Gear that's cheap now but will be unobtainable in 25 years

Maybe, it does depend what Korg does with the Opsix going forward though.

I think synths with mini keys could be good candidates. There is something gimicky about them, even though they can really sound great: Yamaha Reface series, Hydrasynth Explorer, …

2 Likes

I see Fred Again… has a Reface CS on stage on his current tour. You’re right, this series is a good candidate.

I really think the Minibrute2 specifically has a super unique sound between the OSC Mixer gain-staging potential and the 12db filter.

I enjoyed it so much I bought the Matrixbrute but it didn’t have the same edge. I’ve seen em for $250-300 (which feels about right) but I could see someone making a name with that sound and all the sudden, unobtanium.

2 Likes

It sure helps if something was a bit of a flop when it was new. If 303s were a success and had a production run that reflected that they’d be $600 any day of the week on eBay now. It doesn’t have to have been unpopular, it could also be an issue of a company/ maker folding or pulling a product for whatever reason or just making bad business decisions (or their coke habit got in the way, etc…). A klon centaur was never a budget pedal but it wasn’t crazy expensive when new, he just didn’t make many and now they cost as much as a used car. Obviously whatever it is has to capture the imagination too since there’s lots of rare gear that isn’t worth much.
It also seems like a long period of being largely forgotten about is part of the cycle. Vintage Casios were thrift store fodder for a couple decades and now some go for real money (I should really sell some Casios).
Most elektron stuff has been too successful to ever get to top tier vintage synth prices except the sidstation, possibly the mm.
Of course the premis of this thread is dependent on the future popularity of electronic based music which is extremely likely but not a certainty.

I saw Michael McDonald at the Hollywood Bowl a few years ago (don’t judge me!) and he had a Reface CS on stage. Whether that makes it a future classic is debatable, but MM is about as pro as it gets so it must be a quality instrument.

Or…

Summary

…he’s sponsored by Yamaha.

5 Likes

The ones we don’t expect. I’m gonna put my money on the Digitone.

3 Likes

Digitone Keys is already harder to get than you’d hope.

3 Likes

Surprised nobody mentioned the minilogue. I’ve seen it appear on quite a few live performances. If any of those artists get a cult following, the instrument might get that too. There’s probably quite a few of them atm, but you never know how many of those will stand the test of time

1 Like

It’s a hard question
8 years ago a guy was selling his Md & MnM £800 for the pair. as new boxed .You’d probably have to pay 5 x that today. Personally I think the 70s and 80s synths like the Oberheims and Moogs will just reach more ridiculous prices.
Unless , like the current trend with hipsters people tend to be 20 years behind so maybe worth buying the current korgs , leploop , motorsynth and Gr1s

Yes it could potentially run even longer using emulators, but it will be worth nothing money-wise. Especially considering various internet activation based copy protections, which will prevent it to activate, unless it’s a cracked copy. Which again means it will be worth nothing.

But it will of course still be an important part of history and a classic in it’s own right.

On the other hand, all that stuff may be worth pretty much nothing.

-OR-

That sort of thing used to be crazy talk. It’s not anymore.

6 Likes

Funny thing is, if everybody would be using only classic gear (I don’t mean just musical instruments) it would probably solve this problem :slight_smile:

In 30 years from here, people will want to play today’s instruments and wear today’s clothes, just to be authentically different. Yes, they will also want exactly those poorly modeled effects from the past and not those uninspiring realistic emulations of the future.

Who needs a boring hover board when one can wield an exotic skate board? Most of us today would probably prefer the hover version. After all, they promised it back in ‘89 and it’s long overdue :grin:

1 Like

In that case these Boss Amp Factory pedals are gonna be golden. Maybe JHS will put them on an episode and prices will spike 🫣

2 Likes

Got to agree re the Soma stuff. I’d say any Quasimidi stuff also will be gold dust in 25 years.

Years ago I kept waiting for an OTO Biscuit to be sold for less than 500.
Possibly an Analog Keys will be on that list.

Sounds like a them problem

2 Likes

I mean they created the dooms day clock in 1947, and in his interview for “Fog of War” US Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, said we were this close “pinches fingers together” from nuclear war with the Soviet Union when shit went down over Cuba.
One things for sure, I’m not reading any articles that pop up from Futurism from now on.

4 Likes

Asimov’s Foundation, though there won’t be 10k years until chaos as on Trantor this time.