Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

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jreising326
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Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by jreising326 » Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:12 pm

I'm interested in finding/buying a Peavey Generation with ACM, but I don't know how to identify the ACM models. I found a few EXP's, but none of them have rear cavity access. I think all were Korean. Besides opening the cavity to verify are there other ways to verify this visually? Is it a safe assumption that all the ACM models will have the rear cavity?

Thanks in advance for any info/suggestions the group may have.

Regards,

Joe

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studiodtk5
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by studiodtk5 » Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:51 pm

My suggestion is to look for the Generation Custom EXP. They have a black headstock. Those are HSH magnetic pickups with the ACM. These are made in Korea.

As I understand there is a version that was made after that version that was made in China. That version did not include the piezo under the neck. I would avoid that version.

Let me know any other questions.
Darren
ITOC: 08-00190

Peavey stuff I have: Masterpiece 50, Custom Shop 212, Stereo Chorus 212, T-60, T-40, Signature Select, Odyssey II Prototype, Generation Custom EXP, Firenza P90-ACM, VB-2, Stomp Boxes, Radial Pro 1000, lots of mics, etc...

jreising326
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by jreising326 » Tue Feb 01, 2022 4:32 pm

Hi Darren and Others,

I finally bought a Generation EXP. I had no luck finding the custom model, so I decided to buy one without ACM for a decent price. I don't actually have the guitar yet, it is going to be shipped to me. Anyway I was looking at an ACM one on Reverb that looks like the one I just bought. The model I bought is HSS with 3 knobs, a Belly Cut and Battery in the back. It has the old Peavey headstock logo like my 94 Predator. No Toggle Switch though, which I've seen on other ACM's listed online.

I just assumed the battery was for an active pickup, but now after seeing the one on Reverb that looks identical to the one on it's way I'm wondering if I just got lucky?

The seller did tell me it is a Korean guitar.

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studiodtk5
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by studiodtk5 » Tue Feb 01, 2022 6:07 pm

I think you may have an ACM version. But not certain. The three controls sounds right. The lack of the small toggle switch does not. The battery box sounds right. The bridge, does it include six black saddles? Similar to Graph Tech Ghost pickups?

https://graphtech.com/pages/ghost-pickup-systems

It could be that the system was removed. If that is the case you could add the Graph Tech system.
Darren
ITOC: 08-00190

Peavey stuff I have: Masterpiece 50, Custom Shop 212, Stereo Chorus 212, T-60, T-40, Signature Select, Odyssey II Prototype, Generation Custom EXP, Firenza P90-ACM, VB-2, Stomp Boxes, Radial Pro 1000, lots of mics, etc...

jreising326
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by jreising326 » Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:55 pm

Well after looking closely at the Photos of the one on Reverb and the one the owner sent me, it's a Fishman Bridge. So I guess it is ACM. However I suspect it may be from China and not Korea. I found a Youtube video of a guy demoing the guitar. It has a push/pull pot to turn on the ACM, but his guitar had made in China stickers on it. The one I bought doesn't have any SN# markings at all.

Also I used The Wayback Machine to try and dig up some model year data on the Generation EXP's. I'll document my finding here as it may help someon else out.

It looks like the first EXP's didn't have ACM and may have been introduced in 2004.

2005 they introduced the Custom ACM in HSH, the others were HSS.

2007 there were more models added including Generation EX.

2008 no EXP's, only EX's. The EX's all had ACM. This may be when they moved production from Korea to China. This was during the financial crisis and I know a lot of companies that build electronics moved to China in this timeframe.

2010 they drop the reference to EX or EXP on the website and just call them Generation Series, but it looks like headstock says EXP.

It looks like the Generations were gone by 2011. Also, I never found any photos of the headstock with Hartley's signature like the ones I've seen on Generations in my local Pawn Shop. They all had a similar logo to my 94 Predator. I didn't find any photo's of the original 2003 EXP model though, so if I had to bet those are the ones in my Pawn Shop. They don't have a battery, rear cavity or belly cut.

