Amp Conundrum - Wise Old TGP Members Advice Requested

[thamrick]

This won't help, so I'll apologize up front. I've owned quite a few amps (and guitars). Inevitably, I miss the amps more than the guitars when they're gone; dont know why. If I don't like playing a guitar, then it's obvious, and I can let it go; not so with amps.
All that being said, if I still had them all, they'd really be in the way. I comfort myself with this adage, neither having "it" nor losing "it" will likely change your life. Cheers and good luck.

 

[Laplacian]

Thanks for all the feedback, it is genuinely helpful.

I think my approach is going to be: pick the ones I could never sell (i.e. My 1st amp, 1st amp that ever got me laid, (J/K) etc..) put those in one pile.

I've got some duplicates, so 1 from each pair can go.

Then what would be easily replaceable (i.e. SLO's a plenty, although they're lots of fun).

The tough ones will be the limited editions and really good vintage ones.

Then I'll see where I'm at.

Thanks again.

 

[lord preset]

Don't sell them on TGP. We're a bunch of ruthless sharks here.

 

[Laplacian]

I probably won't.... but I'm a bastage too. Great for trades. 3 years of "bargains" have left the TGP cash poor.

eBay seems to net higher in the end, especially since I don't need to rush it.

 

[saltydogg]

Thanks for all the feedback, it is genuinely helpful.

I think my approach is going to be: pick the ones I could never sell (i.e. My 1st amp, 1st amp that ever got me laid, (J/K) etc..) put those in one pile.

I've got some duplicates, so 1 from each pair can go.

Then what would be easily replaceable (i.e. SLO's a plenty, although they're lots of fun).

The tough ones will be the limited editions and really good vintage ones.

Then I'll see where I'm at.

Thanks again.

Like 15,000 other TGPer's here, I'd really like to see your amp list.

At the very least, it will distract me from the Bikini thread for 20 minutes.

 

[ntmo]

Like many of us here I'm in the same boat. I only need one amp as I don't gig. And at this point I could be happy with one but I can't bring myself to sell the others as values are so down. I tell myself that I'll sell them when the market improves. I should just list em on Ebay and get it done.

 

[Echoes]

are you more musician or collector? THAT will whittle the herd down....

 

[vltjd]

Among 20 amps, over time, you'll notice that although all of them sound good, there are some that you gravitate to more often and play while others, although they sound just as good, it's more of a strain to play those. That will tell you which ones to keep and which to sell. Just went through this myself (pedals, guitars and amps) and I couldn't be happier with my downsizing.

 

[ukslinger]

I'm in a similar situation. But my "problem" is two fold

1. The market is really soft. Thats what helped me accumulate so many amps but it also makes for tough sells given shipping costs

2. Some of my amps could be collectable in the future. Probably not blockbusters but worth a bit more than I paid in a down market.

So I've got several cool amps that don't get played much but at the same time might be more valuable in the future. Tough to predict but I think they've got a chance. And who wants to sell a bunch of cool stuff in a buyers market? I never got unreal deals anyway. But I never felt I overpaid. So my margins now would be small/break-even. Maybe lose a little after shipping.

So I'd like to downsize but not yet.

 

[Laplacian]

vltjd, Thanks. I figure I'll end up not caring that much once I've shipped them out, It's just those last play throughs to make sure everything works that kill me.

Regarding am I a musician or a collector, I would say neither. I'm an guitar/amp enthusiast that can play well enough to work the magic out of these wonderful creations, but all my time these days is spent as an employee, husband, father. I barely have time to cut the grass, I was a musician over 20 years ago. I just try to catch moments when I can.

Also, my grails are probably not yours, my collection is probably not all that impressive to some.


Thanks again.

 

[nl128]

I'm in a similar spot kind of but, i hate selling amps on TGP because its such a pain to ship an amp. I'm in a 1 bedroom apartment with with 2 heads 2 cabs and 5 combos 10 guitars and a drum set i barely use LOL so I'm going to have to get rid of some stuff eventually.

I was thinking about putting some on craigs but thats a pain too because sometimes the people you sell to aren't the kind you want seeing what you got in your place. None of mine would be really be hard to replace. Nothings to rare or anything but like you said some have sentimental value and the size can be a pain to move around. So I feel your pain. I think the only thing to do is just bite the bullet and get rid what you don't use on a regular basis But then again it is a great feeling playing an amp you haven't played in a year and having it feel like a new experience again.

We should always count ourselves extremely lucky we have these kinds of problems and not others.

 

[Laplacian]

1 down (songwriter 30), 10 or so more to go.

I'm very lucky and I don't take it for granted. Finding my grails wasn't cheap or easy though.

