Is this the most cynical move you've ever seen on the part of a guitar manufacturer ?

StefB

Regardless of timing, at the prices quoted it would surely be a foolhardy move to buy one of these instead of an official EVH branded model of the same shape?

A lazy, but unsurprising these days, move for a once hugely innovative, omnipresent player in the MI world.

crunchman

StefB said:

Regardless of timing, at the prices quoted it would surely be a foolhardy move to buy one of these instead of an official EVH branded model of the same shape?

A lazy, but unsurprising these days, move for a once hugely innovative, omnipresent player in the MI world.

There will always be Peaveys around.  Those old Bandits go on and on whatever you do to them - like Keef.

StefB

crunchman said:

There will always be Peaveys around.  Those old Bandits go on and on whatever you do to them - like Keef.

Of course - what have they done lately though, guitar-wise?

Peavey had a formidable guitar and amp catalogue for many years, whether you liked their designs or not, but what have they got now apart from this HP2, a small range of budget guitars and the vastly overpriced (compared to the direct competition) Classic amp range?

fretmeister

StefB said:

crunchman said:

There will always be Peaveys around.  Those old Bandits go on and on whatever you do to them - like Keef.

Of course - what have they done lately though, guitar-wise?

Peavey had a formidable guitar and amp catalogue for many years, whether you liked their designs or not, but what have they got now apart from this HP2, a small range of budget guitars and the vastly overpriced (compared to the direct competition) Classic amp range?

A mate had one of the Vendenberg models (25 years ago?) and that was amazing.

And I had a go on the Steve Cropper model and very much liked it too. But I don't think I've seen anything since other than the Wolfgang

sidthekidlives

Rocker said:

The OP is right in deeming this guitar release to be a cynical marketing exercise.  However the OP or anyone else, for that matter, does not have to buy the guitar.

Absolutely agreed - and I really like the model in question and have owned some really good Peavey guitars in the past. I wouldn't vote for anyone being stopped from being able to vote with their wallet. 

carlos

The most cynical was when there was an accident while cutting a body and then it was marketed as an improvement to the traditional guitar.

tekbow

Funkfingers said:

Somebody already mentioned dealers.

If dealers get customer requests for a particular model, they contact the distributors to place orders. These are relayed to the manufacturer.

If, on the other hand, nobody has requested the HP2, Peavey is simply cashing in.

There were preorders in August.

tekbow

StefB said:

Regardless of timing, at the prices quoted it would surely be a foolhardy move to buy one of these instead of an official EVH branded model of the same shape?

A lazy, but unsurprising these days, move for a once hugely innovative, omnipresent player in the MI world.

The Peavey WG have a pretty big following, not least because they went out of production when EVH moved to Fender, whereas the EBMM did not when he moved to Peavey.

It's also somewhat the received wisdom in the EVH Related instrument community that the EBMM's and Peaveys were better made, less commercial instruments whereas Fender are the guitar equivalent of 'Big Pharma' that soulessly pump out guitars.

Many think the brand has been watered down With the release of all the far eastern made standards and specials.

I'm not saying I agree.

I do prefer the classic iteration of maple fretboard and flame/quilt top more though, which isnt An option on the right handed EVH guitars anymore.

The bottle opener headstock is outright divisive.

In any case both the EBMM and Peavey Iterations were more visible during a period when their public profile was a lot larger (F.U.C.K and Balance).

The demand for them Is there. Perhaps more so than the EBMM Axis as it's never not been available.

tekbow

This may or may not work, but here's the GW Vid from 25th July on FB.

On YT It appears to have been taken down and re-posted after EVH death for whatever reason.

I would contend the current misconception of cynicism is the fault of GW Rather than Peavey.

https://www.facebook.com/GuitarWorld/videos/915327855609347/

tekbow

And here's the post from a week after EVH's death saying the new guitars had arrived in stock

As I said, there's no way they brought a guitar to market, or even ordered and received the guitars within a week to capitalise.

Other dealers were taking preorders just after the announcement.

icu81b4

Just for the record - I used to own a USA Peavey HP Special, it was a fantastic instrument, I showed it to Ged Green (Guitar maker in Manchester area)   Who was amazed at how well it was constructed. 

I still have an EBMM EVH which is also great.  I read somewhere that another reason for Ed to move from MM to Peavey was because MM didn't have the capability to make a carve top that Eddie was wanting.   

sidthekidlives

icu81b4 said:

Just for the record - I used to own a USA Peavey HP Special, it was a fantastic instrument, I showed it to Ged Green (Guitar maker in Manchester area)   Who was amazed at how well it was constructed. 

I still have an EBMM EVH which is also great.  I read somewhere that another reason for Ed to move from MM to Peavey was because MM didn't have the capability to make a carve top that Eddie was wanting.   

Same here ! I own an EBMM EVH and had a USA peavey HP special which was excellent ; different feel but no doubt a well constructed quality guitar. 

brojangles

Nope. The most cynical move I've seen by a guitar manufacturer was that time when Gibson got fined for importing illegal woods and decided to go full Fox/birther/right-wing noise machine against the Obama administration. 

xscaramanga

brojangles said:

Nope. The most cynical move I've seen by a guitar manufacturer was that time when Gibson got fined for importing illegal woods and decided to go full Fox/birther/right-wing noise machine against the Obama administration. 

I remember that! They did eventually get some of the confiscated wood back. What was the name of the series they made with it? I think it was called MUH FREEDOM or 'MURRICA or possibly THEY TOOK ER JERBS.

FelineGuitars

Philly_Q said:

sidthekidlives said:

So , blessed EVH is hardly cold in the ground and Peavey announce this below . He wanted his name taken off the guitars because allegedly he wasn't happy with the quality control.

I may be remembering this incorrectly - in which case apologies to the late Mr VH - but I think he said the same thing when moving from Music Man to Peavey.  Coupled with them not being able to manufacture in sufficient quantity, perhaps?

The one thing I've never heard EB/MM criticised for is quality control.  Call me cynical, but I always suspected Ed was getting a better financial deal from Peavey - and in turn, Fender/EVH.

Fender/EVH effectively made money from Peavey's design, Peavey in turn made money from elements of EB/MM's design.  Unless we believe that all the manufacturers did was make things to Ed's exact specification.

Obviously Peavey are taking the opportunity to make some money but to me it seems more like sound business sense than anything else.

**It could also be that both MusicMan and Peavey feel that their relationship with EVH ended prematurely and that the above mentioned reasons were "get out" clauses thrown up by EVH's legal team when in fact "brand EVH" were chasing the offer of better money. 

So both Musicman and Peavey continued with the same or similar product without any EVH labelling to carry on making something from their investment.

**Not my own opinion .....just pondering what may have happened.

impmann

Its interesting that EVH had his own take on the Peavey situation in his last guitar magazine interview...

https://www.musicradar.com/news/there-are-no-rules-eddie-van-halen-the-last-guitar-mag-interview

Perhaps take the comments on both sides with a pinch of salt... but Peavey have run out of friends in recent years, and aside from HP himself being "a challenge" to work with, there must be something more to it.