Tweedville
New member
Was it something you rescued from a yard sale? Did someone give it to you? Didn't know what they had? Found it in the trash? C'mon,let's hear those fish stories!
OK>>>TELL YOUR "BEST DEAL" STORY
- Thread starter Tweedville
- Start date
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Ok... I'll bite...
Was looking thru the classifieds for 12-strings -- saw an ad for a Fender 12-string, barely used, $350, needs new strings.
I called the number and made arrangements to see the guitar.... get there, it's an older guy and his wife, says he hasn't picked it up in a couple of years and wants to get rid of it. He pulls out a beat-up case, upon which my hopes at a find were dashed...
...until he opened the case, and out comes an immaculate, pristine Fender acoustic (with 12 dead strings!) - just looking at it I could tell it was worth a good grand. He asks if I'd like to try it and I noodle around with it.... unf*cking beleivable... playability up the ying-yang.
Hopes having risen rather exponentially, I innocently asked how firm his price was, being the strings are old and all, and I'd have to replace them... he says, well...how about $50 bucks off 'cos of the strings -- but no case??
(Ha! I *almost* felt bad for him... but hey...!)
"Well...ok... I guess so...."
I found out later I had walked out with a $1200-1300 guitar for $300 bucks........... I'm usually not that lucky, but I had a horseshoe up my ass that day!!!
Bruce
Was looking thru the classifieds for 12-strings -- saw an ad for a Fender 12-string, barely used, $350, needs new strings.
I called the number and made arrangements to see the guitar.... get there, it's an older guy and his wife, says he hasn't picked it up in a couple of years and wants to get rid of it. He pulls out a beat-up case, upon which my hopes at a find were dashed...
...until he opened the case, and out comes an immaculate, pristine Fender acoustic (with 12 dead strings!) - just looking at it I could tell it was worth a good grand. He asks if I'd like to try it and I noodle around with it.... unf*cking beleivable... playability up the ying-yang.
Hopes having risen rather exponentially, I innocently asked how firm his price was, being the strings are old and all, and I'd have to replace them... he says, well...how about $50 bucks off 'cos of the strings -- but no case??
(Ha! I *almost* felt bad for him... but hey...!)
"Well...ok... I guess so...."
I found out later I had walked out with a $1200-1300 guitar for $300 bucks........... I'm usually not that lucky, but I had a horseshoe up my ass that day!!!
Bruce
virtual.ray
New member
In the last 3 months,I have been fortunate enough to find and purchase: a brand new Warwick FNA 5 string bass for $802 (list $1999),a new in box Roland VSR880 HD recorder (list $1795) for $599,and a used Bag End 15' bass guitar speaker cab for $199. 15 months ago I got a new Groove Tubes Soul-O 45 combo guitar amp for $399 (list $1195).They're out there if you keep your eyes peeled.
regebro
Insane Genious!
Being bored I dropped in on a music store and looked around. They has an acoustic steel stringed guitar on sale for $80. That can't be any good, I thought, and played on it, and it did feel kinda like an guitar for maybe $100, pretty crappy. The intonation was bad, it was hard to tune and it didn't sound that great, but it had a built-in mic, so I thought it was a pretty good deal anyway. I needed a steel stringed acoustic, so I bought it.
Half a year later, a string snapped, so I bought new strings for it. And whooooa! Suddenly the guitar was MUCH easier to tune! The intonation was much better. It was godo except for the low e-string. And when I had tuned it, it suddenly sounded really good! Suddenly, it sounded like a $200 guitar! And with the built-in mic, buying another guitar of the same quality would probably have ment $250 or maybe even $300.
A good deal, right?
Other good deals are my TR-909 drum machine, which I bought in a shop in a small town for I think $150 or so, just when they was starting to get popular. They were at least twice that in Stockholm at that time. Good deal? Yup!
Half a year later, a string snapped, so I bought new strings for it. And whooooa! Suddenly the guitar was MUCH easier to tune! The intonation was much better. It was godo except for the low e-string. And when I had tuned it, it suddenly sounded really good! Suddenly, it sounded like a $200 guitar! And with the built-in mic, buying another guitar of the same quality would probably have ment $250 or maybe even $300.
A good deal, right?
Other good deals are my TR-909 drum machine, which I bought in a shop in a small town for I think $150 or so, just when they was starting to get popular. They were at least twice that in Stockholm at that time. Good deal? Yup!
Deal
Once a month the local Salvation Army has this huge warehouse sale. There's tons of crap in huge piles every where and you can just pick through. You fill up you 3'x5'x3' cart and they charge you like $15. Well at the bottom of one of the piles was an Art FX-1 digital effects unit. Not the best, but for someone struggling to build a studio, I was psyched! I figure it cost me about 40 cents.
