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Post new topic What's with the vintage effects market?........
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Author Topic:  What's with the vintage effects market?........
Jerry Hayes


From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2009 10:51 am    
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I've been noticing that some vintage effects are being sold for some good bucks! I saw an ad for a reissure MXR DynaComp Compressor which was a "spaghetti logo" model which was going for over $200 bucks. Does that mean that my "real" spaghetti logo DynaComp would be worth more than the reissue?... Also I think the old Ibanez Tube Screamers are pretty high priced. I have an old RATT distortion pedal in good shape, is there a market for these too? Lastly, where would a person go to find out what some of these old stomp boxes are worth..........JH in Va.
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Jim Sliff


From:
Lawndale California, USA
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2009 1:55 pm    
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Quote:
I saw an ad for a reissure MXR DynaComp Compressor which was a "spaghetti logo" model which was going for over $200 bucks. Does that mean that my "real" spaghetti logo DynaComp would be worth more than the reissue?


Jerry - The economy has taken pretty good bite out of the vintage market, but many pedals are still worth quite a bit.

A script Dynacomp or Phase 90 from the 70's (all original in good condition, no box) will run $250-250; with a box and papers add about 1-200.

Original Tube Screamers (the TS-808 models) were kind of the "original" collector pedals, and can bring anywhere from $400 - four figures depending on condition and "candy" (the box, manual, warranty card, etc.

Others that have seriously increased in value are the old MuTron pedals (several worth over a grand), the original Tychobrae Octavia and others. Newer ones that have become collectors' goodies are things like the original Way Huge Pedals (I bought a couple when prices were under $200...my Blue hippo is now about an $800 pedal), Lovetone (their wild ones are really expensive - more "normal" pedals like the Brown Source overdrive...one of my favorites...are in the $500 range), discontinued items like the Korg G4 Leslie emulator, and even though it's still made the early-model Klon Centaur (with gold finish and Centaur logo) will fetch $800-1000.

Several of the ones mentioned I own - and they are not just collector's items - if they were stolen or lost I would buy replacements - they're that good. That's part of the thing with vintage pedals - crappy ones have little value (maybe ONE DOD pedal has vintage value...same with Boss, although I think there may be TWO valuable ones).

Some players just flip out when we discuss pedals; I have two full Pedaltrain boards and a bunch of extra stuff, and either board has several thousand dollar's worth of pedals on it. Guys who think it's weird usually have a plastic case with 4 Boss pedals in it, or some multi-effects unit and are happy - which is great. To each his own. But I selected each component I use AND worked out the sequence. They all do specific jobs in ways other pedals don't (for example I run 3 different delay units at once...but no reverb)

As fr as finding values, look for completed listings on eBay - or google things like effects pedal database, effects pedal value, custom guitar effects etc and you'll find a lot of resources. The Vintage Guitar Price Guide also has listings for some of the more collectable pedals.

If you have a script Dynacomp you might want to go through your old pedals if you have any; you may be sitting on the value of a new guitar!
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Geoff Cline


From:
Southwest France
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2009 2:22 pm    
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Agree with everything Jim said AND you should check out the Gear Page http://www.thegearpage.net. There are active pedal discussions and a very active pedal emporium (buy/sell/trade). You can get a pretty good idea of the current market for many, many pedals.

Jim, sir, you are not alone. I have 2 boards and many great pedals not on boards (Mutron Bi-Phase, Morley EV-1 oil can delay/volume). This from a guy who NEVER used pedals until about 3 years ago. But I've covered the waterfront since then.
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Des Hetherington

 

From:
New Zealand
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2009 7:35 pm    
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Has anyone had anything to do with the Way Huge pedals? I have a Green Rhino Drive pedal and a Safron Squeeze Compressor, these two boxes are both killers, i love them both, be nice to hear if anyone else has used them or still are,, Cheers, Des H
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Jim Sliff


From:
Lawndale California, USA
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2009 8:30 pm    
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Anne - I have both the Green Rhino and Blue Hippo. The Rhino is probably the best TS-type OD when used correctly - into a tube amp already on the edge of distortion. The Rhino will smoothly saturate the tone, with a creamy, rich distortion/sustain tone that never sounds rough or ratty - and without the huge mid-hump most Tube Screamer types are known for. I had a Llama for a while and it just didn't do much for me.

