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Markedman
Well-known member
Some people are under the illusion that China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc. hold our debt. Nope, you and I owe the debt, 30 - 70 trillion worth of debt, and the only way to pay it back is through inflating the dollar. Our debt doesn't change, our dollar does, so as the inflation increases, so does the value of the dollar so we pay $.50 on the dollar.
It is not going to end until we pay the debt down.
It is not going to end until we pay the debt down.
Tone Junkie
Well-known member
Well here’s what used to be 20.00 USA currency. Basically one ounce of gold. Or 20 silver dollars. Check and see what a ounce of gold is worth today. 
. No to mention they’re beautiful
. No to mention they’re beautiful 
blackba
Well-known member
I think we have covered the economic conditions well already, but I wanted to dive a little deeper into the specific gear.
I am seeing everything slow down, but it seems like guitars are still moving at the local shop the most. Pedal sales are pretty slow and amp sales have really slowed. Now this is just one small shop that I do repairs for, so not sure what everyone else is seeing.
If the slow down on the amp sales is more than just the small shop, I think it might be due to tube availability and the number of ampless solutions that exist.
I am seeing everything slow down, but it seems like guitars are still moving at the local shop the most. Pedal sales are pretty slow and amp sales have really slowed. Now this is just one small shop that I do repairs for, so not sure what everyone else is seeing.
If the slow down on the amp sales is more than just the small shop, I think it might be due to tube availability and the number of ampless solutions that exist.
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lessarti
Well-known member
I think we should focus on the positives of this, save your money and get a good deal, or better yet just enjoy the gear you have. Scale it down, it really will force you to appreciate what you have even more so.
psychodave
Well-known member
Well we had a tyrannical president who made gold illegal…Well here’s what used to be 20.00 USA currency. Basically one ounce of gold. Or 20 silver dollars. Check and see what a ounce of gold is worth today.
View attachment 123022
He also placed Japanese and Italian Americans in detainment camps, but that’s another topic. 
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Geo
Well-known member
Or until the dollar is no more, and a new currency introduced. With the debt being as high as it is, I would think this is where it is heading.
stephen sawall
Well-known member
As long as the USA is the main military force in the world it is unlikely that anything is going to replace dollar as the standard. It's going through some major changes as is the rest of the world.
That is the actual purpose of the military. It isn't to protect the republic or democracy around the world. It is used to keep the dollar as the standard. Regardless of the propaganda.
stephen sawall
Well-known member
Here in Seattle half the music stores are permanently gone since Covid started. The two good ones are completely gone.
The shops that remain have about 1/3 of the inventory they had before Covid.
I think on line sales pretty much replaced everything. Way beyond the music gear industry.
napalmdeath
Well-known member
Geez.. Have you seen the price on the Marshall Studio heads lately? The mini Jube, JCM800, and mini Plexis are all $1749 now! That's insane! They were $1199 4 years ago, then $1299, $1599, now $1749.
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Geo
Well-known member
Countries like Russia, Iran, Brazil, Saudi Arabia are getting away from the dollar. The Saudi's just entered a protection agreement with Russia.
https://www.rferl.org/a/saudi-russia-arms-weapons-/31425164.html
Not sure the world cares about our military anymore.
stephen sawall
Well-known member
The only reason Ukraine is happening is because Putin is worried about NATO. There is no NATO without the the US military.
I have a lot of Russian friends. In Russia and around the world. This is the propaganda they are getting.
Now the entire world has seen the Russian military is weaker than estimated. Saudi is not a major military force.
The only thing left is China. China isn't backing Russia because the US made it clear it would not be in their best interest.
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harddriver
Well-known member
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harddriver
Well-known member
Kinda like the Cuban Missle Crisis 1962 regarding current NATO expansion with nuclear weapons on Russia's doorstep?
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Geo
Well-known member
No doubt, and that inflation number is bull. I would say we are at least 15% now.
stephen sawall
Well-known member
People forget it is 55 miles from Russia to Alaska. Alaska been a State since 1959.
Bardagh
Well-known member
No, no, we’re transitioning now, remember. First it was Putin’s fault and nothing to do with policy, but now we are “transitioning” away from fossil fuels - just in time for “pride” month!
Exactly right. Two things that are deeply related allow the US to essentially cash blank checks without concern for the consequences: the fact that the US military is stationed everywhere and has pursued a global monopoly on the ability to make war, and that the US dollar is the de facto “world reserve currency.”
Bardagh
Well-known member
I don’t know that the world has seen that the Russian military is weaker than estimated, although certainly it looks weak compared to the propaganda. If you think Putin is a “madman” who is dedicating all the Russian military to DESTROY UKRAINE and become Russian Hitler or whatever, then the results are surely underwhelming.
Russia’s aims and approach in Ukraine is completely different than the US approach in countries like Iraq. Russia did not attempt to pulverize everything in its path with air power and long range munitions before sending in an armored blitzkrieg to simply mop up and worry about collateral damage afterwards.
You could argue that it was naive but Russia was pretty careful and measured in how and where it applied what type of force, and Ukrainian forces have done everything they could to take advantage and set up scenarios where Russia would have to either attack civilian infrastructure, let themselves be fired upon, or abandon objectives.
Of course you could say that Russia shouldn’t be there anyway, but as an American I find the irony beyond absurd. This is not “good vs evil” this is realpolitik and unfortunately I cannot even support the US government’s aims because they’ve shown increasingly that they have nothing at all to do with what’s good for me and my family.
Bardagh
Well-known member
Look at the fucking DSL’s! The DSL100HR is now around $1300 I think.
blackba
Well-known member
That stinks. Local shop I do repairs for is super stocked, but its been hit or miss, so really low inventory times and some high inventory times. Alot of the stock is consignment, since as we have seen dealing with reverb.com is a pain.
There are 2 other small shops in the area, one is doing pretty well, the other is close to closing its doors.
On a side not, the manager for the local GC sent his amp to the small shop to have it repaired, versus send it to Chicago through the GC channel. Thought that was interesting.