pleased as punch to have this mix.

 I knew they were using a 32 channel A& H board just from phone conversations with the drummer but I could not tell from a distance what they were using for mains. So during their first break I walk up to say hi to everyone and then I see they're using Older Peavey SP4s over top of some Peavey subs (single 18s) that I did not immediately recognize( really not familiar with Peavey stuff).  I was shocked (perhaps unjustly) that this incredible sounding mix was coming out of these Peavey cabs.

Really got me thinking about how we've managed to go from everyone using  Peavey stuff to now writing it off as not being up to snuff.  How did the Peavey name get so trashed?

There has been some very serious R&D going on at Peavey for as long as the company has been around.  That the products perform well in their given classes is not really a surprise.

There are multiple reasons for the brand bashing, but most of them stem from a primary source:  the end user is clueless and blames the tools for his/her inadequacies.

At a level above the "band's PA" market, the price-value orientation of Peavey's products made more feature-laden products affordable to the equally clueless; this is where a rider's  "No Peavey, no Mackie, no ABC" probably came from.  The folks that bought a big pile of Peavey SP and a Mackie SR console and thought there were in the big time were unable to deliver the *service* needed to make the concert or event happen satisfactorily.  The brands became associated with buyers and excluding these brands (and their market relatives) is a way to weed out the low-performing owners.

As to how the Peavey brand has faltered with performing musicians, I can only speculate that the demise of smaller 'mom & pop' or 'dad and lad' music stores, the original backbone of Peavey's retail marketing, have taken a major hit from both big-box retailers and on-line shopping.  As the adds you are served and even the items or prices you are offered online can be (and are) manipulated in real time, brand preferences based on perceived value and actual price can be shifted.  It's the "invisible hand of the market".  Uh huh.... /sarcasm
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Tom Young

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Re: Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2014, 02:59:28 PM »

Really got me thinking about how we've managed to go from everyone using  Peavey stuff to now writing it off as not being up to snuff.  How did the Peavey name get so trashed?

Peavey has always been perplexing to me as far as their marketing schemes, short and long term. Let me say that I have observed Peavey to produce some decent stuff (a few well-designed and affordable models) over the decades and I have used this stuff. But they have always suffered from "rider snobbery" and it was fairly well-known that they were excluded from/by most riders. That is not new. And look at all the lower cost competition they now have. Look at the dumbing-down of the pro audio market, who no longer have a CLUE about who designs what and how well they do it and they have no sense of belonging to a community, supporting those who they have developed a relationship with, etc.

Peavey buys Crest Consoles and then does what with it ? They let it slowly die in value.

Same with Crest power amplifiers.

They buy Mediamatrix and although that brand has survived and continues to be engineered/developed by dedicated (outside ?) engineering..... what have they done to expand this and capitalize on a very well recognized, "real" pro audio brand name ?

They develop a decent line array system and do what to market it ? Look at what Bose is doing with their no more complex or innovative Room Match system.

Peavey has NO relationship with consultants and most contracting firms.

Peavey has no presence with AES including exhibiting, writing papers and/or supporting standards.

When was the last time they upgraded any of their loudspeaker drivers ?

Etc, etc.
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John Roberts {JR}

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Re: Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2014, 03:16:40 PM »

Since you don't mention where your 100 mile radius was I suspect you experience was a product of good local dealers. Over the decades since Mackie amped up the industry marketing practice to sell product directly to end users, while simultaneously making small mom and pop distribution superfluous to sales. This fueled the rise of super stores or chains, while that evolution has not completely finished. (I expect direct sales via web to gain share).

IMO brand image or brand value is a classic zero sum game, so every time one brand gains value in the market, other brands lose value. If you take a longer view of the market you can see the ebb and flow.

Another factor is too much success selling products to entry level consumers ends up tarring the brand, saddling it to those same entry level customers. Many musicians when they get a taste of success, abandon the gear that they only used because it was the best they could afford. Now they can afford more so surely they need to buy more expensive gear.

