Music-Industry Legend Peavey Profiled On Turner South Network
Peavey
Posted 2005-09-14
World-renowned musical instrument and sound equipment manufacturer Peavey gets the anniversary treatment on an upcoming episode of Turner South network's Southern Living Presents. Airing September 19 at 4 p.m. ET to more than 12 million homes, episode 711 of Southern Living Presents celebrates Peavey's 40-year anniversary by going inside the Peavey Custom Shop with founder and CEO Hartley Peavey. Viewers learn how to build HP* Signature guitars from "HP" himself, and also see his vertical-integration business philosophy first hand as the lens captures Peavey's loudspeaker, guitar amplifier and cabinet making plants.
"We make everything from the smallest practice guitar amp to the world's most sophisticated sound systems," remarks Peavey during the segment. "From the time you speak into a microphone until you hear it coming out of the speaker*every single link in the chain*we make it in our factories in Mississippi."
Hartley tours viewers through his guitar and bass custom shop, where even the machines used in production are made to his specifications. The tour stops at one of his most significant contributions to the music products industry, a computer-controlled CNC routing machine. Long used in furniture and gun making, Hartley revolutionized modern instrument making by adapting this technology in the 1970s, where it has since become an integral part of the guitar manufacturing process for all companies.
"Although we use computers to cut out the parts, there is a lot of hand labor," he stresses. "All of these guitars are customs. Somebody has ordered these guitars before we ever start building, so you never know what we'll be building. That's what a custom shop is all about."
Such attention to detail ensures that instrument enthusiasts get a one-of-a-kind instrument with Hartley's blessing. After 40 years of building the music industry's highest quality, most thoughtfully designed and innovative products, the Peavey Custom Shop is one place a self-described "tinkerer" like Hartley Peavey can still engage his imagination.
"There is always," Peavey explains, "as we say Down South, 'new ground to plow.' That's the fun of it. After 40 years, it's still fun."
The Peavey Revolution, the authorized history of Hartley Peavey and his world-famous company, will be available in bookstores nationwide October 3. A limited number of copies autographed by Hartley Peavey are available now at www.peavey.com/revolution.
Now celebrating its 40th anniversary as one of the world's largest manufacturers of musical instruments and professional sound equipment, PeaveyR holds more than 130 patents and produces more than 2,000 products distributed throughout the United States and to 136 other countries. Peavey and its MediaMatrixR, Architectural AcousticsR, PVDJ*, Trace ElliotR and Crest AudioR brands and affiliates can be found on concert stages and in more than 3,000 airports, stadiums, theme parks, government buildings and other venues around the world. To find out more, visit www.peavey.com.
