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When have you ever bought equipment that was much better than planned?

#21
My stuff was in transit between continents floating on a boat recently and I bought a Fender Rumble 100 at a 'pawnshop' chain - Cash Convertors. They even found me a mint lefty Ibanez SR500 too from one of their nearby chain stores, as I asked if they had any lefties. The Ibanez is very good as expected, but the Fender Rumble exceeded my expectations in a big way. I still have it and use it for convenience, despite being a discrete rack pieces person for more than two decades, and despite the red lights in the port. I remember having a Peavey 1X15 combo when I was in my teens and could never get a sound I liked out of it. This Fender seems not to offend my ears, or sound wanting in the trouser flap area. I might fit an L-Pad to the piezo horn but otherwise I could see myself doing gigs with this combo, and have certainly been rehearsing with it. Completely adequate in a two guitar and drums set up, in terms of volume and tone at small club levels.
 
#22
fenderhutz said:
I bought a BG250 from TC Electronic this past week...TC Electronic has hit some sort of magic with this amp.
Click to expand...

+1

I think that there's a tendency with gear lust/GAS and forum browsing to build things up before we get them in our hands. For me, this has meant that while I've been very happy with some things I've bought, nothing has really "blown me away" in terms of surpassing that build up.

But in terms of tone, punch and loudness...especially at its weight, I'd have to say that the BG250 has left me more impressed than anything else I've bought, relative to my expectations.
 
#23
When I was way younger I used to practice in one town and live in another. I didnt have a car so I caught the bus 40 miles to practice. I decided to buy a 2nd bass to save having to carry one on the bus. I picked up an Ovation Magnum for $235. It isn't everyones cup of tea, but no other bass sounds like it. I have yet to find any other bass that sounds so good with massive overdrive/distortion/fuzz.
The other one was my Mesa Bass 400. Honestly I didn't want to like it. Mesa 400's were kind of the amp du jour back in the 90's. I'd always associated them with funk metal and butt rock bands. But to be honest, those amps get loud as hell, weigh much less than an SVT and sound fantastic on anything. I've played guitar and synth through my Mesa and it was better on guitar than MANY guitar amps!
 
#24
I got a lot more than I expected when I bought my Carvin MB-210 Microbass amp. Sure, it was a 210. Sure, it was rated at 200W, but I just figured it would be kinda cheesy based on the fact that is was about $350 brand new. I know $350 is a lot of money (at least it is to me), but $350 doesn't typically buy a lot of amp if you want something good.

I was really surprised at just how good this amp sounds, how much sound it actually puts out, how light/portable it is, and how well built it is. Not to mention a lot of the features it has, which make it a very good deal at the prices Carvin charges.

So yeah, I bought something that really exceeded my expectations. It's a keeper.
 
#25
Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I think both my basses are exceptionally good buys. I've had the Magnum (III) since 1982, new off the shelf, and it is just so sweet. Chunky and broad tone, very versatile, and a neck pickup to die for. It has a mature set of round wounds on it and they sound punchy and silky at the same time.

Last summer, I picked up a Hofner Ignition because I wanted to try the other end of the spectrum: half the weight (literally), hollow body, short scale, flat wounds, the McCartney mystique and all... I've been delighted. The workmanship and materials are excellent; love the tones I can get; and it feels like you're holding a banjo.

So on the subject of much better than planned, I can say that about all (both) of my basses.
 
#28
Back in 2008 I was looking for a lightweight combo that also had some juice and was very reliable. I didn't know a thing about Markbass, but bought a 121H combo based solely on reviews. I was blown away with the sound and quality! I've been a Markbass fan ever since. Ultimately, I wanted something more than a 112 combo, so I have since purchased a Little Mark III head and two 151P cabs. That rig can do any gig I ever play. Now looking at a Big Bang.
 

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