GuitArcher

I've been heavily toying with the idea of selling the Super Champ XD, but I'm not going to give it away. I know, it might seem greedy.  I picked it up for only $120, so anything I sell it for is sure to be a win, but as I've said in the past, the real value can be in trading if you are patient enough... Well, a few days ago I got an email offering a Super Sonic 22 for my Super Champ plus cash on my side.  I'm usually wary of what kind of cash it might require, and I'm not looking to outlay unless it is a clear win for me, and I can recoup the money in the next cycle. Actual Amp Pictured This time though, the guy has mentioned in the offer than he NEEDS  a smaller amp because he's moving in with his girlfriend. Oh my. I explained to the guy that I'm not keen, but that it never hurts to offer, so he should hit me up with what he's looking for. A day goes by, and he's now come back with a number... Four hundred bucks. Ouch. In fair...

Trading is always better than selling.

It's been quite awhile since I've done anything guitar related.  It's not that I've stopped playing, it's just that for the first time in forever I'm satisfied with what I have. Well, no, that's not quite right. I'm never satisfied, only appeased for short periods of time (Czechoslovakia only tides you over so long, right?) .  Those periods are usually extended when Kijiji is filled with nothing but $1200 US Stratocasters.  A guitar that a year ago was worth maybe $800 is now worth a cool grand? Seriously? Stranger still, there are some prices that seem to have gone the other way.  SG Standards are regularly appearing for less than a grand, which is great value if you ask me.  Wanna bet this is because of the great pricing confusion Gibson caused with the SGJ? Anyway, I wanted to get back into the mix, so I posted both Les Paul's currently in the collection, just to see what was out there. The most interesting offer has come on the Gibson...

I re-posted the Contemporary Stratocaster. Despite provenance, I'm not bonding with the guitar - too many similarities to my Eric Johnson Stratocaster make it uninteresting - an HSS setup, the 12" radius (but a much shallower neck), etc.  It's a great guitar, and the "not long for this world" locking setup is actually quite clever and easy to use. But it doesn't help that my wife is no fan, regularly commenting that it "looks dirty".  I suppose the 30 year aging of an off-white doesn't speak to everyone.  God help me in 20 years or so... I might be described as "off white", so I sympathize A couple of days in and I've received an offer that I may not be able to refuse, even though I'm not sure I'm getting value... The offer? An Edwards E-SN-145. Edwards, for those who don't know, is an ESP brand made for "Japan only".  My first experience with the brand came while living in Japan, and wandering ...

No more than 48 hours passed before I posted the Squier Stratocaster back on Kijiji.  It isn't that there is anything wrong with it, but it isn't dear, and I have a fever to feed. The fever is not cowbell, and certainly not more of it. I got a ridiculously good deal on this one, so after a good cleaning, a few high quality photos, and a quick check of market conditions, it was ready for the block.

I sold that Les Paul Studio for the princely sum of $900, which is a bit higher than they were going for at the time. Never underestimate the value of using entirely unnecessary adjectives when writing Kijiji posts - words like "vibe" and "mojo" come to mind.  Aspiring rock stars, and especially aspiring "local Stevies", eat that language up.  The whole Crossroads mythos is the stupidest thing to even happen to the guitar if you ask me***. ***Sorry.  Second Stupidest. There was a purpose to selling the Les Paul though.  There is always a purpose, and it is almost always the same - something else on the horizon, destined to make all of your tone dreams come true. And when it isn't that, it's because you're broke.  Thankfully, selling the Les Paul was about the first thing. There is always a porpoise. The object of my affection? A Dr. Z Maz 38 Senior with a custom Leyland Sound 2x12 cab.  I had read about Dr. Z for a lo...

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. ...