Seeing a lime green Joe Meek takes me back! Holy S%$#. A whole decade of Musician's Friend catalogs just flashed before my eyes. Do you feel these are worth the prices they're currently going for on Reverb?

@pkennethk I'ma go long winded here... you can get 'em for $600 or less unserviced if you're not picky about the version, although there's a version 4 for $600 right now if you need a good buss compressor for synths, vocals or guitar groups, its tested and seems good but its been sitting in its box awhile so I would be worried about the caps, its 30 years old.... for one rthat was just recapped with any non matched compnents on the sides replaced to make it a tight stereo pair I went up to $700 shipped but would not pay more. Guy's who are firm on $850 to a grand are crazy, they made a lot of them. But then again look at prices for real LA3As now.... even the reissue, a pair wills et you back and its a kissing cousin. Your main option is the heritage clones and a pair will still run more than a joemeek and they're really better at mono in my book. I mean, a pair is cool if you have an m/s matrix, but its nutty to use them for stereo unless they're factory matched....

Being a true stereo unit the meek has great link and dual ganged controls if you need a bus comp. Not a true dual mono unit like a pro VLA though. But the Pro VL has been finnicky for me for bus work, I much prefer it as dual monos or for ungrouped stereo sources like overheads or stereo synths, backing vocals, shaping reverb or room mics etc.... so I did a deal on one of these because I ahd such fond memories and so far I'm feeling like it was a good trade up on my laggy bus even without the starved plate tube stages adding that color. The SC2 provides lots of character, more than the VLA I or II when used conservatively, now if you start smashing wth a VLA and hit the input ahrd that's another story but I don't like to roll my subgroups like that. Defintiely a good buy, its great at non percussive groups and can do aprallel bus.... I also have a little 1/2 rack overstayer stereo fet coming.... woohoo....thing seems very interesting.

Anyway, I would say the SC2.2 and either pro VLA are great budget options, you et a lot for your money.... you need to really step up into summit or better LA2A clones to top them. You can spend more and not be any more happy. As far as I know the SC2 and SC2.2 are both Ted Fletcher designs based on an older Joe Meek design from the 60s and that's a pretty good pedigree.

@jimmarchi1 you rule. THANK YOU!

@pkennethk I try.... I should point out that Iw as not entirely accurate in ym generalization of Art optos, the VLA I allows all the left channel's settings but makeup to control the 2nd channel in link, the link doesn't seem that interactive though.... in the VLAII even makeup is controlled by channel 1 and in link the detectors respond in better harmony to my ear and that can be varied in some way by the second channel's makeup control which becomes a stereo width kinda thing and I don't know what its doing really, but tis neat, however the VLA I flat out sounds better to me when you hit it hard and the lack of options can be really refreshing... but the sides are just not that well matched on either, its good enough for a lot of stuff don't get me wrong. Its been annoying me lately so I decided to shop around. Plus I ave an inherent dislike of starved plates even though this low voltage tube stage does sound more than okay. The SC2.2 is far more purposebuilt though and for a relatively budget conscious bus comp its a real slayer... I have also heard tell that one can change out the vactrol for different bulb to LDR responses like the plug in detector modules in the LA series although I've never confirmed this. Its solid state, sure, but the VLA is basically solid state, the tube is a color thing tossed in and note even running right. It'll last awhile though. So there's my self correction.... expect reviews on the overstayer stereo fet comrpessor and the summit audio TLA50 coming soon. I have high hope for the TLA50 as its some sort of varimu tube/fet hybrid in a tine box that gets rave reviews. If their preamps are any indication it should be fantastic, a very hifi, high voltage affair with vibe for days when abused....