For Sale My Entire Collection of Guitars and Amps

[hellzington]

Hey guys - I realize this post might bend the forum rules a bit, so I want to thank you in advance for your understanding. Instead of creating multiple threads for each item (and potentially flooding the board with daily bumps), I thought consolidating everything here would be more considerate.

In short, I’m selling my entire collection. You can view photos, details, and what I'm looking for on each item at my Reverb shop. I'm open to offers and can definitely do better on here than on Reverb. I cannot accept any trades.

Reverb Shop: https://reverb.com/shop/michaels-gear-locker-2262

Spoiler: Why I'm Selling All This

Some of you might know I’ve been laid off since last March. I work in tech, and the job market has been absolutely brutal. In the last 10 months, I’ve only managed to get five interviews despite leveraging my connections, working my network, and even using AI to apply to jobs en masse. Many of the positions out there are either "ghost jobs" or pipeline roles for future openings, which only adds to the frustration.

This week, I came incredibly close to landing a job with a great company where a friend of mine would have been my boss. I aced the first three rounds of interviews and was waiting to schedule the final round when my friend called to let me know they’d gone with someone further along in the process. I felt blindsided, manipulated, and deeply disappointed. I really thought this was the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel, but instead, I’m back to square one.

With no clear idea of how long this unemployment will last—and with the current economic and political climate making companies cautious about hiring—I’ve made the difficult decision to list my entire collection for sale.

Here's the list of amps:

• 1970 Marshall 1959 Super Lead
• 1983 Marshall 2204 w/ Friedman Naked Mod
• 1983 Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ DRGX
• 1990 Marshall 1987 w/ Friedman Mods
• 2004 Diezel VH4
• 2018 VHT Deliverance 120 Masterbuilt
• 2021 Carstens Grace (Signed by Billy Corgan)
• 2024 Bogner Snorkler 50 [SOLD]

Here's the list of guitars:

• 2021 Friedman Vintage T HH
• 2024 Fender 70th Anniversary Strat HH (Friedman Pickups, Flip Flop Finish)
• 2024 PRS Studio 22
• 2024 Suhr JM HH (Arcane Pickups)
• 2024 Gibson Les Paul Studio Session

Thanks in advance for not reporting this post. Happy new year.

 

[headlessdeadguy]

Sorry that it has come to this. Good luck moving forward.

 

[DanTravis62]

Holy crap dude! Good luck, lots of great gear.

It's been rough out there to sell lately, here's hoping it goes smoothly for you

 

[glpg80]

That’s awful and also admirable - you do what you have to do to keep the lights on. I fully understand and sympathize. Keep applying to interviews and I hope your luck turns around.

GLWS and free bump

 

[napalmdeath]

I feel your pain. I have a job, but I fucking hate it. I took a pay cut because I was courted to work for this company. I get way more time off, which was appealing, (16hrs personal, 16hrs floating holiday, 40hrs vacation, and 40hrs sick pay, which for all intents and purposes is generous these days), but I fucking hate it. I get anxiety going to sleep, knots in my stomach going to work, and just plain miserable. Long and short, I know all about being ghosted after sunshine blown up my ass, employers warm and fuzzy after interviews, only to get the rejection email, or 75% of the time, nothing at all. It sucks out there. I wish you the best, and hope things turn around. On the bright side, just keeping one of those great amps and a guitar or 2, you'll bank some cash to get by, and still jam out. Prayers for you.

 

[dead-pan]

Hell, terrible. I have been out of the professional world for a few years also. Been tough but I refuse to bow.

Wishing the best.

 

[hellzington]

Thanks for all the support guys. It really does mean a lot. Especially those of you who reached out via DM.

I'm open to reasonable offers, just hit me up.

 

[Jumpbackgeno]

Nice stuff, I like the Gibson, my OT has been shut down so only making enough for essentials, otherwise I'd grab it, so life goes, I hope
things turn around quickly..

 

[PurityS.L.G]

My heart breaks for you man. But hey, at the end of the day, it's just gear and your health, mental and financial well being is way more important than any of that stuff. Although you have somewhat of a rare collection, you can always try to get back what you end up selling. I just bought an '80 JMP 2203 that's on its way to me, otherwise I would've snagged one of your Marshalls. Did you already sell your Jube?

 

[Wayniac3]

Great gear/ sorry you’re in this position.
Good luck with finding a day gig.

 

[Beyond Black]

Sorry to hear this, hope your luck turns around soon.

 

[hellzington]

My heart breaks for you man. But hey, at the end of the day, it's just gear and your health, mental and financial well being is way more important than any of that stuff. Although you have somewhat of a rare collection, you can always try to get back what you end up selling. I just bought an '80 JMP 2203 that's on its way to me, otherwise I would've snagged one of your Marshalls. Did you already sell your Jube?

The Jubilee is the one amp I didn't list. I just can't do it. I love that amp, it's signed by Jim, and the first owner entrusted me with it for the long term.

I'm also holding on to my Fender CS P-90 Strat that I had made to order. It's the only one in the world like it and I love the way it plays and sounds.

 

[glpg80]

The Jubilee is the one amp I didn't list. I just can't do it. I love that amp, it's signed by Jim, and the first owner entrusted me with it for the long term.

I'm also holding on to my Fender CS P-90 Strat that I had made to order. It's the only one in the world like it and I love the way it plays and sounds.

Jim was known to sign the inside of cabinets but it’s very rare he ever signed amplifiers even during the 70’s. I’d definitely hold onto that jubilee.

I agree and echo what others are saying - keep an amp and a guitar around so that you still have an escape for your own mental health through this.

 

[hellzington]

Hey guys - I think I replied to all the DMs. That's the fullest my inbox has ever been! This is a great community full of great people and I really appreciate all of you reaching out to share stories or send support. I'm hoping things improve before too much of it has to go.

The Snorkler is gone. I have a lot of interest on the Friedman-modded Marshall, the VH4, and the 70th Strat.

 

[hellzington]

Jim was known to sign the inside of cabinets but it’s very rare he ever signed amplifiers even during the 70’s. I’d definitely hold onto that jubilee.

I agree and echo what others are saying - keep an amp and a guitar around so that you still have an escape for your own mental health through this.

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that.

The first owner was a personal friend of the Marshall family and used to run an instrument rentals business in LA during the 70s and 80s. At one point, he owned more than 100 Marshalls. After the rental business collapsed, he was a guitar tech for Megadeth, Pete Townsend, Paul Simon, and Pino Palladino from the John Mayer trio.

When Marshall was debuting a new 25/50 amp at the '87 NAMM show, Jim invited him down to check them out. They played a bunch of them and this one was the best sounding. Jim signed it and gifted it to him. (The cabinet was shipped direct from Marshall UK a few weeks later.) It still has that signature on the back today.

Although he had it listed for sale publicly and I was willing to pay his full asking price, it took me months to get him to sell it to me. He wanted to make sure it was going to someone who appreciated the amp and it's history, not just some random dude. He finally sold it to me in late 2020. We still communicate via email from time to time and I've sent him pictures of the amp in the various places I've lived since then. Besides loving the amp's sound, that's why I just can't sell it.