WATYF said:
Try and keep the posts constructive.. you've said your peace... thanks... but the derogatory comments aren't really helpful.
I think you're missing the point that, for wascal, that IS being constructive. If he was being derogatory he would have called you a silly chimp or made some sort of derogatory distortion of your name.
I think, in his own inimitable way, he may have been making the following point: you've gotten a lot of feedback on this question, and we aren't talking about gear that is either rare, expensive, or hard to locate. Why not just go down to your local Banjo Center or phone up your favorite mail order house and buy the top three candidates, test them exhaustively for a few days, and return the two you like the least.
It is obvious that (with the possible exception of the RNC), everyone is going to have a little different opinion on what is crap and what is gold. We can extend this thread until 2006 and you'll never get a consensus, nor will you ever know who's opinion is most likely to coincide with your own. And in the end it's only your opinion that counts. Meanwhile, you still won't have a preamp.
Even if you make a "mistake" and end up reselling at a loss, at some of these prices you've probably "lost" more on a bad date. You survived that, and you'll survive this. And wascal's point is, i think, if you continue to get into recording as a serious hobby or business, whatever you get for under $300 won't satisfy you for very long anyway!
How's that for constructive?