New or Used Empeg

I was wondering how much you would recomend paying for an empeg (w/ car sled). Harddrive size isn't a big deal for me, because I'll upgrade.
I was also wondering how much more you would pay for a brand new one over a used one.
Here's 2 I'm looking at on ebay:
- used 10 gig
- new 12 gig
Do you think the new one will get bidded above $450.

Given that you will upgrade the HD, either new or used should be fine. The used sled is likely to have a few cut wires, which is fine. I purchase my first empeg (40GB) for about US$1,900., which I thought was reasonable given "the joy" I have received from the unit. When Rio made the mistake of discontinuing the empeg (i.e., Rio Car), they initially blew-out inventory at $199, then $299; well below their cost. I actually value these units more than their current selling prices, but given the current market, $400 to $450 might be reasonable for a new unit, and $50-75 less for a used. You might also consider picking up PCA's tuner kit, as these are fairly rare (compared to the number of empegs sold), and will again be difficult to source second hand once PCA sells-out his remaining few units.
- Sean

I would just add that, apart from 'tired' hard drive(s) you are going to replace anyway and potentially butchered sled wiring loom, a heavily used empeg might have a slightly (or more than that) burnt-in VFD tube (still usable, but one might find it annoying). They are replaceable, but how easily depends on whether someone has a stock bulk-ordered from the manufacturer (Noritake) at the moment.

I decided to just get the new one using buy it now, at $450. Probably not the best price, but I decided to get the new one, because they are rare.

I insisted on buying "new in box" units for the two that I own. Haha, I wanted to "maintain their resale value." Since I'll probably never sell my spare (largely because its value has dropped $400 since I bought them), I might as well actually use it instead of preserving it.

Quote:
I decided to just get the new one using buy it now, at $450. Probably not the best price, but I decided to get the new one, because they are rare.

Trust me, nobody here is going to criticize you for spending $450 on an empeg. When they were new they were three times that much. To start.