[Profit Margin Vs Price]

1 hour ago, PrairieDog said:

Okay, I can’t stand it.  Jumping in with a reality check: It’s simple to do the math:  The SG standard in 1961 cost $265.00.  

In today’s dollars, thanks to inflation, this an equivalent list price of $2,768.16.

You can buy a brand new ‘61 standard reissue for $2,399, and a modern version for $2,499. 

Sunburst Stratocaster with 3 pickups and trem in 1961: $289.00 (source)

You can buy a brand new American Professional II Stratocaster - 3 Color Sunburst for $1,799.99 (link) 

 

[Deleted Original Posting, to avoid any more ruckus]

2 hours ago, bigtim said:

I wouldn't worry about it, telecasters are ugly anyway!!!

These 2 guitars are the same exact price on Sweetwater right now, both a steal IMO ($1,799.99):

Option1:  Gibson Les Paul Special - TV Yellow

Option 2:  Fender American Professional II Telecaster - Butterscotch Blonde with Maple Fingerboard

I was really on the fence, but I ended up with the ugly Telecaster.  If it's good enough for ... [insert a million names]

[New Gibson Amps Coming]

23 hours ago, Phil OKeefe said:

Have you priced any competing all-tube, USA-crafted amps recently? 

Yes, Fender Pro Junior, $704.43 out the door from Sweetwater.    Then I bought it.  😁

That Fender logo on a tube driven tweed amp is just .... ICONIC.  

[NAD (and 69-the-gibson-lounge)]

This will be my last post here, figured I’d go out with a bang.  

I have a great collection of stomp boxes.  My 100 watt Mustang III digital modeling amp was overkill for recording.   I wanted a really simple small tube amp that always sounds good.  

Fender Pro Junior IV 1x10" 15-watt Tube Combo Amp

$649.99 from Sweetwater.

“Capable Little Tweed Tone Vehicle”

It has:

1.  Volume knob

2.  Tone knob

3.  On/Off switch

Preamp Tubes:  2 x 12AX7

Power Tubes: 2 x EL84

1 x 10" Jensen P10R

No reverb circuit.  

I have it set up for recording.  I’m using a Klon and a Boss CP-1X compressor in front of the amp, along with various effects and overdrive/fuzz pedals.  

This is a very good pedal platform.  I was concerned it might not be because all of the reviews I found only talk about cranking the volume on the amp and using your volume control on the guitar for live performance.  That sounds great too, but it’s too loud for what I’m doing.  

The single tone knob works so well for me.  I just backed it off until the highs weren’t too much, ended up with the tone knob on “3” and it sounds amazing.  Volume knob is on 2 (the Klon boosts the input).  

The cabinet is only 15” across, but I have to say, the lows sound so good and deep.  It’s uncanny what this amp does with such a small cabinet.  

This will turn a lot of people off - doesn’t bother me considering how it sounds:

Construction Material:

0.75" Particle board cabinet

I came very close to buying:

• Vox AC15C1

• Fender Blues Jr

• Marshall Origin (1x10" 20-watt)

I love this simpler option.  And $650 taint bad.  

The sound of the amp to my ear is actually closer to a Vox or Marshall amp than a typical Fender.  I guess because of the EL84s?  It’s somewhere in the middle.  Still has Fender DNA.  

And lastly …. It’s a tweed amp.  Not a real one but still, I love hearing that crazy good sound coming out of my tiny tweed amp.  

Some other guys who supposedly used Pro Juniors:

Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Brian Setzer, Warren Hayes

Shout out to Jared at Sweetwater.  I bought it right before Memorial Day and somehow, he got it to me before the end of the holiday break.  I didn’t expect it until the following week.  

Yeah so this is my last post. I’ll just say certain aspects of being a member of this forum were getting annoying.  

Oh, and I was on the fence about this:

Gibson Les Paul Special - TV Yellow $1,799.00

or

Fender American Professional II Telecaster - Butterscotch Blonde $1,799.99

Decisions decisions.    🤔   Think I’ll be going with the Telecaster.  Anyone know any good Fender-based forums?  I know about Strat-Talk.

Peace/out

Here’s a video of a guy using a Pro Jr and a Klon with a Les Paul for a gig: