Reaching out to Mark Cameron

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311splawndude said:
Or...you could be like Scott Splawn and just charge people a fair price. They actually have not even gone up in price since I've been looking at them and have actually gone down. You can get a 50w Quickrod for $1,850. A Nitro SS for $1,850. And a Competition of $1,600. His cheapest amp is $1,450.

You don't have to like Splawn amps but those prices right there should tell you something.
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With all due respect, all it tells me is that a Splawn costs around what a Jubilee reissue costs. Which is cool. If you want a Splawn or a Jubilee reissue. If you want a Friedman it'll cost double. If you want a Wizard it'll cost 2 1/2 times what the Splawn costs. If you want a Larry it'll cost over 3x the amount of the Splawn.
In the end, just depends on your needs.
 
Racerxrated said:
I'm very content with what I have, since you seem to be so concerned with what I own. And, I'm not mad at you at all. Just trying to figure out what your point is, spouting off about amps that you clearly ARE MAD about yourself...IE Wizards and Larry amps. Don't really understand all the hate, just don't buy the damned thing. Free country, free market..spend your money how you want. The next guy can spend how he wants. No need to get all butthurt about the price of amps.
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Just calling a business out that charges insane prices for no reason other than to pad profits, increase demand, or pull a Cameron charging extra to cover poorly managed inventory by not buying bulk. The goal is to manage operational costs like Scott Splawn (who makes his own headshells and cabinets) at every corner to keep prices down without sacrificing quality. If the price doesn’t match the return you’re correct - I’m not supporting them. Free market and all. I just hate seeing people getting swindled but if you don’t see it, there’s nothing to point out. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
glpg80 said:
Just calling a business out that charges insane prices for no reason other than to pad profits, increase demand, or pull a Cameron charging extra to cover poorly managed inventory by not buying bulk. The goal is to manage operational costs like Scott Splawn (who makes his own headshells and cabinets) at every corner to keep prices down without sacrificing quality. If the price doesn’t match the return you’re correct - I’m not supporting them. Free market and all. I just hate seeing people getting swindled but if you don’t see it, there’s nothing to point out. Nothing more, nothing less.
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I get it, but it would make more sense IF both Splawn and Wizard made similar sounding/feeling amps. They are FAR FAR from being similar, in any way really. Extremely different on nearly every level. I've owned 2 Wizards and played a KT88 Nitro and older 100w QR. They are decent amps but to my ear, have far less clarity than either Wizard, way less push/thump, and the Wizard has a much better feel/touch sensitivity. Just better tone to my ears than either Splawn I played.
Again, not to be critical of Splawn but they just don't compete with the Wizards in what I like about an amp. As far as being swindled by buying a Wizard, well I've only bought used and not paid more than 2400 for either (2012 MTL, 2010 MC100).
 
Racerxrated said:
I get it, but it would make more sense IF both Splawn and Wizard made similar sounding/feeling amps. They are FAR FAR from being similar, in any way really. Extremely different on nearly every level. I've owned 2 Wizards and played a KT88 Nitro and older 100w QR. They are decent amps but to my ear, have far less clarity than either Wizard, way less push/thump, and the Wizard has a much better feel/touch sensitivity. Just better tone to my ears than either Splawn I played.
Again, not to be critical of Splawn but they just don't compete with the Wizards in what I like about an amp. As far as being swindled by buying a Wizard, well I've only bought used and not paid more than 2400 for either (2012 MTL, 2010 MC100).
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Wizards and Splawns like you said have more differences I think than similarities in sound, but I have yet to meet anyone yet who’s tried both and actually prefers a Splawn. Splawns sound decent and have always been very reasonably priced, but in that price range I’d easily get instead a JMP2203 or JCM800 with a good boost pedal and have a much better tone or also a Boogie Mark III, but of course that’s a super different flavor

A few other options used in that price range that I feel beat out Splawn’s are a Dover, Baron (not made anymore), Engl Artist Edition, Engl Inferno and maybe a few others I’m blanking on
 
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311splawndude said:
Or...you could be like Scott Splawn and just charge people a fair price. They actually have not even gone up in price since I've been looking at them and have actually gone down. You can get a 50w Quickrod for $1,850. A Nitro SS for $1,850. And a Competition of $1,600. His cheapest amp is $1,450.

You don't have to like Splawn amps but those prices right there should tell you something.
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Don’t know Scott...but my experience with anyone who is doing something for money that is then used to provide for their families, purchase their homes, serve as the basis of their lifestyle, etc... is they generally don’t leave money on the table, just because they want to be a ‘good guy’.

another way of saying - if the market would bear a 5k price tag on Splawn amps, i’m not sure his pricing would be as it is today.
 
