I’d say roughly $1800 for one in good shape here. I’ve seen some abused looking ones being sold for around $1100
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Big Amps will come back one day!!!
- Thread starter jkalads
- Start date
I’d say roughly $1800 for one in good shape here. I’ve seen some abused looking ones being sold for around $1100
Then there’s Wata’s pedal collection(at the end)…And that's just the rehearsal room
Then why is there so much marketing to state as you do and yet a 40+ year old Marshall Super Bass will draw more attention from other bass players to a no contest degree?
Even in these times, a set of powder tubes will cost about $100. My last 2 retubes cost less than that including tubes, labour and biasing.
It has never broken down, never let me down and will never be for sale. Fact is, a 100W Marshall is enough power with the right cabinet for any modern day gig. Match it with a 400W Sealed Marshall VBC cab and the thick, articulate tones are exactly what most bass players strive for.
I love big amps, but I also like small amps; I just love amps LOL...
My back says no to big amps. Maybe they make a substantial return, maybe they don't, won't make a difference to me.
I got my 50th anniversary Heritage SVT in like new condition for 1400USD
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,770
- 40,445
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
WOW! That speaks volumes about what kind of prices large/heavy gear is commanding these days for what is genuinely premium and highly regarded equipment. IMO amps like this are valued by many for reasons that are often outweighed (no pun intended) by their weight and/or size. However, they are still bargain priced by the market presumably due to low demand.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,984
- 5
- 220,759
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Yes, that’s pretty close to what it costs to build.
I could not get over the condition and the price, it is a 2018 product, so it sat unused likely, covered as it still had the hang tag and was not even dusty internally. I traded a couple items (and got more in trade than I paid) and got a further discount over the tag price which was 1600, I was only out of pocket @1200 all told . I missed my old SVT, could not pass it up. I had just acquired an empty LabSeries 2x15 for 100 so it was a perfect situation
loaded that cab with Kappalite 3015 that I got for less than 300 for the pair.goes to @agedhorse opinion that the market for this type of product is limited, and practical use? It will be fun to drag it out. I just lucked out overall and am a happy dinosaur.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,984
- 5
- 220,759
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
This is one challenge to bringing new amps of this type to market. The development costs, safety certifications and tooling/NRE's need to be amortized over a smaller number of amps, which drives up the cost. Then, purchasing components and metalwork in small quantities further pushes up the cost... to the point where used amps can be purchased for less than the manufacturer's cost of building a new amp.
I'm not really sure what you are trying to say here, but it appears to me you are suffering from confirmation bias. I've been playing bass for 30 years. I have never even seen a Marshall Super Bass. In fact, I've never seen a bassist ever playing a Marshall amp, period.
From my perspective, there is virtually zero interest in Marshall bass amps. If I were interested in returning to using tube amps, I wouldn't be looking for a Marshall, at all, I'd be looking for a Trace Elliot V-Type (again, I used to own two of them), a Mesa/Boogie, an Aguilar, a Demeter, an Eden, or an Ampeg.
If there were really more interest in large heavy amps, that's what manufacturers would be making. There clearly isn't, because modern technology has obviated the need for amps to be big and heavy. That doesn't make older, bigger, and heavier amps not sound good, it just makes them older, bigger, and heavier.
Marshall - and Orange - tube bass amps are popular in certain genres. I'd have said Orange much more so, but Marshall still have some bass fans. If you've never seen a bassist use a Marshall amp, from that I can deduce that you never saw Motörhead live.
Only player I know of that was a diehard Marshall guy was Lemmy
Yep. Not a fan of that kind of music, so I would never have paid to see them.
I wouldn't call him a diehard Marshall guy, but Chris squire had his original Marshall super bass in his rig in the 90s and 2,000s. Pretty sure it was used in may recordings as well..many,not may
Pic from the day I unpacked my Lemmy 13 years ago. Still have it and still use it on appropriate gigs. But Marshall bass amps were never as popular as Ampegs. Conversely, I have never owned an Ampeg product.
