Eddie Floyd
The combination of the smooth playability with the wide range of tones definitely make the Peavey HP Special CT a "keeper."
Many guitar players were truly bummed out when Eddie Van Halen and Peavey parted ways. After all, Peavey did a superb job in making the Wolfgang model both readily available and affordable, something Music Man never quite did, despite their excellence in design.
Fortunately, Peavey didn't stay content with the past and decided to build a guitar that would be true to the spirt of the Wolfgang but offer some refinements. The Peavey HP Special is the result of this labor. In fact, we think it far surpasses the Wolfgang it replaces (the name's just not as cool, we admit).
Features
The Peavey HP Special has a basswood body, figured maple top, and an assymetrical birdseye maple neck with graphite reinforcement. The guitar sports 22 frets on its 25 ½' scale body. Quality hardware is standard, including Schaller machine heads and a custom-designed Peavey Floyd Rose licensed bridge featuring the Lok Block system, allowing the bridge to either float or be in bend-down only mode. Two custom-wound HP Special humbucking pickups controlled by a 3-way switch complete the electronics package.
Performance
The Peavey HP Special CT (which stands for "Carved Top") obviously pays homage to the Wolfgang it replaces. It has a basswood double-cutaway body that resembles the Wolfgang in many ways; however, the Peavey Special CT is far more balanced than the Wolfgang ever was, a welcome change.
We received a review model that had a lovely transparent moonburst flame-maple top. It provided a nice contract to the body, which is painted black. The maple top also helps balance out the basswood body, providing clear sustain and some high-end "kick." The guitar is available in a wide variety of finishes, including solid colors if that's your fancy.
As you would expect from this guitar's heritage, the neck is a real winner, since it was made for fast fretwork. Like the Wolfgang, it's easy on the hands. It feels like a guitar that you've played for years (due likely to the asymmetrical carve).
The bird's-eye maple fretboard is as attractive as it is fast. In addition, the guitar's 22 frets were polished to perfection and only increased our positive playing experience.
One significant improvement over the Wolfgang is the new Floyd Rose-licensed vibrato. It's simply the best double-locking system we've ever played. Unlike the Wolfgang's bridge, you now have the option to set the bridge to be either full floating (for pull-ups) or you can engage the "Lok Block" and set it to bend-down only, which provides greater tuning stability.
Peavey has never been a company to rest on its past accomplishments, and the "Lok Block," though a simple thing, reflects their desire to innovate in even the most simple areas. Indeed, this small innovation may become standard fare on double-locking tremolo systems. It should, at any rate.
Like its predecessor, the pickups are of the highest quality, with loud, clear output and gorgeous overtones. Push/pull pots are standard so that you may enter into single coil mode. Thankfully, they've relocated the pickup selector switch near the volume and tone controls.
The Bottom Line
The ultimate compliment we can give the Peavey HP Special CT is simply this: it's one of the most fun guitars we've played in a very long time. The combination of the smooth playability with the wide range of tones definitely make this guitar a "keeper." The HP, in case you didn't know, refers to founder Hartley Peavey, and this guitar is worthy of the name of one of the greatest innovators in the music business.
Name of Gear: Peavey HP Special CT
List Price: $1,749.99 - $2,299.99
Manufacturer Info: Peavey Electronics Corporation; peavey.com
Pros: Excellent balance; wide range of rock tones; original and useful tremolo design
Cons: None
If you are searching for the absolute lowest price on a used or new Peavey HP Special, then you need to pay a visit to Ray's Guitar Shop, which offers the lowest prices on all used and new guitars. Regardless of the type of guitar you're looking for - a Fender Stratocaster, an Ibanez JS100, or a Music Man Axis - Ray's Guitar Shop has what you need! If you're searching for cheap electric guitars, then look no more.
Whats On My YouTube Today?
Eddie Floyd - I've Never Found A Girl (Original Stereo)
Here Are A Few Items From Amazon You Might Be Interested In.
 Eddie Floyd - Chronicle: Greatest Hits List Price: Sale Price: $6.71 You save: $0.04 (1%)  Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days  |
 Very Best of Eddie Floyd List Price: Sale Price: $4.97 You save: $7.01 (59%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
 Rare Stamps List Price: Sale Price: $9.42 You save: $5.56 (37%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours |
 Stax Profiles: Eddie Floyd Sale Price: $9.49 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
 Knock On Wood -His Greatest Hi Sale Price: $7.98 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
 Stax Profiles List Price: Sale Price: $3.92 You save: $8.06 (67%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
 California Girl / Down to Earth Sale Price: $21.95 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
 Knock on Wood List Price: Sale Price: $10.94 You save: $4.05 (27%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
Items recently purchased on this site:
Thanks for visiting!
Tags: eddie floyd mediafire, eddie, soul, ##boldvoices, eddie floyd discography