JP-2C - What are Reasonable Used Prices?

[solderhead]

I ran into a used JP-2C in very good condition and I'm trying to determine what would be a fair price for it. The problem, as you might expect, is that eight years ago the amp listed for $2500 and today it lists for $4000, with street prices around $3660 (sweetwater out of stock). Since there's a wide range in the history of new prices, I was thinking there should also be a wide range in used prices, but that doesn't seem to be the case... at least not when it comes to used asking prices.

IMO that wide range in list prices should lead to a wide range in used prices, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Around here one store thinks that their old JP-2C that cost $2500 new should be worth $2800 used today due to the new $4000 list price and dollar devaluation. They also seem to think that an 8 year old used amp is worth every bit as much as a 1 year old used amp. I don't agree with that either -- old amps are more likely to need service sooner than later, and Mesas aren't especially easy to service, so age should play a role in determining their value on the used market.

So I thought I'd ask what everyone's opinion is about this -- do you think an older used JP-2C should sell for less than a very recent used one, or does the fact that Gibson has jerked the list prices on the new ones up to $4000 automatically mean that all of the older used amps are going to have their prices jerked up as far as the newer ones?

It's a complex question to answer, because there are many factors at play. So I thought I'd ask what everyone thinks.

 

[sloanthebone]

One sold on Reverb recently for $2300 + 80 shipping. I would think anything under $2300 would be an excellent deal. Pricing when they were $2500 and now makes no difference to used prices.

 

[solderhead]

Does anyone have a clue about how many JP-2C amps have been built?

The reason I ask is that I'm trying to guesstimate when an amp with serial number JP-0017xx would have been made. I know, I'll try calling Mesa but I'm hoping that someone here might have an idea in what year Mesa made the 1700th amp. Thanks.

 

[bandit2013]

You really want to work on this? Best to buy one that works than to try to repair a bad one. The typical circuits are straight forward, getting into the firmware for the midi controller is something else. I read your first post so that is why I made the comment. Most of the preamp is accessible. The board for the power tubes, well it is buried.

I think I paid $2499 for it new back in 2016. That was a bargain price since they had the limited edition version for far more. Since the pandemic, prices skyrocketed on used and new gear. Since there seems to be limited availability of new amps as of late, the use market took advantage of that and jacked up the price. Find out what year it was made and then factor in the price. That would be an annual increase of $145 a year. Current price is at $3660. There was a time when the JP2C was more than that, around the time they changed the transformers. I believe it was priced much higher, closer to $4k around 2020-2022. It seems the new price dropped $340 after the reissue IIC+ came out. I did consider getting another JP2C until I saw the price hike and decided to get another Badlander instead.

This is fair but yet a bit pricey. The used market does not seem to follow the trend well. They all want to make a profit. Be weary of the 2016 models with a low SN. Mesa did a mistake with the send level on the clean. They fixed it a month or so later. You can see the parts they added to the clean gain control in the image above (top pot on the lower far left) to drop the send level of the clean to be more compatible with the other two channels. Mesa included a design change notice with the amp when the mod was made. If it does not have the FX loop mod, make a lower offer if they are taking offers (early 2016 units. Mine was made in September so it had the fix already).

https://reverb.com/item/86512898-me...100-watt-guitar-amp-head-2016-present-various

 

[bandit2013]

Does anyone have a clue about how many JP-2C amps have been built?

The reason I ask is that I'm trying to guesstimate when an amp with serial number JP-0017xx would have been made. I know, I'll try calling Mesa but I'm hoping that someone here might have an idea in what year Mesa made the 1700th amp. Thanks.

I had to look at mine. I could not see the SN plate from the back. However, from the bottom side of the head, look into the opening for the reverb tank, I can see the SN tag but had to search for the signature and date, I found it next to the reverb RCA jacks towards the front of the amp.

 

[solderhead]

No, I'm not particularly interested in servicing a JP-2C, but at least they're using detachable ribbon cables now. My Mark IV was a big headache as it was completely hard wired and I had to desolder a zillion wires to be able to remove the board to do soldeirng work that was blocked from above. It was like deconstructing and rebuilding the amp.

Thanks for the advice on the early 2016 units. Unfortunately I can't look inside the amp b/c I don't have access to it right now, but I phoned the seller who told me the SN but told me that he couldn't find a date. I don't know how hard he may have looked for it. Do you have a data pair of the approximate serial number and the manufacturing date for your amp? I'm hoping that if I can get dates/serial numbers from two or more people then maybe I could interpolate the data to guesstimate the age of this one.

What's the best way to identify the limited edition versions? Are those the ones with the flame maple wood trim?

 

[rarebitusa]

My Mark IV was a big headache as it was completely hard wired and I had to desolder a zillion wires to be able to remove the board to do soldeirng work that was blocked from above. It was like deconstructing and rebuilding the amp.

Yea I totally sympathize... had to get into my V:90 and that was a major PITA. Now its got some other intermittent issues and I kinda dread gong back in there. FWIW they are not all that way, my LSS and Stiletto ACE are pretty straightforward with lots of room.

 

[Fiveband]

One sold on TPG for around $1950 in the fall of 2024.