Have 303 prices stopped increasing or even decreased?

[seanino]

Hi,
Anyone notice that you can get 303s on ebay for €1000/€1500. Don't remember being able to get them for that price before, they seem cheaper now. Always thought they were generally more than that last couple of years. Have the chance to buy one for €1000 and thought I was getting a good deal, now i'm not so sure! Maybe the xoxbox is responsible for less demand...
Whats everyone elses thoughts?

[msl]

I was offered one last your €800 in perfect condition. Still didn't do it, so not worth it imo.


.

[skyshooter]

I bought and sold them for $50-150 all the time back when nobody wanted them - never even kept one for myself - <- deserves a facepalm!

Most I had at once was probably 8 along with TR626, 707 a few each of those, never had the 808 though.

I think there are a lot more out there than people think the 303 wasn't that expensive, new, at my music shop we sold tons of them to guitarist, as a practice tool, they usually were rockers that ended up hating the sounds and trading or selling them for other items pretty quickly. We were just a little shop in Denver, CO and our volume of sales I'd guess was just over 200 units. So times that in LA & NY along with all the other music stores id bet Roland sold a 10,000+ worldwide, how many survived? Who knows?


Posted via the Gearslutz iPhone app so please forgive any bad auto-correct. I'll try to fix it in the mix later!

[kreeper_6]

They still go for $2000 plus regularly. The xoxbox has actually driven prices up, although it looks like the xoxbox prices have took a dump.

[Dubtek71]

As long as I have been aware of the 303 (since the mid 90's) the prices have continued to rise. I expect that trend will continue in the future as well.

[golden beers]

i sold mine in 98 for £900. but it was in exceptional condition with gig bag. would've been over a grand if my mum hadn't thrown out the box!... of all the box's i left at my parents place she had to throw that one out. kept my alesis box, kept my berhinger box etc etc. threw out the 303 box... mums!

[Looping Loddar]

The prices for TB-303 decrease!

In these days, the clone warriors are overwhelming. If you don't need the programming, just the TB-sound and additionally more sound options then look for an Acidlab Bombass! Its the thing. Don't give a shit on the lousy examples in youtube & Co. It rulez for 100 percent.

Even a quality made xoxbox would be a good alternative. In Germany you can buy them new for 350 or 400 Euro. A Future Retro XS does not sound like a TB-303. If you ask me: It is better.

It shouldn't be a big problem to get a near mint MC-202 for 400 Pounds. Maybe the MC-202 gives you only 95 percent of the TB-Sound. So you can invest some money on modding your MC-202.

I am sure: The TB-303 prices will drop even further in the next three years.

[Xero]

wtf holy shit

303's are going for over $2000 now?

holy crap...is anyone actually paying that, or are they just the auctions that sit around forever?

i've not even looked on ebay in a while. I still thought they were going for $1300 - 1800.

[kreeper_6]

They will auction usually around $1800-$2000, some shamefully mangled one go for less. If there are MIDI mods or circuit bends they will go for $2000+. Yes, people do buy those $2500 auctions, I watch the prices constantly.

An MC-202 sounds absolutely nothing like a TB-303 ( I Have Both), and the xoxbox doesn't have the 303 groove and unless its a build with EXACT parts the resonance is off and it distorts differently. There is a reason their prices have broke in half.

[golden beers]

Originally Posted by kreeper_6

They will auction usually around $1800-$2000, some shamefully mangled one go for less. If there are MIDI mods or circuit bends they will go for $2000+. Yes, people do buy those $2500 auctions, I watch the prices constantly.

An MC-202 sounds absolutely nothing like a TB-303 ( I Have Both), and the xoxbox doesn't have the 303 groove and unless its a build with EXACT parts the resonance is off and it distorts differently. There is a reason their prices have broke in half.

i've yet to hear a 303 clone that sounds as good as the real thing. i think others feel the same and the market reflects that.

