Hey Guys, A friend wants me to sell his VHT 2150 tube power amp for him. I have no idea what it's worth but I'm thinking somewhere between $750. and maybe $1000. It's loaded with 6550's has a black face and is in excellent condition except for one corner is bent a little. What do you VHT experts think?...Thanks!:AOK
I am curious as well as I have a VHT 2502 and I have wanted to try a 2150 for a long time now. I would be interested if the price isn't out of this world.
If it has American GE6550's, then it is probably an early one. According to Steve at VHT, he told me years ago that the first ones used the Americen GE6550's, and they plate voltage was very high, and they are great amps. According to him, other tubes might not survive the amp due to the high plate voltage, but that was what made it the best sounding of the 2150's. I'd says it's worth at least $1100 US as long as the rack rash isn't too bad. I had a purple one within the first 100 amps, and it was SO tight and brutally loud.....I wish I still had it just for the "wow" factor! Cheers
Well it would be more than double that in the UK , I still think $1000 plus and more like $1500 mint.
Does it have fuses in the front or the back? Is the unit clean or a little beat? Does it have the original GE tubes or have they been changed? If it's super clean with fuses on the front and the original GE tubes. Then up to $1100 is possible. The price starts to decline after that. You already mentioned a bent ear so we can assume it's not superclean. So I would start around $850 for it and go from there considering the other exculsions I mentioned.
Thing that worries me about these early 2150s is whether you can find good tube replacements that don't cost an arm and a leg. GE 6550s are pricey (if you can find a nice NOS matched quad).
It has fuses on the front, 6550's are not GE's. It's in near mint condition, no rack rash, no major scratches. Looks almost new except for the bent corner.
If it has a bent ear it's not "near mint" go with what I said around $850-900. You might need to drop it a little after that depending on how folks feel about the bent ear. For me I would pass even if it were 750. If it didn't have the bent ear I might pay up to 900.
Wow, you guys are harsh on a little road wear. I remember selling a very worn 1970's 50w Marshall JMP w/6550s for an outrageous price in the 1980's. I had put it through it's paces and did a retube with "real" GE tubes I got for free from the building engineers who oversaw care of the elevators in the building I worked. They told me I could take what I could carry. The tubes controlled the electronics of the elevator as they had yet to convert over to a solid state system. The people I worked for, a labor union grand lodge, used "Made in USA" goods and services with no care for the cost factor. Tubes before transistors.....
I agree!, the bent corner that was on this amp was only cosmetic. It didn't do a thing to the fuction and tone of the power amp which were both excellent. BTW, I ended up selling that VHT 2150 for $900.+ shipping on Ebay. It was a great sounding power amp, had to be the best I've ever heard! Tried a stock ADA MP-1 with it before I sold it. Wish I could have bought it! Oh well,..But the good new was the same friend wanted me to sell his Lee Jackson XLS-1000 as well. That, I did end up buying off of him, great amp!!
There is one in the emporium right now The answer to the op's question is what buyer is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to let it go for. Doesn't seem to be many buyers for these and the sellers don't want to take a huge hit. I am looking for a 2502 if anyone is selling...
