Expensive amps

[VICOwner]

+1 on never using a loan or credit for gear (and as others have said, buying on credit card and paying it off at the end of the month is another thing)!

Kind of an interesting/confusing question, though ... I've worked hard, have degrees, and have a good job; I do not have money coming out of my ears, and I have one kid in college and another soon to be in college. My gear purchases come from me setting aside a bit each month until I can pay for the gear (or the deposit, if it's a custom piece), and then I buy it. If I have extra gear I can sell or trade, I will do that, as well.

How else do people buy gear??

I have a similar situation. I’m not rich with money (I have a great family), I work hard for what I have. I didn’t intend to sound like anything with my post but if I want something, I have to find it in our budget. That means I have to cut my own self out of something else to get it. I can’t ask my family to skimp, I have to. And, that’s how I do it.

 

[Bluzeboy]

Cash is king. Took me awhile to figure that out.

 

[Zonk]

I have somehow resisted buying musical equipment on credit. $300.00 is getting close to what you could find a used Vox AC15 for, maybe another fifty or hundred dollars.

 

[DV52]

I have somehow resisted buying musical equipment on credit. $300.00 is getting close to what you could find a used Vox AC15 for, maybe another fifty or hundred dollars.

And a damn good bang for the buck amp as well as sounding great .

 

[Buck Woodson]

Just get an Orange CR120. Used its in your budget. Sounds exactly like the Rockerverb it was modeled on, sounds just like a good tube amp. When you can, get an EVM12L.

 

[rumbletone]

I only buy gear if I have cash on hand. The day job helps with that.

 

[Zonk]

And a damn good bang for the buck amp as well as sounding great .

If I didn't have an amp it would be a real good amp, even if I have an amp still a real good amp.

 

[Goldie Glocks]

Ironically, the most expensive amps I have purchased I bought outright and the lower priced ones I sometimes put on my Guitar Center card. The most expensive amp I bought was $1800.

Anymore I sell guitars/amps before buying new stuff though so I don't dip in to outside funds.

 

[codycarrig]

I'll pay with a card, get 1.5% cash-back, & pay off the card at the end of the month.

In other words, don't go into debt to own that expensive amp.

I was going to say the exact same thing, I think this is the best way. Also, because of the work I do I can take a lot of my gear costs off my taxes so it works towards my favor in some way shape or form.

 

[JackVanPage]

I don't buy gear I couldn't pay for outright if I had to. I do like to use PayPal 6 months no interest or something similar just to take the edge off. Or in case a Corona virus happens so I have more funds to work with.

 

[Coolidge]

I don’t buy $2000 amps by the way. I build my own amps.

Pics and gut shots!

 

[Muffdriver]

Buy used. Then after a while you sell it and buy an amp for a few hundred more. Keep doing that and sooner or later you can have basically any amp you want.

 

[Coolidge]

Be a total scrooge with your money no matter how much you earn, that's how you pay cash a $2,000 amp.

 

[LqdSndDist]

It’s all relative....

may neighbor has a 30 foot speed boat, a nice 4x4 to tow it, and just bought a new Vette.......

some ask how people can drop $2k on an amp and others wonder how people can buy $80k cars and boats and trucks....

 

[dylheaven]

Honestly for me you can save or just keep buying and selling . And how far you want to get into it really . You have just as much fun playing a 150 amp to a 1500 $ amp. It’s about what inspires you to play. If your not in debt and your having a good time . That’s all that matters .

 

[MaxTwang]

OP's handle is 'vaifan'. Maybe save some $$ and get a used Carvin Legacy? Ceriatone also makes some outstanding amps for reasonable prices. There are lots of 'no compromise' solutions for far less than $2k.

What $2k+ amps is OP interested in? Others might have suggestions for some great alternatives.

 

[WillLane]

Which is why I'm looking at an amp for $300 or slightly less.

Honestly I don’t know of what kind of tube amp you’re going to get for $300 or less.

The Peavey ValveKing MK1 is a great budget tube amp, around/under $300 and it can hang.

Affording gear: The short answer is to budget it, how to budget it is the long answer. When I decide I want something, if I don't have the cash for it right now I'll save by just reducing how much I spend throughout the week. Take that money that I normally buy small things with and put it towards the new kit fund.

Sometimes it takes months or a year or so. Sometimes a playing/sound gig helps it along. The big thing is just to have a budget, and specifically take part of your paycheck out for saving.

some ask how people can drop $2k on an amp and others wonder how people can buy $80k cars and boats and trucks....

Joe Smoe: "You spent HOW MUCH on a guitar amp?!? I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT! You can get guitar amps for $50 at the pawn shop! What a waste of money!"

Me: "How much did your 2020 F250 cost, Joe?"

 

[Coolidge]

Me: "How much did your 2020 F250 cost, Joe?"

More than my first house.

 

[pepedede]

I can see things being different for a while with the high end / boutique market of amps and guitars and people purchasing. But the last decade has had an explosion of expensive gear.

The trick is to buy used, used, used. Let someone else take the hit from new. Once you found the first one and saved/ traded to get it reasonably priced, keep it or sell/trade for another.

 

[Bluesful]

My question to you is, how do YOU go about buying an amp that costs that much?

Spend many years saving for it.

Takes me years, but I get there eventually.