Amp Repair Turnaround Dilemma- Am I in the Wrong Here?

bringitlow · #1 11-02-2011, 04:40 PM

On August 31st I took my amp to a local shop for repair. I did not know exactly what was wrong with it. The owner is a reputable amp builder and I wanted to give his repair shop a try.

He gave the amp a quick look and noted that nothing look fried, and said he'd get to work on it within a few days. In an e-mail he sent prior he said that he was backlogged, but would get to work on it within seven to ten days.

It's been over two months now and I haven't gotten my amp back.

To make matters worse, my band is going on a five day tour next week and I really need the amp for those shows.

During the whole time, I always had to initiate contact with him and ask how the repair process was going. He'd give me quick, concise answers but never told me what his estimated finish date would be or exactly what the issues were.

On October 19 I politely notified him that it had been almost two months and that he should update me. He said it would be done by the end of the week. It wasn't.

I emailed him yesterday basically saying that I had no idea it would take so long and that I really needed him to make fixing my amp a priority, or I would take it to someone who would. He replied saying that he had been working on the amp the whole time, which I find hard to believe. It is a common amp (GK 800RB), which, from what I gather, is easier to work on and fix. I'm also afraid of the high service charges that may occur as a result of him working on the amp for so long. I'm fairly sure he charges an hourly rate.

Furthermore, he said that he could either return it to the specs it had when I gave it to him so I could take it somewhere else, or I could trust him to step up and finish the repair although he "couldn't promise anything." I went ahead and told him to see if he could finish the repair before I have to leave next week.

I was ready to take the amp and walk, but I realized that with his own amp line and other repairs he may be busy and I may being a bit unreasonable.
But am I wrong for getting pissed that it's taken two months for a tech to diagnose and fix my amp? Is this the usual turnaround for amp repairs? Would I have been better off taking my amp to somewhere else who could fix it before I have to leave next week?

While there was no time constraint when I dropped off the amp in August, there is now. My band is leaving for tour next Thursday and I am out my main amp as of now. It's definitely not a good feeling. It's partly my fault. I feel like I should have been more pushy about getting it back sooner and more proactive about letting him know about the impending urgency of the repair.

I don't know what to make of his work ethic and I don't know how to get it through to him that I really need this work done now. At this point, I can't afford to be as patient as I was the last two months.

Any advice would be appreciated.

JimmyM · #2 11-02-2011, 04:46 PM

Ya, when he's telling you it'll be done in X amount of time, it should be done in X ampunt of time. I know people can get behind sometimes, but I'd be pissed, too.

RickenBoogie · #3 11-02-2011, 04:48 PM

Rent an amp for the short tour, get your amp back when it's fixed. Sometimes my preferred tech has quick turnaround, but it just depends on his workload, and possibly parts he may have needed to order.

**lowfreqgeek** · #4 11-02-2011, 04:49 PM

2 months might be excessive, but it really depends on what is wrong and what the amp needs. It's not uncommon for "common" parts to be on backorder for months at a time. The current state of electronics inventory is dismal right now; I end up doing re-designs on some boards instead of waiting 15 weeks (nearly 4 months) for parts to arrive on the slow boat from China (or Indonesia or Taiwan or wherever most electronic components are made).

I can't speak for the repair guy, but those are very real hurdles that can come up. Nevertheless, if it's an inventory issue, he should notify you that he's on it, but that parts are hard to come by at the moment. Regardless of the issue, he should definitely have better communication.

My brother-in-law waited for 4-5 months to get his Yamaha keyboard fixed at a very reputable shop. The cost was covered under warranty, but it was a LONG time - and had nothing to do with the warranty repair. The shop did tell him that it would be "months" before they got to it.

Eight_Stringer · #5 11-02-2011, 04:53 PM

Mmmmm it is hard being from both sides of the service counter, one aspect for hired service tech blokes, i viewed in conjunction with their stated abilities, did they have the drive to complete the job, this goes hand in hand with their technical ability and approach ie if your a good tech your a good time manager ( exceptions in all things of course, generally speaking ). Have no knowledge of your tech or situations he/she faces. They do/have had enough time to be concise re repair or return to you. Be pleasent/direct but insistent that time lines be met or you remove the item, when one time line is missed he knows you will wait. Time to take charge, and all that goes with it.

Been a bench tech, no repair takes more than an hour or so, to have it go on longer means your business is at risk, parts ordered once diagnosed, another week say. Few weeks is plenty of time, others may have different views, HTH. Regards.

georgestrings · #6 11-02-2011, 04:55 PM

Yeah, line up another amp for your "tour"... I wouldn't wait 'til a week out to get going on this, if I were in your situation...

- georgestrings

dalkowski · #7 11-02-2011, 05:08 PM

Deal with the tour now, deal with the tech later.

Bullitt5135 · #8 11-02-2011, 05:18 PM

My GK 700RBII has been in the shop for three weeks now, still awaiting parts (2 pots) that were ordered the day after I brought it in. I know the pots in my 700 are sealed and have 4 pins that solder into the board... not your average "take one out of the generic parts bin" pots. The guy may have misjudged how long it would take to get the parts. Even so, you have every right to get an explanation. Maybe pay him a visit and ask to see the parts just to be sure he's not leading you on... then give him a day or two to finish the job. Otherwise, I'd take it somewhere else.

