Used Ultra/Standard prices to plummet ? I Dont think so

[paulmapp8306]

And heres why (Im UK so will speak in £, but its an almost 1:1 £/$):

Last week an Ultra was £1850, and a standard £1450.

Today the AFX2 is £2000 - however once the current stock of standards and ultras are gone there are no more - ONLY the AFX2.

So - thats point 1. The "entry" price for a fractal unit new is now £2000 not £1450. That raises the bar, and some who would maybe consider a new standard maybe cant afford an AFX2 - so there going to look used which will increase demand for used items.

Point 2 - Used AFX2s are not going to be available for a long time. Theres still the "trial period" so thoses that dont like can send back. There will be VERY few AXF2s used around for at least 12-18 months. So, if you cant afford a new AFX2 your only option will be used Standards/Ultras which will keep demand up.

finally, the price will drop/has dropped dramatically this week. however thats supply/demand. There is a glut of used units availabe at present as people try to shift them (either to fund an AFX2 or because there worried about re-asle valve). This means prices are low - BUT once this "rush to sell" is over, supply of used units will slow again which pushes the price back up.

So - basically entry price for new units is higher so few can afford/justify the AFX2, the demand for used units may acually rise because of this. There will be a few more used standards/ultras around (as people sell slowly to upgrade) but not a hugh increase (once the initial rush is over) so supply wont go up that much. Overall, the used prices will drop a little compared to last week - BUT - once things settle down it wont be the hugh drop some people expect.

 

[vondano]

12-18 month! i hope u mean used one! cause a lot of people here wanted to get their dirty hand on the axe II yesterday

 

[paulmapp8306]

Yeh I mean used

Dont know about the US, but in the EU first shipment is due in 3 weeks - HOWEVER, most if not all are reserved for people already on the Wait list for Ultras. They will be offered AFX2 in place.

First batch for general consumption is estimated at 8 weeks.

I hope EU users arent selling their old units cheep to get an AFX2 quickly lol

 

[Michele Guzzini]

IIRC G66 said 8-12 weeks to someone by email. I stay with my Ultra for the moment, it worths a lot more than people are willing to pay for it.

 

[aftec]

I really don't get this.
Why flood the market with "obsolete" gear, even no one ever heard the new one?
As with any new product, new users should expect issues, until Axe II has a bug free firmware. I would expect 6-12 months to track down all issues. It will have a lot smaller community in the beginning to provide feedback.
Keep your trustworthy gear until the new one settles. This plummet will evaporate when the "Oh My god my praised gear is now worthless" crowd gets rid of their stuff.

 

[aftec]

IIRC G66 said 8-12 weeks to someone by email. I stay with my Ultra for the moment, it worths a lot more than people are willing to pay for it.

I remember that. I got my Axe exactly 9 month after the given deadline.

 

[Beefcake]

As with any new product, new users should expect issues, until Axe II has a bug free firmware.

I would disagree somewhat. This isn't just any product by any other company. Fractal Audio has a well deserved reputation for making high quality products in the first place and a very aggressive approach to bugfixing, which we all got to see a few years back, when there actually were bugs in the units (none of which bothered me to my recollection). I think there was once a bugfix firmware up in about 60 minutes from the report.

With that history, I'd be very surprised indeed if the II had major bugs that took anything away from the fun there will be to be had with it. If there are serious bugs at release, I bet they're fixed in well under 30 days.

I wouldn't sell my Standard now though, nor do I plan on selling it in the foreseeable future. Not when I'd finally have a worthy backup for my main unit.

 

[vondano]

a guy want's to buy my standard for 1500$... the problem is he wants it now... im scared of being axe-less for months before receiving the axe II... but if i wait, i'm loosing a buyer and a good price for my standard...

 

[Sixstring]

a guy want's to buy my standard for 1500$... the problem is he wants it now... im scared of being axe-less for months before receiving the axe II... but if i wait, i'm loosing a buyer and a good price for my standard...

Has he heard the news yet?

 

[angello120]

I really don't get this.
Why flood the market with "obsolete" gear, even no one ever heard the new one?
As with any new product, new users should expect issues, until Axe II has a bug free firmware. I would expect 6-12 months to track down all issues. It will have a lot smaller community in the beginning to provide feedback.
Keep your trustworthy gear until the new one settles. This plummet will evaporate when the "Oh My god my praised gear is now worthless" crowd gets rid of their stuff.

UM, check E-bay and see what prices OBSOLETE amps and guitars are fetching, the older the amp the higher the price, I remember not being able to give away AC0-30's once when the SS craze was on, and second hand shops were stuffed with old
valve gear, Axe' will never be obsolete, just well loved, and to somebody their ideal. There is so much stuff in the standard that most people will never use ( me for one) why panic and chuck your toys out of the pram? Fractal must evolve or die, like all manufacturing company's so just roll with em' and enjoy the ride.

 

[mwc2112]

As with any new product, new users should expect issues, until Axe II has a bug free firmware. I would expect 6-12 months to track down all issues. It will have a lot smaller community in the beginning to provide feedback.

There were bug fixes sent out for the original models for years... but none were so major that it prevented the units from working. Most were just weird little things that manifested themselves under certain conditions. I would expect the same thing from the Axe II. With a code-base that big, it's unreasonable to expect it to be 100% bug-free, but I would imagine the in-house QA process coupled with the beta testing would flush out anything but the most minor and obscure issues.

 

[s0c9]

Well they wouldn't plummet if folks weren't "panic selling" or "dumping" on eBay@!
Take a look at some of the buy it now prices !!
Still, it appears that sellers are looking to get their $$ out of the sale anyway... Standards are holding at the $1300-1350 range.. and ultras are anywhere from $1700 on up to $2299 (WOW!!).