These posts have piqued my curiosity, so I thought I’d jump in to hopefully clarify my understanding of the reasoning here. I know my style can be a bit abrasive, but I’m not trying to personally assault anyone or their ideas, I’m not trying to flame anybody, or belittle anyone. I’m truly curious as to what motivates the logic behind these ideas, because I think I’m missing some point.
And, hopefully it will broaden my understanding of the gear market.
Yeah the transformers are almost a deal breaker to building one. Its sucks being a broke musician and student. And the reason why Model T's are overly priced is cause people know there are a bunch of rich doom hipster kids out there who think that if they have a Model t they can be like there favorite bands. Lol
Don’t you think that the real reason Model T’s are bringing what they bring is because people are paying that much? I would think that speculators and collectors working the market are the reason for the value of Model T’s more so than “rich doom hipster kids”.
Watch the pattern on eBay, a T will pop up, bring stupid money and then they start popping up all
over the place. The frenzy plays out; auctions and BIN’s go unsold, the prices drop, and the availability dries up. Eventually the cycle starts again.
Not long ago T’s were bringing $2K+, now they are about half that. I’m sure I’m not the only one who notices that the same amps keep cycling, that’s just the way it works. If you want an amp, wait until the market gets soft and bust your ass beating the bushes for one, when they are
hot they are easy to find, but you will pay “hot market” prices.
And by the way, I think that people trying to be “like” the artists they admire is without question the most powerful driving force behind the success or failure of current production MI gear. Model T’s don’t really count; they have been out of production for a while now.
I love my only sunn amp a 1971 Concert PA, is does what i need it to do. I would never spend over $1000 for a first gen model t. Id rather save a bit more and go buy Verellen Amp. Now that guy knows how to make a great hand wired amp.
Chev i see that your a Sunn O))) type clone, no offense. What do you think about the unrealistic inflation of vintage sunn amps?
I think that if what people buying the amps are paying is what causes the “unrealistic inflation” of which you speak, it’s actually
very realistic, indeed, as real as it gets. By comparison, what is
unrealistic is what people
think they should be worth.
I wouldn’t personally pay even $1000 for a Model T unless it was minty, and I had a place to sell it before I laid out the cash. That said, as far as ACV (Actual Cash Value) for a Model T, it really doesn’t matter if you or I would
personally spend over $1000 for a Model T; if the average Model T buyer IS spending over $1000.
It just means that it is unlikely either of us will get one, it has no bearing or influence on the true
value or “unrealistic inflation” of the amps.
haha, must be because of my youtube with the cloak drone...
yeah I wish the band didn't take the brand name even if I love their music...would make the model T cheaper...drone is actually a very little fraction of what I play with my Sunns!
at least the Solarus and Sonaro are more realistic for now...for the price of Model T, I see some deal sometimes but at the price thei're getting, I'd start looking at Hiwatt or Electric Amps!
Here’s what I don’t understand about that. I have “hands on” experience with playing, buying and selling Sunns, Hiwatts, Matamp, and
lots of other gear. IMO current market value is unrelated to the fact that they all have their plusses and minuses, and are decidedly different amps; tonally, power wise, and in response characteristics. To my ears a chime-y clean Hiwatt/Reeves is the total other side of the amp spectrum from a warm and fuzzy Matamp/Electric; is it just me?
In other words, I don’t feel they are
interchangeable, if you need a Sunn for a particular application, well, you need a
Sunn. A Hiwatt is an entirely different animal, as is a Verellen, or a Matamp, or a Fender, or an Ampeg, and in my world they aren’t interchangeable items; in my experience an amp is
not just an amp.
Or am I completely missing your point; are you of the opinion that Sunns are inherently
inferior to Electric or Hiwatt amps? Is the only reason for buying a Sunn a cheaper price?
If cost
does trump tone, wouldn’t the whole world be playing Behringers?
As I hinted at above, Sunns have been all over the price spectrum in the last decade. I know; I’ve been paying close attention. Regardless of that, the amps themselves are still the same; a healthy 2000S is a healthy 2000S if you buy it for $2500 during an eBay feeding frenzy or if you buy it for $200 at a yard sale.
As an outsider looking in, it’s been my belief that Sunns
initially became popular with the smoke and robes crowd because they were cheap and loud, but I thought they had pretty much transcended that stigma and had become the “preferred” amp because of their tonal characteristics.
However, reading these posts almost makes it seem like rather than Sunns contributing to defining the genre, the prevailing opinion is that the
only attribute worthwhile in a Sunn is if it’s less MONEY than a Hiwatt, or Electric, or Verellen, or a Matamp, or etc.
When I got into Sunns it was because they kicked ass and sounded great, the fact that they were reasonably priced was just an added benefit, not the motivating force.
Please discuss…
