Anybody Bailing On Discontinued Sovereign? I Just Checked The Classifieds &...

[Critterhunter]

Out of curiosity I just did a 30 day search in the detector classified forum and didn't see anything. Used Sovereigns have always been hard to find, especially the XS models and the Elite and GT, and always seem to hold a pretty good re-sale value. Just good to see they aren't being sold off in a panic or something. I suspect the same deal is going on with the Explorers too.

If anything, I'm guessing used prices will only rise as these machines get into the hands of those who know what they got and fewer and fewer turn up on the used market. Just look at how the 6000 Pro XL used price went up after it was canned by Whites, not to mention certain Compus models and I think the old Whites pre-XLT computerized model (name escapes me at the moment). All these machines are very hard to find used, and when you can expect to pay a good buck for them. Just like a classic car, people know what they are capable of in the right hands because they know what kind of performance is lurking under the hood in certain respects.

So who's staying put? I can honestly say, that for the first time in all the detectors I've owned over the years, this GT of mine ain't going nowhere no matter what else I add to my line up down the road. It's just too unique with it's long detailed analog audio, combined with the numerous tone alerts of a Minelab, and it's stability and depth is smooth like warm butter. She ain't going nowhere if I can help it. Although I like digital screens and the odd tweaks on occasion, other days I want just simple raw power and the feel of the dial or switch between my fingers, and I don't think I can live without this expressive long audio for certain kinds of hunting situations now that I've been spoiled with it. Still learning all the words of it's language and don't think I'll ever out grow and know all it's trying to tell me.

I'm just wondering if I can get a classic car license plate for it...

Far as repairs go, the Minelab warranty these days is I think 3 years. Being that Minelab said they'll fill orders up until end of December for the SE or the GT, along with the 8 or 10" coils for the GT, I would suspect that means they'll also have to honor a warranty where say a dealer sells his last GT in stock say a year or so from now. So I'd think that means repairs for at least the next 4 years out or so, and in fact I'd think they'd do repairs for several years after that, because it wouldn't be very good customer relations to nix and repairs as soon as the warranty expires. For that reason I'd expect the GT and SE to be fixed for many years to come here. I'd also think the Elite will be fixed for that long too, because an Elite is pretty much just a GT with a few differences in external controls. I bet even if they no longer stocked Elite control boards they could easily throw a GT control board in there, since there are only minor differences between them.

I guess though the pre-Elite models are not fixed anymore, or at least they can only fix certain things they still have parts for on those? Not a real big risk IMO. Most electronics that are going to fail will do so within the first year or so, due to a borderline component or say a cold solder joint or something. So long as it's treated with respect (IE: not storing it in a hot car or getting it wet), once a detector gets past it's baby years I bet the life expectancy is very long if treated right. Look at it like cars. Usually the bugs get worked out in the first year or two on a new car and then it sees the dealer less and less. That's been my experience, anyway...

 

[Smudge]

Bail out?

Nope.

I just ordered one from Bart at Big Boys. Should be here by Friday.

I am going to try to stock up on a few GT accessories by Christmas, while everything is still easily available.

 

[Critterhunter]

Glad to hear it. With how hard it is to find a 10" or 8" Tornado used (even harder for the 8"), if anybody is looking for those coils I'd place an order by December as Minelab said they'll fill any orders to make coils or detectors up until then. After that it'll be just finding a dealer who still has an Explorer, GT, or the Sovereign Tornado coils still in stock for the next year or so. Might even be that those coils end up costing more used down the road then they did new maybe. If god forbid Detech stops making the SEFs or Ultimate I would be those coils start going for more used than they did new down the road too perhaps. I doubt Detech will stop making them though, as they make those coils for some pretty obscure detectors and even some that were discontinued several years ago, with far less numbers of them out there than a GT or Excal.

I just noticed that with my unintended water hunts with my land shaft and 12x10 on it on days when I was just planning to hunt the dry beach, the spray on bed liner on the front bottom end of my 12x10 has worn off in places. I'm not a scrubbed on land but in the water I obviously can't watch that my coil is just skimming above the sand all the time. Come spring it'll be getting 3 or 4 fresh coats of bed liner, and this coil is never seeing the water again anyway as it's too much drag for my taste in water. I'm happy with the 10" Tornado on my original GT shaft for water hunts, and might even add a S-12 down the road for water. I suspect it's drag, being round, isn't really any worse than the 10" Tornado. The S-12 seems to be very popular among Excal water hunters and I suspect that's one of the reasons why.

