Is there such a thing as collectable bass amps/cabinets? Besides the obvious, like an svt classic. What are some to keep an eye out for? USA peaveys? Fender Bassman? What are some checking out if the price is right?
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If you’re collecting for yourself, then yes.
If your collecting because you think the item will increase in value, then no.
Maybe, if you have paperwork showing it was used by someone really famous.
Mostly, amps just aren’t looked at the same way people look at guitars and basses.
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The only ones that I regularly see for proper money are old Ampeg B-15s
https://reverb.com/ca/item/85214092-ampeg-b-15nf-portaflex-bass-combo-1966
I have zero interest in dealing with valve/tube anything though!
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You’d be surprised how addicting it is though. Trying out different tubes for different tone, hunting down good condition tubes at all, etc… actually fun.
But not cheap.
I did it with tube preamps for a while and had a good time. An amp is a much larger investment there.
Nostalgia can keep a person young.
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The right price is someone who doesn’t know what’s in the attic and have a yard sale and you can pick one up dirt cheap, then you sell it at the market price. Buying one at market price and hoping that it would appreciate would be a risky call.
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Absolutely on this - but they are mostly studio amps.
They can’t cut it out on a stage, so if you’re investing, it can be a great buy.
If you get one - say, for a modern, aggresive funk/improv band you put together - it might be severely underpowered and a waste of money and space.
Are the old silverface SVTs more rare and valuable?
They should be.
My tech let me know that my newer SVT had less-good transformers.
Like… what’s that even mean??
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