Considering selling the Big Rig

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Zachman

Zachman

Well-known member
Hi guys... It's been awhile. Considering putting my Big Bradshaw Custom Audio Electronics Rig for sale. I wanted to get your guys' take on the notion. I have all the original documentation for EVERYTHING.



The rig is a 20 Space A&S Shock Rack 2" foam front/Rear Rack Rails, on casters. W/D/W, W/W/W, WD/D/WD, D/D/D configurations

Rig components:
Furman PL-Plus II
RackMax Light/Power conditioner
Korg DTR-1 Tuner
TC 2290
Eventide H8000FW
Lexicon PCM 81
TC Electronic 1210
Custom Audio Electronics Dual Stereo Line Mixer Full Space
Dytronics CS-5 Tri-Stereo Chorus (BEAUTIFL Condition)
2-space latching RackDrawer
Rocktron 300G Compressor
2-Space Pedal Tray: MXR Dyna Comp, MXR 117 Flanger (Original w/ AC cord), MXR Script Phase 90, Arion SCH-1 Chorus, EHX LPB-2 Boost, Dunlop Jimmy Hendrix Univibe (Factory Painted), Custom Audio Electronics Pedal Power Supply
Custom Audio Electronics Audio Controller/Interface
Custom Audio Electronics V.1 Amp Selector. Up to 4 amps (One at a time) through the same middle dry cabinet, with 4 Individual Line Adjust Controls for each of the 4 amps.

Floor Controller: A&S Shock Case w/ 4' Pedal Board
Custom Audio Electronics Double-Expanded RS-10 (32 Buttons) 16 Banks of 8 Presets, and Direct Access Switches for everything, Custom Snake 30' from front of Stage board to the Rack Interface
Custom Audio Electronics Dual Tap Tempo Box w/ Built in Power Supply for the Wah
Custom Audio Electronics MC-404
Boss FV-500H Wet Side Volume Control
(2) Boss FV-500H Master Volume, Expression Pedal

Thoughts on pricing? Selling as a whole vs parting out.

I am on the fence about selling some of my amps too.
The NAMM Proto Type Cameron Atomica
Mesa/Boogie MKIII Coliseum Simul-Class No- Stripe, w/ EQ, w/ Reverb, A&S Shock Flight Case (Original Owner)
Mesa/Boogie MKIII Simul-Class, EQ, Reverb, International Transformer, Black Shadow Speaker

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Depends on how fast you need to move it all. It’s an odd time to unload gear - prices are dismally inflated and demand is high on some but not all due to gigs only just now coming back.

Youll eat the cost of Bradshaw assembling it if you part it out, but likely sell faster. I don’t collect gear, I play gear. I certainly dont make money this way and almost never break even. Depends on what you expect out of the gear as well - top dollar for each item could take years.
 
Christos rock said:
Dude, you were a huge inspiration for the whole rack thing, all the way back from the huge racks forum days.
You are the last of the Mohicans.
If you're selling this, then its official, racks are dead..
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No, the gear is all awesome, but I haven't been gigging and I have a LOT of other gear too.

For just sitting around at home and jamming, I've been playing through a cheap Kustom SS amp w/ an 8" speaker, (lol) and it's fine

 
glpg80 said:
Depends on how fast you need to move it all. It’s an odd time to unload gear - prices are dismally inflated and demand is high on some but not all due to gigs only just now coming back.

Youll eat the cost of Bradshaw assembling it if you part it out, but likely sell faster. I don’t collect gear, I play gear. I certainly dont make money this way and almost never break even. Depends on what you expect out of the gear as well - top dollar for each item could take years.
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Ya, Not in a hurry-- just contemplating it. Gigging has already paid me back and then some on the cost of the rig, so that's not really an issue.

Ya, I wonder what I could get for parting out the pieces individually. I know the Dytronics CS-5 is rare, and REALLY rare in this good of condition. Hmm... Thanks, a worthy consideration
 
I have bought and sold a lotta gear over the years. I could count on one hand the things that I sold for more than I paid for them. And that does not bother me in the least. I consider the difference between what I paid for something and what I ended up selling it for as the cost to me of actually owning/using and (hopefully) enjoying the thing for as long as I had it. My ‘hunch’ is that with the significant technological advancement in gear over the last several years, you could convincingly replicate about 90% of the playing experience that the full rack provides out of a rig with a much, much smaller footprint. One of my closest friends had a full CAE / Bradshaw rack system that he gigged and recorded with for years. After he transitioned to Fractal, his Bradshaw fridge sat at home for a long time before he finally parted with it. His ears are so good and he spent so much time dialing the Fractal in that I would bet there isn’t anyone in the room who could parse out the difference between his Fractal tones and the tones he got with the Bradshaw fridge.

