I'm an electronics engineer by day, guitar god rockstar by night (LOL Ok, 'wannabe') and an amp tech for fun on the side. For years I've been repairing friends & friends friends gear. I've repaired dozens of amplifiers, and untold numbers of other things such as PA's, lighting controllers, tattoo machines, car radios, etc....
Since this is a hobby, I'm willing to take on the tasks that a pro won
't touch because they're too unprofitable. Your 70's vintage Peavey is only worth $150 even if it were mint, but a tech's quoted you $100+ to fix it -- you're gonna toss it in the trash, right? I'll be happy to take a crack at it. (Don't blame the tech - everybody has to make a living. And believe me, these guys are NOT getting rich doing it)
Since I'm getting good replies thus far, I'm gonna have to triage stuff. Basically, stuff that sounds easier and/or more interesting get priority
Unlike some techs, I understand DIGITAL electronics. I know how they work, and I know how they fail. My professional specialty is designing embedded computer systems. I've repaired more than one item that a tech had thrown their arms up over and surrendered. I won't work for free. But I'll work really cheap. Figure around $30-60 + parts for most any repair depending on complexity. "Parts" usually are less than $10 BTW for a simple repair. You gotta understand this --- It's not a 'labor charge' - you're just helping me cover my expenses for all the test equipment I've purchased - this stuff is pretty pricey. Even my friends pitch in, and they're happy to do it 'cuz they know they're getting top-quality repair for a song. Generally I'll attend to things that DON'T need fixing at the moment. For example, if I find a scratchy pot, I'll replace it. If capacitors are looking a little aged and maybe ready to leak, put in new ones. If I see a wire-wound resistor starting to get brown from heat, it's good as gone. Basically, I'll treat your gear as if I'm fixing my own stuff. I'm happy to show you what I've done and explain why, but I don't ask permission beforehand. If you were qualified to understand my explanations, you'd be fixing your own gear. You have to trust me. If you just wanna bounce questions off me, that's pro-bono I'll help you troubleshoot through e-mail. I'll only ask for scratch if I go hands-on. There's some conditions though:
* You absolutely can't be a dick to me. If you call me up and start bitching about ANYTHING, just come get your damn amp. Soon as it stops being fun, I quit.
* You gotta be patient. Figure 3-5 weeks turnaround typically. Sometimes more if the weather is really nice. I'm not gonna miss a beautiful summer night to futz with your amp. If you need it done for a gig this coming weekend, go give a "real" tech a call please - they'll much more likely have both parts and the ability to diagnose much faster than me.
* I'm not gonna take just ANYTHING. If something seems like a basket case, I'll probably pass. I know a turd when I see one.
* You have to understand that I'm NOT a 'professional' repair shop. I'm certainly alot better at this stuff than probably 99.9% of all the people you know, but I'm not doing it all day every day. So it might take me a little while to diagnose what's troubling yours. This stuff can be kinda complex.
* I'm definitely not interested in working without a schematic. That's like trying to drive to Florida without a map. If one can't be found, sorry. (That's pretty rare though - usually it's no problem). Unless your issue involves a loose jack or scratchy pot, forget it.
* I'll do mods that are scripted out. In other words, you bought a kit or you found some cool mod on the 'net. I'm not looking to tweak this, wiggle that, etc... too much grey area. Working or not working is how far I will go, no searching for the Holy Grail of Tone
* I'm not offering any sort of 'loaner'.
* I'm not insuring ANYTHING. If my house floods, or gets broken into, or a meteor flattens my property, or your amp bursts into flames later and burns your garage to the ground, etc... Tough sh*t. You are giving me your amp at your own risk. That said, I keep all my gear in the same room. And nothing catastrophic has happened in the last 30 years.
* I love to work on vintage gear. But I'm not touching anything 'vintage' unless you agree to the previous term IN WRITING. Why on earth would I take on the liability of a 1962 Fender Twin for $50??? I'm not a fool.
* You're not coming to my house unless you know somebody I know. I'll meet you in a public place somewhere nearby. Yes, this means you are trusting your gear to a complete stranger. But it's broken and worthless anyhow, right? Really, I've got piles of this stuff - I don't need your amp added to my collection. Why am I doing this? I believe in Karma. Most of the musicians I've known are pretty damn cool but also pretty damn broke - you deserve a break now & then.
