Man, prices for amps nowadays are insane.

[Kaa]

I'm casually searching for a lighter combo due to my rapidly breaking down body, and am just flabbergated at prices nowadays.

No flaming or shade toward anyone/anything, just wanted to share my sticker shock.

 

[Tony G]

Agreed with crazy prices. The Fender Rumble series is moderately priced and light weight. The 2x10 500 rumble is less than $700 new. That’s seems to be the bottom price in the market for a lightweight gig worthy combo.

 

[Kaa]

Agreed with crazy prices. The Fender Rumble series is moderately priced and light weight. The 2x10 500 rumble is less than $700 new. That’s seems to be the bottom price in the market for a lightweight gig worthy combo.

Agree. I'm sorta eyeballin' a Rumble 200 for$400-ish, which would cover any gig I may ever do (chances being exceptionally slim on that front).

 

[NL_Bsss65]

I'm casually searching for a lighter combo due to my rapidly breaking down body, and am just flabbergated at prices nowadays.

No flaming or shade toward anyone/anything, just wanted to share my sticker shock.

Agreed would love to upgrade from my old us3d mesa walkabput combo or grab an extension. Speaker but it seams anything worth trying or im interested in is like a full paychque

 

[Kaa]

I saw a Crate BXH220 head for cheap locally, but, that weighs 36 pounds by itself. I'd have to re-house it in a different shell, might be abl to trim some weight that way. Then, I still have to find a cab. Becoming more of a pain than I want to deal with. Looks like it's going to stay the Pandora into cans in the basement, lol.

 

[tubedude]

Could be worse, $4200.

 

[shoot-r]

I'm casually searching for a lighter combo due to my rapidly breaking down body, and am just flabbergated at prices nowadays.

No flaming or shade toward anyone/anything, just wanted to share my sticker shock.

+1!

Speaking for myself, musical equipment's prices have exceeded their value, especially boutique instruments.

I'll continue to gig with the gear I presently have, and if a need should arise, I'll go used.....they've priced me completely out of the new market.

 

[LiptonJigglers]

These are Western Australian prices.

 

[bass player 53]

Does Marc Johnson own this small and lightweight Ampeg Rocket combo? I don’t know, but he sounded great on the tiny desk concert.

 

[Kaa]

View attachment 7485222
Could be worse, $4200.

(Faints). Hey, if you got the dough, and the need, it's all good.

 

[Kaa]

These are Western Australian prices.

(Wakes up, faints again.)

 

[tubedude]

(Faints). Hey, if you got the dough, and the need, it's all good.

Actually i sold it for that.

 

[Goatrope]

Prices definitely made a leap. But at least the newer amps, by the well respected manufacturers (Mesa, etc, insert yours) will last, unlike newly manufactured appliances these days. Ten-X the price, and last 1/10 as long as the old ones. TVs, washers, dryers, dishwashers.

I'll go outside now and chastize the clouds.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Prices in general (at least in the USA) are insane...try buying RAM or a Solid State Drive for a computer right now

 

[bass12]

These are Western Australian prices.

Once in a while I wonder about how it would be living in Australia (where half my family is from). Looking at the prices of music equipment always makes the "reasons not to" list.

 

[agedhorse]

The cost, and the willingness (and/or ability) of players willing to pay what it costs to build such products in the US and Europe is why we haven’t been able to offer our amp/cabinet concepts at a price players are willing to pay.

The appetite for a $2k combo is very limited. I have looked at option after option, received over a hundred “strong” opinions from TB members who have advocated for light weight combos that are high quality but not necessarily Subway quality.

So far, I haven’t been successful at an acceptable solution, but I am always open to hearing more suggestions.

 

[Low End Scum]

I'm casually searching for a lighter combo due to my rapidly breaking down body, and am just flabbergated at prices nowadays.

No flaming or shade toward anyone/anything, just wanted to share my sticker shock.

It's all been quite a surprising experience. From basses basically doubling in price in the last 10 years and amps doing nearly the same. I was very surprised to see the Sunn 300t recently at 1.5k to 1.8k. I bought and sold 1 for 800 dollars 13 years ago. At that time the expensive amp I lusted after was an Aguilar DB750 which is not too dissimilarly priced on Reverb.

I've moderately more than doubled what I made at that time (fresh out of college) and feel darn near no better off for purchasing power related to gear.

 

[JazznFunk]

The rise in prices since 2020 has been eye watering. Prices were bottom-barrel during the pandemic, and that's when I bought my 2 MarkBass 2x10 cabs and 2 different heads, along with a couple of other pieces of gear. The prices on the amps have risen far more than the cabs, although anything Neo has risen significantly for obvious reasons. It also doesn't help that people are pricing used gear at current-new-gear prices too. It keeps the whole market inflated.

 

[BassHole1]

A few months ago, I picked up a Rumble 100 from GC used (in great shape) for $129 and out the door for about $140! Picked up in person so no s/h. I just gigged it and it works great for a small room - this was a coffee shop with a live band and was perfect.

 

[mellowgerman]

Amps seem expensive, but if you adjust for inflation compared to the cheaper prices we remember from years gone by, it often comes out in the wash.

Also though, in a world where most folks don't hesitate to sign up for a payment plan on a $1000+ iPhone every time a new model comes out, while being happy to provide their bank account info for multiple redundant streaming services (that quietly increase their prices regularly) and pay for UberEats delivery on their $10 Starbucks coffee... why wouldn't amp manufacturers charge enough for their amps to be able to support a comfortable quality of living for their employees?

I'm happy to lug my Acoustic 370 and Genzler 2x12 cab along-side my ancient Android cellphone. Maybe I'm just lucky to be satisfied with the tone and volume the 370 provides (and don't mind the size/weight)... after that, I just prioritized a nice modern lightweight cab over absurdly expensive tech devices and unnecessary subscriptions/services. If that's the compromise I have to make to own bass gear I enjoy, sign me up! Of course, different strokes for different folks and your mileage may vary!

EDIT: the above image is referring to me being a ranting grumpy luddite when it comes to modern tech and spending trends, not directed at anyone else in this thread