MiddleEarthCrisis wrote:It's true that some of the Sunn stuff is overpriced but the same goes for Fender, Orange, Hiwatt, Vox, Matamp, Sound City, and Marshall of the same era.
Last year I purchased a 1968 Sunn Sorado on Ebay for $400 shipped, in a Anvil road case. It had originally auctioned off for $360 and the winner didn't pay, so the seller reposted it BIN for $400. This isn't a rare occurrence, I've seen similar Sunn and Ampeg (I have Ampeg B25B that I purchased for $300) amps sell in the same price range all the time. I have also seen similar amps listed for far more but I have yet to see them sell at the higher prices.
If I were to have taken my $400 out on the hunt for similar amps made in that era (or any era for that matter) from most of the other companies I listed, I would have been laughed at.
I do get that certain players/genres of music can definitely influence prices of gear. I also admit I was steered towards Sunn and Ampeg by the style of music I play. To get the sound I wanted I needed amps that took pedals well and stayed clean at loud volumes. Everywhere I looked kept leading me back to Sunn and Ampeg and I still have yet to find another amp in the $300-$400 range that does what I want any better. If you have any suggestions please let me know. The only current amps I found in that range were Bugeras. What would you consider a fair price for a 40 year old hand wired tube amp? I looked into the Laney you mentioned and they seem to sell in that same range so I guess the "fuckheads" are already onto them. I really am interested in a cheaper alternative if one exist.
To to sum it up:
Yes, Sunn amps can be overpriced but they still offer a better value than most similar amps of the same era.
As far a Emperor goes if they can keep the quality/service up and the price down I'm all for it.
P.S. I can be a dick but I'm not trying to be one right now, so please don't take it like that.
P.S.S. The Best/Worst of Both Worlds
Anyway you slice it, though, the Sorado's not a head you can get away with FOR TEH DOOOOMZ!
At least, not with just one. Odds are, if you want to be gigging with high volume and no PA support, you're looking at a 2000S. Orange/Matamp you're going for the OR and GT's. 'Pegs point you toward the Skunkworks SVTs and the Blueline-era heads. Barring that, You're looking at a VR.
All of those, by today's market, sell for 1500-1800-ish. Definitely 2K on the older ones if they're in great condition.
None of which is really a bad thing, it just sucks to be that guy on my rocking chair talking about the good old days when you could easily pick up a nice vintage Model T/Skunkworks/etc. and not have to sell a limb or five.
Also, for $300-400 in doom/psychedelic/Sabbath Warship dollars now I'd shoot for Sovteks and Peavey tube heads from the 80's. Especially for guitarists--the old Peavey Butcher is a JCM800 clone that routinely sells for $150-200 on the interwebs.
