HP Single Cut SC-1 & SC-3 - Peavey
HP Single Cut SC-1 & SC-3 - Peavey
HP Single Cut SC-1 & SC-3 - Peavey
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Electric Guitar£191review<strong>Peavey</strong><strong>HP</strong> <strong>Single</strong> <strong>Cut</strong> <strong>SC</strong>-1 & <strong>SC</strong>-3<strong>Peavey</strong>’s new three-strong <strong>HP</strong> series guitars have a rock-friendly designwith artful tweaks like carefully-calibrated ceramic humbuckers and achoice of body and neck timbers. Review by Martyn CasserlyWhen you see the name<strong>Peavey</strong> it can be hardto remember that theworldwide music gianthad its humble beginning in a basementin Mississippi 46 years ago. Back thenit was just one man, Hartley <strong>Peavey</strong>.Now the employee list runs to quitea few more, but the ethos is still thesame: affordable equipment for workingmusicians. The new <strong>SC</strong> line offers a lowcosttake on the classic LP-style guitar,with hopefully a bit of the old <strong>Peavey</strong>magic thrown in.<strong>SC</strong>-1With its cool onyx livery the <strong>SC</strong>-1 isinstantly pleasing to the eye. There’sa hint of LP Studio about it, and thesolid body colour, lack of binding andsimple but purposeful layout give theimpression that the <strong>SC</strong>-1 was madefor go rather than show. This doesn’tmean that the player has to endurehardship: there are gentle contoursaround the ribcage area and on thelower bout which mean you can rockwith almighty awesomeness without theinconvenience of having a hard bit ofwood jabbing you in the process.The maple neck is smooth and fillsthe hand with reassuring girth whileavoiding feeling like an old baseballbat. Navigating around the rosewoodUnder the black lacquerthe <strong>SC</strong>-1’s neck is mapleThe <strong>SC</strong>-1 does what it says on the tin,with plenty of attitude and rock flavourfor both modern and classic tastesboard is easy and trouble-free thanksto 22 well-seated and finished frets,plus a low-but-not-daft action and aspacious feel. The high E has a tendencyto stray off the side of the board if youplay too hard, but a bit of correction inthe technique soon eliminates this. Theelectronics are traditional fare, with two<strong>Peavey</strong> chromed humbuckers plus theregular controls.➻The bridge pickup is 11.5k,the neck pickup 7.2kfinal score<strong>Peavey</strong> <strong>SC</strong>-1Build Quality 17 / 20Playability 17 / 20Sound 17 / 20Value for money 18 / 20Looks 17 / 20total 86%FACTFILE<strong>Peavey</strong><strong>SC</strong>-1Description:Solidbodyelectric guitar. Made inChinaPrice:£191Build:Basswood body withcarved top, hard rock mapleneck, rosewood fingerboard,22-medium jumbo frets,tunomatic style bridge andtailpiece, three-a-sidekeystone-button tunersElectrics:Two <strong>Peavey</strong>humbuckers, twin masterand volume controls foreach pickup, three-wayselector switchLeft-Handers:NoFinish: Gloss black (asreviewed), cherry burst,vintage tobacco burstScale length:629mm/24.75"Neck width:Nut 43mm12th fret 53mmDepth of neck:First fret 23mm12th fret 25mmString spacing:Nut 35mmBridge 53mmAction as supplied:12th fret treble 2.5mm12th fret bass 3.5mmWeight:3.6kg/8lbsContact:<strong>Peavey</strong> Europe01536 461234www.peavey-eu.comJULY 2011 Guitar & Bass 65
