NAD! - oops I did it again, twice

[KuruPrionz]

About 6 weeks ago I found a Roland Micro Cube at a pawn shop for $50, it tested nice so I got it. I had one before and loved it, then I sold it and wanted another. That took a few years to find at a price I could get into, they go for more now. Anyway, great tiny jam amp with solid tone options and super simple to dial in.

 

That's one.

 

Early last week I was doing my thrift store run and spotted a nearly new looking Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 20 V2 amp. 2 tags, one said "needs power supply" and the other said $7.99 Sold.

The power supply arrived today - $14 for 12v dc @3 amps. I soldered the correct end connector onto it and the amp works perfectly. Bigger and heavier than the Micro Cube, more options. I have the manual, want to learn how to make the tuner work at least, most of it is intuitive and there is a wide range of tones on tap. Best $25 amp I've ever owned, almost. I did buy a TV front Fender Deluxe (early 50's) at the swap meet once for $15, should have kept that one!

 

For now, that's 2. I have a Rivera AB switch (another thrift store find) so I could run both amps and switch between them for a tiny big sounding rig. Light weight too, I love that part.

[Larryz]

Kuru, It's a very cool find when a new power supply for $14 costs twice as much as the amp! Glad it all worked fine when you got her soldered up. Pawn shop shopping sound like fun. The wife likes visiting the thrift stores so I'll have her call me if she sees guitars/amps/etc., on her future trips.

[KuruPrionz]

Kuru, It's a very cool find when a new power supply for $14 costs twice as much as the amp! Glad it all worked fine when you got her soldered up. Pawn shop shopping sound like fun. The wife likes visiting the thrift stores so I'll have her call me if she sees guitars/amps/etc., on her future trips.

 

 

Larryz, I've found so many amazing items I can't count them. Most of them I turn around and post on craigslist and make money. Some I keep and some I keep for now.

If your wife goes often then she probably understands that often items are found in strange areas of the thrift store - I found a nice Audio Technica microphone for $3, covered with tape goo and in a rack full of tools in the tool section!!!! It cleaned up nicely and works fine, my best $3 microphone lol.

 

It's totally random, that's why it's fun. My current main gigger is a Roland Cube 40gx, I found it at Value Village for $40 in excellent condition and fully functional. A few weeks later I found the Boss FS-6 footswitch to go with it - that will also work for the Boss Katana 50 Mk II combo that should be here Monday. Those switches are spendy, I paid $8 for mine. Will use it today, we have gigs at noon and 6pm, a double gig day.

 

Doesn't take long for a $48 gig rig to pay for itself!

[desertbluesman]

Good fun with the new amps Kuru.

[Larryz]

Kuru, sounds like you saved up enough to buy that Boss Katana 50 mk2! Great price at $239 with all the stuff it does...and, it only weighs 25lbs. Fast in and out with lots of great reviews. I'll be looking forward to your review in a couple of days!

 

I have a Roland Street Cube EX4 (aka: EX50). Roland makes a great little amp/pa that runs on batteries or plugged in with 3 power selections. It gets more use than any of my other amps and weighs in a 16lbs. My best guitar amp is the Fender Deluxe Tonemaster that weighs in at 23lbs. I can pack both amps if I get serious LoL!

[KuruPrionz]

Thanks DBM!!!

 

Larryz, I sold my Katana 100 combo, that more than pays for the 50. It weighed 32 pounds and I only used the 50 watt setting once and never the 100. The 50 has the 1/2 watt - 25 watts and 50 watts.

I MIGHT use 25 watts once in a great while but mostly it will stay on 1/2.

 

The MkII has 2 banks of 2 presets each - total of 4 sounds. That was just about all I used on the 100 even though it had a more versatile footswitch. With the controls on top I can set the tap tempo quickly with my hand, no biggie. I got a cover for it too, our winters are WET!!! Sometimes our summers too.

[Scott Fraser]

That's some lucky thrift store diving. Around here everybody thinks every piece of audio gear is some potential vintage gem, so everything is generally priced well above market value. My one really fortunate find was a Neumann KM84 mic for $75 in a pawn shop in the 70s, before pawn shop operators knew anything about pro audio, or the fact that a condenser mic needs phantom power to work.

[KuruPrionz]

That's some lucky thrift store diving. Around here everybody thinks every piece of audio gear is some potential vintage gem, so everything is generally priced well above market value. My one really fortunate find was a Neumann KM84 mic for $75 in a pawn shop in the 70s, before pawn shop operators knew anything about pro audio, or the fact that a condenser mic needs phantom power to work.

 

I consider it to be persistence rather than luck. I go and look regularly. Not all thrift stores have time or staff to research everything that is donated.

There could be extenuating circumstances, life with humans does not always make sense.

 

Time and again, I find things. It's not a miracle, I don't have "powers". And certainly not all of it is audio or music related. I've had friends who look for precious metals in the jewelry and find it. Another friend collected vintage hand painted tea sets (China with gold leaf, painted in the UK for one). She found some fabulous sets and partial sets of valuable tea sets.

 

I don't enough about those subjects to keep an eye out. I do know good woods, some of the furniture is dirt cheap and made of quality hardwoods. I've got some nice boards that were once a twin headboard - solid pattern grade old growth Honduras Mahogany, perfectly seasoned, straight and no knots or other defects. I bought the headboard for $4 just to get the wood. I've got some nice oak to mount guitar holders on the wall, a home made gun rack for $5 with some nice boards.

 

There are often very nice and useful tools, I just got a nice vise for $4, its a keeper. I have a Zyliss (another thrift store find) but this is more compact and versatile in different and useful ways.

 

But we aren't "The Vise and Wood Forums", so I don't share that stuff.

 

Seek and you shall find!!!

[wraub]

Long time thrift store/pawn shop digger here, and I have definitely gotten some great deals that way.

[Winston Psmith]

Long time thrift store/pawn shop digger here, and I have definitely gotten some great deals that way.

 

My Roland KB Amp showed up in a local Pawn Shop, marked at $140, which was a fair Used price. While I was looking at it, one of the women behind the counter came up beside me, and said, "You could get it for less." I thought that was an interesting sales approach, so I asked, "How much less?" and she shrugged, saying, "I don't know, maybe $90, maybe less."

 

I offered them $80 cash, and came home with a KB Amp I've been using for maybe 7 or 8 years now?

[KuruPrionz]

Long time thrift store/pawn shop digger here, and I have definitely gotten some great deals that way.

 

My Roland KB Amp showed up in a local Pawn Shop, marked at $140, which was a fair Used price. While I was looking at it, one of the women behind the counter came up beside me, and said, "You could get it for less." I thought that was an interesting sales approach, so I asked, "How much less?" and she shrugged, saying, "I don't know, maybe $90, maybe less."

 

I offered them $80 cash, and came home with a KB Amp I've been using for maybe 7 or 8 years now?

 

 

That's the game at pawn shops!!! What they ask and what they will take are often two very different things. Good score!!!