Bullitt5135 · #9 11-02-2011, 05:20 PM

Or ask him to loan you a demo while your amp is in his shop.

nobodysfool · #10 11-02-2011, 05:31 PM

There are guys who fix 800RB's, and then there are guys who fix 800RB's right. they do require some specific parts, and substitutions will cause problems. I own an 800RB, and within the last year had it gone over and repaired, and it took over 2 months, because of waiting on the correct parts. It's frustrating, but if the guy is truly doing it to factory specs, in the end you'll be happy.

skychief · #11 11-02-2011, 05:52 PM

hope you checked the FX send/return jacks before bringing it in for repair. These things tend to go open in many GK amps.(both my 800RB and my 400RB had this problem)

bassgod0dmw · #12 11-02-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt5135

Or ask him to loan you a demo while your amp is in his shop.

I was going to suggest this as well. Otherwise, rent an amp for the tour.

I don't think I'd feel comfortable just getting an amp back from having major work done and then taking it on tour without being able to run it through it's paces a few times to make sure it functioned 100%.

Or buy a backup amp for when situations like this arise.

bongomania · #13 11-02-2011, 06:06 PM

He should have been more communicative, and not made promises he couldn't keep. As far as how long it takes, that is sometimes out of the repair-person's hands. A good friend of mine does amp repair as a sideline, and he recently took on a vintage two-channel Ampeg guitar amp that was having "mystery problems"; he went over the whole thing multiple times, swapped out nearly half the components, cleaned and re-flowed everything, biased and re-biased and re-re-re-biased, and more problems just kept cropping up. After more than two months he finally got it all running perfectly, and returned it to the customer --who had been very patient about it-- and then a week later the amp went up in smoke. So the amount of time the repair person takes to do the job is not necessarily something to be upset about, **** happens. If they fail to be communicative and honest about it though, that's an issue.

JimmyM · #14 11-02-2011, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

He should have been more communicative, and not made promises he couldn't keep. As far as how long it takes, that is sometimes out of the repair-person's hands. A good friend of mine does amp repair as a sideline, and he recently took on a vintage two-channel Ampeg guitar amp that was having "mystery problems"; he went over the whole thing multiple times, swapped out nearly half the components, cleaned and re-flowed everything, biased and re-biased and re-re-re-biased, and more problems just kept cropping up. After more than two months he finally got it all running perfectly, and returned it to the customer --who had been very patient about it-- and then a week later the amp went up in smoke. So the amount of time the repair person takes to do the job is not necessarily something to be upset about, **** happens. If they fail to be communicative and honest about it though, that's an issue.

Ya, very poor communiction.

Indiana Mike · #15 11-02-2011, 07:00 PM

i once had an ampeg go down under warranty....

the shop had it for a month and a half...

after waiting said 1&1/2 months I paid a $40 rush fee ...

I had it back in a few days ...

I wish you luck!

scottbass · #16 11-02-2011, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt5135

Or ask him to loan you a demo while your amp is in his shop.

THIS /\

walkerci · #17 11-02-2011, 07:16 PM

If you are gigging, you must have backups for everything.
Backup bass, backup amp, backup cab, extra cables, strings, etc.

Extra points for carrying extra drum sticks, guitar picks, 9V batteries, a workig flashlight, guitar strings, cables, etc.....

BassmanPaul · #18 11-02-2011, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottbass

THIS /\

Why?? If the amp tech is any good he is going to have a waiting list for repairs. That goes with the territory. Why should the tech lend out a perfectly good amp to someone he knows nothing about apart from that he has blown up an amp? No disrespect to the OP here of any kind. He could end up with yet another amp he has to repair. I can't think of one tech who would actually do this.

**B-string** · #19 11-02-2011, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

Why?? If the amp tech is any good he is going to have a waiting list for repairs. That goes with the territory. Why should the tech lend out a perfectly good amp to someone he knows nothing about apart from that he has blown up an amp? No disrespect to the OP here of any kind. He could end up with yet another amp he has to repair. I can't think of one tech who would actually do this.

Actually you kinda know one, me

BUT we all know each other in this semi-isolated slice of desert. They know I do this in my somewhat rare spare time when the energy and hands will allow. I have a problem amp right now that has been with me a little while but he had two cabs that needed repair and they have been back with him. His backup amp is also with him repaired but it is a bit of a slug so he has my 800RB.

soulman969 · #20 11-02-2011, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Yeah, line up another amp for your "tour"... I wouldn't wait 'til a week out to get going on this, if I were in your situation...

- georgestrings

+1 I have to agree. You have a business to run as a player and a reputation to uphold even if this guy doesn't. Don't let his lack of good business practices effect you. Get a temporary replacement.

As for this tech. Regardless of any problems he may have experienced or be experiencing with your amp there is absolutely no reason for not communicating the reason for the delay in your repairs.

Small businesses depend heavily on customer satisfaction and referrals. No matter how this all comes out in the wash will you ever recommend this guy to another player?