In the internet era—with the know-it-alls on messageboards, youtube personalities, and so many opinions—what guitars have "good tone" has become objective, indisputable truth. Yes, we have probably all made an unfortunate joke about Peavey. We're all guilty of being too cool. Is a 1985 Horizon II a pre-CBS vintage relic? Absolutely not. But it's still an American-made guitar with interesting pickups and tones.
The Horizon II has a solid double-cutaway body, and a 24.75" scale. It was made in Mississippi, but it's priced alongside modern Chinese imports. For electronics, it has an HSH setup with the ability to coil tap the humbuckers separately and get the out-of-phase sounds, too. This 1985 Horizon II has a cool black on black look with a matching black headstock. It has a slim, fast neck. This Peavey is a bit of a shredder.
If you learned to play guitar in the '80s, there was probably a time when you thought Peavey was cool. Admit it, your friend or neighbor had one and you thought it was a sweet guitar. This Horizon II may not be some fancy vintage guitar, but it's more than just a trip down memory lane. It plays nicely—and despite some cosmetic bumps and bruises (see photos)—it's in decent shape. The electronics give you a wide range of sounds.
At some point along the way this 1985 Horizon II lost its truss rod cover and tremolo arm, but it has a good setup with low action and plenty of life left in the frets. It includes an '80s Peavey "chainsaw" plastic case that may be original, but it has no foam inside the case. It gets the guitar around, and it's got the right vibe, but probably not th most substantial case.