OT: echoplex at guitar center...

[Hal]

I went on a trip to guitar center today with a couple friends (its like 30 min from my house), and they had an echoplex there! and I was like "cool!"  I really wanted to play with it, but it was $600 and in a glass cage, so that intimidated me.  But that was still exciting. Just to look at the case made me feal special :-D

is it just me, or is that crazy expsenive ?

[afranks]

Not for an echoplex...  If you get an old tube one, it will set you back almost $1000.  The solid state ones cost less.

Mine cost me $1.  I found it at a garage sale.  It's the tube version. :lol:

I felt *really* special.

-alan

[jimbob]

I get intimadated looking at the 2-3 thousand dollar les pauls.. Good luck hunting!

[MarkB]

speaking of which - anyone have a schematic/service manual for an Echoplex EP3 (solid state) ?

I have one here that may need some love and care...  would love to get it working
"-)

[Rodgre]

I have a theory about GC and their vintage stuff. They seem to like to have a few key examples in the store so certain types of people will gawk and drool, but you will notice a few things...

A) They're rediculously overpriced. I would guess that the Echoplex is a solid state one. For $600....that's too much. A mint one, in it's box never been used might get that, but I'd say $400 is average. I paid $350 for TWO EP-3s a couple years ago... They've had $9000 strats at the GC in my area that were maybe worth $2700.

B) They're usually REALLY BAD examples. I recall several pieces of gear at the local GC that sat there for years because they were so bad. They had two AC30s side by side for a long time. Asking around $3000 for them, they seriously had to be two of the WORST sounding Voxes I've ever heard. They've had vintage Fenders that were totally modded and non-original and played like complete dogcrap. Price? $2200.

C) Combining the two above, it seems that GC just wants to have these things in the store for "museum" purposes. They won't bother setting up the guitars to play well and they won't bother making sure the amps even work. They put them on display with an untouchable price tag so when little Jimmy comes in on Saturday with his Dad, they can have that "WHOA! Daddy, look at that! A real 1972 Fender Telecaster! Wow!"  "Yeah, Jimmy, that brings back memories for your Dad. I used to have a Telecaster like that before I stopped playing guitar when I got your mom pregnant. I sold it and my Marshall Stack for $300. Now they're asking $1800 for that guitar..." moment.

I don't think they actually WANT to sell them.

Roger

[smoguzbenjamin]

Man playing on anything that costs more than $1000 and that's vintage makes me run scared. It's like "I'm not gonna play that! Have you any idea of what that's worth?!"

[MarkB]

Don't worry Ben... you'll get over that eventually..

I bought my '63 Gretsch as a player.. I play it - I don't worry about it..  it was meant to be played, not stuck in a glass case..  and I didn't overpay for it, so the money thing isn't always in the back of my head.

if you want collectibles - be a collector.. if you want vintage stuff because it plays/sounds great - then play it!
"-)

"rode hard and put away wet"

[Hal]

Roger - come to think of it, you _nailed_ it....At the GC by my, they have a '64 strat, sunburst, beat up - nothing too special - $9700!

They also have a room full of fender twins, for about $1500 each.  Some were more reasonably priced...but none plugged in.

[toneman]

Hey EchoPlex Phans,

i've been preparing 2 put my Echoplex on ebay.
i've had it 4 over 25yrs.
it's still in excellent condition.
cord, footsw all original.
Oh, it's a sold-state unit .
it sounds great!  even though the tape is old.
U can get new tapes thru Dunlop.
My asking $$ is $325 + about $20shipping.
would ask a little more if i put it on ebay
2 cover ebay fees.
if U R interested, first email has priority.
will have jpgs by late 2day.
thanx 4 the bandwidth.
tone
sacramento