A Roland 303 for $2,275: The world has, finally, gone mad

eBay item #330132190816 was a very clean-looking TB-303. It sold for $2,275, which seems absurd (in the UK, they normally go for £7-900, which isn't much less absurd). I'm only really surprised because I thought all the cool kids were using laptops. It's 21 years since Phuture's 'Acid Trax' came out. Acid House is as old now as 'Blonde on Blonde' was when 'Acid Trax' was made.
UPDATE: Item #180131513603 is another one at $3,150. Although it has 'scam' written all over it. Just two bidders, a seller with a feedback rating of just 75% and a shonky-sounding description. (thanks Darren)

Posted by Tom Whitwell.

Comments:

It isn't the 'cool kids' buying this... It is the 40 year old synth collector guy.

# posted by

Anonymous : 3:34 am

no, it's the cool kids too.

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:11 am

the cool kids that are way behind the times. tb has finally disappeared from mainstream music, and for good. while i kind of miss it, it kind of makes me sick now. even on the masterpiecial Smack my Bitch Up.

# posted by

IMISSMYJUNO : 5:21 am

they aren't going to get any cheaper..
even if you dont use it its gonna mae money for ya
which is a shame cos I want one

# posted by

dyLAB : 6:43 am

I don't mind this at all, actually. but still, who are these people buying 303s at such price?

# posted by

Anonymous : 7:48 am

I don't know, but it is fun to point at them and laugh

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:35 am

"tb has finally disappeared from mainstream music, and for good."

Haha! You'll eat those words.

The death of the TB-303 has been foretold so many times. It's here to stay, it just meanders in an out of the main stream.

Which isn't a bad thing, but this sound will never disappear.

# posted by

Lars : 9:56 am

I'm sure I'm missing something in my little piddly VSTi version, but I don't get what's the big deal with this. With that said, I'm sure lots of people like it, and you'd THINK Roland would have caught on and started producing them again. They could even throw in some useless digital effects crap just to bump up the price, and it would still be less than $600. Idiots.

# posted by

Anonymous : 1:19 pm

Looks like the world of synths has found its equivalent of the 58 Paul. Do non-modded ones fetch more than ones with MIDI retrofits? Then the world will truly have lost its marbles.

# posted by

Unknown : 2:37 pm

How long since Rubberduck came out?

# posted by

15watt : 5:33 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/roland-tb-303-vintage-1982-synthesizer_W0QQitemZ180131513603QQihZ008QQcategoryZ64386QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Theres one up now past $3,000.....

# posted by

Darren_Halm : 10:27 pm

...and further they wade into the inexorable sludge of sanctimonious wank, these losers with endless pockets and too much time on their hands!

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:14 pm

well this sucks but if you have ever played with a 303 you know how addictive it is. It's not the cool kids buying them, its us older cats who know, truly know this machine. I am waiting to inherit a devilfish 303 from an even older friend who holds on to it even though he never plays it. I would never ever ever sell it if I had it..

# posted by

Anonymous : 3:44 am

Well, guess what the 303 is still going to be rocking dancefloors when all the Fruity Loop/Reason dweebs have realised that their music, like their software "studio" sucks, funny how most of the people who diss the 303 have probably never even seen one let alone used one.

NEWSFLASH - People that use 303's don't think it is the most powerful flexible synth, we know it is limited in what it can do, but NOTHING in the past 20 years has been able to touch it in terms of how it makes a dancefloor explode, which kind of figures in the prices it commands.

People that own a 303 point and laugh at software/VA dweebs.

A 303 is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it, if you can't afford it don't bitch about it, if you want the 303 sound its gonna cost you get used to it.

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:46 pm

Hm... I was eyeing 303 in local Guitar Center for about a year. Finally, one lucky day I got a call from sales manager who was willing to let it go for "only" $900. It was like new, in the box, with manuals, very pretty. However, after playing with it for a bit I just wasn't too impressed. I returned it to the store. You wouldn't believe the astonished look and surprising question - "Ugh.. you're returning a 303???? are you sure you wanna do that?" and I said... (something I still regret)... "yup".

Needless to say, as I'm sitting here, staring at this auction I can't help but ask myself - WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??????????????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!! O WHY DID I RETURN IT!!!:
http://cgi.ebay.com/roland-tb-303-vintage-1982-synthesizer_W0QQitemZ180132074818QQihZ008QQcategoryZ64386QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

# posted by

Zeroc001 : 11:04 pm

the synth equivalent of a 58 les paul would be a mini, come on... the guitar equivalent of a 303 would be some peculiar weird ass overhyped ibanez memorabilia, if there were such a guitar.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:56 am

If a '58 Les Paul is a Minimoog, what is a '58 Stratocaster?

# posted by

Tom Whitwell : 12:15 pm

The '58 Strat would be an Arp 2600 grey meanie with the Tonus logo and the Moog ladder filter.

# posted by

John Levin : 6:46 pm

Its funny, I remember when you could get these for about £30-50 in the early 90's. My mate bought one just because it was the only thing he could afford with his dole money!!

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:24 pm