The great downsize of 2023

[GuitarBilly]

So after an intense period of buying a lot of gear and doing comparisons etc, I just finished a big purge.

Here's what I sold in the last few weeks:

Amps:
2203x
1987x
JCM900 4500
Fender Roc Pro
MIG 50
Synergy Rack and modules

Guitars:
'76 Les Paul Deluxe
Fernandes Rhoads
Fernandes Superstrat
Revstar (well I returned this one)

Plus a bunch of pedals, rack cases etc. Got a little over $10k when it was all said and done.


What I kept:

Amps:
DSL
EVH 50w
And a little SS clean pedalboard amp

That's it for amps.

Guitars:

3 Les Pauls (my trusty Classic, 78 Pro and the '03 Studio).
Endres Tele
'74 Hohner Strat
Jackson Star
2 Partscasters
Martin acoustic.

So 8 electrics and one acoustic.

I feel like I have everything I need for now and I can chill out buying gear for a while. Buying all that stuff, comparing them all then handling the sales was fun but also exhausting. Obviously I'm not "done" buying gear and I never will be done with it, because it's something I enjoy doing. But I'll take a break from large purchases for the rest of the year.


My gear fund is fully replenished and I'll probably do another gear extravaganza next year, maybe with high gain heads or high end superstrats or something but it will be a while before I have the energy for that

[Dave]

Ah shit you sold the 1987x??

I was thinking about hitting you up on that

[Zozobra]

[ibenhad]

Nothing like a good binge and purge. I'm all about the binge never get to the purge unfortunately. We do live in one of the greatest times for musicians and gear.

[spawnofthesith]

Rgasm time

[TurboPablo]

Rgasm time

Seriously.

[TurboPablo]

I am currently not buying or selling anything. The exceptions being my Blade R4 and my Mesa MarkIII. I need the cash, but I can't get my ass off of the fence. The Mark is already boxed up and almost ready to ship, lol. Other than those, my rig/collection is right where it needs to be. Especially since the only guitar I have played for the last seven months is my 000-18.

[GuitarBilly]

Ah shit you sold the 1987x??

I was thinking about hitting you up on that

yeah I was considering keeping the 1987x, so I just posted it locally and for a relatively high price ($2550) and decided that if I sold it under those terms, great. If not, that would be fine too.
I wasn't thinking anyone would bite it since they're $2999 new so I wasn't giving much of a discount at all. Although mine had the PPIMV installed, which I think helped, since someone contacted me to buy it within 2 days of posting it.

Oh yeah. For sure. I enjoy doing this stuff. But I need a break from it for a while. It will most definitely happen again though.

Rgasm time

These are not for me. I'd ruin them with high output pickups, TonePros, locking tuners etc... when I am done with my mods they are pretty much just another modded LP. They're great for those who want the purest 50s/60s replicas. Which is not me.

I do like CS Gibsons though. But I'd look more into something like this:

https://reverb.com/item/37626138-gibson ... shell-case

Or some other modern CS guitars. The R's are for a different type of player.

[Dave]

$2500??

Well shit, never mind I was not in that market

[GuitarBilly]

$2500??

Well shit, never mind I was not in that market

yeah this is why I didn't even post it here, I wouldn't do that to a friend.

[madrigal77]

LOL the Revstar lasted even less than I expected.

[GuitarBilly]

LOL the Revstar lasted even less than I expected.

Yeah.

I am going to stop looking for Les Paul replacements. There are none that I like enough. The Revstar is a cool guitar though. I don't have anything negative to say about it.

[TurboPablo]

$2500??

Well shit, never mind I was not in that market

yeah this is why I didn't even post it here, I wouldn't do that to a friend.

That's part of my conflict with the MarkIII. I want to sell it here and keep it in the family. But, I need to get top dollar. So Reverb it is. If/when I list it, I'll post it for a ridiculous price and see if anyone bites.

It's boxed up and I have pics and a video demos done. I just can't pull the trigger

[GuitarBilly]

$2500??

Well shit, never mind I was not in that market

yeah this is why I didn't even post it here, I wouldn't do that to a friend.

That's part of my conflict with the MarkIII. I want to sell it here and keep it in the family. But, I need to get top dollar. So Reverb it is. If/when I list it, I'll post it for a ridiculous price and see if anyone bites.

It's boxed up and I have pics and a video demos done. I just can't pull the trigger

The prices are coming down from the pandemic high but they are still not completely back to normal, so the time to sell what you don't want to keep is now.
That said, I don't think the MarkIII will ever go back to pre-pandemic prices, but still. Until recently I couldn't find any under $3k. Now they are slowly starting to pop up here and there. So they're coming down in price.

On the other hand, there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping the MkIII forever

[andvari7]

Since you’re obviously not satisfied with LP and DSL replacements, why not go a completely different route? Maybe get a synthesizer?

[GuitarBilly]

Since you’re obviously not satisfied with LP and DSL replacements, why not go a completely different route? Maybe get a synthesizer?

I already have a Roland FA-06 synth that I'm happy with. I'm not using it much right now I did a lot of work with it a few years ago with my electronic duo with my wife.
But no I'm not buying any more synths. Or anything at all for a while.

[skybluegary]

LOL the Revstar lasted even less than I expected.

Yeah.

I am going to stop looking for Les Paul replacements. There are none that I like enough. The Revstar is a cool guitar though. I don't have anything negative to say about it.

I was surprised when you bought it, but not surprised when you sold it.

Personally I think the Yamaha sg is closer to a lp replacement than the revstar, but I guess it's not easy finding one in good condition.

[GuitarBilly]

LOL the Revstar lasted even less than I expected.

Yeah.

I am going to stop looking for Les Paul replacements. There are none that I like enough. The Revstar is a cool guitar though. I don't have anything negative to say about it.

I was surprised when you bought it, but not surprised when you sold it.

Personally I think the Yamaha sg is closer to a lp replacement than the revstar, but I guess it's not easy finding one in good condition.

I had no issues with the Revstar to be honest. I think it's a good guitar. It just didn't really add anything to me that the LP couldn't do better.

[fretless]

Who cares what was kicked to the curb, like ex girlfriends… it’s what you held onto that matters. The real keepers.

[FAKA!]

Wait a sec.. so no more Marshall wall? dude...

[GuitarBilly]

Wait a sec.. so no more Marshall wall? dude...

Hahaha yeah the Marshall wall was never meant to be permanent. It was mostly to compare different models.

At the end of the day, the results were somewhat what I expected them to be:
the plexi is the best sounding of them all, by far. But it's kind of challenging to use in most venues. The DSL has the best balance of price, tone and ease of use. So I kept it.

If I was in a situation where volume was not an issue the plexi is really the amp I'd own. But with my current band only playing small clubs, a good master volume is essential.

[FAKA!]

Wait a sec.. so no more Marshall wall? dude...

Hahaha yeah the Marshall wall was never meant to be permanent. It was mostly to compare different models.

At the end of the day, the results were somewhat what I expected them to be:
the plexi is the best sounding of them all, by far. But it's kind of challenging to use in most venues. The DSL has the best balance of price, tone and ease of use. So I kept it.

If I was in a situation where volume was not an issue the plexi is really the amp I'd own. But with my current band only playing small clubs, a good master volume is essential.

Considering how many amps Ive seen you go thru in the short time Ive been in this forum, its cool your able to discipline yourself and narrow down to what you need vs getting one of each. Makes me feel like I got some hoarder blood or something