[sleestack]

what is 303 groove? does the 303 make a good sequencer for external gear? Is it worth the price as a sequencer ?

[Dubtek71]

Originally Posted by sleestack

what is 303 groove? does the 303 make a good sequencer for external gear? Is it worth the price as a sequencer ?

People are buying it more for the sound than the sequencer. It would not make a good sequencer for external gear at all IMHO. It's entirely overpriced for what it actually is, a crappy plastic monosynth. All in all it's a piece of shite that sounds awesome!

[backindauk]

I saw one go on eBay Australia about three months back for $1250 AUD ($1100USD at the time)

a bit scratched up and paint worn but working perfectly. The guy was spewing because he paid $2300 for it a few years back. Funnily enough you could also buy a Jupiter 8 for not much more in those days. (~$3000)

[LiveFromKyoto]

What do people use them for? Is acid house still a viable genre?

[ekwipt]

Originally Posted by LiveFromKyoto

What do people use them for? Is acid house still a viable genre?

Yeah I think it's had a bit of a resurgence for the last few years

[Acid Hazard]

Originally Posted by Looping Loddar

Even a quality made xoxbox would be a good alternative.

You make it seem like they're low quality clones.


And no, prices will not decrease. They might plateau, but won't go lower on an average. I'm guessing they will average about $1600 for units in standard used condition. More for like new units with box and accessories, less for well used ones.

Your best bet? x0xb0x.

[Acid Hazard]

Originally Posted by LiveFromKyoto

What do people use them for? Is acid house still a viable genre?

[worm]

these have to be one of the most ridiculously overpriced synths ever. sure they give you 'that' sound. but is it worth $1k? never mind 2, or more!?

whiskey tango foxtrot, people?

you can make acid with many many synths.

[seanino]

I decided not to buy it in the end. Already have a mc202 anyway, ok its not the same but not that different either. MSL, if it were me I think I would have bought that one you were offered for €800 though!
I think they have gone down a bit in price though or are easier to get. There are a few on ebay for €1000/$1500 and they've been serviced/refurbished. I think there is better gear to spend on for that money, someone mentioned the future retro xs. Prices for the roland boxes are ridiculous anyway, who knows they might go like korg and bring out analog retro midi fitted versions of the old boxes and then all the x0x's are worthless Probably unlikely though...

[golden beers]

Originally Posted by worm

these have to be one of the most ridiculously overpriced synths ever. sure they give you 'that' sound. but is it worth $1k? never mind 2, or more!?

whiskey tango foxtrot, people?

you can make acid with many many synths.

yea i'd have to agree with that. which is why i sold mine in the first place. it certainly is underpowered in terms of synthesis. i sold mine at the time to fund a pro-1 and an emu vintage keys.

it's a one trick pony, but what a trick!

[Goa-Dubs]

Originally Posted by golden beers

it's a one trick pony, but what a trick!

maybe your right.BUT ive heard so many sounds and styles that were apparantly done with the 303!!!Bit of a shapeshifter or maybe used by shapeshifters......In an altered state.Never had one so i cant really say: [

[golden beers]

Originally Posted by Goa-Dubs

maybe your right.BUT ive heard so many sounds and styles that were apparantly done with the 303!!!Bit of a shapeshifter or maybe used by shapeshifters......In an altered state.Never had one so i cant really say: [

oh yea sure you can get creative with it as with anything. never heard a pad on it for example or a kick drum or a bell sound or PWM etc etc

[schmuck]

Originally Posted by golden beers

i sold mine in 98 for £900. but it was in exceptional condition with gig bag. would've been over a grand if my mum hadn't thrown out the box!... of all the box's i left at my parents place she had to throw that one out. kept my alesis box, kept my berhinger box etc etc. threw out the 303 box... mums!

Your mummy wanted you to keep the TB, man!

[schmuck]

I have had some clones for years and always found the real one overpriced. But this summer I noticed prices drop a little PLUS my home currency is ridiculously strong compared to EUR and UDS and AUS. So I bought one.

