Trading Post - New Amp Day

The last trade I made was an unqualified, no regrets kind of trade. This one isn't one of those...

We talkin' about practice?

I've been on the hunt for a super low wattage tube amp for awhile - something that could be cranked in the basement without disturbing the family. Since being rid of the Super Sonic 60 (which is certainly no practice amp), I've been relying on an older Peavey Envoy solid state for late night noodling. Surely, there had to be better options.

Bye bye Two Rock

Among my ever changing collection of stuff was a Two Rock 1x12 cab that I had no use for - the heads I had used it with were long gone, so it pretty much sat in the corner collecting dust. Looked damn fine doing it, but still.

I posted the Two Rock cab up on Kijiji looking for a trade, but wasn't finding much luck. I had a few cash offers for $450, but nothing that I was willing to accept. Trades are harder to find, but you tend to get better value if you're patient.

With a few weeks going by, I had mostly given up. I posted it again for $500 cash, and got nothing. Having a Two Rock cabinet isn't the worst thing in the world in terms of maintaining value, and I knew based on the offers I'd received how quickly I could move it at $450 if I needed to. I figured I'd wait until something came up and then see if I could swing a deal.

Sure enough, after about another week went by and a Marshall DSL1-C came up for trade/sale,  I didn't have anything the poster was looking for, so I asked if cash was an option.  He replied quickly and said it was, and that he'd accept $550.

Ha.  Yeah, no.  Same amp on sale in shops for $549.  Not paying retail.

I countered with $450.  He came back with $500.  I replied $450.  He said he wanted to think about it for a day, but would definitely do $500.  

Yeah, I heard ya that first time chief.  $450 firm.  If he says no, oh well.

Peter's Rule of Business #47:  If you're not willing to walk away, you're not negotiating.

A few hours went by an he agreed.  Color me shocked.

We work out that we're going to meet in a few days, a Friday, which is perfect because I now have a cab to sell for, you guessed it, $450.  I email the first guy with the cash offer and tell him it's his if he comes and gets it.  We's about 70km away, but agrees to come most of the way, but not until Sunday.  Damn.

I hate fronting the cash for deals like this.  A two day gap isn't a big deal, but risk is risk.  The second guy pulls out and I'm left with a $450 sized hole in my bank account.  Not the end of the world, but a piss off.  He gives me his phone number, and his email address contains his first and last name, so for the most part I'm not too worried.  Still though.

I meet Marshall guy in a parking lot to make the exchange.  He tells me how great it is, how much he's going to regret it, blah blah blah.  Yeah yeah man, just sell me the damn amp.  Good news though, because he has the footswitch, original goody box with manual, and I notice that the protective plastic is still on the "special edition" plaque on the back.

Yup, another GD special edition.  So special that there I could have a brand new one tomorrow if I went to any of 3 stores off the top of my head.

Hello Marshall, I guess?

Anyway, I'm pleased as punch, and make my way home to try out my new toy.  I used a DSL100 with a 4x12 for awhile years ago, and though I don't expect that, I'm expecting something similar in a tiny package. I'll get into the details in a separate post about the amp, but it's enough to say that it is pretty underwhelming.  I guess it kind of  sounds like a Marshall, and I'm sure it would be more convincing through larger speakers, but overall I'm not impressed.  It looks cool though. Really, super, cool.

In the end, isn't that all that really matters?  No, no it isn't.

Wait - That isn't the end of my story! Sunday rolls around and the guy ends up needing to come closer to me to get something else.  Might have saved me 5 bucks in gas, but 5 bucks is 5 bucks.

Anyway, he checks out the cab, gives me the cash, and at some point in the conversation he says:

"I'm kind of the local Stevie* guy, but I've been doing more John Mayer lately."

The local Stevie guy?  You've gotta be kidding.  He said it without a hint of irony.

In case you're wondering, "Stevie" refers to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Every white guy middle class guy with a guitar imagines himself as "Stevie" at one point or another.  This guy had attained middle aged, middle class white guy supremacy, clearly.  I mean, why else could he say something like that.

Look, I'm sure the guy is talented, and I don't want to be shitty, but dude...