Best deals you've ever found

Last week I just bought a used Peavey JSX 120w tube head for $350. I really think that amp is a hidden gem. I don't know why they go for so cheap right now. It's basically a peavey xxx with a better lead channel, better clean, and a built in noise gate.
 
Bought my used Axe-Fx II XL+ and MFC-101 Mk III, all for $1900. Both with original box.

Sold by a big time music guy, Grammy and Emmy winning Producer, Conductor, Music Director, etc. I looked him up, really impressive... almost honored that I got to purchase from him haha. Had to wait a week after I paid because he was in Europe or something. I imagine it was bought on some production budget, and he was selling it off afterwards.
 
Two VHT Pitbull 1x12 cabs for 100 euros each in 2003 from a guy living with these in a Paris apartment with the neighborhood complaining about the noise...
 
Best deal was a freebie when I was 9 years old in 1965. My next door neighbor who was a session bassist for Fender gave me at no cost a 65 Deluxe Reverb and a 64 Strat. I still have the amp though it's in need of some repair. Sadly, I never got the time in my youth to pursue guitar and I gave away the Stat to friend in high school. In hindsight, not a bright move on my part. :(
 
My best deal was many years ago when I was 11 (1976). Our next door neighbors son used to play guitar but gave up and they had gear just lying around. They asked my dad to make an offer. 4x12 cab, a Watkins Rapier 33 guitar in case, cables couple of pedals. He offered 100 pounds. Accepted. One of the pedals was a burns buzzaround. Did not know until a few years ago how rare they are, they sell for thousands now.

This year I showed it to Robert Keeley at NAMM. His eyes lit up, he knew of them but had never seen one and asked if he could take pictures of it.

Still works perfectly and would never sell it.

That was a deal.
 
I have a couple of great deals . . .

1. Back in the 90s I lived in Portland Oregon. I found a Louden Acoustic on Craigslist in as new mint condition. I bought it from someone who purchased new for a CD project (I have his CD somewhere, though I don't remember his name at the moment). The guitar was $3000.00 new. I paid $700.00 for it. I eventually sold it for $1200.00 because the cedar top was too soft for me.

2. In about 2001, before I got married and had kids, I was living in Seattle. Guitar Center was having their then annual Memorial Day sale. Being single and a bit crazy I decided to spend the night in line so that I could get first pick on some of the incredible deals that were advertised for the sale. I arrived at midnight the night before and was still only 3rd in line. When the doors opened I picked up a Grosh Retro Classic for $400.00 and a $6,600.00 Alembic Bass for $500.00. I had to spend an extra $75.00 for a case for the Grosh. I still have the Grosh and don't ever expect to sell it. I had a $100.00 tune up performed on the Alembic by Mike Lull and ended up selling the Alembic through BassNW in Seattle for $2500.00. That was a sweet deal.

A great deal that I heard of from an acquaintance who worked at American Music (Danny Hoefer - a really great player) in Seattle was a guy who liked to look for valuables at thrift stores. One day he was in a store when a clerk wheeled out a cart with a bunch of stuff on it. The guy saw an amp on the cart and asked the clerk how much. $50.00, the guy said. It turned out to be a pristine '59 Bassman. The guy sold it to American Music for $2,500.00. That's a pretty sweet deal.
 
Today I found.... don't worry guys- I didn't overspend and pay $80- got it down to $65 out the door! Was sitting on the shelf for 3 months too in plain sight.
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I bought a vintage Dano Convertible for $50 back in the mid80s from a kid out in the country that I flipped for a good return. It was in good condition but a pretty terrible guitar, actually....the reason I sold it. And I got a vintage TS808 for the same price about the same timeframe. I ended up selling the 808 to a Japanese investor for more than ten times what I paid for it.
 
A friend of mine at my message board found a Japanese Kramer Focus for $3 at a flea market....he gave the guy a $5 and told him to keep the change. LOL
 
craigslist finds -
Barely used/almost new with original factory strings MIM Strat Midnight Wine with the sticker on pick guard - $100
2 JBL PRX635 and @ JBL PRX618s subs - $1000
1986 Mesa Boogie Mark III black dot head and 4X12 half-back with 2 ev's and 2 g12-80's - $800
1971 Marshall Superbass (original transformers) - $1500
 
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Back in the 70's my drummer called me and said he saw a very expensive studio mic in a pawnshop. This was Utah, way before the internet.

I went there and found he had an AKG414 and wanted a few hundred bucks for it. I knew it needed phantom power so I told the guy to plug it in to see if it worked. He plugged it into some cheap mixer, and of course no sound. Sold it to me for 10 bucks.

Later found out that Sam Foster, who was the drummer for the Osmonds and now was a producer had some mics stolen from his studio. I gave him his mic back and he was so grateful he produced 4 songs for my band a a couple of jingles I had written free of charge.
 
Without a doubt the AxeFX2 is the best deal I have ever gotten...and I had to wait six months to pay full retail!

Coming in second is my Eric Johnson strat... The wife and I were going to see a movie one night and traffic was better than expected so we got there 30 minutes early. There was a GC next door, so I figured I could always kill time in a guitar store, so we go in and on the top row (the ones you need an associate to help you with) theres a new sunburst EJ strat. Just to make conversation with the kid who is shadowing me I ask how much? he goes to his computer looks confused and says $700. I say you might want to double check that I don't want to see you get fired for making a costly error. He double checks and says he thinks it's right...to which the wife pipes up and says we'll take it (and then points out my birthday is the following month). Like many others, Ive had a number of guitars over the years (went through a collecting and speculation period for a couple of years) and this by far the best strat I have ever played and one of the best guitars I have ever had period.

When I learned that Eddie was leaving his deal with Music Man I went to a GC manager that I was on good terms with and made him a personal deal (bribe)... the upshot of which was that I would get the right of first refusal on any remaining stock as well as what would come in from the remaining production run. He had the platinum store for the Chicago area so he would transfer stock in and he would call me when a shipment came in and I would pick the the best tops before they ever hit the floor. When the run was done I had six of the best EVH's out there. I fully intended to flip four when the market grew enough, which it turned out took about a year. But I made enough from it to get an R9, so it ended up being a great deal, just took a year.
 
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