It happens to almost every electronic musician. It's a way of life for some folks.
The Garage Sale, The Benefit Sale, A blowout sale at the thrift shop. There is one we all wait for: The going out of business blowout sale at your and my [favorite place (to see go out of business LOL)] The Pawn Shop!

What I was wondering is: What was your 2 best deals (purchases).
How much and for what item.
Please don't include freebies (or might as well be a freebie). eg. A Marshall stack with a Les Paul, pedals, works fine, and a Mel Bay "learn the guitar" book all for under fifty bucks would be considered a freebie. An old Fender Twin Reverb wouldn't though.
Any realistic purchase within the past two years.

One I did good with is an entire set of tuning forks for $10. I can see why they sold them because I'm the musician, and I dont even use them either. Lots of compliments on them at the office though.

I picked up a white Musicman Eddie Van Halen Special for $150 too. A real player axe (daily use intended design). Basically I'd say it the guitar doesn't break from a fall or rough shuffle, you can count on it being in tune when you grab it. (w/already streched strings)

Im sure there's somebody in the domain that has done better than me, right?
MORPH!

I got a good deal on a 16 channel keyboard mixer on ebay because someone listed it as a "mixer" instead of "mixing board," hence it was mixed in with blenders and cake mixers and shit.

Sold a couple years later on ebay for $20 more.

Well, this deal goes back in time. It certainly doesn't qualify for the 2 year limit, but I was always amazed by it. When I first started playing keys in the early 80's, I bought a used Yamaha Cp-30, For 4 or 500 hundred bucks. That's not my "garage sale" story. But about 6 months later at a garage sale I found this ugly metal pedal with the words Big Muff on it. I really didn't know what it would do. Now I see you can buy one now for about 80 bucks. I plugged it into my CP-30 and it made the coolest sound. Very, very similar to the guitar sound of Grand Funk Railroad's Closer to Home. It was an awesome combo... Then I moved a few times, lost track of my Big Muff and now... I have no idea where it is.
The lady selling it had no idea what it was and said to me when I asked how much... "2 bucks". I wished I still had it now. I think I'd use it with my keys.


[This message has been edited by RW (edited 02-12-2003).]

Rickenbacker TR35B bass amp. $225 Can.
Korg SP100, around $325 US.

I bought my TR909 when they were being cleared out in the mid 80's for £200 before anyone thought they had any use. I bought a Coloursound Fuzz pedal and Vox Wah for £10 in 1980. The Fuzz died but the Vox still works great.

RW, what 2 year limit? Don't smoke and post, ok?

I bought a Casio FZ-1 sampler for 1200SEK (about 120USD) in 96. That thing was quite good. Waveform editing was great with the large LCD and it has resonant filters. I don't use it anymore though.

-tek

Alright... so I'm pokin and smostin..

Morphamatik said "Any realistic purchase within the past two years." So I thought there was a time limit, but as you can see, I didn't adhere to that any too good.

RW

Wait a minute! I'm the one who should lay off the meths for a while. I see it now. Morph did say within the past 2 years. I'll just pretend it's 98 all over again.

-tek

The previously imposed two year time limit is hereby permanantly uplifted. Additionally a pardon is given to all.
It's a free for all now, so pass me some of that.
A real long time ago I got a Magnus organ for 50 cents and converted it into a smokeless ashtry. It worked for years. Then I quit smoking, and Dixie snipped the cord (her little way of saying this now belongs to me) and she thinks she turned it into a planter. I had painted it with Glasso car paint years ago sort of a Waldorf yellow. It was a fine paint job and is holding up. I think...yes there are Easter lillys in it now and is indirectly still serving.
MORPH!

PS Recently a friend came by and before entering threw his cigarette butt in the Magnus planter (formerly an ashtray). She happened to see him do it and came in with a grouchy pout telling me while holding the butt and I tried not to but just couldn't keep from laughing as my friend said he thought it was an ashtray. For the first two seconds I got a blank stare and then she busted out laughing too. From time to time a friend might ask about my Magnus ashtray and it makes me laugh as I tell them , 'oh, yeah it's right outside on the porch'.



[This message has been edited by Morphamatik (edited 02-14-2003).]

My best buy was a Roland JX8P synthesizer with the optional PG-800 controller with all the knobs and sliders for $100 from a guy in Burbank who was just trying to clear out some space in his studio. I was happy to take it off his hands. I still use that synth and get some great sounds out of it.