Rick Davis
465 posts
Jun 04, 2010
1:58 PM
|
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2010 3:46 PM
|
Kingley
1234 posts
Jun 04, 2010
2:12 PM
|
I agree with you Rick. I'd say that you should never buy any amp as an "investment". You should buy them to play through.
|
Joe_L
321 posts
Jun 04, 2010
2:38 PM
|
The law of supply and demand works. You can't really get around it.
Recently, I spoke with some friends that are in the business of buying and selling gear. They believe that the demand for vintage/boutique equipment is currently low. Very low. People aren't spending. More people are selling. They are picking up items at discounted prices.
In the case of one of the two SJ2's that were listed on ebay, I know one of the owners. He was in a financial pinch and needed the money. He had been trying to unload that amp locally for a few months. A year ago, that same amp was selling for $1200 on ebay. That amp was in great shape. Someone got a nice amp at a good price.
The SJ410 you reference on ebay only lasted for a couple of hours and it was an $1100 Buy It Now w/ free shipping. Time didn't work in my favor as someone beat me to it.
I suppose when unemployment is high, people are reluctant to spend money on high ticket, non-essential items.
|
Cisco
131 posts
Jun 04, 2010
2:41 PM
|
Doesn't have to be a boutique amp. Any slightly used Fender amp will sell for half the new price - it's been that way for quite a few years.
|
Joe_L
324 posts
Jun 04, 2010
2:53 PM
|
Good point. I bought a Bassman LTD in pristine condition for $700. It was a lot lower than the $1200 the original owner had paid. I paid $200 for a Pro Jr which was less than the $350 price at Guitar Center.
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2010 2:53 PM
|
Rick Davis
468 posts
Jun 04, 2010
3:03 PM
|
I agree, Cisco. Fender amps (and most other amps I can think of) take a big dip in value as soon as you buy it. But Fender does not claim the amp is an investment that retains its value. I'm not running down Fender amps, or any other amp. I'm questining the veracity of claims that any new harp amp retains its value over time.
----------
-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
Mission Harp Amps
|
Joe_L
325 posts
Jun 04, 2010
3:25 PM
|
Rick - have any of the amp builders claimed that they are an investment?
|
Cisco
132 posts
Jun 04, 2010
3:37 PM
|
Well I checked out two sites and one certainly does right on the front page:
"Sonny Jr. Harp Amps are an investment that retain their value year after year"
HarpGear doesn't and I have not checked all the other harp amp manufacturers. So it seems - so far - that this is aimed at one specific manufacturer - again.
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2010 3:38 PM
|
kudzurunner
1542 posts
Jun 04, 2010
3:37 PM
|
@Rick: There are an awful lot of boutique amps out there. Given your recent and (very) extensive campaign on this forum for an amp that I won't name here, a campaign that repeatedly put Sonny Jr. amps front and center as suffering by comparison with the unnamed amp in purely technical terms, I'm unhappy, frankly, with the fact that you've opened a second front and have--ta da!!--once again put Sonny Jr. amps front and center.
This is starting to look like a personal vendetta, frankly, and it's one that is likely to have direct economic consequences for Gary Onofrio. My conscience tells me that this forum should not be a party to that.
Let me put this very, very clearly: cease and desist. I don't care if your observations about Sonny Jr. amps are 100% true. Please make them on your blog, not here.
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2010 3:50 PM
|
Rick Davis
469 posts
Jun 04, 2010
3:52 PM
|
I thought it was an interesting topic from a purely "Consumer Reports" kind a angle. Sorry if it offended. Taking on the status quo is what I do.
----------
-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
Mission Harp Amps
|
Greg Heumann
506 posts
Jun 04, 2010
4:31 PM
|
Rick, if you just "took on the status quo", there would be an equal number of your amp related posts about HarpGear, Meteor, HarpKing, Wezo and other amps. But as anyone can plainly see, your seem to always take direct aim at Sonny Jr.
Please don't insult my intelligence or anyone elses' here by suggesting that it was "just an interesting "consumer reports" kind of angle. Give me a break.
----------
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
Last Edited by on Jun 05, 2010 4:42 AM
|
Rick Davis
470 posts
Jun 04, 2010
5:01 PM
|
Greg, Greg, Greg, calm down. Gary Onofrio makes wonderful amps, I've said that over and over.
----------
-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
Mission Harp Amps
|
Nastyolddog
830 posts
Jun 04, 2010
6:33 PM
|
Yo Rick i came back to read this thread after my walk
whats with removing your post?
how can i respond to the original question if you remove it?
so How much would a $999 Mission amp reduce in value as soon as you walk out the door and thats befor you play it Bro, knock 200+ bills of the Price:(
Reading all your Hype about the Mission amp being good value for money worth the investment quick get one now befor the price jacks up, didn't you think this would back fire on you Bro:(
if investing in a Harp amp for future investment hopeing the Price will go up Give up now it won't happen:(
but if your are buying a Harp amp for it's tone
you could say your makeing an investment in your Tone:)
thats when you need to spend your money wisely not buy some Johny come lately parts bin mock up amp:(
not all amps are going to work for you or me or suit my Microphone,
so when it comes to Boutique amps are we makeing an investment in Tone more so than Makeing an investment with our Money?
|
bigd
164 posts
Jun 04, 2010
7:27 PM
|
It has been my experience that top name harp amps are always resell-able (although less so these past two years for economic reasons). My own formula has always been to discount an item by at least 300 to move it. I also felt this was fair relative to owning amps for a year plus and getting performance time out of them. I've sold both the 2 and 4 10'' versions of the Harpking (the latter I sold at a steeper discount because Dennis G. is a friend), a Kendrick 10''12'', and Minimeat. Other lesser widely- known- name harp amps such as a Fat Dog or the Mission, etc. (actually I owned a Mission 10'' commissioned by Steve Warner of thunderharp mikes some years ago) are less easy to move. Although not relative to the thread in my case each time I sold an amp it was to finance the next. I live happily with a mixture of small to large Magnatones and Premiers these days. Amps I sold I'd still like to own, e.g., I wished I hadn't: The Kinder 2 10'' Soulful (HK) and the Mission with a 10'' (although Bruce communicated that the 1 10'' I once upon a time owned has no relationship to the newer harp amps he's creating now via an email). One reason I had been willing to experiment with a big expensive name amp (when I have the bread to do so) was it's resale potential. d
----------
Myspace: dennis moriarty
|
Ev630
540 posts
Jun 04, 2010
8:26 PM
|
I've never lost money on the resale of HG, Meteor or SJ amps. Of course, you need to watch the market as demand drops in an economic downturn - as has been pointed out.
I wouldn't want to sell my Clark's right now (not that I ever would) because it is a buyer's market. On Rick's blog some guy comments that a guitar player friend picked up an SJ410 for about $1200 and that saved him dough on trying to score a Victoria. Well, that guy mustn't be too sharp, because if you lurk at the Gear Page "Amps & Cabs Emporium" you can pick up Victoria 45410s and 35310s for around that price if you're patient. There's a 35310 there right now for 1350 negotiable and I've seen similar amps at the $1100 mark. Lot of terrific vintage amps for insane prices, too.
Indeed, I just bought the Clark Beaufort premium with all the bells and whistles for $1800. Half price.
A buyer's market and I'm a happy buyer...
|
Joe_L
331 posts
Jun 04, 2010
9:46 PM
|
It's not uncommon to find Victoria 45410's or 35310's for around $1200 on craigslist. Those are great harp amps.
|
