Auctions, a Bargain? No.

Auctions used to be somewhere where you could go for a bit of a bargain, but not anymore – they’ve become places where people try to get retail or inflated prices depending on whether or not the item is new or “vintage”.

I regularly wander auction company listings looking for keyboards/synths but usually never see any so it’s back to eBay to troll the never ending shite and bullshit prices. Let’s look at say a Korg Kronos 88 – retail is around the $5,500 mark +/- a bit and what is eBay full of? Yep new Korg Kronos 88’s for that price. I’m confused, where is the bargain that an auction is supposed to bring, sure as hell not anywhere near advertisers of Korg Kronos’.
That’s the new stuff what about ‘vintage’ and I use the term loosely. Let’s look at ermm a Korg M1 there is one retailer/spammer on eBay who seems to think they’re worth a small fortune (or their ego is as inflated as their prices on all their stuff which is fucked up) as in $500 to $600+. My personal opinion on the M1 is one of “BLEH” if you want something like that get a T2EX, but I digress. Other sellers look on eBay to see how much they’re selling for, see this idiots pricing structure and follow suit – my response to that is “BAHAHAHA you cretins!” As far as I’m concerned a mint and I mean MINT M1 is worth no more than $350 as they aren’t a rare piece of kit, and if you don’t like my offer then piss off I’m not that fussed.
There was one there the other week that had a dead keybed, broken keys and a fading screen and they wanted $300 as a starter – give me a break sheesh.
It seems to me that if you put the words keyboard and synthesizer together people assume they’re on a winner – you know the type, find a cheezy Casio at a garage sale for ten bux, take it home, grab a few snaps and stick it on eBay for ten or twenty times the price when in reality the damn thing is a door stop, nothing more nothing less.

Ehh I’m bored now, rant over 😉

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Freak Out Time

I was happily doing something in one room (I think I was making coffee) when I hear a rather disturbing crash from another. What do I find when I reach the room? The Roland, the mixer, a computer monitor and assorted cables laying in a tangled heap on the floor 😐 The way I’ve got the two tier stand set up is RS-9 on the lower, then a solid mount with a computer monitor at eye level – it saves me from having to turn my head to see what’s goin’ on.

Thankfully nothing was broken, and why the stand decided to collapse is beyond me coz everything is tighter than a ducks arse so it shouldna collapsed, another thing I can be thankful for is her who must be obeyed bought a border collie and he likes to wind himself through the cabling, he wasn’t anywhere near the room when it all came down. He’s a smart bloody dog and it wouldn’t surprise me to see he’s worked out how to use a shifter and loosened the mounts just to drive me nutso 😉

Chico the Border Collie
Chico the Chocolate and White Border Collie 11 weeks old

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Well Well, The Roland Arrived

It’s amazing what can happen when you stick in an insurance claim, ooh they (useless Allied Express) suddenly find the Roland RS-9 and get around to delivering it so I’m a happy chappy now. . .

So now it finds itself in it’s new home/ spot in the room along side the Moog Little Phatty Stage II, the Alesis QS6, The Korg T2EX and the Behringer UMX61 Midi Controller 😉 shweeeeeeeet. .

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Roland, Roland – Wherefore art thou

I am still yet to receive my Roland Synth from the couriers so I called them. Below is a rough but fairly accurate text of the conversation I just had.

Me: Can you tell me where my parcel is please?
Them: Have you a consignment number?
Me: Yes (gives it to her).
Them: Umm One moment.
Them: Can you give me the size and a description of what it is?
Me: 139cm x 24cm x 10cm and 11 kilos.
Them: Does it have any distinguishing features?
Me: Well it’s a brushed aluminium vintage synthesizer, oh 88 key.
Them: Anything else?
Me: It’s got a birth mark just below middle C

At this point she hastily said she’d look for it and ring me back then hung up. I’m sorta wonderin’ if she’s also psychic as well as thick as she didn’t ask for my number.

Update 15th November: Still haven’t got it because Allied Express have lost it again – it’s either in Melbourne or Sydney they’re not sure, plus they have now told me not to contact them again but to go through my booking agent. Incompetence thy name is Allied Express.

Update 16th November: It’s official, Allied Express have lost my Roland RS-9 and I now have to go through proving to QBE that I deserve to be given my insurance claim.
In a word “Gutted.” ;-(

Or in more than one word FUCK ALLIED EXPRESS AND THE FUCKIN’ HORSE THEY RODE IN ON!!

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The Group Of Musical Toys

Finally got the Moog Little Phatty Stage II, so this pic shows all the toys except the Korg T2EX and the Behringer UMX61 isn’t fully in picture.
From left to right, Strat Relic Repro, Tobacco Sunburst Tele, ’61 Re-Issue SG, the rebuilt 2002 Squier Strat with HH’s, Moog Little Phatty Stage II, Korg T2EX with the Behringer UMX61 above it.
Below the Moog stand is the LX1 Behringer Effects Pedal and on the desk is the Behringer Xenyx 1002FX Mixer.

What’s not shown is the JVC KB-700 vintage keyboard/synth, the Yamaha DX27 synth, the Ashton UMK49 midi controller, the Asturcon Metal Master bass and the Ibanez RG.Fender, Fender, Gibson, Squier, Moog, Korg, Behringer

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