GAS, or AAS? The only Limited Ed. V in Australia.

[OryCheyne]

Can't sleep, (sleepy time here in Australia) I'm in need of reassurance that I'm doing the right thing.
For some reason what I believe to be the only limited edition mkv to come to Australia has remained unsold and has sat idle in the same shop for the past five years. Tomorrow that changes when I go pick it up and take it home. For the life of me I can't understand how it has remained unsold till now.

Anyway, I should point out this is my first post on the Board. Hoping if I get my thoughts down I'll get to sleep. My mates say I got GAS, I'd seen this term used in this forum and needed to look it up. Think I'd relate it to Amplifier Acquisition Syndrome rather than Guitars but it can't be as I haven't bought any amps since 1994. I'm putting my condition down to pure excitement and sheer terror (cost), I can't wait to get it and learn it, however, my wife really doesn't get the expense. It feels like the end of the world.

How do you Guys and Gals deal with your sweethearts when you get new gear?

 

[screamingdaisy]

I don't tell her what it costs.

 

[OryCheyne]

Oh well, I guess I didn't have this issue when I bought my first few.
I was kinda hoping someone would just say 'there, there it'll be alright, just go to sleep ???? '.

Sure won't be sleeping tomorrow night

 

[barryswanson]

That wouldn't be the amp sitting in pro audio would it?

 

[Hypnotoad696]

Its a boogie, tell her it'll hold its value. If times get hard, you can sell it for 85-90% what you paid, assuming you take care of it

 

[OryCheyne]

I did eventually get some sleep.
After dropping the kids off at school I headed in to Sydney, collected a few stacks from the bank and popped over the bridge to North Sydney and let the Acquisition Syndrome take control.
Barry, Not sure about the amp at Pro-Audio maybe there is more than one Limited Edition 5 in Oz. The shipping box actually has Pro-Audio stamped on it and I gather most MB gear comes into Australia through them, I'd bought both my previous boogies from Pro Audio, nice team, and really helpful Techs.
I got this amp from a sweet music shop called Trumps Music (located in North Sydney). Tony runs the place and is an Authorised Boogie dealer. Really great guy to deal with, he has had this Ltd Ed MkV in his shop since 2010. I looked at it a few years ago but it was the wrong price for me back then. Right price now!
The amp is five years old - brand new, and everything is there: original shipping box, unopened envelope with manual (I assume there may be a certificate within the envelope probably wont open it), manufacturers tags, footswitch & cable, casters, cover, instruction slip - and a stink'n hot MkV amp. This is a fixed 240V export version. I'm surprised they let the LE ones out of the States, however I am very thankful its here. Thanks Randall and team for your lifetime of work in this unit (excluding the rectos, rack and base gear of course).

The timber in this thing is mesmerising, French Oak or Walnut, the piece of wood must have been a big bough joint, the thick fiddle comes and goes in different angles and light. I love it, you can imagine just sitting and looking at it is satisfying in part.

I was about to plug in then I thought I'll only get to do this once so I headed down and picked up a case of Budweiser (24 piece set) American beer to Christen this American made Masterpeice. (no offence if Bud isn't a popular drink in the USA- we don't actually drink Fosters here so I'm not sure on the Bud, tasted fine to me). OK so I plugged in and spent an hour in channel one. Old strings but the amp burst out with the most crisp sound, I just melted. 90 watts sure gives incredible depth, got it up pretty loud and my son came boogying in from playing outside and so I let him be the first to play the MkII preamp. I had it for about 3 mins on this myself and found that they really had stuck my MkII in there, incredible. Then I cooked bbq and my wife arrived home, I offered her a Bud and she made mention of how good the new wood looked, I told her it was private reserve to which she was very impressed... now this conversation is heading the wrong way, but at least I know she's ok with this purchase.

I agree with you Hypnotoad, I don't think the depreciation curve on these is the same say as a new Volvo, just, we don't really have the spare money in the first place. All that matters now though is that its done, I have a really pretty MkV and hopefully for a long while yet.
Now's time just to learn what its got and be inspired all over again, hopefully the same as when I got my 22 another lifetime ago.

Looking forward to posting more.

 

[OryCheyne]

I did eventually get some sleep.
After dropping the kids off at school I headed in to Sydney, collected a few stacks from the bank and popped over the bridge to North Sydney and let the Acquisition Syndrome take control.
Barry, Not sure about the amp at Pro-Audio maybe there is more than one Limited Edition 5 in Oz. The shipping box actually has Pro-Audio stamped on it and I gather most MB gear comes into Australia through them, I'd bought both my previous boogies from Pro Audio, nice team, and really helpful Techs.
I got this amp from a sweet music shop called Trumps Music (located in North Sydney). Tony runs the place and is an Authorised Boogie dealer. Really great guy to deal with, he has had this Ltd Ed MkV in his shop since 2010. I looked at it a few years ago but it was the wrong price for me back then. Right price now!
The amp is five years old - brand new, and everything is there: original shipping box, unopened envelope with manual (I assume there may be a certificate within the envelope probably wont open it), manufacturers tags, footswitch & cable, casters, cover, instruction slip - and a stink'n hot MkV amp. This is a fixed 240V export version. I'm surprised they let the LE ones out of the States, however I am very thankful its here. Thanks Randall and team for your lifetime of work in this unit (excluding the rectos, rack and base gear of course).

