AX 8 Newbie Question

deakle

deakle

Experienced
Long time Axe FX user, but as I am awaiting my Axe FX III, I am considering picking up a used AX 8. But I am a little confused as I scan Reverb I am seeing used items going for around $1200, yet a brand new one from FAS is currently selling for a little over $1000. What am I missing? Has something changed with the newer ones or are the used items just priced high? Sorry in advance if this is a dumb question, but like I said I am new to the AX 8 world. Thanks!
 
I can't speak for the market, but the "old" and "new" AX8 are the same thing. Just the firmware will likely need to be updated (if you are already familiar with FAS txt is easy). If the old owner kept it current then there is no need to update. Personally, I'd just get a new one so I would be the original owner and get the warranty. For a gigging guitarist, the AX8 is da bomb. Really in demand and holds the value. Just my $0.02.
 
When FAS switched from manufacturing in USA to China, they dropped the price. Those used ones may be USA-made.
 
are you joking about it being manufactured in china? my guess would be they are price gouging because fractal units are on back order so often.
 
just looked at the fractal website and they are definitely still made in the USA. The price has dropped at lot since release. They started out at like 1400. My guess they have had to be very competitive because of the helix and other floor units around the same price point.
 
“Old” ones had final assembly in the USA of overseas parts, how “made in the USA” hat technically is depends on the owners way of thinking...

As for pricing, many of those have been listed for months, and obviously still haven’t sold. Those guys may not even know there was a price drop

Likewise, they may know, and as currently out of stock, they raise the price up

Want it now? Buy a used one at a premium. Able to wait a few weeks, but new at a better price
 
Brian Dixon said:
just looked at the fractal website and they are definitely still made in the USA. The price has dropped at lot since release. They started out at like 1400. My guess they have had to be very competitive because of the helix and other floor units around the same price point.
Click to expand...
The website is grossly out of date on that. The AX8 has been physically made in China for a long, long time. The engineering, firmware, software, etc. are still done in the US.
 
The only difference between the used ones for $1200 and the new one for $1100 is the new one comes with a 1 year warranty. You get to pay extra to gamble on it working right.

I believe the higher priced used market tries to take advantage when the AX8 is out of stock on the Fractal site. Simple supply and demand. I remember when both the FX8 and AX8 were released, guys got on the waitlist, bought either of them new then turned around and sold them for as much as $2000 since they were not available unless you were on the waitlist.

As far as where they are made, here's a comment directly from Fractal in another thread:

Admin M@ said:
Our warehouse, shipping center, and engineering lab are in Plaistow NH.
The real heart of the AX8—the firmware and all the software, are made in America.
The design and mechanical engineering are done here too. I believe the DSP itself may also be made here.
The unit is assembled in China using components sourced globally sourced components.
The quality if the new units is as good if not better than the previous ones.
Click to expand...
 
Brian Dixon said:
if I was intentionally price gouging I doubt I would tell anyone.
Click to expand...
What I mean is that would be a selling point....justification for the higher price; to try to down play the new ones at the lower price. You know how stuck these "made in USA" freaks can be...lol
 
I’ve done my fair share of Reverb lurking in the past month. Ax8 was out of stock through Fractal up until this past week. Folks on reverb were asking 1200-1400 and seemingly getting it. They were hopping off the shelves in a matter of hours on reverb. Now that they are in stock they don’t seem to be selling on reverb. I’ve reached out to a couple sellers on reverb and asked about the price. I’ve had mixed feedback. Anything from “well this one is made in the US, so I’m gonna ask more” to “yeah I know the new price, I don’t care.” So it’s a mixed bag. I agree the product holds its value well. At least right now. As with just about any digital product, in ten years these will be tough to sell for anything close to what they go for now.
 
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