Christmas Roundup

Life gets busy sometimes, and with Christmas right around the corner, it's not likely to get any calmer.  Even so, this can be a great time to keep a sharp eye out for great gear.  Folks need money for gifts, extra cash to augment their Christmas money (mostly the kids), or are desperate to pay off the credit card bills (which is why you should be sharp towards the end of January too, when Christmas bills come due.

If it comes off as a bit Grinchy, that's because it probably is.  Still, I'm not sure why the Christmas spirit means I have to care about other people's consumer debt ratio...

Line 6 DT25 - $700

$700 for a Line 6 you ask?  Well, clearly you don't know about the DT25.  This is free of the digital bells and whistles, and is one of the products born of the alliance with Bogner.  My personal experience is limited with these, but friends tell me they are absolutely outstanding amps in terms of flexibility and authenticity of sound. This example is out in Owen Sound, but the owner is willing to meet someone halfway.  Take a nice drive out that way and maybe you get it for $600 plus a nice drive?

Is big bad?

Something I've noticed in the past few months is a reversal of perceived values with the Fender Blues Junior and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.  In my mind, the Blues Junior should be running you between $300 and $400, while the Deluxe should be around $500 (but not much higher).  Lately though, I've been seeing Juniors for upwards of $550 while there have been at least two clean examples of Deluxes for $400.  That is a steal for a 40 watt 6L6 1X12 combo.

I just found a 2x12 for $400 in Trenton.  Incredible.

Years ago I picked up a 4x10 (60 watts) for $500.  Great amp.  Too much amp, but if I could find one for $400...

The reason?  Well, I suppose the reality is that the vast majority of people are waking up to the reality that even 1 tube watt is really loud for a bedroom/basement amp.  Now, in my mind both the Junior and Deluxe have too much power to get saturated sounds at reasonable levels, but 15 is a smaller number than 40 I suppose.  There is interesting reading to be done about how a 50 watt amp is only x% perceptibly louder than a 100 watt amp.  That was the first link I found.  There are more.

At any rate - don't be a kijijiot (read: kijiji idiot) and pay $500 for a used Blues Junior.  You're ruining it for the rest of us.

Marshall AVT 120 -$400?!?!

Marshall's original valvestate line is becoming somewhat of a budget collectors item, and the (miguided) perception seems to be that the second series will be too.

It won't.

Look, there is nothing wrong with these amps, they're just not worth near this.  At half this price, it would be an interesting proposition, but for $400 you might be getting yourself into a Fender Deluxe (granted not the same thing) or a first series DSL 40 combo, which I've seen listed in the $400-$500 range more and more frequently.


Wahts the Problem?

Anyone else notice the flood of cheap GCB95s and the like?  I guess wahs are falling out of favor, though I can't comment as to why.  At any rate, keep your eye out for signature models form CryBaby, which usually have some nicer components, for sub $100 prices.  If you're really lucky, you might find a great deal on a Fulltone Deluxe.

Not that special Special Edition SG - $1200

I've talked about these 90s special editions SGs before, and have had the pleasure of playing one on a number of occasions thanks to a good friend. They're nice, but not $1200 nice, which is what this posted is pegging the value of a trade at.  Sure it is a limited color, but so what.  You could have an SG Standard with the binding, inlays, etc. for a grand.  Stay away from this one.

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