the Peavey Zodiac BXP ...an overlooked classic? (HBD pending)

[Bass V]

in very limited reviews these P/Js have gotten the full range of opinions tossed at them, and oddly it seems the maple / bursts tended to lead the pack in positive columns compared to the butterscotch / maple, but worst in the various colors / rosewood, some calling them dogs but enuf glowing comments by other serious users to warrant further attention. unfortunately, there's precious little info on the Zodiac in US searches and maybe I can find some interest over here where Peavey and other great brands get the respect they deserve. anybody had the pleasure?

the model in original form https://reverb.com/item/11037103-peavey-zodiac-free-shipping?gclid=CjwKCAjww6XXBRByEiwAM-ZUIOi1ag4fIMIfFHH7HUtLtt96iEm7dsdy9EziX3fogts66F6f1PHwExoC5zEQAvD_BwE&pla=1

here's the naked one I've been lusting over and should have by this weekend, $200, I guess the previous owner liked the looks sans guard and so do I. 

[tommorichards]

I had one a while back. The black with tortoiseshell pick guard. It played fantastically and its built really well. Had a great sound too. Perfect combination of P and J. I think you'll be happy with it as its definitely underrated. 

[dudewheresmybass]

I really liked the de Scorpio which was the Dave Ellefson signature and very similar to this model. 

A very nice instrument all in all

[Osiris]

I have the short lived intermediate model from the Zodiac range that had the DE Scorpio headstock and mirror scratchplate of the top DE signature model but the stock pickups of the BXP (of which I have replaced the P for a Di'Marzio Model P) and it is indeed a hugely underrated instrument. Super skinny neck that makes an Ibanez feel chunky 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Osiris

[The59Sound]

Did the DE Scorpio not have SDs has standard? 

[alyctes]

There's a Peavey FB group which is fairly quiet but might suit:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/141075212580323

[Osiris]

7 hours ago, The59Sound said:

Did the DE Scorpio not have SDs has standard? 

Yes, it did. It also had Dave Ellefon's signature and a scorpion graphic on the head stock along with a mirror scratch plate. The BXP models didn't come with any of these but were still great basses considered how inexpensive they were. 

 

[The59Sound]

I remember mine had SDs, D'Addario strings, graphtech nut (?) and a bridge similar to a Gotoh 201.

Think it cost me £219 brand new. Only thing I didn't like was the mirror pickguard! A tort or pearloid one would have looked better IMO. 

[Osiris]

1 hour ago, The59Sound said:

I remember mine had SDs, D'Addario strings, graphtech nut (?) and a bridge similar to a Gotoh 201.

Think it cost me £219 brand new. Only thing I didn't like was the mirror pickguard! A tort or pearloid one would have looked better IMO. 

Yes, I agree with you on that. Maybe if I was still a 20 something long haired rocker I'd have loved it, but as a podgy, balding middle aged man it didn't really look so cool!

On my white intermediate model I had a 3 ply white/black/white one made to tone it down and it looked much more civilised, IMO. 

[Bass V]

oh boy, glad to see some Peavey luv on the 'chat, even for a little know gem like the Zodiac, and now that the honeymoon is over I'm delighted to report the lifetime bonding has begun even with a toothpick neck which completely disappears in my mitt at the nut. the BIG DEEP sound this baby lets out just from the bridge J is delicious when giving the amps a turn on the bass knob. then turn that knob back down and go for the P and fugetaboutit, it's everything I've been dreaming for when lusting after an EBO violin or a beefy Fender Tele w/neck 'bucker and capable of exactly the beefy wooly woof ala Felix and Bruce that I've been hoping for out of any bass I consider, yet without any negatives common to some of the famed boxy sized PUs. surprisingly, the swapped in EMG HZs are coming thru like champs far more than I'd expected, and that it's a smaller sized light bass adds to the positives as I try to stick with more comfortable basses these days. I watched this thing online for nearly half a year as the price kept dropping from almost $300 to what I needed it to be and the seller made it happen once we tossed the case and popped the neck off so UPS shipping totaled my price needs. I even had to send $300 cash, arggh, and then the second my $$ arrived the store owner went on !surprise! vacation... so imagine my tension, plus nobody would step up and simply box it and hand it to the driver. after decades of insanity I'm not one for patience in these deals yet it never fails that something crazy seriously delays the easiest of transactions from the seller's end, but it was worth the wait, the hair pulling, and some wall punching LOL. other than my preference for chunkier necks I couldn't be happier, even with the silly scratchplate screws standing out it eventually really appealed to me and doesn't look the same without them so some jeweled studs will take their place even tho I adore the look with the plate on, which was sent along. these Zodiacs really are off the radar and it seems the burst / maple board version gets the positive reviews over a majority of the color bodies with rosewood boards, very odd, so I'm glad after all the other ones I failed to secure it was my first and best choice that I ended up with. I've been lucky with inexpensive basses and this is the new crowning jewel which has definitely lessened the GAS for more basses. maybe some day they'll be discovered and even get some respect.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Bass V

[chrismuzz]

I love Zodiacs, I have five of them now! Weirdly enough the white and rosewood ones are the lightest, have the thinnest necks and a less deep sound.

