New vs Used

Davidandalanna · #1 01-30-2011, 07:14 PM

Do you prefer to buy new or used amps? Why?

BurningSkies · #2 01-30-2011, 07:22 PM

New cabs, used amps.

jnewmark · #3 01-30-2011, 07:25 PM

Used amps, usually because they are too expensive new, and the way things get turned over here on TalkBass, I sometimes get a great deal !

allexcosta · #4 01-30-2011, 07:31 PM

New. Sometimes you fry an amp and it keeps working... Someone buys it and gets trouble... Good amps are cheap these days. Spend an extra 100 bucks and buy new with warranty and everything else...

**Staccato** · #5 01-30-2011, 07:33 PM

Not every amp is still made, and many of those 'discontinued' amps are low mileage, and pop up for sale! Many, many desirable models...

kosmicwizard · #6 01-30-2011, 07:40 PM

Used. I find the prices to be better than new, and I trust that TBer's treat there gear good enough to get nice stuff for less than store prices. I also am into heads that are currently out of production. The only two that appeal to me that are being presently made are the Streamliner 900 and the Ashdown Drophead 200, and I am only curious about them. Cheers.

strummin · #7 01-30-2011, 07:47 PM

In this economy, people sometimes part with good equipment they'd rather not have to. Picked up an SWR from a guy who needed cash and was selling his backup amp. Would never have been able to touch it new.

fdeck · #8 01-30-2011, 07:51 PM

Depends on the price difference. For cheap gear, saving 50 bucks might not be worth giving up the warranty. Also, free shipping tips the scales towards new gear.

kranahan · #9 01-30-2011, 07:57 PM

Used. You can't beat the prices. You just need to ask the proper questions before hand. If its a big purchase, then be sure to have the amp checked by a tech before the transaction. I will never buy new again especially when companies these days are ripping the consumer off by huge margins!

**DougD** · #10 01-30-2011, 08:02 PM

New if at all possible, For the warrante and to keep from getting burned

Crabby · #11 01-30-2011, 09:02 PM

New can be very comforting when there are repair issues but often the deals available used are just too good to pass up.

rllefebv · #12 01-30-2011, 09:03 PM

Used... Hard to find vintage gear 'new'...

-robert

DeepCalls2Deep · #13 01-30-2011, 09:05 PM

used. only had one amp new... its lasted forever, and I just recently sold it. had several used, including my Mesa which has a transferable warranty, which I got.

**DougD** · #14 01-30-2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crabby

New can be very comforting when there are repair issues but often the deals available used are just too good to pass up.

Good point

steamthief · #15 01-30-2011, 09:27 PM

It depends. I prefer new, but used gear can be too good to pass up. I just got a used OBC410 for about 30% the price of new. It's got some road wear, but it sounds spectacular.

onosson · #16 01-30-2011, 09:29 PM

I've never bought a brand new bass amp in 25+ years of playing bass.

Marton · #17 01-30-2011, 09:37 PM

I bought some basses/amps/cabs new, but I always end up selling them. So now, I only buy used, so generally don't lose any money when I change gear. Buying something for $1000 and selling it 1 year later for $600 was not a good investment IMO.

1971sg · #18 01-30-2011, 10:06 PM

If you have the money buy new. Can't beat the feeling of getting new equipment and ripping open the box. "Hmm,love the smell of new equippment in the morning".

But recently because of a tight budget I have been buying equipment that is very old and still functions great for a fraction of the price of new equipment. But still, there is no feeling like buying it new with the warranty(plus most music stores have return policies). It feels like "It's mine" versus "It's my step-child" but I love him.

If you buy new, make sure it's good quality equipment that blows away most used equipment then you'll never regret it and you'll keep it for a long time and it will last.

Let's make some Music!!!

GrowlerBox · #19 01-30-2011, 11:03 PM

Trick question, right?

hrgiger · #20 01-30-2011, 11:59 PM

I find that for the same amount of $ usually I can get a much higher quality piece of used gear than I can get new. also, and this seems backwards compared to others thinking, when I see a 'worn' piece of equipment that is known to be a desirable piece, I am encouraged knowing that it has seen quite a bit of use and is going strong. regardless of whether it has been serviced previously or not, all of us have read so many stories about pres and amps that have seen very light to almost no use that when drug out of storage, something lets go shortly thereafter. the fact that they look new scares me a lot more than when they look like they've been through a war. likewise with cabs, you can get used quality ones so much cheaper (and we've all read the sad stories about new cabs with big problems) that I am not fearful (no pun intended) about driver problems in the future, that is just part of playing.