Hopefully my "digging" is useful to others.... I'll report back once the guitar arrives if it has ACM.

Joe

jreising326
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by jreising326 » Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:21 pm

update

The EX's had the Hartley Signature Headstock, but also came in a wider variety of colors and configurations. All appear to have ACM. I still suspect the first EXP non-ACM's had that Headstock as well but will update this thread if I discover otherwise. Since I posted the original post requesting help for identification I think I should document what I am learning to save others time in the future.

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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by studiodtk5 » Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:10 pm

All great information. One thing to check when you get your if it has the neck piezo or not. As I was told the made in China versions do not have it.
Darren
ITOC: 08-00190

Peavey stuff I have: Masterpiece 50, Custom Shop 212, Stereo Chorus 212, T-60, T-40, Signature Select, Odyssey II Prototype, Generation Custom EXP, Firenza P90-ACM, VB-2, Stomp Boxes, Radial Pro 1000, lots of mics, etc...

jreising326
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Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by jreising326 » Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:53 pm

Hi Darren,

Do you know if any Korean models have Belly Cuts? The Wayback Machine is a bit frustrating to use as many links are broken. But it's like a Treasure Hunt, you can find hidden nuggets if those pages were archived. The deeper into a site, the less likely they were recorded consistently, if at all.

For example I found this nugget tonight. I would have guessed the model in the photo, the "red wine flame maple" for lack of a better description came much later, but this is dated 2003 at the top of the pdf and was published in 2004. This is the model/style/color I think looks best and would want. The one I bought is Candy Apple Red, my second choice, tied with the Blonde or Butterscotch. I had a shot at one of these cheap but passed because I didn't think it had the ACM. I think it's quite good looking.

I'm thinking the Hartley Peavey Signature Headstock may have been introduced with the EX model and later than the original Generations. It may be on your Custom ACM. So maybe around 2007 and later models, not the early models as I assumed earlier. Maybe someone can weigh in.

Regardless I'm concluding many more of these Generation EXP's and EX's actually do have the the ACM, so the Battery Box is the primary indicator. I'll archive any findings I make here.

Regards,

Joe
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studiodtk5
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by studiodtk5 » Thu Feb 03, 2022 5:28 pm

I have never seen a Korean made version with a contour on the back side.

There appears to be no difference between the article that you posted and a Custom. I never saw one like that before.

Attached are photos of my red version. I also have an orange version of same year. On that one I changed the pickups to TVJones filtertrons.
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Darren
ITOC: 08-00190

Peavey stuff I have: Masterpiece 50, Custom Shop 212, Stereo Chorus 212, T-60, T-40, Signature Select, Odyssey II Prototype, Generation Custom EXP, Firenza P90-ACM, VB-2, Stomp Boxes, Radial Pro 1000, lots of mics, etc...

jreising326
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Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by jreising326 » Thu Feb 03, 2022 6:03 pm

Ah, yes you have the one I was hoping to find! It is quite pretty, but I've never seen one in person. Looks like the MSRP was $699 and the EX without ACM was around $179.

https://web.archive.org/web/20071212030 ... ACM(R).cfm

The Neck Piezo, is it behind the neck or the neck pickup? My guitar arrived and other than some light scratches on the pickguard and some dirt, it's in excellent condition. No scratches or nicks in the finish at all.