 

[xwyokid]

Heck, I just bought my GT a few months ago. It isn't going anywhere but in my safe. Discontinued or not I already know what this baby can do. I don't buy detectors on a whim. I thought long and hard before I got the GT. I've got 3 coils for it so I'm set. I remember how much my brother and I hated when White's quit making the 6000 Di Pro SL. They are still going strong years later and I'm pretty sure the GT will be talked about the same as the 6000.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I purchased my first detector in July. I bought the GT on the advice of my brother-in-law and his brother after I had done a good bit of research on various detectors. . I am slowly learning to understand just a little of what it is trying to tell me in spite of my lousy hearing. . I put one of Ron's 180 meters on it and that has helped considerably. So far I have found two silver quarters, three sterling rings and two sterling ear rings along with a hand full of costume jewelry. I have also found some areas at the beach where no one has detected in years. Lots of coins. Of course the vast majority are zinc pennies but enough clad to keep one interested . It may take me a two or three months to hit all the places. I would like to have a water machine but finances being what they are and the price of an Excal being so high that may never happen. Will I keep the GT? You bet I will until it is no longer repairable or I die which ever comes first. At almost 72 it may be the latter. . I have purchased a 13" Ultimate for it and am playing with that just to see what it will do. I like the greater coverage of the larger coil.

 

[Critterhunter]

George, glad to hear you chime in. Please give us an update on how you like the Ultimate compared to your other coil(s) as you use it.

Far as bad hearing goes, luckily the Sovereign has a very "robust" long language so it's easier for people to hear than the little overly processed beeps and chirps of many digital detectors these days. I ain't naming names but one non-Minelab I was playing with had me shocked at how short and tiny the little reports were on targets I was testing with it. I was scratching my head wondering how in the world somebody could hear any target traits from that, and I'm talking worse than I've ever seen in a digital machine. Actually two lately had me shocked at that. Seems to be a trend towards simple "yes/no" type of audio and not the long robust analog-style of the Sovereign that the cream of the crop old analog machines. I've owned some digital machines that had good audio, but they were canned several years back, and didn't compare to the Sovereigns. By far it's the best yet IMO in terms of what the audio can tell me...

 

[Tin Fin]

I'm with GeorgeinSC, except for the age part... I'm new enough to the GT, I'm not getting rid of it. I have too much to learn from it still. I am keeping my eyes open for a second one as a back up in case anything happens to the one I have - That may not make a lot of financial sense in some ways, but if anything happened to the one I have, I would want to have another on had so I can keep using it. I have a couple of Excals, so I could keep hunting even if the GT drops out on me for any reason, but they are different enough from each other, that I use them for different locations/purposes.

 

[sovereignelite]

I just sold my 10" Tornado...kinda regretting it but have a new Sun Ray 5 inch Intruder and an Ultimate 13" . I bought a used Elite about a month ago, it was the first time I bought a new Minelab in 9 years (?) had an XS2a Pro before and loved it. I'm definitely analog, I like to be able to turn the knobs and decipher the audio. (I am STILL looking for an 8" Tornado) Now I buy every extra part I see. I do have an Elite meter for sale on ebay...not sure I wanna sell it...after all they can be recalibrated.

 

[robby4570]

Shoot! I'm keepin' mine for sure. I just got it a Stealth 720 scoop to play with.....

 

[hydraglide]

Only had mine a month, but I'm hanging on to it, maybe some spare coils.....

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Hydragline,Welcome to the forum.The Sovereign is a great metal detector but requires a little time, patience and field time.Good Luck HH Ron

 

[Critterhunter]

Spare coils is a great idea. Minelab says they'll manufacture any orders made up until Decemember for either the Sovereign, the 8 or 10" Tornados, or the SE Pro. After that it'll be just finding a dealer that still has any in stock for a year or so. The Tornados are very hard to find use since they work so well, especially the 8" Tornado. If anybody plans to get one I'd place my order before the deadline because that coil is already all but impossible to find used. I suspect Detech still will make the 12x10 and Ultimate for the Sovereign as they do that for other far less popular detectors, some of which are machines long since discontinued. So if I were a betting man it'd be the Tornados that will be the hardest to find in the future.

 

[TwoRivers]

I hunt mostly with the SE Pro, but still have my Sovereign XS with the 8 inch tornado coil.. I found a lot of stuff with it and intend on still using it from time to time.. A great detector indeed!

 

[Critterhunter]

Was just snooping in the classified forum again. Only saw one used GT being sold by a dealer, which sold real quick, and that was it. On the other hand, two new "Looking For A GT" posts are up in there with no responses yet. These GTs and even the Elite and XS models to an extent are very hard to find used, and when you do find one they usually go for a pretty high buck. Speaks volumes as to who knows what they got out there. I expect the SE Pro to also be in high/scarce demand. Two excellent machines that when they finally end up in the right hands of people who know what they got, won't be showing back up on the used market ever again probably.

Right now I can honestly say you could offer to trade me any machine on the market, and I mean that, and I'd refuse it. For one thing I'd be too afraid I couldn't get my hands on another GT down the road to add back into my line up. I've owned or used most of what is out there and the GT suits me so perfectly in so many ways, that this is where I want to sit until I see something come along that shows me otherwise. Not saying another machine might not suit others better for their personalities/style of hunting, but I am saying for me I've found a perfect match in the main performance factors I was looking for.

For one thing I don't think I can live without the long detailed audio like that of the cream of the crop old analog units, and to some extent some earlier digital models that weren't over processing the audio...Combined with the tone alerts of a Minelab. Best of both worlds IMO. Then there is the dual water/land ability of the GT that makes it ideal for me switching between old coin hunting on land to water hunting. Throw in some other performance aspects that I won't dive into at the moment, and the fact that I've customized my GT like a prized street rod with a light weight shaft/etc, and I just couldn't bring myself to sell or trade her off.