The timber in this thing is mesmerising, French Oak or Walnut, the piece of wood must have been a big bough joint, the thick fiddle comes and goes in different angles and light. I love it, you can imagine just sitting and looking at it is satisfying in part.

I was about to plug in then I thought I'll only get to do this once so I headed down and picked up a case of Budweiser (24 piece set) American beer to Christen this American made Masterpeice. (no offence if Bud isn't a popular drink in the USA- we don't actually drink Fosters here so I'm not sure on the Bud, tasted fine to me). OK so I plugged in and spent an hour in channel one. Old strings but the amp burst out with the most crisp sound, I just melted. 90 watts sure gives incredible depth, got it up pretty loud and my son came boogying in from playing outside and so I let him be the first to play the MkII preamp. I had it for about 3 mins on this myself and found that they really had stuck my MkII in there, incredible. Then I cooked bbq and my wife arrived home, I offered her a Bud and she made mention of how good the new wood looked, I told her it was private reserve to which she was very impressed... now this conversation is heading the wrong way, but at least I know she's ok with this purchase.

I agree with you Hypnotoad, I don't think the depreciation curve on these is the same say as a new Volvo, just, we don't really have the spare money in the first place. All that matters now though is that its done, I have a really pretty MkV and hopefully for a long while yet.
Now's time just to learn what its got and be inspired all over again, hopefully the same as when I got my 22 another lifetime ago.

Looking forward to posting more.

 

[OryCheyne]

Argh, how did I double post that mass of words, Sorry guys, on my learner licence.

 

[elvis]

Enjoy the amp. Life is short. And in a year, when the sticker shock wears off, you may look back and find that it was one of your best decisions.

And GAS is a catch-all. Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

 

[jb's 52]

Congrats on the new amp!!! The question should be, what does the wife want now? 8)
I've been happily married for almost 20 years and it's worked well for me so far.

 

[firmani99]

And yes, we do drink Bud! haha

 

[elvis]

Some people drink Bud. Yuck. Even getting bought by a Belgian company didn't fix it.

 

[4406cuda]

I prefer Becks.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I prefer whisky.

Either way, how about some pictures of this amp?

 

[barryswanson]

Congrats on the amp mate. It probably is the same amp I saw about five years ago in Canberra. I wanted it but the hand brake couldn't understand its beauty. Anyway I'm sure you have already but the manual I think for this amp is just as important as the amp itself. It's a lot to take in, but after three years of owning mine I still refer back to it for little things I have missed. I'm still on the original set of tubes it has never missed a beat. My head is a standard black one and I still find myself starring at it admiring it beauty. Well done enjoy

And like screaming daisy said, pictures! please

 

[OryCheyne]

Hi,
I still need to work out how to post the photos up here, I cant see any file or image attachment tools on this page. I've read the forum guide and guess I need to learn about using a server you can all access. Will see what I can do to get some photos up so you can see the timber.

So Bud isn't an American owned beer? Thanks, that spoiled that nostalgic moment. Spoiled for choice in beer, probably less so than the range of tone and drive from these amps. I had to get up out of the chair and stand beside myself, I am so impressed, cant wait to get it to a room and open it up.
Barry, I was able to down load the manual and agree there are a few functions I will need to get my head around., so I am kind of keen to keep the manual envelope unopened for resale but if there is a certificate in it I think I should have a look, oh the dilemma. Does anyone who has one of the 40th LE amps know if there is a certificate, if so can you recall if it was in the envelope? I should just open it shouldn't I!

JB's 52, My wife has actually been very cool about the whole thing although we didn't talk much leading up the purchase bit of tension there. Yesterday morning before I left to buy it I did ask her if she would still like me afterwards, she simply rolled her eyes and said she was just tying to ignoring it all. Since seeing and hearing that has changed a bit. But I will try your advice to make it good for future Gear acquisitions, although I truly will not be surprised if I need to buy her a new kitchen or paint the house.

Photos to come.

 

[OryCheyne]

Here is a link with a few photos. Thanks for asking for photos, I probably wouldn't have setup or learned about file sharing otherwise.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=5F0EFE041275CE10!104&authkey=!AKJA7chkLu3bj3c&ithint=folder%2cjpg

Has anyone had any issues using the caster wheels? I feel the center of gravity is too high.
For the record I opened the envelope, signed certificate was inside.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Looks good. Nice find.

 

[jb's 52]

JB's 52, My wife has actually been very cool about the whole thing although we didn't talk much leading up the purchase bit of tension there. Yesterday morning before I left to buy it I did ask her if she would still like me afterwards, she simply rolled her eyes and said she was just tying to ignoring it all. Since seeing and hearing that has changed a bit. But I will try your advice to make it good for future Gear acquisitions, although I truly will not be surprised if I need to buy her a new kitchen or paint the house.

Yep...I've painted the house already. New kitchen after summer, we need it though...or that's what I keep telling myself :wink:

 

[jb's 52]

Here is a link with a few photos. Thanks for asking for photos, I probably wouldn't have setup or learned about file sharing otherwise.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=5F0EFE041275CE10!104&authkey=!AKJA7chkLu3bj3c&ithint=folder%2cjpg

Has anyone had any issues using the caster wheels? I feel the center of gravity is too high.
For the record I opened the envelope, signed certificate was inside.

Ooooh...very nice. That's a 40th!!

I hate the casters that came with 'em I put mine in a hard case and that has some nice 4 inch urethane wheels on 'em.
That makes the center of gravity way higher but it makes it much easier to rolll on rocky asphalt.