Have hardly had so much fun with a synth as with the TB! The sequencer totally rocks. I then saw another "cheap" one and bought it as well. It sounds quite different to the other one... So differences also to XoxBoxes are to be expected (most Xoxboxes are modded anyway).

But what I noticed (I think someone else posted this here already): xoxboxes sound most different with the squarewave osc (which i like best when reso and cutoff are low). Othewise probably nobody could tell. So it is mainly psychological reasons to have the real one. But don't underestimate psychology ;-)

I really underestimated the fun factor of that thing and I cannot imagine that it will ever dip too much in value in the future. It is truly a classic by now. And very small so easy to sell/ship. Which I probably won't do anyway. IMO the TB is here to stay (in every meaning).

[seanino]

Good sales pitch You've made me think I should have bought it now!

Originally Posted by schmuck

I have had some clones for years and always found the real one overpriced. But this summer I noticed prices drop a little PLUS my home currency is ridiculously strong compared to EUR and UDS and AUS. So I bought one.

Have hardly had so much fun with a synth as with the TB! The sequencer totally rocks. I then saw another "cheap" one and bought it as well. It sounds quite different to the other one... So differences also to XoxBoxes are to be expected (most Xoxboxes are modded anyway).

But what I noticed (I think someone else posted this here already): xoxboxes sound most different with the squarewave osc (which i like best when reso and cutoff are low). Othewise probably nobody could tell. So it is mainly psychological reasons to have the real one. But don't underestimate psychology ;-)

I really underestimated the fun factor of that thing and I cannot imagine that it will ever dip too much in value in the future. It is truly a classic by now. And very small so easy to sell/ship. Which I probably won't do anyway. IMO the TB is here to stay (in every meaning).

[kreeper_6]

Originally Posted by worm

you can make acid with many many synths.

You can make rock with many many guitars too.

[Llitsor]

Originally Posted by kreeper_6

They still go for $2000 plus regularly. The xoxbox has actually driven prices up, although it looks like the xoxbox prices have took a dump.

x0xb0x drove the prices up? Seems unlikely..
And if x0xb0x prices dropped at all, then it's more likely because of the multitudes of cheaply made chinese ones that have flooded the market over the past few months.
Couple that with various other people/companies that have started producing them means they are far easier to get than they were a year or to ago. Demand is more or less satisfied, so prices are no longer inflated.

As much as I like the 303, the prices they go for are rather OTT..

And yes, there is barely any such thing as building a x0xb0x with the exact parts, because there is no one set of exact parts, due to the original 303 not being built with all the same parts throughout its short production span. Hence one 303 doesn't always sound like another. So neither does a x0xb0x always sound like another x0xb0x, or 303.
Some 303's sound great. Others less so. Same for the x0xb0x.

The good thing about this, is once you do some research, you can hone the sound of a x0xb0x some, by being more particular about parts. Yet still be largely authentic to the originals.
The other thing I like about x0xb0xes I that I don't feel awkward about modding them. Where as i'd think twice about modding an original 303. Or more likely, not mod it at all.

[kreeper_6]

Originally Posted by Llitsor

x0xb0x drove the prices up? Seems unlikely..

It did.

When a xoxbox was going for $800 built and the price of a 303 was around $1500, the market reaction was an increased price on the 303. When a brand new clone that totally misses on the sequencer and misses on the sound goes for more than half of the vintage original, of course the price will go up. In this case it went up almost exactly how much the xoxbox cost.

Now that the xoxbox market has collapsed, you see a slow correction in the 303 market.

[poserp]

I don't know about the price trends, but an ebay search just now shows a bunch of 303s priced above $2k and two that might actually sell -- one for $1500 and this one with a BIN of $1395:

ROLAND TB -303 TB303 bass line module SWEET! | eBay

[Llitsor]

Originally Posted by kreeper_6

Now that the xoxbox market has collapsed,