Why are amplifiers so expensive now?

  • Thread starter Thread starter richedie
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richedie

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It seems like amp prices have gotten out of control! You can't get an American made high end, well built, great sounding high gain EL-34 or 6L6 amps new for less than $1800 and you can't get one used for less than $1200 if you are lucky.
 
I think the EVH 5153 50W is a steal @ $999.99 myself....just for one example. There are others out there as well for a decent price. The Carvin Legacy III comes to mind. I even got my Peavey JSX for $799.99 brand new....although, it was on clearance.
 
Tone Zone":1i0gqamx said:
I think the EVH 5153 50W is a steal @ $999.99 myself....just for one example. There are others out there as well for a decent price. The Carvin Legacy III comes to mind. I even got my Peavey JSX for $799.99 brand new....although, it was on clearance.
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Sorry, I should have mentioned American made. I tried the new 5153 and did not like it. Next to a high end American made amp, I thought it was pretty bad. :(
I can't stand Carvins, I owned a few.
Sorry, I don't consider Peavey high end. I used to have a Peavey Ultra and Triple XXX. When I started buying Mesa, Bogner, PWE, Fryette, ertc.....it was a huge step up in tone and quality.

Thanks!
 
richedie":5dq6i5lu said:
Tone Zone":5dq6i5lu said:
I think the EVH 5153 50W is a steal @ $999.99 myself....just for one example. There are others out there as well for a decent price. The Carvin Legacy III comes to mind. I even got my Peavey JSX for $799.99 brand new....although, it was on clearance.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have mentioned American made. I tried the new 5153 and did not like it. Next to a high end American made amp, I thought it was pretty bad. :(
I can't stand Carvins, I owned a few.
Sorry, I don't consider Peavey high end. I used to have a Peavey Ultra and Triple XXX. When I started buying Mesa, Bogner, PWE, Fryette, ertc.....it was a huge step up in tone and quality.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

No disrespect intended, but why are you stuck on it being "American made" exactly? There are well built amps being made at a lot of places nowadays. I personally don't go by what is perceived to be "high-end"....I just let me ears decide that. There are a lot of "high-end" amps out there, that are simply overpriced. If you don't want to pay for what those guys are asking, you should just find a cheaper alternative and piss on 'em. Or, just buy used.....nothing wrong with that.
 
In the custom audio world it gets nuts. I have no idea how guys afford herberts, hagens, or axe fx units regardless of where they are made.
 
glpg80":1hvhozi8 said:
In the custom audio world it gets nuts. I have no idea how guys afford herberts, hagens, or axe fx units regardless of where they are made.
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It just takes having a good job and saving your pennies. That is what I do. LOL
 
The market is dictated by what we are all willing to pay. Guitar players are like any other person who is passionate about a hobby or profession. It's easy to get carried away....... But it's just fun to me and many others I assume.
 
Can find used Electa Dynes, Rectos, and Marks around $1,000 or less; and they're very close to $1,800 new. Mesa stuff rocks.
 
Buy a Splawn......I have tried every amp out there and the 2012 Splawns are the winner for me and they are had at great prices :rock:
 
glpg80":2ht7sbqk said:
In the custom audio world it gets nuts. I have no idea how guys afford herberts, hagens, or axe fx units regardless of where they are made.
Click to expand...

hahahaha, when talking to other dar customers they are like of this is my 14th amp i just ordered two others blah blah. im like ummmm.... i have 7 dollars in my bank account lol.

now that is because i spent it all on gear and they all have a good 20 years on me so yeah, but i though it was funny
 
Tone Zone":1fspjf20 said:
richedie":1fspjf20 said:
Tone Zone":1fspjf20 said:
I think the EVH 5153 50W is a steal @ $999.99 myself....just for one example. There are others out there as well for a decent price. The Carvin Legacy III comes to mind. I even got my Peavey JSX for $799.99 brand new....although, it was on clearance.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have mentioned American made. I tried the new 5153 and did not like it. Next to a high end American made amp, I thought it was pretty bad. :(
I can't stand Carvins, I owned a few.
Sorry, I don't consider Peavey high end. I used to have a Peavey Ultra and Triple XXX. When I started buying Mesa, Bogner, PWE, Fryette, ertc.....it was a huge step up in tone and quality.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

No disrespect intended, but why are you stuck on it being "American made" exactly? There are well built amps being made at a lot of places nowadays. I personally don't go by what is perceived to be "high-end"....I just let me ears decide that. There are a lot of "high-end" amps out there, that are simply overpriced. If you don't want to pay for what those guys are asking, you should just find a cheaper alternative and piss on 'em. Or, just buy used.....nothing wrong with that.
Click to expand...
My AC30 and AC15 Heritage amps were built at the VOX factory in China, and are possibly the best sounding amps I've ever owned. I guess there is a difference between outsourcing builds vs. basing operations in a foreign country though. We taught the Japanese to build good products... I don't see why China would be any different.
 
Priced out for a small builder, for it to be worth their time they have to charge a lot. Components for the amps are maybe more than you would imagine. I know it's more than I thought at first. For a bigger company, they can do things to save some costs but they still have to make a profit and I'm not sure what they pay employees, etc. Plus the customer service isn't free. I've read on this board quite a bit of some companies just sending components and littler things to people for free (headshells or panels and that kind of thing). That cost comes from somewhere and in the end it's coming from their profit. For them to be profitable it has to be in that cost.
 
TrueTone500":d8dumocp said:
We taught the Japanese to build good products... I don't see why China would be any different.
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Really? I find that its more like we showed the Japanese what we were making then they showed us how to build it better.
 
richedie":1vvmablo said:
glpg80":1vvmablo said:
In the custom audio world it gets nuts. I have no idea how guys afford herberts, hagens, or axe fx units regardless of where they are made.
Click to expand...

It just takes having a good job and saving your pennies. That is what I do. LOL
Click to expand...
Or just complete and utter lunacy.

But seriously, I'm really lucky to have the gear I do. But I've said it time and time again - most of my fave players did SO MUCH, with so little. And I never forget this whenever perusing the "GAS" list :yes:
 
DoomBuggi":2gu07h5b said:
TrueTone500":2gu07h5b said:
We taught the Japanese to build good products... I don't see why China would be any different.
Click to expand...


Really? I find that its more like we showed the Japanese what we were making then they showed us how to build it better.
Click to expand...

China is different than Japan because at the time they still valued quality made items.
China on the other hand will cut all costs on quality at all odd's to increase profit even without the vendors permission..
Hence the problems you see now days with Q.C. many times it is not designer or vendor approved.

The Chinese even know this that is why they prefer American or Taiwan made products even if their origin is still made in China because some of the stuff used in making our products is at higher standard than what they even receive in their own products.


Sticking with the topic I think Dave at Baron Amps makes a killer custom product for the price compared to others brands in the same price range.
 
I've been saying this about musical gear for years. I have beautiful stuff but I bought nothing new. I let other people take the depreciation hit on most everything from cars to gear.
I can afford to buy stuff new, but why? I'd rather take a nice trip with my family or save the money.
I watch my friends waste SO much money. Its not very smart, but hey, it's their money.
 
You should have lived in the 80s. THAT was a time where stuff was expensive (keeping in mind inflation since then).
 
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