The bridges are poor quality pressed steel which will eventually cause your strings to break if you play super hard like me. If you replace it with another metal it'll make the tone noticeably less bright. They look nice with hipshot kickass bridges, and if you get the steel saddle inserts it will sound very close to the original bridge

[Bass V]

16 hours ago, chrismuzz said:

I love Zodiacs, I have five of them now! Weirdly enough the white and rosewood ones are the lightest, have the thinnest necks and a less deep sound.

The bridges are poor quality pressed steel which will eventually cause your strings to break if you play super hard like me. If you replace it with another metal it'll make the tone noticeably less bright. They look nice with hipshot kickass bridges, and if you get the steel saddle inserts it will sound very close to the original bridge

wow, I mean WOW! what a cool post. I can't imagine breaking strings, on mine they just lay on the grooved barrels, I don't see how it could even happen... I play soft, and so far so good. LOL I like mine too much to change a thing, and my fingers ache just thinking of plucking so hard to break a string, but go for it my man, I found you on fb so I'm looking forward to hearing the power! but to have 5 Zodiacs is a heartwarming thing to hear, great to know there is some love out there for them! I'm thinking mine is taking over as #1, it's just that good. crazy how there's such a drastic difference with the white / rosewoods and confirms my suspicions that those were generally the ones which got these a quasi-bad rep, what a shame. my maple / burst with a bit of buckle rash was somebody's player and this gave me more confidence in choosing it, it paid off, or I simply lucked out ...just as good. how some of these could have thinner necks is shocking, if this neck was any thinner / skinnier it wouldn't exist! I like some chunk but damn if I didn't acclimate fast, it's super comfortable except at the nut where it just disappears. I'd been looking long and hard for the huge sound I'm getting and now I'm trying to ween myself off the desire for and old Gibson mudbucker or similar Fender Tele now that I've got that beefy tone, without the bad kinda mud. HAIL THE ZODIAC!

https://www.facebook.com/chrismuzzbass/

Edited May 13, 2018 by Bass V

[Grahambythesea]

A Zodiac on that well known auction site at present with a start price of £60! Is that a bargain or what.

[chrismuzz]

Oh bugger, it's in London 

[Bass V]

and the Peavey Zodiac / Scorpion BXP Club is born! LOL

[RandomBass]

Zodiac BXP incoming 😎🎸

Should be with me this weekend, all being well.

Whoop whoop 

[RandomBass]

On 5/15/2018 at 18:54, Grahambythesea said:

A Zodiac on that well known auction site at present with a start price of £60! Is that a bargain or what.

This might well be the one I won on eBay 😎

[RandomBass]

17 hours ago, RandomBass said:

Zodiac BXP incoming 😎🎸

Should be with me this weekend, all being well.

Whoop whoop 

Well she's here. Great condition, very nice neck, strings need replacing and action lowering. Sounds good though, I have to say. Looks gorgeous imo. 

Will spend some fettling time tomorrow if I get a chance.

And yes, pictures too 😎🎸

[Guest MoJo]

I had the DE model too. Well put together and sounded great. Unfortunately, the neck was too slender for me. I like a chunky P-bass neck

Edited May 19, 2018 by MoJo
spelling

[Bass V]

8 hours ago, MoJo said:

I had the DE model too. Well put together and sounded great. Unfortunately, the neck was too slender for me. I like a chunky P-bass neck

that pg looks great, I'd like a good rosewood Sco'diac, I shoulda got yours! the neck is crazy small on these basses but I'm used to it now, easy when you're happy!

[RandomBass]

After some morning tlc, here she is. New strings, pickup height adjusted and action lowered. Might still need a bit of a  further tweak to the saddles though.

 

[Bass V]

GOTTA LUVIT! my favorite color scheme. have you had a look under the plate? sometimes these nats are great looking without the scratchplate as well. 

what strings did you go with? I'm dying to try some flats but not at the expense of the mystery rounds kicking donkey on mine.

...$60 really? wow!

[RandomBass]

6 hours ago, Bass V said:

GOTTA LUVIT! my favorite color scheme. have you had a look under the plate? sometimes these nats are great looking without the scratchplate as well. 

what strings did you go with? I'm dying to try some flats but not at the expense of the mystery rounds kicking donkey on mine.

...$60 really? wow!

Not peeked under the plate yet, but will do at some point. If the finish is anything like the first pics in this thread then that would be great. Not sure I could live with the screwholes though.

The strings are Rotosound RB 40-100, which seem to be my favourites at the moment.

As for the price, starting price was £60. Bidding went frantic in the last seconds and I managed to slip in there with £117 which did the trick.

Geoff

Edited May 21, 2018 by RandomBass
Addendum

[Bass V]

1 hour ago, RandomBass said:

Not peeked under the plate yet, but will do at some point. If the finish is anything like the first pics in this thread then that would be great. Not sure I could live with the screwholes though.

I made the most of the industrial look and blinged mine with flush reflective inlays along the edges, then doweled the inner holes and re-finished those from view.

looking sharp with or without the plate!

you got'r at a steal still, there's a lot of bass under those strings for such a pittance!

 

Edited May 21, 2018 by Bass V

[The59Sound]

Such a shame they don't do the Zodiac anymore... I'm actually tempted to buy a Milestone 4 (PJ config), change the pups to SDs and restring with D'Addarios. Almost the exact same spec as a DE Scorpio then!