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Last night, I had the pleasure of playing in a Guitar Center for over an hour on a high dollar amp (not much Jazz) and it was such a thrill for me - bedroom player for 7 years.
I really liked on amp but the head and cab were around 3,800.00 brand new.
I went on ebay and my God, there are many available for a little less than 70% of the cost. This was a high-end amp. Is it accurate to conclude that even high-end amp heads and cabs just plain don't retain their value very well, the way for instance, a high-end guitar would?
Thanks.
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10-24-2013 08:31 PM
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I think that is correct, for many good reasons. One is that it's much easier to evaluate the condition of a used guitar than a used amp… at least it is for me. I have a couple vintage tubers that I love, but they generally don't go to gigs, in part because I think the new stuff is likely to be more dependable. A well taken care of old guitar is a lovely antique. An old amp is more like an old car… they're totally cool but you'll be tinkering with it.
Originally Posted by AlsoRan
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Hmmm... for whatever it's worth, when someone posts a picture on the Tele forum of a beat up Fender tweed amp, everyone's pants get tight.
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Unless you're an attorney, doctor, or otherwise rich guy with money to burn, I don't think bedroom players need $4000 amps. If you have the money, go for it, and I hope you already have a decent guitar, though. There are so many good amps under $1000 that work for bedroom and gigs, and will sound great -- keep looking!
Other than a Fuchs, I don't think many "high-end" amps hold their value very long.
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I play through an old 1970 SF Princeton, which I love to love to death, but I have to admit when I saw this new Magnatone, thoughts of infidelity began to creep in. Expensive, but not crazy out of bounds expensive compared to other clones I've been researching.
http://www.magnatoneusa.com/products/twilighter/
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60-70% of new value for an amp in very good to excellent condition is about right. And that's asking price. Who knows what they actually sell for. Add a few bangs and a rip in the tolex and you quickly hit 50%. Unless it's a "flavour-of-the-month" boutique amp and you can tap into the crowd that are into these amps. That's the bad news. The good news is that if you have cash, buy used and save big.
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The Magnatone Twilighter is one amp that I'd buy new. I can't imagine that a lot will be hitting the used market any time soon. Originally Posted by bmw2002
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vintage, yes, new, not so much
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Just wondering why you say Fuchs is the only brand that holds its value. There's this lil amp company called Dumble that might hold a bit of value these days. Originally Posted by marcwhy
But in general, most amps hold about 50% of their value on the used market, when in good condition, unless it's something super rare. Supply and demand, y'all!
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For any relatively expensive amp, shopping used is the only way to go. Buying new means a big hit if you have to sell, just like with new cars. I can't afford luxury prices, so wait awhile to pick up something high end I really cannot resist.
MD
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swart space tone's have done well.
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Sure, and if the OP has $50,000, go for it. Originally Posted by RossNRoll
Just wondering why you say Fuchs is the only brand that holds its value. There's this lil amp company called Dumble that might hold a bit of value these days.
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Ha! Ha! Too funny! Originally Posted by marcwhy
FYI, I have Jazz territory covered pretty well when it comes to amps.
This amp is one that I will take when I jam with my Hard Rock/Metal Friends. The drummer gloats about blowing me away.
She and other drummers will gloat no more if I can get this amp for a couple of grand as it appears.
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Right you are sir. Count on that $3800 boutique amp being worth a little more than half after it's been used for Originally Posted by marcwhy
a while. Tubes wear out, speakers get abused at high volumes, cabinets get scratched up moving them around
and grill cloths get tears.
The original Fender tweeds/bandmasters/supereverbs (blackface etc) are worth more now than when new because
they are considered vintage now and if they are no longer made the collector valued price goes up to anyone
who may still be interested in them. It's more sentimental than value in case of collectors. A tube is a tube, a
transistor a transistor. About the only real difference between the old models and the new ones is that the
older ones were made in USA (Fender California) and a LOT of the new ones are made in China..like practically
everything else these days..don't expect a chinese made Fender amp to retain even it's purchase value.
Types of speakers is another..the old Fenders had alnico magnets on them so that gave them the characteristic
sounds from the groups of the 60s/70s. The new ones are ceramic..excuse me.Pthew! (joking here of course)
but the point remains..vintage is vintage and new stock is new stock.
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I've seen a lot of older fenders on the market because the people owned them were cashing in on their "investments" Originally Posted by bmw2002
after a few years (30-40) because of demand for vintage amps. But this type of phenomenon is more related to nostalgia
than just appreciation, IMO.
