Biggest steal you've ever gotten a piece of gear for?

My 2011 Navigator Les Paul

I got it for $1560, which is, like, half of what a mint one goes for lol

Granted mine does have some chips and dings on the back, but it's nothing major
 
Stevek sold me a R8 and a R9 for 3k 8 years ago i think. The master of good deals.

Then there is a lot for cheap marshalls in denmark, ESP as well. Example Marshall JMP stack midt 70's. 800 usd. Same with ESP Eclipse 800 usd. PRS Artist 2500 usd. ESP KH-2 Vintage 2800 usd
 
Back in the day - Ibanez Blue/Pink F hole Paul Gilbert for $400, Ibanez Blue floral for $400, Kramer 80's pacer for $250, and most recent (maybe 10 years ago?), a Peavey 5150 combo for a little under $200. That amp kills
 
Peavey Rosington 4x12 with V30s and red paisleyish tolex for $100 at a thrift store
Mesa Mark 4 that turned into a steal, Paid $750 for a hardwood combo & footswitch. Sold the cab for $350 and the footswitch for $100
So the mark 4 cost $300
Mesa black dot mark 3 with 105 pt for 650
Ibanez RG7ct (24 ish made) for $650
 
Mid-2000s Triple Rec for $200. Bro blew a fuse at a show and spent no further time investigating the cause. New fuse, and good as new. Never should have sold that amp…
 
Tube Tech CL1B incorrectly marked at $250 instead of $2500 at a pawn shop. Fully functional
 
glpg80 said:
Forgot one.

I unearthed a 1971 Marshall 1992 Superbass 120W with original power tubes in upstate NY out of an estate sale. I drove 14 hours round trip to get it. Got there and found it was also a rosemary.

Grabbed it for $1600 cash. Not 3 months later I rescued a dog that needed thousands to save her life and had to flip it and also setup a go fund me.
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Well done Sir 🫡
 
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1979 JMP 2204 for $375 in 1982.
Brand new EVH 5150 4x12 with UK made EVH Blackbacks for $300.
 
I've never gotten a great deal on anything. I've had some good deals, but nothing to rave about.

But speaking of steals, I actually knew someone long ago that had a Les Paul Custom. This was when I was 17 and he was 16. I wondered how the hell he could afford it. Many years later found out from another source that he walked out of a music store with it. I lost a lot of respect for him after that. Worse of all, it happened to a local music store.
 
Not counting stuff I bought 20 years ago (back when a 5150 could be had for $300 or an explorer for $500)

More recently I got the head & cab for $1200 on marketplace. It's been my most played amp since.

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I search CL and FBMM every morning--all kinds of opportunities out there. I picked these two 2x12 EVH cabs with the orig G12H30s in them for $300 total last week

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Hmm...

Mint Marshall JMP 2204 back in '84 for $250.00. Bought at Atlanta's Rhythm City, fantastic store back in the day. Employee priced it wrong but had to honor the tag. George the owner was pissed.

My main guitar, '98 Gibson Les Paul Standard for $800.00. Called Ed Roman guitars (of all places) who had the guitar listed for much more, guy said buy it right now for $800 and it's yours. Second best playing and second best sounding guitar I've ever owned.

Two Langner DCP-1 Pre-amps, straight from Todd at $400 a piece. Every other major rack pre-amp was buku bucks, this price was a helluva deal considering they are the best sounding pre's I ever owned.

Those are probably my best deals.
 
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Ed Roman? I only had one encounter with him. I called him about a guitar I saw on his website way back in 2000. He was a little rude, but he told me, "I took that guitar down, it's no longer on the site." This was back in the day when pages of websites still showed up in search results, even if they were not supposed to be discoverable. I told him, "I wouldn't be calling you if I didn't see the guitar on your site". He was confused, but he then suggested his Quicksliver guitars.
 
BABMusic said:
Ed Roman? I only had one encounter with him. I called him about a guitar I saw on his website way back in 2000. He was a little rude, but he told me, "I took that guitar down, it's no longer on the site." This was back in the day when pages of websites still showed up in search results, even if they were not supposed to be discoverable. I told him, "I wouldn't be calling you if I didn't see the guitar on your site". He was confused, but he then suggested his Quicksliver guitars.
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Yeah it was maybe around 2000-01 when I bought that Les Paul. It was Ed I spoke with as well, maybe he just wanted it out of the shop but it was listed in the $1400 range. I sweated it until it got there thinking I was getting ripped off. Guitar is still exactly as I bought it from him, 500T in the bridge and whatever "covered" pickup model in the neck, to this day never bothered to look. The neck is like a cross between a 50's and 60's and I kinda suspect the neck was shaved and refinished but it's an amazing guitar. Maybe that's why he blew it out., regardless it's my main guitar since I bought it. I once got in an argument with Ed on my Paul Stanley Iceman, he swore up and down I didn't have a '78 PS10 model because it had the chrome electronics covers. I'm like dude here's the serial number, literally bought off the rack in 1978 by my Dad when I was a kid. Guy was a trip.
 
skoora said:
Digging that Purple on the G&L.
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I actually got a decent deal on that one. $1k shipped from the CME used section, it was absolutely mint, with the factory g&g case.

I never could get it set up quite right though, and didn't love the odd factory pickups. I installed some BKP mules a while back, and it was just super dark & muddy sounding. I assumed the tone pot wasn't getting along with the pickups, but kind of just threw the guitar on the rack & forgot about it it for a year or two. Recently, as kind of a last ditch effort; I took it to my wizard of a guitar tech who did a full fret crown/level etc. replaced the failing p/u switch and installed a treble bleed. I absolutely can't believe how much it brought the guitar back to life. I'll try to make a clip or two with it sometime in the hear future.
 
I once had to sell my butt kickin' double bass drum kit to make the mortgage payment. Sold it to a good friend for $1600. He said I could buy it back anytime. I said "Can I make payments and pick up the kit only when it's paid off?" He said sure. When I was on my feet again, I brought him my first payment of 50 bucks.

2 weeks later I got an email from him.
It said "I was thinking about when Jesus said 'Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.' Your debt to me is forgiven. Come get your drums."
Dude isn't a Christian. He's a Norse Pagan. LOL
 
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I once bought a cheap Westbury drum kit at a yard sale for $40. Turns out the snare that came with it was a 1964 Rogers Dynasonic. I sold it to a guy around the corner from me for $450.
 
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