Ziller
Once a month the local Salvation Army has this huge warehouse sale. There's tons of crap in huge piles every where and you can just pick through. You fill up you 3'x5'x3' cart and they charge you like $15. Well at the bottom of one of the piles was an Art FX-1 digital effects unit. Not the best, but for someone struggling to build a studio, I was psyched! I figure it cost me about 40 cents.
Ziller
pchorman
New member
About twenty years ago I bought a puke green little stomp box for $40 new which was marked Ibanez Tube Screamer Pro TS-808. Used it a bit over the years and always kept it in its original box, for some strange reason. Never thought it was anything special, but I was impressed by the perfectly silent fail-safe switch.
They now go for $400 bucks a pop on ebay, even the beat up and tortured ones. So, this is not so much a good deal story as it is a case of vintagization. If I sold it, it would hardly outweigh all the money wasted on "bad" deals over the years.
They now go for $400 bucks a pop on ebay, even the beat up and tortured ones. So, this is not so much a good deal story as it is a case of vintagization. If I sold it, it would hardly outweigh all the money wasted on "bad" deals over the years.
I got a couple. I just got a new Takamine FD360SC A/E for $599 on closeout at Guitar Devil (They sell in AMS for about $1200). Got a new Zildjian flat top ride for $19 from Daddy's Junky Music's old Rock Auction. And just a couple weeks ago I got 4 GT EL34's for $45 from a local store to go in my Rivera S120 head ($500 from rock auction, too). OK, enough.
Tom Hicks
Well-known member
'58 Gibson GA6 amp,$40
Takamini GX200 neckthrough electric solidbody guitar,$50
Hafler P1200 power amps,$80/pair
A half dozen Charvel & Jackson prototypes,didn't pay more than $50 each (I was a factory tech)
But my favorite is an '83 American Standard Strat w/tobbacco sunburst finish,$235 (no case)
Tom
Takamini GX200 neckthrough electric solidbody guitar,$50
Hafler P1200 power amps,$80/pair
A half dozen Charvel & Jackson prototypes,didn't pay more than $50 each (I was a factory tech)
But my favorite is an '83 American Standard Strat w/tobbacco sunburst finish,$235 (no case)
Tom
Original TS-9 stomp box, $20. Had problems keeping my mouth shut when i first saw it, and i felt a bit guilty buying it off the nice old guy who owned the store.
Reading Bruce's story reminded me about this shop owner who was asked to come and get an old guitar at some guy's house. The guy just wanted to the get rid of it cause it had been sitting in his closet in his parents house for ages. Turns out the guy got the guitar from his dad a long time ago. He'd heard this awsome pop group on the radio and all of a sudden wanted to get into playing guitar. Well, the band was The Beatles, the year was 1963-64 something, and the guitar was a pre CBS Fender Strat. A string had broken a week or so after he got it, so losing interest in it he put it in the case in the closet and forgot about it until some 10 years ago or so. When they took it out it was basically brand new, even the color was in a shape that had to be very close to the original. Price? The guy was just happy to get more closet space: $0.
Reading Bruce's story reminded me about this shop owner who was asked to come and get an old guitar at some guy's house. The guy just wanted to the get rid of it cause it had been sitting in his closet in his parents house for ages. Turns out the guy got the guitar from his dad a long time ago. He'd heard this awsome pop group on the radio and all of a sudden wanted to get into playing guitar. Well, the band was The Beatles, the year was 1963-64 something, and the guitar was a pre CBS Fender Strat. A string had broken a week or so after he got it, so losing interest in it he put it in the case in the closet and forgot about it until some 10 years ago or so. When they took it out it was basically brand new, even the color was in a shape that had to be very close to the original. Price? The guy was just happy to get more closet space: $0.
I've got two:
The first one is a 1950's Sure SM59 "Elvis" mic with the original chrome plated stand, the original cord, and the original red w/black screen printing mic dust cover for $100.
The BEST deal I've ever stumbled upon was a '68 Bassman Amp head for $25. It was in a pawn shop and the guy said he'd take twenty five because it didn't work. I took it home and put a fuse in the socket on what do you know? It worked just fine. Of course the original power tubes didn't last very long but hey, it was still a good deal........until the filter caps gave out.
The first one is a 1950's Sure SM59 "Elvis" mic with the original chrome plated stand, the original cord, and the original red w/black screen printing mic dust cover for $100.