While that is true, do not under estimate manufacturers ability/desire to change buying habits for their own reasons and benefits. This happens to almost all consumer products. Coco Cola didn't come up with the "new taste" coke back in the '80s because people were asking for it. They just decided they wanted to do it. Then had to back track quickly after its release and keep the original formula coke in the market place.
On the flip side, consumers can't buy what isn't there. If more tube amps were readily available then maybe there would be more people buying. Probably not I guess. Being able to fit your rig in a back pack seems to be more the norm these days.
The future demand for new tube behemoths will be filled by boutique small builders, at exorbitant prices.
The old stuff, will still be out there but since there is less and less demand for vacuum tubes, the already dwindling supply of new tubes from limited suppliers will further depress availability. This will increase the cost of consuming these tubes with use, to extraordinary levels.
The old stuff, will still be out there but since there is less and less demand for vacuum tubes, the already dwindling supply of new tubes from limited suppliers will further depress availability. This will increase the cost of consuming these tubes with use, to extraordinary levels.
*Boomer guy struggling to slide his giant cab out of his SUV*
"Big amps are back, I tell ya!"
*has to wiggleshift it left and right to get it out far enough to tilt*
"About time, right? Small amps are weak!"
*grunting, frustrated noises*
"Yep, nothing's as awesome as this!"
*struggles to slowly tilt cab down, sweating*
"This really moves some air!"
*gasps for said air. has to use foot as wedge fulcrum to get cab upright. doesn't hurt foot this time.*
"This here's what really does the trick. Always will!"
*wheels cab into venue knocking into door frames, trash cans, etc*
"Class D? More like class Dumb hahah!"
*Enlists guitarist to help carry giant, expensive, delicate head*
*Argues with sound tech about stage volume during check*
Me: *shrugs. runs direct from Sansamp or Darkglass. Sounds better out front.*
Jokes aside, IRL I'd help that guy of course. Maybe he'll let me play through it
. Big rigs are very fun to rock with no doubt, but any stage that needs that size of a rig is using a PA that can handle a direct signal quite well. I think clubs and festivals should have them backlined, especially clubs in big cities where space is at a premium and public transportation is available to performers. I've had and sold a couple 2x15s and an 8x10. Now that I've got a Quilter Bassliner 12 I'm wondering if I even need my Fender 4x10. I'll still keep my Peavey 1x15 around though. It may not be my best cab, but my wife had the front cloth customized so it's special to me 
.
"Big amps are back, I tell ya!"
*has to wiggleshift it left and right to get it out far enough to tilt*
"About time, right? Small amps are weak!"
*grunting, frustrated noises*
"Yep, nothing's as awesome as this!"
*struggles to slowly tilt cab down, sweating*
"This really moves some air!"
*gasps for said air. has to use foot as wedge fulcrum to get cab upright. doesn't hurt foot this time.*
"This here's what really does the trick. Always will!"
*wheels cab into venue knocking into door frames, trash cans, etc*
"Class D? More like class Dumb hahah!"
*Enlists guitarist to help carry giant, expensive, delicate head*
*Argues with sound tech about stage volume during check*
Me: *shrugs. runs direct from Sansamp or Darkglass. Sounds better out front.*
Jokes aside, IRL I'd help that guy of course. Maybe he'll let me play through it
. Big rigs are very fun to rock with no doubt, but any stage that needs that size of a rig is using a PA that can handle a direct signal quite well. I think clubs and festivals should have them backlined, especially clubs in big cities where space is at a premium and public transportation is available to performers. I've had and sold a couple 2x15s and an 8x10. Now that I've got a Quilter Bassliner 12 I'm wondering if I even need my Fender 4x10. I'll still keep my Peavey 1x15 around though. It may not be my best cab, but my wife had the front cloth customized so it's special to me .
