Just about any
working
bassist will tell
you that finding
the perfect bass for
their style of music can
be a long, arduous, and
frustrating journey. The
available options are still
miniscule compared to how
many guitars are out there, but
the gap has been steadily closing
the past few years. One company
that has regularly succeeded in
targeting this market is Peavey, with
its versatile and popular Cirrus and
Millennium models. Considering the success
the company has had with the metal
crowd (for example with their legendary
6505 series amps), it’s not surprising to see
the company again set its sights on headbanging
bassists with the new US-designed
Void 4-string. It aims to be the go-to tool
for bassists looking to put a bit more meat
on their low-end muscle—and at an affordable price.
Into the Void
The 34"-scale Void was an intimidating-looking
beast when I pulled it out of its
custom Coffin Case gig bag. Its wild stylings
are certainly tailored to the modern
metal crowd—it would fit right in on, say,
a Bullet for My Valentine album cover.
Our review model weighed 10.15
pounds, and its maple neck-through
design is coupled with two basswood
wings. The deep-hued rosewood fretboard
features 21 jumbo nickel frets and a classy
aluminum shark-tooth inlay at the 12th
fret. Each of the Void’s strings runs from
die-cast, enclosed tuners on the ominous-looking
headstock to a die-cast bridge
with saddles that are adjustable in three
directions. It can also be strung through
the rear or top of the bridge.
The two US-designed VFL active humbuckers
are wired for 18 volts via two 9-volt
batteries that provide a
lot of headroom
and punch. They’re controlled by Volume,
Blend, Bass, Midrange, and Treble knobs—and Peavey deserves serious props for making
these controls separate. Each of the
tone controls offers a huge amount of toneshaping
power—from gut-wrenching bass to
scooped-mid mayhem and razor-sharp black
metal tones. Sweeping through the range of
each EQ knob boosts or cuts respective frequencies
by up to 12 dB. Each EQ knob—
including the Pickup Blend control—is
also notched internally halfway through its
sweep, offering a comforting click to indicate
they’re in the middle of their range.
Una-Void-able Tone
The Void was obviously crafted for bassists
on the heavier side of rock and metal, and
it scored high points in almost every area
that’s important to those types of players.
Through a TC Electronic Classic450 head
and matching 2x10 cabinet, I was able to
easily coax some of the gnarliest, most ruthless-sounding metal bass tones this side of a
Down album. I had unprecedented control
over the tone from the conveniently placed
EQ knobs. Each note sounded crisp and
big, with sturdy lows no matter how high I
had the instrument’s Bass EQ set.
I have a habit of fiddling with an amp’s
controls to the point of obsession, but due
to the Void’s EQ section, I never found the
need to alter amp settings. If I wanted a
less-present low end for faster-paced blackmetal
riffing, I simply dropped the Bass
knob down below its middle notch, upped
the treble, and brought in more midrange
to taste. Getting classic thrash and powermetal
tones was simple, too: I brought in
more midrange and panned to the bridge
pickup for a brash, Lemmy-type tone.
Speaking of midrange, while the Void’s
EQ controls are voiced to cover a wide
range over their respective frequencies, the
Midrange control stood out as the most
useful and pleasant sounding of the bunch.
Peavey hit just the right range when voicing
this control. Even at its maximum settings, it
stayed just a hair away from being too nasal
or shrill, dishing out an array of midrange-infused
snarl that was a blast to play with.
However, with 12 dB of boost and cut, I had
to be careful not to let the potent EQ knobs
distort the front end of the amp when they
got too close to being maxed out. Thankfully,
the tremendous range of the controls meant
there really wasn’t a need for extreme adjustments—
minor nudges were all that were necessary
to significantly shape the tone.
Feel the Noise
The Void’s feel took some getting used
to, mostly due to its large body and wide
neck. It’s a touch bulky whether standing
up or sitting down, and reaching for low
notes from the 5th fret down took a bit
more reach and effort than I’m used to.
The frets felt as if they were further away
than normal, requiring me to really stretch
when laying down grooves in the fretboard’s
lower territories. And putting that extra
effort into grabbing low notes while standing
put some strain on my shoulder after
awhile. With all that said, most metal bassists
wear their instruments low. And when
worn low, the neck is naturally raised higher
than the body, allowing easier access to that
part of the fretboard. It’s simply a different
body style that takes some getting used to.
The Void may be a stretch for bassists with
smaller statures, smaller hands, or a traditional
stance—I’m right at 5' 11"—but for
bassists with a longer reach or those who
wear it low, it will fit quite nicely.
The Verdict
For rock and metal bassists who want the
grit and grind that modern heavy music
demands, the Peavey Void is a worthwhile
choice. Its impressive onboard EQ is simple
to use, and its humbuckers kick out assertive,
aggressive tones with clarity. If you’re
in the market for a solid metal machine
that’s capable of grabbing the audience’s
attention both audibly and visually, it’s certainly
worth checking out.
Watch the video review:
Buy if...
you need cutting, aggressive
tones and a lot of tonal options
for rock and metal.
Skip if...
subdued, smoother tones are
your bag, or you prefer a more
compact body style that can
be worn high or low.
Rating...
