Rikus wrote:
Where do you guys find these amps?! Do you go knocking on old people's houses and ask if you can rummage through their garages looking for neglected musical stuff??
Keep us posted of the restoration please...
I will definitely get Karel to take some pics of the restoration if he is willing!
I asked the owner if I could buy the amp. He said it is not for sale since he waited seven years (gasp!) to buy it from the owner before him, but I could have first preference to buy it. I waited a few months and finally he agreed to sell it to me at a reasonable price. Don't worry though, he knew exactly what this amp is worth in good condition (approx $3000) so I can sleep easy at night ?
Just keep your eyes open and don't be shy to give the owner your details and say you want first choice. Be persistent and show genuine interest. Even if he refuses and says it is not for sale, people change their minds and their life circumstances also change (smaller apartment/going overseas etc...) In this case he sold it to me because he knew I am passionate about it and I will look after it. Owners will often not sell unless they are certain you will look after "their" amp. I have bought gear where the previous owner asks me about the amp a year later, basically interrogating me to make sure I am still looking after it. People are silly sometimes hehe!
I have just about given up on pawn shop finds. They use the internet to research the stock and then sell directly to dealers so we as customers never get the chance to buy it. You will notice that their stores usually do not have high value items on display anymore like they used to. Now they just want to move stock quickly to see a return on their investment. Have you ever watched storage wars and auction hunters? They often flog items to a dealer at a much reduced price just to make a quick profit.
Unfortunately it takes years and years to find these amps. Vintage guitars seem to be even more difficult to come by since dealers take them all out the country since we (Safricans) are not willing to pay US prices. A crying shame if you ask me...
