The cost of new gear

[mavuser]

seems just yesterday that a Fender tweed Pro Jr. was 350 new and a tweed Blues Jr. was 500 or 600 new. now the Pro Jr tweed is 650 new and the Blues Jr. tweed is 800 new. I am kind of stunned. just an observation on pricing- nothing aginst those amps at all, in fact quite the opposite. they are great amps and worth the current prices, compared to the reissue silverface PR. they used to be a real steal though! saw a blues jr tweed used for 650 this week

 

[Norrissey]

I hear you Eric. Seems like high inflation in the broader economy may be starting to impact used and vintage gear prices.

 

[matsickma]

I was shocked to find the new Blues Junior (with tuner) I bought around 2000 for $350 was selling new for $500 about 5 years later after I sold mine (with a cover I added) for $300!
Kind of interesting that with world wide supply chains in place we got used to many items being less expensive over time. Now the disruption of those well organized and predictable supply lines in disarray the impact on pricing is dramatic.
Still...in 1967 I paid $435 for an amp...a Kustom 100 with Cascade tuck-n-roll with 2 12" Jensens. Looked cool but went into crazy saturation with the "fuzz box" kicked in!
I'm pretty sure $435 escellated to today's $ would put me in boutique amp price range. And some guys were dropping $1000 for Sunn amps back in the day!

 

[chazmo]

And I don't think we've nearly seen the end of the supply-chain-related cost increases in goods. I think we'll keep seeing this for at least another two years.

 

[matsickma]

Yep... I suspect it might start to clear later this year but between Ukraine and Taiwan the party may be over for predictable global commerce for a while!

 

[GAD]

There are only three ways to deal with higher costs:

Lower quality
Lower quantity
Raise prices

In stuff like food, they have been quietly lowering quantity for years. Same with toilet paper - the rolls are all smaller. Why? Because people don’t want to pay more.

With things like guitars and amps, it comes down to lower quality or higher prices. Sadly, sometimes it’s both.

 

[DrumBob]

All this is very disturbing. I was looking for a Fender Blues Junior about three years ago, and I was assured I could find a used one for about $300. No way. All of them were like $425-450. I decided to just fix my '66 Ampeg Reverberocket. That cost me $300, and it was what I should have done from the beginning. It sounds great.

 

[Default]

Low supply and high demand. This is the perfect time to sell off gear.

 

[matsickma]

Cost, Supply, Demand and Collector Demand...

I read the other day the last C7 Corvette Stingray to leave the factory went for $1.3M at Barrett Jackson auction. Then the 1st C8 Corvette Stingray went for $2M at auction.

Cost... maybe $55k, normal business Sell at $70k, low supply & high demand Sell at $110k, collector demand... Priceless (To $infinity and beyond...!

 

[lungimsam]

Talk about expensive gear. I’d love to get a Starfire II flamed maple but they are $1650 now.
Would have to sell off my Pbass and Gibson bass to raise funds and still won’t have enough!!!

 

[dreadnut]

Talk about expensive gear. I’d love to get a Starfire II flamed maple but they are $1650 now.
Would have to sell off my Pbass and Gibson bass to raise funds and still won’t have enough!!!

and it's MIC.

 

[SFIV1967]

and it's MIC.

MIK to be correct. (made at SPG)

Ralf

 

[Default]

It's a bubble.

 

[dreadnut]

Sorry, I meant MIK. I knew that.

Didn't expect to see their pricing going that high. If I was going to part with that much money, I think I would be shopping vintage. They're not giving thise away though, either, I've been tracking some SFII's.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I never buy new. Going to look at a 65 reissue Deluxe Reverb across town tomorrow. Turns out the owner works at PRS and we know a lot of the same people. Selling for $600. (Has one little 1" L shaped tear in the grill cloth. Otherwise in excellent condition.) Hope to bring it home. It's been a bucket list amp of mine for decades......but just don't want to spend $1200-1500 on new or gouged online store prices on eBay/Reverb.

 

[Neal]

My Pro Junior sat in my basement for several years after it quit during a gig.

I finally dug it out and had it fixed for $175. Best $175 I ever spent.

 

[Guildedagain]

A lack of semi conductors can cause a massive ripple effect through the global pond.

The used car market is very much affected, and so is everything else.

Energy prices affect manufacture.

Really, just accept that time has moved on.

When I met wife near 17 years ago, her Subi oil filter was $3.65, in time, double that, not that long ago, triple that, and it keeps on going, because the dollar is going down.

She's a '63 model, wife, not car, and the dollar has lost 90% of it's value since she was born.

That's not a whole lot of percents left to go.

By contrast, I just listed a guitar that sold for $89 in 1959 for $3000k.

So it balances out.