Why do amps get passed around so often on ebay?

[omghi2u]

I'm trying to score a Mark IV right now and all the sellers seem to just have acquired this amp from another auction. They didn't even wait 90 days so it still shows up in their feedback. My question is: Are that many people dissatisfied with it that they have to try to resell it almost right away?

Just trying to figure out if it's safe to pick one up from ebay after it's been passed around like a *****.

 

[ytse_jam]

I think I wouldn't buy an amp from e-bay unless I can try it or pick it up locally but there are a lot of people who takes it much easier and don't worry about it, especially if they perfectly know the amp which is being sold and can verify that it's all right with it. Then... I'm the kind of person/guitar player that tends to keep everything bought (maybe because I usually don't buy something just for experiment but have a precise idea of what to buy), but, as happens with e-bay purchases, many take it easier and like experimenting with musical gear. I think you shouldn't think there's always something wrong when someone's selling his amp!

 

[Herbie the Rad Dorklift]

I think most peoplesell Mark Ivs right away because they aren't patient enough.

 

[Kupke]

I agree. If you're not used to how the Mark control circuits work, you'll be fiddling for days or weeks before you find your sound. Most people don't have the patience to read the manual and hence can't find the sound they're looking for.

 

[clutch71]

I'm Traveling in Gainesville currently. I've talked to dealers all over the US. Most do not stock them, they'll order them for you but they don't stock them. They are tweakers amp as far as I heard and I've been dying to try one. Have suggested settings and articles from platypus on how to dial them JIC. Keep em tucked in my back pocket in the off chance I find one.

Think a lot of guys (probably younger and no offense) look at them and pass on asthetics. I'm not one to go for looks but I think they are definitely not as cool looking as the rest of Mesa's line.

 

[Kupke]

Agreed.

I think the Rectifier was really a trendsetter in the 'eye-catching' department with the treadplate image.

That's probably what inspired amp makers from the late 90's onwards like H&K, Orange (like the Zentera for example) and Engl (Powerball, Savage LED lightning and mirror-like interface) to pay more attention to esthetics. You see it more and more basically.

Mark IV being from the 80's and most amps from that time, i think are definetly 95% about functionality. A lot of 'of late' brands seem to be focused around looks more than around functionality imo. (Krank and the like)

 

[kmanick]

Ebay is a good "buy to try" online store.
I've bought many guitars and amps and turned them over somewhat quickly
if I decided , "heh, that didn't wow me".
Mark IV's for some reason are never stocked in stores :?:
Same thing with USA Jacksons, EB Petrucci models etc.
if you get it for a resonable price and don't like it , minus the shipping headaches and the PayPal/EBay rape you can move it without taking too much of a loss (if any).
when I get my first MarkIV it will be online, no stores in Boston carry them in stock..........ever it seems.

 

[BobL]

Ebay is a good "buy to try" online store.
I've bought many guitars and amps and turned them over somewhat quickly
if I decided , "heh, that didn't wow me".
Mark IV's for some reason are never stocked in stores :?:
Same thing with USA Jacksons, EB Petrucci models etc.
if you get it for a resonable price and don't like it , minus the shipping headaches and the PayPal/EBay rape you can move it without taking too much of a loss (if any).
when I get my first MarkIV it will be online, no stores in Boston carry them in stock..........ever it seems.

So the two (2) I saw at GC on Comm Ave. last week don't count then. :?

 

[rvschulz]

you know ... some of these guys are in it for a business ... buy low sell high and keep cash flowing. i know a couple of guys who think nothing of selling an amp 1 week after they had it.

 

[mikey383]

There's a few different reasons that could happen.

Bought it, tried it, didn't like it, so it's going back on the bay.

Financial reasons. Buy something, then you get hit with something major, like hospital bills, or car repairs that are extensive and don't have the extra cash to take care of it.

Divorce. This one was a kick in the nuts for me. You buy something, then get the bomb dropped on you, so it goes back up on ebay to help finance the immenent trainwreck that's about to happen.

Then there are those guys that get a good deal on something, then turn around and flip it. You can look at what they paid for it in their feedback if it's within the last 90 days.

 

[kmanick]

Ebay is a good "buy to try" online store.
I've bought many guitars and amps and turned them over somewhat quickly
if I decided , "heh, that didn't wow me".
Mark IV's for some reason are never stocked in stores :?:
Same thing with USA Jacksons, EB Petrucci models etc.
if you get it for a resonable price and don't like it , minus the shipping headaches and the PayPal/EBay rape you can move it without taking too much of a loss (if any).
when I get my first MarkIV it will be online, no stores in Boston carry them in stock..........ever it seems.

So the two (2) I saw at GC on Comm Ave. last week don't count then. :?

You saw 2 mark Ivs or 2 jacksons at the GC on Comm Ave?
I've never seen a Mark IV at that GC.

 

[omghi2u]

Agreed.

I think the Rectifier was really a trendsetter in the 'eye-catching' department with the treadplate image.

That's probably what inspired amp makers from the late 90's onwards like H&K, Orange (like the Zentera for example) and Engl (Powerball, Savage LED lightning and mirror-like interface) to pay more attention to esthetics. You see it more and more basically.

Mark IV being from the 80's and most amps from that time, i think are definetly 95% about functionality. A lot of 'of late' brands seem to be focused around looks more than around functionality imo. (Krank and the like)

I agree with you on the rectumfryer series but after seeing so many of those around, I'm getting pretty tired of looking at them. I actually prefer the models with mesh cloth like the tremoverbs come with. This is way sexier.

I've also seen a lot of '5150s modified with the metal diamond plate. About the mark IV though, looks may not be the main thing I look for in an amp but I actually like the way it looks, along with all the classic mesa marks. It was between the stiletto ace and the mark iv for me but I think I'm pretty set on the mark iv. The stiletto ace looks way better but I take functionality over it. Co'mon now, 3 fully customizeable channels with reverb and tons of push/pull bright fat stuff. That's a tweakers dream.

 

[omghi2u]

Then there are those guys that get a good deal on something, then turn around and flip it. You can look at what they paid for it in their feedback if it's within the last 90 days.

It's funny you said that cuz' this guy right here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...item=150233004778&_trksid=p3984.cWAT.m240.lVI

got not so great of a deal on it and is now selling it again using the same text/layout and pics from the original auction he bought it from. I guess some people just have no shame.

 

[Restless Rocks]

Unfortunatly I've had to re repair too many ebay purchases lately. There seems to be a lot of do it yerselfer wanna bee's trashing perfectly good amps then dumping them off on ebay. For example when I read about all these guys doing their own mods and even trying to C+ a Mark III or something when they don't even know which end of a soldering pencil to hold makes me very leary about ebay.

 

[Xqzdust]

I got my MK4a on ebay and maybe I got lucky but the amp worked fine and it ain't going no where ever! I love it and should of bought one years ago. As for looks the hardwood and wicker is so beautiful my wife wanted me to have it. She insisted! When a guy builds an amp so hot your wife wants you to get it... well let's just say Randall's a genius! [/b]

 

[phyrexia]

Sometimes you will see a particular dog of an amp/guitar get traded back and forth by unsuspecting people.

There's a "swiss cheese mark I" that has gone through five or six owners in the last year.