 

[CaptRKirkB]

I am here looking for guidance...haha so many coments are golden. I have been picking up "bargains) for the last 5 yrs. and now have nearly 20 vintage amps. (been a fan of tubes since 64') Now I really do need the money and I am disapointed in the buying climate. I firmly believe the only amp I over paid for is the all original 63' Brownface Deluxe I bought about 5 yrs ago at close to the peak of the market. But that said I am holding out till I am desparate for the dough. It is now for ME a break even proposition. I may make a few hundy or not on my amps and I own some seriously vintage gear. 3-4 years ago I said THE ECONOMY WOULD BOUNCE BACK..SORRY JUST LOOKED UP..HAHA...shhhhhhh I've been unemployed for 4 yrs now....some amps must go!.. even when they do they won't pay the bills long.....big sigh.

 

[axpro]

Really Easy, just do what i did.

-take 10 years to get your "grail collection" up to snuff, work and sacrifice blood sweat and tears to get the gear you want (in many cases gear that was not available here in canada, thus purchases and trades via TGP)

THEN, once all your dreams have come true...

Have a messy divorce, sell off PILES of rare or hard to find gear at a loss to liquify assets (along with other collections) keep a few choice pieces... Move to a small condo, nev3er be able to use said choice pieces, have a few cash problems and sell of MOST of your choice pieces...

and there you have it, you go from 15 high end PRS and Gibson guitars, down to 1 nice PRS you are determined not to sell and a few gibson studio tribute beaters so you can play gigs... and you go from a room full of nice amps, down to a Mesa 1/4 stack for gigs, and a beat up homebrew Princeton reverb clone for home. Most of my gear that i still have is stuff i saved from the scrap heap, repaired headstocks, rewired pedals etc.

SEE! It'S SO EASY!


lol good luck on for realsies figuring it out!

 

[Laplacian]

I've pondered that reality from time to time.

My wife just got a nice matching pair of antiques with part of my 1st amp reduction sale money.

 

[joek86]

Question..... Is there any connection between gear acquisition and divorce..... Z? Lol

Really Easy, just do what i did.

-take 10 years to get your "grail collection" up to snuff, work and sacrifice blood sweat and tears to get the gear you want (in many cases gear that was not available here in canada, thus purchases and trades via TGP)

THEN, once all your dreams have come true...

Have a messy divorce, sell off PILES of rare or hard to find gear at a loss to liquify assets (along with other collections) keep a few choice pieces... Move to a small condo, nev3er be able to use said choice pieces, have a few cash problems and sell of MOST of your choice pieces...

and there you have it, you go from 15 high end PRS and Gibson guitars, down to 1 nice PRS you are determined not to sell and a few gibson studio tribute beaters so you can play gigs... and you go from a room full of nice amps, down to a Mesa 1/4 stack for gigs, and a beat up homebrew Princeton reverb clone for home. Most of my gear that i still have is stuff i saved from the scrap heap, repaired headstocks, rewired pedals etc.

SEE! It'S SO EASY!


lol good luck on for realsies figuring it out!

 

[ronmail65]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, it's a collection, I don't NEED these amps. I went on a grail search and ended up with over 20. I found out exactly what I really like, others would have different tastes, and as a result a whole lot of them sound very similar. Originally, I thought I would get a whole bunch and whittle down to 2-3, but i've ended up doing the accordian thing and putting too many in the "Keeper" pile. (This is the TGP, I know my brothers are out there).

No financial NEED. .... although I wouldn't mind converting amps into building a nice big sound proof room off the back of the house to enjoy whatever I keep.

Anyway, I make every amp I play through sound just like me. So over 20 is kind of ridiculous.

P.S. I'm getting a bunch of PM's and e-mails, and I'm NOT trying to solicit buyers (glad to see buyers are out there though), I still have to figure out what I'm willing to let go of first. LOL.

So, if this is a collection and you are a collector... then why are you selling if you don't have to?

Or, if you are a "non-collector player" (as I suspect you are), then wittle down as you described. Think of the gear as your tools and only keep the essential tools that you need and use the most.

The decisions of what to keep and what to sell can be difficult. Good luck!

 

[Plaid Sabbath]

vltjd, Thanks. I figure I'll end up not caring that much once I've shipped them out, It's just those last play throughs to make sure everything works that kill me.

Regarding am I a musician or a collector, I would say neither. I'm an guitar/amp enthusiast that can play well enough to work the magic out of these wonderful creations, but all my time these days is spent as an employee, husband, father. I barely have time to cut the grass, I was a musician over 20 years ago. I just try to catch moments when I can.

Also, my grails are probably not yours, my collection is probably not all that impressive to some.


Thanks again.

Pretty much the same boat I'm in at this point. Trust me, there is a mountain of gear available to players these days and it's very tempting to want to try/buy the newest, best, shiniest, creamiest, juiciest stuff as it comes along. However, it's not a bad thing to step back and really think about the difference between "need" and "want."

After the regular duties of dad, husband, and employee are complete and I manage to carve out a bit of free time for playing, the last thing I wanted was more complications. I whittled down the stash from a room full of gear to a couple of guitars, couple of pedals and two simple tube combos. It was easy to do once I made the realization that my playing didn't sound much different through the big, expensive, fancy-schmancy stuff. Sometimes, less is more.