It’s all fun and games until you need a repair, at least Scott is not hanging you out to dry there. What he may lack in opinionated tonal differences he more than makes up in customer service. Ever seen a splawn sold simply because it needs repair and is too costly to follow through? I can say Rick’s done it. Don’t even get me started on Camerons that are epoxied. Why people support these businesses I don’t get. Is tone really all that matters with Mark and such?
 
BTW - I wasn't trying to compare Splawn to Wizard let alone say it was better than something else. Never played a Wizard. Would love to though.

I was just saying you get a hella amp built to order NEW for less then $2,000 often times and less than 2 months often times. You can add your own numbers and your wait time to what it is you like and figure out what is worth it to you. I already have.

Also, I don't think Scott would charge $5,000 for one of his amps even if the market did bear it, he does it because he enjoys it I think. He strikes me as more of a hobbyist who also answers the phone, does wood working, builds guitars, etc.
 
My understanding is that Splawns would be priced differently if located in California: higher labor costs, higher rent, etc. I believe I heard that directly from Scott. Maybe not.
 
This was posted not too long ago by another member:


<<<<Well-known member​

I loved the tone and feel of both QRs I've owned, but had major problems with the second one. Customer service was not very good, so I wound up fixing multiple issues myself. Numerous cold solder joints caused me all kinds of problems. Also had a PI socket that was cracked in half, but that honestly could have been the result of the previous owner. Major PIA and I won't ever by a Splawn again.>>>>>


Not trying to say anything. Just passing the ball.
 
I absolutely despise the implication that every guitarist with a Larry, or Wizard, or whatever, is some kind of "casual" with too much money and not enough sense.

I am a single father with a very modest income. I saved my money, sold 2 or 3 other amps, and grabbed a Larry. 🤷‍♂️

I slowly saved up to put a down payment on a second Larry after hearing the first one; it was a no-brainer.

I've also gigged and toured all over the US, for almost two decades; and believe me, it's not exactly a high income proposition. I work a fairly menial robotics mechanic job now, but I certainly can't afford to spend vast amounts of money on gear.

I simply prefer to have a few very nice amplifiers, with sounds I know I can use, rather than a dozen splawns, Marshalls, boogies, etc...that are all "okay" and "get the job done" but don't completely inspire you every time you plug in.

I'm like that with Larry, and I'm sure others are like that with their SLOs, Wizards, and their Cameron's.

That doesn't make them, or me, some fool to be parted from their money; while smarty-mcsmart-pants over there is fine with his silver jubilee and his DSL.
 
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One man’s uninspiring Marshall is another man’s dream amp they’ll only wish they could afford.

Buy whatever you like but let’s make one thing very clear - Rick may charge similar prices to Larry, but that’s the only similarity. Larry is many times the designer and engineer Rick is and it’s reflected in the work and features received. Larry has always given back to the community on the forums and helped others out over the years disseminating his knowledge to help the regulars. At least you’re investing in quality of design through and through with Larry where the opposite is true for Rick.

My original point was not about spending any large amount on any gear in general - it was getting charged large amounts for tweaked simplicity or even high risk ventures ala Cameron that in the past was not reflected in the quality received. At least Lee Jackson didn’t charge an arm and a leg for his work.

I’ve got a few Marshall’s and recently snagged a 101B. Even if I could afford to support Larry I still wouldn’t because that isn’t a tone I desire to chase or have. I wouldn’t support Rick or Mark if they were given to me.
 
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SBlue said:
This was posted not too long ago by another member:


<<<<Well-known member​

I loved the tone and feel of both QRs I've owned, but had major problems with the second one. Customer service was not very good, so I wound up fixing multiple issues myself. Numerous cold solder joints caused me all kinds of problems. Also had a PI socket that was cracked in half, but that honestly could have been the result of the previous owner. Major PIA and I won't ever by a Splawn again.>>>>>


Not trying to say anything. Just passing the ball.
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I know of two other RT members who have had similar issues. Both amps bought used, and left the assembly line long ago. But, both experienced the same issue with cold solder joints and it took weeks to get a response back from Scott. No builder is perfect, or free from criticism.
 
August 2018, I got my brand new Larry Dino, shipped to me from Larry in Germany.

