Yeah, I've got to agree with mr. CL400 here. I LOVE Sunn gear, but for that kind of money I'd be shopping for an SVT and a killer cab. I refuse to participate in the over-inflation of Sunn pricing.
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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out
- Thread starter Korladis
- Start date
Well, a) I think we're looking for different things in a rig, and b) I could give a rats ass about Sunn's image, and it honestly bothers me when people think I only use them because they're trendy or whatever. I collect Sunns as well as use them as my main amps because I love them as amps. I understand other people might want more power out of amps or better speakers than the JBLs, but they're what I like for my sound, so please don't knock my preference for them as being just about their "image". Again, as I said, I wouldn't even consider it if he wasn't willing to knock $600 off of it, and even at that price it'd have to be a museum piece. If it had all original tubes with low hours, original JBLs, had been serviced, as was tip top cosmetically, I'd consider $1500 to be an alright price given the heads sell for about $1000 now a days. Now is it likely to happen that he'd drop $900 off his price? Doubt it, so I'm not in any real likelihood going to purchase his amp, but I don't think anything awful ever came from shooting a guy an email to ask some details about the equipment he's selling.
I guess my point is better illustrated by the fact that before Sunn became trendy, you could have picked up this kind of a rig for a LOT less. That isnt to say it isnt good, but in the market right now that price is inflated because of image. I am not saying that it is the image you are chasing after, but rather that if you are interested in the gear for what it does, you will still have to pay for that image. If you wont, someone else who is in it for the image, will. Sadly that drives up the price for those that want it for its sound.
For me, I am only looking at what the rig will do/sound like. None of my cabs are branded, and the majority of my amps say "peavey" on them, and they are not even the peaveys that have a cult following.
If I had direction to build a low powered tube amp S/D rig, and $2500 to spend, it would be one of those HD130's and two 215's loaded with 15PR400's. That is because I like how the amp sounds with those drivers, and I like how loud the drivers will get with that amount of power. That's just me though.
I've never been in love with Sunn gear so I wouldn't pay that price.
It's really hard for me to tell somebody something their GASsing for is a bad deal.
Hype is everything in the used market. Look at the price of T-40s, it's tripled in the last 5 years. Maybe the value of an item will go down after the hype dies but the longer you wait to get one the harder vintage stiff gets to find.
Of course in your case you've got one already D.M.N. plus it's on the wrong side of the country. Think of the annoyance of lugging it home when schools over. Add that to whatever price you talk the seller down to.
Course two matched stacks of vintage gear is worth more than double the price of either one...
It's really hard for me to tell somebody something their GASsing for is a bad deal.
Hype is everything in the used market. Look at the price of T-40s, it's tripled in the last 5 years. Maybe the value of an item will go down after the hype dies but the longer you wait to get one the harder vintage stiff gets to find.
Of course in your case you've got one already D.M.N. plus it's on the wrong side of the country. Think of the annoyance of lugging it home when schools over. Add that to whatever price you talk the seller down to.
Course two matched stacks of vintage gear is worth more than double the price of either one...
This is all true. The T-40 interested me, if I could get one for ~$300. They used to be cheap and easy to find. Now you have guys asking +$700 for them. They are good, but for my goals, I can get more for that kind of cash.
I will agree that a second stack would increase your sale as a whole down the road.
i bought a sunn 2000s head for 200 bones at musician's bargain basement in akron ohio in 96, an amazing head that my parents refused to store when i finished college and moved to LA, as much as i loved this head i couldn't justify paying 2 grand now for another one and i went with the mesa d180, because i could live with 675 for the mesa with the skb case and mesa hollywood can fix it anytime and any part
A local shop had a really clean 2000S stack a few months ago. I wasn't shopping for a new amp, but I was drawn to it. I checked the price tag: $2100!! I scoffed loudly and involuntarily.
The tech came over and said that he had to replace the OT, that's why they were charging so much. He also mentioned that they bought the set for next to nothing (because of that blown transformer). I mentioned that I thought it was still a bit high, but wished them good luck selling the thing.
Went back a month later and it was gone. Asked the sales guy about it and he said that someone came in and paid full price without even trying to haggle.
So yeah, people are willing to pay out the nose for those amps.
I'm not.
EDIT: MPDD, I got my Sentura II and a Crate cab loaded with Celestion Greenbacks for $400 around the same time that you got your 2000S.
The tech came over and said that he had to replace the OT, that's why they were charging so much. He also mentioned that they bought the set for next to nothing (because of that blown transformer). I mentioned that I thought it was still a bit high, but wished them good luck selling the thing.
Went back a month later and it was gone. Asked the sales guy about it and he said that someone came in and paid full price without even trying to haggle.
So yeah, people are willing to pay out the nose for those amps.
I'm not.
EDIT: MPDD, I got my Sentura II and a Crate cab loaded with Celestion Greenbacks for $400 around the same time that you got your 2000S.
Agreed. The Sunn trend has become a huge pain in my ass. My first 2000s I got for $800 with original tubes in pretty much NOS condition, but you used to be able to get them even cheaper. Discounting how cheap they used to be, I think around $1000 is a fair price for what they actually are, hand wired amps of such calibre, but I see ratty beat up ones trying to sell for way over that far too often. I'm only looking for nice condition ones, and the trendiness has only made it tougher and tougher to get ahold of them.
And honestly, I can build a high quality 2000s cab and load it with JBLs way cheaper and just pick up another nice 2000s. Or 1000s or 1500s (don't have those yet, gotta catch 'em all).
I'd also like to try those Faitals out at some point, some one said they're similar to the JBL 140s.
i have it in the skb for the waterproof nature of the skb, because i drive a pickup, the normal chassis is pretty much military grade as they say
janitor: greenbacks? never tried them, had the sidewinder in the marshall ibs 115, the only cab i could fit in my corolla
janitor: greenbacks? never tried them, had the sidewinder in the marshall ibs 115, the only cab i could fit in my corolla
- Sep 3, 2003
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- Endorsing Artist: Fuzzrocious Pedals
Question regarding the Mesa D-180... is there enough protection in it's normal chassis? Is putting it in a rack case useful? Where can I find a green one?
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Pretty sure they do custom color tolex too. Green everything
Question regarding the Mesa D-180... is there enough protection in it's normal chassis? Is putting it in a rack case useful? Where can I find a green one?
@JMac- Wiskerface Designs could probably build you one.... Who built your Terror case?
My brother in law. He does great work but it would probably take him months to get a chance to build it. I've been wanting to build a new pedal board with him and that still hasn't happened cause he's just too damn busy haha.