The Hippo is scares me. It's one of the few pedals I'm hesitant to take out on a gig as I petrified it'll get stolen and it's tough to replace (about $800 tough).

It's a mono analog chorus. IF you read that again, there are two important words - "analog" and "mono". It sounds absolutely nothing like the typical digital stereo chorus, one of the most overused and tiresome (to me, anyway) effects ever. The Hippo sounds round, thick, greasy, fat, a little dirty - just about everything a typical Boss/Digitech/Ibanez/whatever stereo chorus *doesn't* sound like.

It is impossible to properly describe - you have to play one, and preferably in a band setting. Like my Lovetone Brown Source, it doesn't sound like much at home practicing/testing- but on a gig it seems to "bloom" and morph into a completely different box. OTOH, the best sounding "conventional" chorus to me is the discontinued Arion SCH-1 (not the newer SCH-Z...although there are ow mods available for that one). Bob Bradshaw of Custom Audio Electronics (the king of the high-end pedalboards and rack systems) would slip one if these in with his boutique stuff as it gets the slow..and fast....Leslie sound better than just about anything other than a Korg G4. But it does not have ramping, so you have to pick one speed or be able to turn knob mid-song.

Back to Way Huge - I'm hoping that with the company back in action under the Dunlop flag they reissue a few of the classic originals - especially the Aqua Puss. That is the one box I did not buy...but should have.
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional
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Eric Philippsen


From:
Central Florida USA
Post  Posted 2 Aug 2009 12:07 am    
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I disagree that the current market consistently supports those values quoted for some of the vintage pedals. Importantly, I do NOT disagree that certain vintage pedals can command higher prices than new ones. They do. It's just that many of the values mentioned are too high.

As always, something is worth only as much as what someone is willing to pay for it. A buyer might pay "four figures" for a TS808 in its original box with all case/box candy, but that would be an extremely rare situation that should not be used to establish consistent market value. Trust me, vintage TS808's do not consistently sell anywhere near a four figure amount, especially in the economy we have now.

Additionally, I often see the mistake where someone believes the ASKING price, the amount of the price tag, is what the item is worth. Nope. I could put a $5000 price tag on my Fender Squire Tele. That doesn't make all others worth $5000. Owners often do that and it's due to what is commonly called owner's bias.

I have dealt in vintage guitars, amps, and effects for 25 years.
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Jerry Hayes


From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
Post  Posted 2 Aug 2009 3:55 am    
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Jim, I also have an old Electro Harmonics LPB-1 Power Booster unit, the one you could either plug into your guitar or amp. I remember reading somewhere that a well know player used one of those but I can't remember who it was, do you know?.....JH in Va.
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Ben Jones


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 2 Aug 2009 7:12 am    
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My favorite topic!

Much to my changrin Ive recently sarted collecting effects.
Ebay values are one thing, what one actually pays is another.

My philosophy has been to just cruise with great pateience and wait for the little gem finds that might need a little tlc. Its fun, like thrift store shopping used to be before they put everything worth more than 50 cents behind locked glass cases. My vintage phase 90 was $30, vintage dynacomp was $75.

Jim I am very jealous of your way huge pedals. I know you have some other great stuff...I am totally envious.

Jerry I dont know what your ratt is worth but I need an example of a vintage ratt if you decide to sell that or any other vintage effects. I saw one on CL yesterday for $125 that was in perfect condition. Your probably better off selling these things on ebay to maximize your $ I guess than to a cheapskate ike me. Laughing

In addition to collecting vintage effects Ive started collecting really really cheap effects.
I will buy anything from the ibanez soundtank series for $20/each or any of those little danelectro pedals for $15/each. cool little effects, i can rip em up, rehouse em, mod em or just collect em like matchbox cars. anyone got any at those prices?

yesterday i scored a maestro fuzztone. It was very reasonably priced Mr. Green

Jim, there are several colectible DOD pedals.
There is of course the 250...but there are two others that have become collectible because they are so notoriously bad. The gonkulator and the buzzbox. youtube em if you dare...I own the buzzbox, its even worse than on the videos.I love it!