eviewElectric Guitar£265FACTFILE<strong>Peavey</strong><strong>SC</strong>-3The <strong>SC</strong>-3’s mahogany body and neck, asopposed to the <strong>SC</strong>-1’s basswood’n’mapleDescription:Solidbodyelectric guitar. Made inChinaPrice:£265Build:Mahogany body withcream binding, mahoganyneck, rosewood fingerboard,22-medium jumbo frets,tunomatic style bridge andtailpiece, three-a-sideKeystone style tunersElectrics:Three <strong>Peavey</strong>humbuckers, twin masterand volume controls,three-way selector switchLeft-Handers:NoFinish:Gloss white (asreviewed), gloss blackScale length:629mm/24.75"Neck width:Nut 43mm12th fret 53mmDepth of neck:First fret 23mm12th fret 26mmString spacing:Nut 35mmBridge 53mmAction as supplied:12th fret treble 2.5mm12th fret bass 3.5mmWeight:3.6kg/8lbsA push-pull potswitches themiddle pickupon and offSame keystone tuners asthe <strong>SC</strong>-3, but gold-platedContact: <strong>Peavey</strong> Europe01536 461234www.peavey-eu.comLike this?Try this...VintageV99Excellent LP-style guitarfrom one of the best budgetbrands aroundRRP: £249PRSSE <strong>Single</strong>cutIt’s a bit more pricey thanthe <strong>Peavey</strong>, but if you wanta top quality singlecut thenthis is a very fine exampleRRP: £679EpiphoneLes PaulBlack Beauty 3Triple humbuckeredfanciness from Gibson’sown more affordable stableRRP: £549FenderJohn 5 Triple DeluxeGuitars with threehumbuckers are a bit thinon the ground but this lairychrome/back beast is afirm favourite of oursRRP: £994.80The <strong>SC</strong>-3 has more roundness and yetmore bite and an immediacy that makesit an interesting and addictive guitarSoundsTwo ’buckers, add dirt, away you go.The <strong>SC</strong>-1 is a what-it-says-on-the-tinsort of guitar. The neck is warm oncleans, slightly dark when mixed withoverdrive, and the right choice forlegato runs and mournful solos whenthe gain goes up high. Slamming on thebridge pickup opens out the aggressionand delivers plenty of attitude and rockflavour for both modern and classictastes. There’s no surprises and nodisappointments, just usable tonesthat’ll get you in the right zones for theplayers you want to emulate.<strong>SC</strong>-3If the <strong>SC</strong>-1 is camped out in the wideopen plains of LP-Studioland then astagecoach from there might bringyou to the more metropolitan area ofLP-CustomVille and the <strong>SC</strong>-3. Gone isthe rustic simplicity, replaced by muchfinery and ostentatious displays ofwealth that would have El Indio andhis band of desperadoes riding intotown, guns blazing, just to carry it awayto their villainous lair and await theinevitable battle with Clint Eastwoodand Lee Van Cleef (apologies; we reallyshouldn’t watch Sergio Leone filmsbefore writing reviews).Cheroots and spurs not withstanding,the <strong>SC</strong>-3 is a different beast. For thebody mahogany is preferred to thebasswood used on the <strong>SC</strong>-1, and theedges feature a faded vintage-lookcream binding. This continues on theedge of the fingerboard although whenit reaches the nut the finishing gets abit scrappy, with bits of sealant and aslight misalignment of the nut spoilingthe effect. The other differences on thismodel are the gold hardware and centrepickup, all in classic Custom fashion.SoundsThe wood choices seem to have had aneffect as the <strong>SC</strong>-3 offers a deeper, morerounded sound than its sibling, but italso has a touch more bite. Both neckand bridge pickups are a tad edgier,with the centre pickup displaying agreat mixture of sizzle and tone whichkept tempting us to experiment withjazzier voicings, cleaner blues riffs,and even acoustic-style fingerpicking.There’s an immediacy that make it aninteresting and addictive guitar to play,with that ‘Ooo, what if I try this?’ air.VerdictThe <strong>SC</strong>-1 is a stripped-down workhorsethat will earn its keep in any blues, rockor metal band. It’s solidly built, easy toplay, and would make an excellent firstguitar. The more ornate <strong>SC</strong>-3 serves theexact same purpose but perhaps has alittle more hiding under the hoodtone-wise. The <strong>SC</strong> range has goodperformance, styling and tones forprices that most of us can actuallyafford. We like the sound of that.final scorePEAVEY <strong>SC</strong>-3Build Quality 15 / 20Playability 17 / 20Sound 18 / 20Value for money 17 / 20Looks 17 / 20total 84%66 Guitar & Bass JULY 2011
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