My ONLY thought would be that if you do decide to sell the Bradshaw system, arrive at a fair price for the complete system (with a reasonable amount built in for ‘negotiating’) and stick to it for as long as you can. The instant you sell one or two components, someone pops up grousing because they wanted the complete system.

Finally, selling gear can be emotional: we remember the excitement of when a particular amp or guitar was new, waiting for it, saving for it, we remember gigs or recordings we did with it. We build ourselves up to overly glorify it once its gone and regret letting it go. Remember that’s all BS - your sound is in your head and your hands and you will play great no matter what you are plugged into.
 
Tough call on selling everything. There are likely a few rack pieces you might want to keep since they could be useful with a small amp.

For the last 8 months I been playing my modded JetCity 20 into a Boogie Thiele 1x12 with a simple digital delay in the loop and have been happy. I’m actually playing more since I literally just plug in, adjust volume and go.
 
I have always loved your big rig - such control, so many options, amazing sounds, and let's face it - it looks cool as hell.

That said - I ditched all of my rack gear a couple of years ago and went the Fractal route - first the AX8, now the FM3. I did also get the FX8 as I couldn't get rid of my Mark IV. I couldn't be happier - I am getting the sounds in my head pretty easily, it is consistent from day to day, the ease of load in/out, and the flexibility are all wins in my book.

My opinion - I think selling it as a complete unit would be a lot tougher vs. the individual pieces. I have found that over the past year it has been a very seller friendly market, so now is a pretty good time if you are moving it.

As seen in your video - great players still sound great even playing through SS amps.

Best of luck with your decision
 
I’ll second another suggestion - I’d hang onto the super rare rack stuff if I were you and move the more common stuff or things that are redundant. You could downsize and put together a nasty 4-8 space rack with just the eventide H8000, lexicon PCM81, A simple stereo patch bay, and tonally have just about anything you’d ever want in a rack that, to this day, people are trying to emulate. Move the pedals to a pedalboard so you can break it up to use with other amps without the rack or not. The days of large fridges might be over but the quality of gear is not. I still have my PCM81 and even though I’m not using it, I’m certainly not willing to sell it.

FWIW I’m still trying to put a small rack together. There are a few of us that have the ability to maintain the vintage gear. It will have a PCM81, an old eventide of some sort, my damage control timeline mounted on a tray, a power supply and regulator, a patchbay, and that is it. Simple and to the point.
 
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I would first try the whole rack; see how many offers you get. Determining value will be tough since racks are kinda out of style BUT you have the population of guys like us that still value them.
I would think though that over time you’d make more parting it out. Unless you find a pro who can use a pro rack, and values it. Your amps though, they will move quickly and for good prices imo.
 
eecamichael said:
I have always loved your big rig - such control, so many options, amazing sounds, and let's face it - it looks cool as hell.

That said - I ditched all of my rack gear a couple of years ago and went the Fractal route - first the AX8, now the FM3. I did also get the FX8 as I couldn't get rid of my Mark IV. I couldn't be happier - I am getting the sounds in my head pretty easily, it is consistent from day to day, the ease of load in/out, and the flexibility are all wins in my book.

My opinion - I think selling it as a complete unit would be a lot tougher vs. the individual pieces. I have found that over the past year it has been a very seller friendly market, so now is a pretty good time if you are moving it.

As seen in your video - great players still sound great even playing through SS amps.

Best of luck with your decision
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Thanks... Too Kind
 
japetus said:
Kinda feel like you have no intention of ever selling it and just wanted an excuse to post the pic of it for the 7000th time. But hey, it's a gear forum so good on ya!
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I just don't have any big gigs lined up, so figured I'd put the idea out there to see if I am swayed one way or the other.
 
japetus said:
Kinda feel like you have no intention of ever selling it and just wanted an excuse to post the pic of it for the 7000th time. But hey, it's a gear forum so good on ya!
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Lol....still a cool bit of kit though. Wouldn’t mind firing up that coliseum into a couple of 4x12’s.
 
It would be great if you could find a local buyer for the entire rig but truth is there is not a huge market for refrigerator sized racks anymore. Aren’t you in Hawaii? I imagine the market there is even smaller and shipping something that size would be cost prohibitive. Good luck.
 
Wow dude, speechless.

I think it maybe hard finding a buyer to sell everything as one package. Maybe a museum :lol:

That Cameron though....Kind of interested, how much you think you would want if you did let it go?
 
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