Do you think amp heads are overpriced?

[rispsira]

yea a lot of you have a point but i think the case here is much more simple. I think the price of boogies in the US for instance is acceptable. Go to some other countries give em to some greedy *** to distribute them etc and youve got a head that is now overpriced.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I'm trying to think if I have bought a new amp. I might have bought a cheapo $99 one for practice years ago but I don't think I have ever bought one new.

 

[kass]

I feel some amps are overpriced, while others aren't. These opinions about different goods are only relevant to my own situation, and cannot be blanket statements like "AMP X is overpriced."


The answer you seek can be found if you answer this one question.


Will you buy an amp?

 

[greyskull]

I haven't bought a new amp in YEARS.

 

[LBTM]

I haven't bought a new amp in YEARS.

And that's a reason they are so expensive. It's something you will buy once in a very long period of time.

 

[Ermz]

And that's a reason they are so expensive. It's something you will buy once in a very long period of time.

Tell that to Eddy.

 

[xFkx]

yea a lot of you have a point but i think the case here is much more simple. I think the price of boogies in the US for instance is acceptable. Go to some other countries give em to some greedy *** to distribute them etc and youve got a head that is now overpriced.

yeah, i'm still wondering why an engl powerball II is roughly the same prace in EU and US, but a mesa boogie is a far more expensive here than the states.

I guess saying "some are, some aren't" is a close to the truth as you can get

 

[kass]

I haven't bought a new amp in YEARS.

I haven't bought a new car in YEARS.

 

[LBTM]

@All when you've got your latest expensive tube amp?

 

[greyskull]

And that's a reason they are so expensive. It's something you will buy once in a very long period of time.

Sorry I should clarify... I've bought loads of used amps

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Yeah I'm currently at 3, but have bought quite a few others all used.

Actually IIRC the first amp I ever bought was used.

Like I said the only one I can think of that I bought used was a small practice amp. I'm thinking I may have been dumb enough to buy a blue voodoo head brand new though (yup super fail). But I can't remember if that was the case or not.

 

[greyskull]

Yeah I'm currently at 3, but have bought quite a few others all used.

Actually IIRC the first amp I ever bought was used.

Like I said the only one I can think of that I bought used was a small practice amp. I'm thinking I may have been dumb enough to buy a blue voodoo head brand new though (yup super fail). But I can't remember if that was the case or not.

Haha I remember now! you kept trying to convince everyone it was good

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

It was purchased pre 2006, I think it was alright for leads and that's about it. lol

It was a turd, sold it snagged 5150, much better tones were had.

 

[amarshism]

Prices in Australia are stupid expensive but people still pay the price so they keep selling em at that price point. On a triple rectifier there is a 3.5k markup regardless of the swaying exchange rate over the last 5-10years. This is why I always buy amps when I'm back home in Hawaii. The flights and the head cost me much less then the amp alone is here. Ridiculous. I have like 10 or so amps and payed a fraction of the new Australian price by either purchasing overseas or second hand from collectors and people I know who take care of their gear.

 

[egan.]

i think smaller companies are overpriced though. there are many small companies who makes amp obly by order. and normally one guy build it. so called botique amps. i dont see any reason for it to cost 3000$. and also there is no dealer since its directly fron the manufactor

This is the exact opposite of overpriced. You have a single dude who isn't getting bulk discounts on parts and doesn't have a staff doing professional quality woodworking followed by hand-wiring electronics often with variations based on your specifications. Subtract overhead (space, tools, electricity), parts (including ones that don't pass QC and can't be used), and taxes and he probably isn't making a whole lot.
Add to that the fact that part of what you are buying is a direct relationship with your amp maker and $3k is a bargain.
I guarantee that the guys who do that are in a "labor of love" situation like most luthiers (or musicians). Sure a handfull of guys get rich but the overwhelming majority don't.

 

[Mishbang]

Prices in Australia are stupid expensive but people still pay the price so they keep selling em at that price point. On a triple rectifier there is a 3.5k markup regardless of the swaying exchange rate over the last 5-10years. This is why I always buy amps when I'm back home in Hawaii. The flights and the head cost me much less then the amp alone is here. Ridiculous. I have like 10 or so amps and payed a fraction of the new Australian price by either purchasing overseas or second hand from collectors and people I know who take care of their gear.

How do you deal with the power differences though?

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

This is the exact opposite of overpriced. You have a single dude who isn't getting bulk discounts on parts and doesn't have a staff doing professional quality woodworking followed by hand-wiring electronics often with variations based on your specifications. Subtract overhead (space, tools, electricity), parts (including ones that don't pass QC and can't be used), and taxes and he probably isn't making a whole lot.
Add to that the fact that part of what you are buying is a direct relationship with your amp maker and $3k is a bargain.
I guarantee that the guys who do that are in a "labor of love" situation like most luthiers (or musicians). Sure a handfull of guys get rich but the overwhelming majority don't.

Yeah voodoo amps (located less than an hour away) doesn't load their amps with junk parts. Easily worth what they charge. Trace is a nice dude as well.

He said with the overhead and what he pays his employees (I think he has maybe 4 tops) he makes almost nothing on the cabs (at a grand a pop). It sounds like most of his money is made in mods though.

 

[Leon--]

In general yes,but that doesn't go for all the companies out there.
The dual rectifier is overpriced for me while the 6505 is not.
Of course they are totally different amps but their quality difference doesn't really worth paying 1100+ euros more.
Anyway since people still pay those money the prices will be the same or even more expensive.

 

[sprack]

How much of that added Mesa cost is import tax? Peavey has a European division and while the R&D and engineering may be in the states they can often get rid of much of the import side taxes by sourcing and assembling in the EU.