Is used digital gear really cheap in your neck of the woods?

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ZEN Amps

ZEN Amps

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The below are in Aussie dollars, so call it $750 and $650 USD respectively. Gear is typically much more expensive here than elsewhere, so curious about what you northern hemispherians are seeing locally. Reverb sold prices don't mean a lot to me, but that's a whole other discussion.

These are local Aussie (Facebook) sales, and I'm seeing them more and more. Even these 'bargains' can hang around for weeks or months... I wonder if folks are busy buying tube amps, using plug-ins, or of the mindset that only the latest digital gizmo is worthy of their attention?

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I think inflation is kicking in for a lot of people. I've seen pretty good deals on digital modelers and on tube amps both locally. Some go real fast but some do sit for longer than it seems like they would.
 
That is a good bit lower than I’ve seen those here in the Atlanta area, although I haven’t seen an AxeFX II for sale in quite a while.
 
Probably just the economy, I'm seeing all prices dropping around me in USA (including my own).

Nobody wants to make big purchases with the uncertain economic outlook.
 
I don’t know man, I haven’t seen prices dropping significantly in my general vicinity despite gear not really moving. I see a lot of the same gear on FB marketplace and CL that has been there for months and in some cases years. Meanwhile if I post something that is objectively a good deal already I get nothing but low ball offers and shitty trades. Even when I have said “fuck it” and said I would accepted less than I think is fair, I get nothing but flakes who end up texting me that “they need another week to get the money.” And shit like that.

Also on places like Reverb people are still asking higher prices than I would ever pay for a lot of things even if they have come down a bit from the total insanity of 2022. I do see some more reasonable listings now than we had been seeing, but it hardly seems like a big sell off is happening…yet. People aren’t yet motivated enough to let go of the delusional profit potential of the Covid years.
 
Bardagh said:
I don’t know man, I haven’t seen prices dropping significantly in my general vicinity despite gear not really moving. I see a lot of the same gear on FB marketplace and CL that has been there for months and in some cases years. Meanwhile if I post something that is objectively a good deal already I get nothing but low ball offers and shitty trades. Even when I have said “fuck it” and said I would accepted less than I think is fair, I get nothing but flakes who end up texting me that “they need another week to get the money.” And shit like that.

Also on places like Reverb people are still asking higher prices than I would ever pay for a lot of things even if they have come down a bit from the total insanity of 2022. I do see some more reasonable listings now than we had been seeing, but it hardly seems like a big sell off is happening…yet. People aren’t yet motivated enough to let go of the delusional profit potential of the Covid years.
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A lot of folks, that have been trying to sell that gear for months or year+, are going to have to face the reality that they're going to take a significant loss. Or just be stuck with the gear.
 
Bardagh said:
Meanwhile if I post something that is objectively a good deal already I get nothing but low ball offers and shitty trades. Even when I have said “fuck it” and said I would accepted less than I think is fair, I get nothing but flakes who end up texting me that “they need another week to get the money.” And shit like that.
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Yep both scenarios are really common these days. The latter is more annoying actually, the former is to be expected.
 
I see axe fx 2s go for ~1k CAD routinely. Kempers and Helix seem to hold around 1.5k which is barely a discount from new. Most stuff seems to be moving pretty well at inflated prices. I made the mistake of asking the Mrs. for permission instead of forgiveness and missed a Jackson dk2 (2010 mij) for a great price by a few hours. That'll learn me.
 
Old digital gear loses value faster than old analog gear, in general.

I was into digital modeling for years, and went back to tube amps and into software plugins. The tube amps hold their value, and the plugins are inexpensive, and are sounding better than ever IMO. No need to invest in digital modelling hardware these days IMO.
 
I tried selling my XL+ and MFC101 for like $1200ish and got zero traction. Sold my FM3 instead.
 
Problem with the Axe units is, once the hardware can’t (or they won’t) update it, it becomes a paperweight. With modeling there isn’t the vintage allure where they got it right the first time…lol.
On the other hand you have people who swear by old Dig Delay’s and reverbs from the 80’s. Even though I truly think they’ve been eclipsed and it’s just nostalgia that makes them seem better.
 
Digital effects don't keep their value because there's always something better coming out.

As far as the market goes I see the same crap being listed over and over on my local craigslist at 90% of new cost. These jokers just keep re-listing, so some morons must be occasionally biting. SMFH
 
I sold a Boss GT-100 last year, and a GT-1000 this year.

Some digital gear can last longer than others, but most people into digital gear usually want the latest and greatest even though what they have still sounds the same as ever.

I upgrade my digital gear gradually. Some gear will last longer for me, such as my HX-Effects. If they come out with new and improved hardware version, it would have to offer something compelling. I have a Boss SY-300 and SY-1000, the latest Boss guitar synth is different, I have no need for it since I can do what it does and more with my keyboard synths.

I could be wrong, but I think the Axe-FX III and Helix have a few more years of improvement in them. New hardware is going to be tough for many current users unless they've been saving and waiting for it, IMO
 
skoora said:
Problem with the Axe units is, once the hardware can’t (or they won’t) update it, it becomes a paperweight. With modeling there isn’t the vintage allure where they got it right the first time…lol.
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Welcome to the Apple business model, no pun intended; planned obsolescence.
 
Used AND new digital gear is cheap sounding in my neck of the woods. Do people still say, “flame suit on” after making such incendiary comments?
 
thegame said:
Welcome to the Apple business model, no pun intended; planned obsolescence.
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Lol.. I originally had a bitch about Apple in my comment, but didn’t think it was necessarily relevant. Have a perfectly good working 2012 MacBook Pro that I modified to have a secondary hard drive instead of the DVD and bulked up the ram and had to get a MacBook Air so that I could update logic and other software and catch up on OS updates.
 
skoora said:
Problem with the Axe units is, once the hardware can’t (or they won’t) update it, it becomes a paperweight. With modeling there isn’t the vintage allure where they got it right the first time…lol.
On the other hand you have people who swear by old Dig Delay’s and reverbs from the 80’s. Even though I truly think they’ve been eclipsed and it’s just nostalgia that makes them seem better.
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True. I like cool old gear as much as anyone, but old digital doesn't get me excited.

It's super common in my other world (studio gear) - many guys are still convinced vintage binary sounds better than the modern equivalent. Sure a Lexicon PCM42 delay is cool, but not 3k cool. Then again my studio pals think that 3k for a guitar is nuts... I really shouldn't be throwing stones from my glassy domicile.
 
skoora said:
Problem with the Axe units is, once the hardware can’t (or they won’t) update it, it becomes a paperweight. With modeling there isn’t the vintage allure where they got it right the first time…lol.
On the other hand you have people who swear by old Dig Delay’s and reverbs from the 80’s. Even though I truly think they’ve been eclipsed and it’s just nostalgia that makes them seem better.
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They are far from a paperweight. This is more of a human problem... people always want the newest, shiniest object.


Most of the stuff from the 80's and 90's had a more unique voice because of the analog circuits that went with the digital parts. Most of the newer stuff skip out on the analog parts.
 
ZEN Amps said:
True. I like cool old gear as much as anyone, but old digital doesn't get me excited.

It's super common in my other world (studio gear) - many guys are still convinced vintage binary sounds better than the modern equivalent. Sure a Lexicon PCM42 delay is cool, but not 3k cool. Then again my studio pals think that 3k for a guitar is nuts... I really shouldn't be throwing stones from my glassy domicile.
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It was usually the analog preamps and outputs before and after the digital ciruits is what gives the old units more unique tone. Most things these days skip all that and go straight into the AD / DA converters, so they all sound like of plain and pristine.
 
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