Peavey Zephyr C4

[SteveXFR]

I've just bought myself a Peavey Zephyr C4. I know this model pre dates the Grind model but can't really find much info. Is it much different to the Grind? Is there a way to work out what year it is from the serial number? 

[LeftyJ]

I didn't know that model, looks great. It does kinda resemble the Grind NTB, but passive (2x volume, 2x tone) and with less of an off-set waist, closer to the Cirrus BXP in appearance. 

 

[ead]

I had one of the neck through variety and never managed to establish when it was made.  I believe it was Europe only model.

Lovely basses though.

[SteveXFR]

It's certainly a nice bass. Mine is neck through, I think some were bolt on. 

I've managed to find out that they were only made for a few years but I can't find which few years although it seems to be 90's. 

[Bassassin]

I have a Zephyr C5 through-neck 5er, which I got just before the Grind range was launched in the early 00s, genuinely can't remember exactly when! I think these were Korean-made but I don't have any date info - unhelpfully, mine doesn't have a serial number.

The Grinds would have changed over the years but the first ones were very similar to the Zephyrs, lacking the bubinga body veneers and with an ugly front body slap contour, below the fretboard heel.

My C5's a very nice bass, well put together & playable (if you don't mind narrow spacing on a 5) but something of a boat-anchor weightwise. Always found the passive soapbars a bit weak, if I ever used it for more than noodling at home, I'd probably want to upgrade to something a bit beefier.

[kodiakblair]

16 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

Is it much different to the Grind? Is there a way to work out what year it is from the serial number? 

There's a few  differences.

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.

 

I'm pretty sure Peavey pulled the plug on them either 00 or 01 to make way for the active bolt on neck Grinds. Turned out nobody was too interested in that style of Grind so production stopped after 20 months.

 

Afraid the only folk who could date by SN would be the factory that built it, customer service in Meridian don't even know Zephyrs exist 😀

[SteveXFR]

That's a good point, there is no serial number. Sometime around 2000 is close enough 

It's a really nice bass for what it cost. I might put on some EMG passive pickups sometime but the originals are good enough. I wouldn't describe them as weak, at least not compared to my old active Ibanez 

[BreadBin]

Got any photos @SteveXFR? 👍

[SteveXFR]

I'll take a couple tomorrow. I assume it's photos of the bass you'd like to see. 

[BreadBin]

23 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

I'll take a couple tomorrow. I assume it's photos of the bass you'd like to see. 

I know what you look like! 😂😂

[kodiakblair]

1 hour ago, SteveXFR said:

I might put on some EMG passive pickups sometime but the originals are good enough.

It'll need to be the 40 series, they're just slightly smaller than the Peavey soapbars.

[SteveXFR]

20 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

It'll need to be the 40 series, they're just slightly smaller than the Peavey soapbars.

Thanks for the top tip

[kodiakblair]

1 minute ago, SteveXFR said:

Thanks for the top tip

It was no trouble, I've a pair of Zephyr pickups in the desk drawer.

All I had to do was measure while the EMG page loaded up 😁 

 

Oh the DCR is 14.6k ohm when in series 👍

[SteveXFR]

Here it is BreadBin

It feels tiny and light compared to my Thunderbird. 

[BreadBin]

Ooh that is nice 👍

Better than your other Peavey 😂

[SteveXFR]

That ones looking a lot nicer now. Im in the middle of rewiring it but this one is a lot nicer ergonomically and tonally. 

Maybe I'll find a cheap Peavey T40 one day to go with it. 

Edited January 28, 2021 by SteveXFR

[BreadBin]

34 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

Maybe I'll find a cheap Peavey T40 one day to go with it. 

Good luck with that!

[Mr Zea]

I have the 5 String through neck version, i bought mine in late 2000? The shop didn't have it for that long as a recall. Very well built bass and was my main for 10 years!! I started to find it a little "muddy" so i swapped out the pickups and pre for EMG to brighten it up. Its now a fretless that i still occasionally use!

[Guzzigaga]

I just picked up a 5 string for £100. It was absolutely filthy so I've had it in bits thoroughly cleaned and now waiting for me to set up. Been looking for one of these for a while. They seem to be a very well made instrument. 

[fleabag]

I had a C4 a few years ago, and wondered why the hell i sold it.  Lovely bass.  Love Peavey 4 string necks,  probably why i've also owned 2 Rudy Sarzo  Peaveys

 

C4 pics, and also the serial number of mine, though i didnt bother checking the date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by fleabag

[kodiakblair]

2 hours ago, fleabag said:

also the serial number of mine,

That be the Sarzo s/n , 0407 dates to late 1989.

 

C-4 and C-5 didn't go on sale until 1999.

[fleabag]

Thanks K

 

I had 2 pics from my Sarzo sat in the C4 folder by mistake and simply fired them all on here thinking they were all C4 photos.  I should have seen the tuners were different 

 

[SteveXFR]

I didn't actually end up keeping mine very long. I sold it to fund some other gear and regretted it.

It was a lovely bass and I think very under valued on the used market (great for lovers of bargain gear). I might look out for another. 

[Machines]

I had one for a couple of months recently, plated great bit the pickups were indeed the weak point. Had to max treble on outboard preamp just to make it sound like a normal passive tone.

[SteveXFR]

I think the pickups aren't too durable. Both died on mine and right before they died, they were really weak. Same problem with my daughters Peavey International which also needed one replaced and I think the other is dying now.