The BEST deal I've ever stumbled upon was a '68 Bassman Amp head for $25. It was in a pawn shop and the guy said he'd take twenty five because it didn't work. I took it home and put a fuse in the socket on what do you know? It worked just fine. Of course the original power tubes didn't last very long but hey, it was still a good deal........until the filter caps gave out.
effedupstrat
New member
This is a neat thread, it'll make me feel better after the "list your gear" post where I listed all my wasted money.
TC Electronic Stereo Chorus Flanger $125 in dead mint condition.
Fender '59 Bassman Reissue $400... not a scratch, not too bad.
Calzone 4 space road case $100... a little pricey, if it didn't contain a Peavey Valverb and an ADA MP-1 with MIDI footpedal.
Yamaha acoustic guitar...not great, but old tenants left it in our basement...free is good.
Gibson GA-40.....free from Dad. Loads of New Old Stock tubes...free from Dad. Fisher X-100 stereo tube amp...free from Dad........did I mention how much I love my Dad?
peace.
TC Electronic Stereo Chorus Flanger $125 in dead mint condition.
Fender '59 Bassman Reissue $400... not a scratch, not too bad.
Calzone 4 space road case $100... a little pricey, if it didn't contain a Peavey Valverb and an ADA MP-1 with MIDI footpedal.
Yamaha acoustic guitar...not great, but old tenants left it in our basement...free is good.
Gibson GA-40.....free from Dad. Loads of New Old Stock tubes...free from Dad. Fisher X-100 stereo tube amp...free from Dad........did I mention how much I love my Dad?
peace.
Good thread. For all you northeast people, I highly suggest going to the next Daddy's Junky Music warehouse sale out of Manchester, NH. TONS OF SHIT at jokingly low prices. I got a Nady true diversity wireless set for $2. It was a little luck, but it was still so cool. They were packing all the matching wireless sets together and selling em for like $30-$70 (even the Shure Access's were like $70) and I stumbled across two that worked together perfect that were'nt bundled. Price = $1 each. They had a Marshall DSL-100 for like $200. That went pretty quick though. I got there like an hour earlier then they opened. People were going crazy. They had PODS for $140. Brand new. Everything was just like, oh shit type deals. Craziness. Gibson LP Classics for $350. That stuff went like wildfire though. I wonder why?
Jake
Jake
I have a couple of recent killer deal stories.
My girlfriend always makes fun of me for being a "wheeler and dealer," but hey... it works.
First one is my Big Apple Strat. Guitar Center put this one on "Manager's Special" for $400. Came to $500, brand new, with a Fender case and taxes. I also bought a Jimi Hendrix Model Strat the same day for the same price - $500 w/ case out the door. The Hendrix strat listed for about $1600, and the Big Apple for about $1300. I sold the Hendrix Strat to someone else for $700. Net cost for the Big Apple: $300.
Music Deal #2: Bought a Joe Meek VC3, also on special at GC for $150. Later sold it for $220, and bought a VC6 direct from Joe Meek for $220. Final price for new Joe Meek VC6: $150.
Fuzzy math, but it works for me.
My girlfriend always makes fun of me for being a "wheeler and dealer," but hey... it works.
First one is my Big Apple Strat. Guitar Center put this one on "Manager's Special" for $400. Came to $500, brand new, with a Fender case and taxes. I also bought a Jimi Hendrix Model Strat the same day for the same price - $500 w/ case out the door. The Hendrix strat listed for about $1600, and the Big Apple for about $1300. I sold the Hendrix Strat to someone else for $700. Net cost for the Big Apple: $300.
Music Deal #2: Bought a Joe Meek VC3, also on special at GC for $150. Later sold it for $220, and bought a VC6 direct from Joe Meek for $220. Final price for new Joe Meek VC6: $150.
Fuzzy math, but it works for me.
Tweedville
New member
Wow......you guys have been blessed!
I have been fortunate in the past 34 years also;there was this old Fender amp that sat in a pawnshop for the longest time here,and no one seemed interested.This must have been around 1982 or so.It was black tolex with all the '60s appointments,but the knobs were on the top,and pointed.Anyway,The price kept going down month by month,and finally a friend of mine bought it for $140.He kept it awhile,and one day I came over and asked him if he wanted to sell it.He said sure,for the $140 he paid for it.To make a long story short,I am the owner of a factory quality recovered '59 Bassman....it does honk! I also bought a '56 Pro amp for $75.This is fun,ain't it?There is still a goldmine of good deals waiting to be found.