Of course this is just a glimpse into the world of brand management. I read at least one book on that subject and even that wasn't everything about it.

I have been outside the castle walls long enough that I can't speak intelligently about the modern Peavey. At the time I left my biggest arguments were over marketing, but I am no expert at that either.   8)

JR
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Alex Rigodanzo

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Re: Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2014, 03:19:28 PM »

From the standpoint of small bands in my small market, I did notice that after JBL SR stuff starting appearing on the used market, many guys upgraded to those.  Also, JBL started making bottom line stuff and people who didn't know better went "ooh, I can get JBL for the same price as that Peavey".   I've mixed on a couple Peavey consoles that did the job and I've heard plenty of Peavey boxes that sounded fine.

Like others, I firmly believe that poor operators are to blame for most of the crappy sound and not the gear itself.  Almost any boxes that are appropriately sized to the venue can be made to sound perfectly acceptable if properly tuned and fed something that sounds good to begin with.
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Steve M Smith

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Re: Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2014, 03:31:03 PM »

I have done plenty of shows with SP2s, FH1s, CS amps and MK IV mixers in the past with no problems.   Often with Peavey graphics and reverb/delay units in the rack.

I don't really understand the snobbery involved with Peavey bashing as it all works fine (although I don't have much knowledge of their current equipment).

In fact, a friend still has some SP2s and FH1s in his shed.  I should organise a retro gig with 80s bands and equipment!

EDIT:  And another friend regularly gigs with Peavey UL15s and UL118s which sound good to me.


Steve.
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Seth Albaum

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Re: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2014, 03:51:59 PM »

Well, I have a appr. 1979-80 Peavey Mark-something 16 channel with built-in spring reverb that's still fun to play with. Only thing wrong with it is foam rot in the case. Not sure if I can trust the meters, though.

I also had, briefly, 15" passive 2-ways with double horn-loaded piezo tweeters. They were good to stand on when I needed to reach things. Also, a CS400 amp.

I think the newer wave of discount brands just did them in? They still exist, though, whoever owns em..
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John Roberts {JR}

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Re: Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2014, 04:18:04 PM »

Peavey has always been perplexing to me as far as their marketing schemes, short and long term. Let me say that I have observed Peavey to produce some decent stuff (a few well-designed and affordable models) over the decades and I have used this stuff. But they have always suffered from "rider snobbery" and it was fairly well-known that they were excluded from/by most riders. That is not new. And look at all the lower cost competition they now have. Look at the dumbing-down of the pro audio market, who no longer have a CLUE about who designs what and how well they do it and they have no sense of belonging to a community, supporting those who they have developed a relationship with, etc.

Peavey buys Crest Consoles and then does what with it ? They let it slowly die in value.

Same with Crest power amplifiers.

They buy Mediamatrix and although that brand has survived and continues to be engineered/developed by dedicated (outside ?) engineering..... what have they done to expand this and capitalize on a very well recognized, "real" pro audio brand name ?

They develop a decent line array system and do what to market it ? Look at what Bose is doing with their no more complex or innovative Room Match system.

Peavey has NO relationship with consultants and most contracting firms.

Peavey has no presence with AES including exhibiting, writing papers and/or supporting standards.

When was the last time they upgraded any of their loudspeaker drivers ?

Etc, etc.

I just deleted my long point by point response to your list of failings because I shared way too much inside information, and all my first hand information is almost 15 years old. 

Lets just say my recollection of back when I was working there does not completely agree with your characterization for here and now, while i agree with a few of your criticisms.

Not to harp on this but I did walk away, so I was disappointed years ago.

JR
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Jamin Lynch

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Re: Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2014, 04:51:14 PM »

I feel most of their problem is they only make OK gear....not great gear.
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Re: Re Post: Whatever happened to the Peavey name?
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2014, 04:51:14 PM »


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