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This has been an eye-opener.
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Cashing on their investments? Ever heard of inflation? Originally Posted by Daniel Kuryliak
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Yup! but inflation is just part of it. Vintage amps that are no longer made and desirable by players that Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
Cashing on their investments? Ever heard of inflation?
have money are in big demand. Add to that any collector status and all of a sudden that Fender twin reverb
that may have cost $300 in the late 60s, is worth 4 or sometimes 5 yjr the original new price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Origina...-/331053032632
The patina of age has a lot to do with the appeal..and of course original Fender issue tubes and original
Fender issue Jensen alnico speaker...is it really worth the asking price..well we have to let the interested
party be the judge here.
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http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm
300$ in 1965 equals roughly 2200$ today.
http://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-twi...65-blackface-1
Let's say this is a fair price (I think it's possible to get one for less but for the sake of it).
300$ profit in 50 years? Let's hope your pension fund manager does a little better than this
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Like I said, he's probably cashing in on his "investment" because he needs money now. Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm
300$ in 1965 equals roughly 2200$ today.
http://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-twi...65-blackface-1
Let's say this is a fair price (I think it's possible to get one for less but for the sake of it).
300$ profit in 50 years? Let's hope your pension fund manager does a little better than this
Everything in life is variable..for the rest there is always Mastercard.
Last edited by Daniel Kuryliak; 10-27-2013 at 02:20 PM.
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My story:
5 year old $3k boutique twin acquired used for $1050. Installed $300 in NOS tubes, not that it needed them. Buy used, save money. End of story.
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I have always bought mine used and on the local resellers "fleabay" market where items are advertised for free Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
and bought cash tax free.
I'm frugal..no use to pay the tax man twice in sales tax, and in Canada..any used item sold by dealers is
taxed again(13%), so the the money wasting gov't digs into your pocket as well.
I bought a Peavey Valveking 112 for $400 barely used,
Attachment 9234Attachment 9235
as the seller went to a Roland 300watt keyboard amp.Attachment 9236
why he needed 300 watts, I don't know but I hope he handed out ear plugs to his band members.
Anyway, although this amp is made in China for Peavey USA, it is using the original circuitry of that these
Peavey amps are famous for..certainly not a boutique and it doesn't claim to be. I never used the Lead
channel as I don't like overdrive that much these days, so I play only on the CLEAN channel with a wee
bit of reverb. I had to throw out the crappy Sovtek 6L6 tubes and the 12ax7 as they just sounded "weird"
with the OEM (made in China) Peavy Valve king ceramic 12 inch speaker..yuK!
I wanted RCA Blackplate 6L6, like I used to get in "old days" for a few bucks. Since they are no longer made
in the USA or by RCA, they are now worth their weight in gold as NOS tubes. Although I lusted for these,
my frugal wallet when opened , "moths came out and very little green showing", inflationary moths...LOL!
So I ordered a Tungsol 6L6 matched output pair and some better quality JJ 12ax7 tubes. Changed out the
"mediocre sounding" OEM ceramic speaker and put in a Celestion 12 Century Neodymium magnet .
Yes, the speaker was bit pricey, but I decided to spend the extra money on a better quality speaker than
spending it on vintage NOS 6L6 power tubes..Glad I did, now my sow's ear plays like a silk purse and
having class A circuitry adjust knob at the back so you can go from Class AB to Class A..it sounds very
sweet on my jazz tunes.
Attachment 9237
They even sell classic amp kits now, which while a bargain to the buyer, also serve to drive down vintage amp prices as well.
http://www.tubedepot.com/kitsguitar.htmlLast edited by Daniel Kuryliak; 10-28-2013 at 10:48 PM.
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Hi Daniel. By "Canada" you probably mean Ontario. Here in Alberta, it's 5% (same as British Columbia, Manitoba, Sakatchewan, NWT, Nunavut, and Yukon - that's 7 provinces and territories out of 13...). Originally Posted by Daniel Kuryliak
Cheers!
Last edited by Eddie Lang; 10-28-2013 at 10:33 PM.
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Eddie, this is not exactly guitar/amp content, so we need to include the obligatory content that is
required.
obg: Ok..we are discussing guitar amp resale values....
... and we all hate the tax man.
Last edited by Daniel Kuryliak; 10-28-2013 at 10:45 PM.
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Yup, taxes blow.
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