Below is a picture of the back of the guitar with the belly cut. I have not been able to find even a photo of this model on the Peavey website using the wayback machine, or I should say a view of a Generation where you can even see a belly cut.
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studiodtk5
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by studiodtk5 » Thu Feb 03, 2022 6:33 pm

As I recall the neck pick up sits under the neck in the body of the guitar at the neck pocket. It is entered or centerish between the screws.
Darren
ITOC: 08-00190

Peavey stuff I have: Masterpiece 50, Custom Shop 212, Stereo Chorus 212, T-60, T-40, Signature Select, Odyssey II Prototype, Generation Custom EXP, Firenza P90-ACM, VB-2, Stomp Boxes, Radial Pro 1000, lots of mics, etc...

jreising326
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by jreising326 » Thu Feb 03, 2022 8:03 pm

So I pulled the neck and there was nothing behind it other than some sawdust. The electronics look really cheap, dime sized pots and a flaky switch. Got new strings on it and just strummed it a little and tried to play with the Piezo, but it has some crackling going on when I switched on the Single Coils. So not sure if it's the switch, the pots, the Fishman board or all of the above...

I can throw a fender switch and decent pots in it, but man the pickups didn't sound very inspiring either. Nowhere near as good as the stock single coils in my 90's Predator.

It's all cleaned up, waxed, and looks good so this one might be heading to Reverb. I see people asking $300 - $500 for these and if I could get that I'd buy the Squire Classic Vibe Thinline I played at the local music shop last week. Now that guitar had a killer range of inspirational tones.

Now the flipside would be to just gut this thing and turn it into a Partscaster. It is really light and the neck, other than the nut, is really nice. It looks good too.

Still with the time and money I'd have to put into it probably is smarter to just flip it.

Bummer... :(

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studiodtk5
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by studiodtk5 » Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:57 pm

Yeah that’s a bummer. On mine I liked the single coil pickup and the acoustic modeling. The humbuckers were meh. That’s why I changed them out on the orange guitar.

The circuit in mine for the ACM is Peavey, not Fishman. I wonder if they cheap the guitar out on that version.

Here are pictures of the back and control cavity.
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Darren
ITOC: 08-00190

Peavey stuff I have: Masterpiece 50, Custom Shop 212, Stereo Chorus 212, T-60, T-40, Signature Select, Odyssey II Prototype, Generation Custom EXP, Firenza P90-ACM, VB-2, Stomp Boxes, Radial Pro 1000, lots of mics, etc...

jreising326
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Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by jreising326 » Thu Feb 03, 2022 10:45 pm

Hi Darren,
I was in a hurry earlier as I had conference calls to do this evening, but I plugged the guitar back in after dinner, put the headphones on and cranked things up a bit, and fiddled around with amp settings and the switch settings. The Piezo works and I isolated the problem to the middle pickup. If I select the bridge or the neck, it sounds way better, decent in fact. I guess it could be the switch, but at least maybe the neck pickup is good, and the bridge isn't horrible. Anything with the middle switched in though is ugly.

Your electronics and cavity look way better. Here's what mine look like, it's like there was a fire in there put out with an extinguisher or something. That same white powder was in the neck cavity, not sure what it is. The fishman board is the small board laying flat on it's back on the pot that controls the mixer. The way it looks something easily could be corroded.

I'm now leaning towards putting some effort in it and hoping for the best. I have spare pots and switches and have no problem using a soldering iron.

Like Jeff Speccoli said in Fast Times at Ridgemont High "I can fix this"! :)

So in closing for others, I would avoid the model with the Belly Cut unless you want that feature and are willing to upgrade. The Korea model looks like a significant upgrade in quality. Probably like Squire Bullet Strat vs Classic Vibe. Tuners seem OK btw, but the Nut is still a concern.
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Re: Peavey Generation with ACM Identification

Post by studiodtk5 » Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:24 am

I had always thought the Chinese made unit were lesser to the Korean made ones. Now we can see it is true. On the surface similar to each other, but underneath quite different.
I agree, if you want one stay with the Korean version.
If it plays well and you like the appearance, then using it as a platform may be fine.
Darren
ITOC: 08-00190

Peavey stuff I have: Masterpiece 50, Custom Shop 212, Stereo Chorus 212, T-60, T-40, Signature Select, Odyssey II Prototype, Generation Custom EXP, Firenza P90-ACM, VB-2, Stomp Boxes, Radial Pro 1000, lots of mics, etc...

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