I have been fortunate in the past 34 years also;there was this old Fender amp that sat in a pawnshop for the longest time here,and no one seemed interested.This must have been around 1982 or so.It was black tolex with all the '60s appointments,but the knobs were on the top,and pointed.Anyway,The price kept going down month by month,and finally a friend of mine bought it for $140.He kept it awhile,and one day I came over and asked him if he wanted to sell it.He said sure,for the $140 he paid for it.To make a long story short,I am the owner of a factory quality recovered '59 Bassman....it does honk! I also bought a '56 Pro amp for $75.This is fun,ain't it?There is still a goldmine of good deals waiting to be found.
GT
New member
Rickenbacker 4001 stereo bass and practice amp $300.00 from the classified.
Pod at full price, worth every penny, this was my very first guitar proccesor, not a bad first proccesor.
Traded my old Teac 3440 reel to reel, that would go into stop mode whenever it felt like it, for a brand new Alvarez strat copy, with hard case. I love this guitar, you guys may have heard it at the clinic. I hadn't had an electric since the 1970's (self depravation) what was I thinking?
I am a cheap bastard.
Pod at full price, worth every penny, this was my very first guitar proccesor, not a bad first proccesor.
Traded my old Teac 3440 reel to reel, that would go into stop mode whenever it felt like it, for a brand new Alvarez strat copy, with hard case. I love this guitar, you guys may have heard it at the clinic. I hadn't had an electric since the 1970's (self depravation) what was I thinking?
I am a cheap bastard.
Tweedville
New member
Haha......I "still" have my 3340.Come to think of it,it's given me less trouble than my VS880,but that's another thread.
I walked into Goodwill about two weeks ago and found a bass for $15.It has a PJ setup,incredibly flamey neck (I can't believe that they used a nice piece of maple on such a cheap bass).I was really needing a bass for recording,as something is wrong with my other two.It even came with fresh strings and a cable!
Was I wrong to ask if it came with a hard case?Just kidding.
I walked into Goodwill about two weeks ago and found a bass for $15.It has a PJ setup,incredibly flamey neck (I can't believe that they used a nice piece of maple on such a cheap bass).I was really needing a bass for recording,as something is wrong with my other two.It even came with fresh strings and a cable!
Was I wrong to ask if it came with a hard case?Just kidding.
foo
Active member
Hmmmm ...!
Was it the 1961 dot-neck 335 for $400?
... or the '64 Strat for $425?
... or the dead-mint '66 Super Reverb for $225?
... or the matching Telecaster that came with it for $400?
... or the dead-mint '66 Vibrolux Reverb for $300?
... or the '59 Tweed Deluxe for $150 that the guy said 'Oh, BTW, it comes with an amp' as I was buying the matching lap steel from him?
... or the '64 335 in trade for a '57 re-issue Strat?
... or the '50 Martin D-18 for $600?
... or the Brown Tolex Fender Reverb unit for $15 that the guy thought was an amp that didn't work?
... or the mint Brown Tolex Pro for $80 from a kid who's Dad had given it to him, and he wanted a Peavey Bandit? (He asked for 80 bucks, and I just gave it to him, no bargaining!)
Hmmm, no, I think it was the near mint '56 Goldtop Les Paul that I got for $1,300!
I tell you, guys, life was good in the late eighties/early nineties!
foo
Was it the 1961 dot-neck 335 for $400?
... or the '64 Strat for $425?
... or the dead-mint '66 Super Reverb for $225?
... or the matching Telecaster that came with it for $400?
... or the dead-mint '66 Vibrolux Reverb for $300?
... or the '59 Tweed Deluxe for $150 that the guy said 'Oh, BTW, it comes with an amp' as I was buying the matching lap steel from him?
... or the '64 335 in trade for a '57 re-issue Strat?
... or the '50 Martin D-18 for $600?
... or the Brown Tolex Fender Reverb unit for $15 that the guy thought was an amp that didn't work?
... or the mint Brown Tolex Pro for $80 from a kid who's Dad had given it to him, and he wanted a Peavey Bandit? (He asked for 80 bucks, and I just gave it to him, no bargaining!)
Hmmm, no, I think it was the near mint '56 Goldtop Les Paul that I got for $1,300!
I tell you, guys, life was good in the late eighties/early nineties!
foo
virtual.ray
New member
I wonder what the chances are that your LP Goldtop is the one I sold to a guy in 1972 for $450? His friend bought a cream Tolex Bandmaster piggyback for $300 from the rythm guitarist in that old band of ours.Back then it was just extra gear taking up space; vintage was for wines...
rtzstudios
New member
I bought a Linn Drum from one of my friend's for $150. Not to bad???