ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

[DankStar]

Man, I went to this place yesterday, and I gotta tell ya, I couldn't afford one single amp in the whole place. Maybe one cab (an avatar 2x12 for $400) - even tiny lil' heads with one knob were $1,000. Impressive collection to say the least! But even after 15 years of playing and an extreme love for playing guitar and cool amps, I can't bring myself to drop $2,500 on a head (that was the low end of the spectrum).

http://www.boutiqueguitarexchange.com/

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

Whats up bro!

I guess you made it to Atlanta

 

[DankStar]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

Whats up bro!

I guess you made it to Atlanta

yup! I'll PM ya the rest to spare peeps across the globe the detailz.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

yup! I'll PM ya the rest to spare peeps across the globe the detailz.

Cool, hit me up brother!

 

[B Bent]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

So are you from the Atl Dan or are you here for a visit? Christian and I went there a few weeks ago and he played the Divided by 13s!! Cool stuff and definitely one of Atlanta's top stores.

 

[DankStar]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

So are you from the Atl Dan or are you here for a visit? Christian and I went there a few weeks ago and he played the Divided by 13s!! Cool stuff and definitely one of Atlanta's top stores.

My wife and I moved here 2 weeks ago!

I wanted to play some stuff there, but my conscious was like "don't do it man, you'll want to pull out a credit card and buy one!" It was one of the few times in a store I showed restraint. Yeah, I don't think I've ever been in such a clean store with such amazing gear. I felt underdressed so to speak.

 

[jeremy]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

that looks like a sweet shop alright!! there is a puddle of drool on my desk right now

 

[Zhurh]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

DankStar, Ever check out Craigs list. Even up here in alaska, I see old fender amps from time to time. Throw in some nos, change a few caps; sound better than anything of newer vintage.

My dad bought me a 66 or 67 vibrolux reverb new for like 350 back then. Bet that would be like 2500 today; but cheap reissues are a gran and under.

Alot of deals out there on used boutique amps too.

 

[devastone]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

If you like looking at boutique-y stuff also check out www.fatsoundguitars.com in NC. I used to do some work for them, but couldn't afford much (or at least wouldn't make that kind of commitment) that they sold.

 

[DankStar]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

DankStar, Ever check out Craigs list. Even up here in alaska, I see old fender amps from time to time. Throw in some nos, change a few caps; sound better than anything of newer vintage.

then you get the mojo too!

 

[Lava Man]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

I think it's all about who you want to giove your money to - the wal marts of music stores like GC, MF, M123 etc....

Or support that small amp maker who's making a killer product - better sounding than anything the big boys have to offer, but sells at a higher price because he sells less of them...

I bought a Fuchs for these reasons....

 

[Aden]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

if i had the money i would drop it on a bad cat

i would feel bad, but i'd get over it pretty fast

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

Yeah, boutiques aren't within the budget of most musicians, when bought new.

The key to aquiring them is to grab at the low hanging fruit on the used market, and buffer the cost by selling average amps. There's no way in the world I'd walk into a store like that and pull out $3400, or even worse...charge it. It's a better idea to use those stores as places where you learn which boutique amps really fit your style, make a mental note, and then tirelessly search for them on Ebay. Sell off a guitar and amp, add some cash, and snipe things at the last second. Or, stumble upon local sales that pop up.

There's two kinds of boutique prices.....extremely high, where the company is trying to establish a percieved value, and ones built for musicians on a budget, such as Dr. Z, Celtic, and Splawn. Shop the used market, and have cash in hand so you can pounce on something before someone else does.

 

[DankStar]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

good tips and insights...

wouldnt ya know it...I keep thinking about the Roccaforte heads, and I didn't even play one. I breathed in some of the mojo and it's starting to take hold. Must....resist...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

Don't ever buy an amp you've never plugged into, based on pics and reviews.
Just because they're expensive and have a reputation doesn't mean you'll like the sound that comes out of it. Most boutiques on Ebay were a result of that.

I've seen amps that I swore I'd love, then I find one at a store and play it, only to be glad I never bought it sight unseen. Here's some amps I swore I'd love, but didn't care for them once I played them...
Mojave amps....the ones I thought I'd like were my least favorites, visa versa
Carr El Moto
Groove Tube
Some Matchless and Bad Cats didn't float my boat at all.
Some Dr. Z's rule, like the Rt 66 and Maz models. Some sound nasty to me.
A few Fuchs models are good, some of them I can't even get a good sound out of.
I don't know how THD survived. All their amps sound like a basket of A$$.

Try before you buy.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

One day a long time ago, I posted on this forum that I'd never buy an amp that cost $2000 or a guitar that cost $1000. Wow, those words tasted pretty bad when I had to eat them repeatedly.

 

[DankStar]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

One day a long time ago, I posted on this forum that I'd never buy an amp that cost $2000 or a guitar that cost $1000. Wow, those words tasted pretty bad when I had to eat them repeatedly.

So dreams do come true?! :dance:

 

[ksmith63]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

dump the girlfriend and save the money you would have spent. then go buy yourself a budda superdrive 80.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

It's just all relative. Just when you can't figure out why some guy would spend $3K on a PRS guitar, you go out and buy a $3K guitar. It makes no sense whatsoever. You just start convincing yourself that you can do without food, electricity, the couch, the car, etc.,.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: ultra boutiquey is, ah, outta my league apparently

They carry Bourgeois guitars...that's all I needed to know