 

[deepdiger60]

Was just snooping in the classified forum again. Only saw one used GT being sold by a dealer, which sold real quick, and that was it. On the other hand, two new "Looking For A GT" posts are up in there with no responses yet. These GTs and even the Elite and XS models to an extent are very hard to find used, and when you do find one they usually go for a pretty high buck. Speaks volumes as to who knows what they got out there. I expect the SE Pro to also be in high/scarce demand. Two excellent machines that when they finally end up in the right hands of people who know what they got, won't be showing back up on the used market ever again probably.

Right now I can honestly say you could offer to trade me any machine on the market, and I mean that, and I'd refuse it. For one thing I'd be too afraid I couldn't get my hands on another GT down the road to add back into my line up. I've owned or used most of what is out there and the GT suits me so perfectly in so many ways, that this is where I want to sit until I see something come along that shows me otherwise. Not saying another machine might not suit others better for their personalities/style of hunting, but I am saying for me I've found a perfect match in the main performance factors I was looking for.

For one thing I don't think I can live without the long detailed audio like that of the cream of the crop old analog units, and to some extent some earlier digital models that weren't over processing the audio...Combined with the tone alerts of a Minelab. Best of both worlds IMO. Then there is the dual water/land ability of the GT that makes it ideal for me switching between old coin hunting on land to water hunting. Throw in some other performance aspects that I won't dive into at the moment, and the fact that I've customized my GT like a prized street rod with a light weight shaft/etc, and I just couldn't bring myself to sell or trade her off.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=minelab&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk= great deals here Sovereign , 2 Excals with horseshoe coils and a few Exploriers

 

[meggie]

Nothing beats the GT on the wet sand as far has I'm concerned & I'm with you Critterhunter,wouldn't swap it for any other on the market.

So much so I've just acquired a second machine as a backup, should be OK for a few more years now.

 

[Tin Fin]

I just did the same a meggie - I can make my own shaft, but just purchased a second control box as a backup.

 

[Critterhunter]

Meggie, I hear ya!

Tin Fin...Great idea. Yep, I've been keeping an eye out for a control box of say an XS, Elite, or GT if the price is right, because then I could commit one control box to the stock shaft I use as my water rig. If you've already got numerous coils, cheap and easy way to "make" more Sovereigns just by building another shaft (easy/cheap) and using one of your extra coils with it. Need a meter? Look no further than Ron.

This winter I'm picking up that $20 Plano box Kbron2000 throws his GT into when going from land to water hunting. He chest mounts it or lets it float, which seems to work great for him, but I'm going to mount the Plano box on a snap on back shaft extension I already made, so no issues with drag, floating, or even risking a leak, since it's at head height and even if I were neck deep the box will still be just out of the water.

I've tested this setup and balance is not an issue. In fact, it's amazingly nice with the control box way back there on the stock shaft, on like a 23" or so snap on extension to put it at my head height in normal hunting position. Was easy to do. Just drilled a hole through the stock shaft right above the last bolt for the arm cup, then I used a two headed shaft snap pin to snap the extension on and off, so I can easily still transport the detector.

I haven't minded chest mounting my GT for water hunting, and it's quick and easy to take it off the lightweight land shaft and throw it in the Minelab chest mount bag, because I don't need to swap coils as the 10" Tornado stays on my water shaft and the 12x10 stays on my land rig, but just the same having a second control box that can stay on my water rig will save a few seconds not having to do that, and it'll be nice to go deeper than about belly button deep I'm only willing to risk with the GT mounted high on my chest without a waterproof box to throw it into.

Also, the water rig could still be easily converted to land use in minutes with a meter for anybody who wants to go out on a land hunt with me. I've got one friend in paritcular who is between machines right now, and since like me he's owned much of what's out there except the Sovereign, I want him to give it a good try so he can see what he's missing.

He's told me often he likes the analog audio of machines from the past, and I know he likes the depth of Minelabs he's owned, so I think he might find the Sovereign the perfect combination of the two worlds that I found it was for me, because that's exactly what I was looking for myself. I'm convinced if he gives it a fair shake, he'll be hooked like I was and end up drinking the Sovereign kool aid.

I ain't naming names, but I know of one guy who I think is stock piling Sovereign parts, because I've seen him scooping up meters, coils, and so on. More power to him. I'd be doing the same thing right now if finances permit it.

Think of it this way- Remember all the Harley guys who got laughed at when they were filling their garages with rusty old frames, gas tanks, and "junk" motors...Back in the day when Harley's were a dime a dozen? Now who's laughing. I know of a few of those guys and they've got a literal fortune stock piled in their garage, from back in about the 70's or 80's when you couldn't give the stuff away.

I ain't saying the Sovereign is going up in price like that, but I have no doubt it and the SE Pro will increase in used price values. But more importantly, I suspect it's going to get very hard down the road to find these machines, and certain coils for the Sovereign, even if you are willing to pay a premium price for them. Seen it happen with certain other legendary detectors when they stopped making them in years past.