Every morning, my wife leaves for work at 7 AM, I crawl out of bed sometime around 7:30 AM and most days, the first thing I do is power Dino on.
it’s very rare that a day goes by without playing through this amplifier.
Never, not once have I ever thought that I spent too much or should’ve bought something else.
I have owned Soldano, Diezel, Marshall new and old, over a dozen Bogner Xtc’s, Aiken, Wizard MTL, Brunetti... (Not at all ‘bashing’ any of these amplifiers, in fact, I just ordered a Wizard MTL 100 MkII from Rick)

...The Dino is a five channel amplifier that excels not only in the Monstrous extreme high gain but incredibly well on the clean fender tones. The clean tones on this amplifier are stunning.

Dino has brought me great pleasure and joy that I have not quite achieved with the other amplifiers.

In my opinion, this is priceless.
 
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mhenson42 said:
Will you actually ever get an amp from Larry this decade?

I've only played an older Dino. It was a really cool amp. I'd buy a new one if I didn't feel like I was throwing my $ into a black hole. I'm not waiting years for an amp to be built.

I don't really build amps nor care to learn. Yeah, you pay more because Rick builds them, not some assembly line.
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Matt and I are guilty - Done lots of builds with Rick and can honestly say I feel comfortable sending him money as he builds a phenomenal amp. Not sure why all the haters bitch and moan that his amps are overpriced, you get what you pay for. If Dave Friedman or Peter Diezel were 1-2 man shops building their amps by hand you think you'd still pay $3700 - $4400? Rick's resume speaks for itself - if you can't afford his amps and wanna bitch - have at it, but his products and reputation speaks for itself. Mark Cameron amps or a Larry is a whole different set of unknowns - with Rick, you know what you're getting.
 
This conversation about how expensive or cheap, overpriced or not is silly. Let’s talk about cars. I could be driving my 2002 Toyota Sequoia for another 10 yrs. Long paid for, and bulletproof as Toyota’s are known to be. Paid 5K for it 7 yrs ago and it has 237K on it now. Next year I’m buying a Corvette. I’ve always wanted one, and it will be parked all winter wait for the summer months. On one hand, frugal with the SUV and on the other hand, an unnecessary purchase that is impractical.
But, it’s my life and it will be fun and enjoyable to own a car I’ve wanted since I was a kid.
My point? It’s my life, and I will spend my money how I want to. I don’t have to justify to anyone..as long as I’m happy that’s all that matters. Same thing with amps. Some guys are happy with less expensive amps, some are not. To each their own.
 
UberschallEL34 said:
Matt and I are guilty - Done lots of builds with Rick and can honestly say I feel comfortable sending him money as he builds a phenomenal amp. Not sure why all the haters bitch and moan that his amps are overpriced, you get what you pay for. If Dave Friedman or Peter Diezel were 1-2 man shops building their amps by hand you think you'd still pay $3700 - $4400? Rick's resume speaks for itself - if you can't afford his amps and wanna bitch - have at it, but his products and reputation speaks for itself. Mark Cameron amps or a Larry is a whole different set of unknowns - with Rick, you know what you're getting.
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If I’m not mistaken, Wizards are also PTP, while Friedman’s and Diezel’s aren’t, but either way they just sound a lot better imo than those amps and that alone validates a higher price and it’s not like a VH4 new is that much cheaper

I gotta admit I was turned too when I saw Rick wanting such a high price for repair of that guy’s amp, but that’s the only time I’ve heard of an issue with a Wizard and for me I still just choose amps that I feel have the best sound, so definitely worth that small risk to me and the maker’s personality has no bearing on what I think of an amp
 
Racerxrated said:
This conversation about how expensive or cheap, overpriced or not is silly. Let’s talk about cars. I could be driving my 2002 Toyota Sequoia for another 10 yrs. Long paid for, and bulletproof as Toyota’s are known to be. Paid 5K for it 7 yrs ago and it has 237K on it now. Next year I’m buying a Corvette. I’ve always wanted one, and it will be parked all winter wait for the summer months. On one hand, frugal with the SUV and on the other hand, an unnecessary purchase that is impractical.
But, it’s my life and it will be fun and enjoyable to own a car I’ve wanted since I was a kid.
My point? It’s my life, and I will spend my money how I want to. I don’t have to justify to anyone..as long as I’m happy that’s all that matters. Same thing with amps. Some guys are happy with less expensive amps, some are not. To each their own.
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I can afford just about any car I'd want. Still drive a cheap honda. I cringe at paying a lot for a car, but think nothing about dropping $4k+ on an amp. go figure. lol
 
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