There are quite a few collectible Boss pedals. Basically any boss that gets discontued almost becomes collectible. The spectrum 1 is the grandaddy of emall...its basically a cocked wah and sucks. Then theres the VB1 a really cool vibrato pedal, the X-tortion (awful), the slow gate (weird swell effect), the feedback sustainer and some others I cant recall.

I found a Boss GE7 yesterday for $40 and made myself a "Benbro" out of it. Wow, it really works, it DOES sound like a dobro. haha!

so if anyone has any cheap or old effects to sell...holla!
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Jerry Hayes


From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
Post  Posted 2 Aug 2009 8:41 am    
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Hey Ben, I'd forgotten about the Maestro "Fuzztone"! I'd have to say that it was the very first effect of anykind I ever bought. When the "Stones" came out with "Satisfaction" I found that I couldn't live without one as their stuff was the only things I'd sing on the bandstand in the sixties! I always wanted to sing like Ray Price but my voice was terrible. When I heard Mick Jagger the first time I realized that someone out there sang worse than I did so I learned some of his stuff.

In my country band at the time the Fuzztone really came in handy for "Don't Worry 'Bout Me".

Does anyone remember the Maestro Phase Shifter? I replaced my Leslie cabinet with one of those as I could get a pretty good organ simulation with it and it didn't take up much room on the bandstand......JH in Va.
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Geoff Cline


From:
Southwest France
Post  Posted 2 Aug 2009 9:31 am    
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I happen to be wearing my Way Huge t-shirt as I read through this thread again. Way Huge made some cool stuff FOR SURE and the reissues aren't bad.

I REALLY want the Blue Hippo. I'm a bit of a delay freak...(but I'm not going to buy an Echoczar...well..no I'm not going to...er). I've got 3 working oil can delays and a DeArmond TremTrol pedal from the 40's (uses a fluid filled canister to make the effect). Still look for the weird and wild...

Just like all "collectible gear" you need to have a willing/desirous buyer at the time you're looking to sell. But they are out there, literally and figuratively. Ebay and TGP can be great places to sell or buy but you need to know what you're doing so you don't get burned or taken. Happily there is a lot of research material and knowledge on the web and in forums. Its a great time to be a gear freak Shocked
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Mike Poholsky


From:
Kansas, USA
Post  Posted 2 Aug 2009 9:28 pm    
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Jerry, You can go on Ebay and search "Completed Auctions" for any given pedal you're interested in. It will show you pedals that have actually sold and the selling price. That should get you in the ballpark.
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Bo Borland


From:
South Jersey -
Post  Posted 2 Aug 2009 11:33 pm    
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The vintage pedal market is crazy be careful buying.
I sold an original, script logo MXR Phase 90 empty box...there was no circuit board inside..for $300.
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Des Hetherington

 

From:
New Zealand
Post  Posted 3 Aug 2009 12:29 am     Way Huge
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Hi Jim, Nice to hear you have a cpl of Huge boxes, I run my Green Rhino thru a Fender tweed Blues Deville, either coupled up to my 82/52 reissue tele, or my Epiphone Sorrento with P90's or my 75 Les Paul Deluxe, with the amp on the clean channel and vol up about 3 or 4 it naturally starts to break up but when i hit the Huge with the drive on about 3 or 4 and the level on about 7 or 8, that amp just smooths out like nothing else, its just so kool, i wouldnt call it a distortion pedal by any means, but rather a drive boost that still responds to finger and pick attack, I almost brought a Blue Hippo just on spec, but my bank account at the time wouldnt allow it, and when i heard that Way huge went under i was so pissed, any way i hope Dunlop do the Way Huge sound justice, i know many reissues just aint as good as the real thing, but some do get close. cheers for your input.. ohh i dont use any of the above when play steel..
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Des Hetherington

 

From:
New Zealand
Post  Posted 3 Aug 2009 12:31 am    
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Dose anyone want a mid 70's Roland Space Echo? its big but works , lol
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Alan Rudd

 

From:
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2009 6:19 pm    
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I still have my Morley Pro Compressor!
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