Amp techs who seem to hate amps.

Captain Marvel · #1 08-17-2010, 02:57 PM

An odd experience in an amp repair shop today made me want to share with you guys and see if any of you have had anything similar ever happen to you.
(Sorry if this has been discussed many times - just wanted to say my bit)

Where I live there are not many truly trustworthy amp techs so when a guy about two hours drive from me was recommended I spoke to him on the phone and arranged to take my amp in for a diagnosis/repair/service.

When I walked through the door with my Fender 300PRO, and before I said a word, I was greeted with 'christ, not one of those pieces of s**t, I did'nt think anyone used them' he then added ' hope you did'nt buy that new' I told him that I got it for about 1/4 of what it would have cost new his answer was 'a 10th of the price would have been a rip off'. He was'nt smiling and clearly was'nt joking/trying to be funny.

Not the most comfortable of starts.

I was reassured slightly when he filled me in on his experience and knowledge, though he still spoke to me like I was a cretin who has no idea about my equipment, I don't have many options so I left the amp there with the request that he contact me before carrying out any work (if he tries telling me I need all 10 tubes replaced I know he's up to something).

I don't understand this strange attitude towards people and their equipment, I've come across it before with techs 'telling' me I have a stupid guitar (6 string) or 'surprise, surprise another broken Ampeg, why don't you get something good rather than waste your money repairing it'

I don't want to name and shame the tech who currently has my amp just in case he does a great job and just has a bad attitude but has anyone else had such a pleasant experience with a grumpy know-it-all don't talk-to-me-about-equipment tech bloke?

lunarpollen · #2 08-17-2010, 03:07 PM

Wow, that's pretty nutty. I mean, I'm all for anybody, including amp techs, to be blunt and honest, but there is a way to do it without being totally tactless and insulting.

fu22ba55 · #3 08-17-2010, 03:09 PM

Some of the best amp, guitar, car and computer techs I've met over the years are "eccentric" to put it mildly.

I think a crazy curmudgeon is pretty common for an amp repair guy. If he comes highly recommended and does good work, then I don't care if he's Jeffery Dahmer.

The fact that he knew your amp on sight, (and it's associated problems), is a good thing.

hdracer · #4 08-17-2010, 03:10 PM

I would have turned around and drove home. After telling him what he could do to himself. I know that if someone goes into a job thinking it is a POS he will work on it likes its a POS

254 stringer · #5 08-17-2010, 03:12 PM

i would tell him look dude im paying you to fix this if its a problem for you what i buy with my own money then ill take it somewhere else
i mean really do you look around in his shop and say oh you bought one of those screwdrivers they suck or thats a cheap soldering iron hope you dont use it on my amp

()smoke() · #6 08-17-2010, 03:22 PM

one of the best techs i've ever known has a somewhat similar quirk about instruments and amps, but he isn't quite so rude about it...but i've seen plenty of people get offended by his remarks...fwiw, he still puts care and effort into the setup/repair no matter what he thinks of it

**Lazarus.Bird** · #7 08-17-2010, 03:32 PM

Some people are just *****

My repair guy is very quiet and reserved. He'd never react to me that way and I don't even know him very well.

When you spoke to him on the phone did you tell him what type of amp it was?

MyMusic · #8 08-17-2010, 03:35 PM

I would find someone else to work on my amp. Why pay to be abused?

VroomVroom · #9 08-17-2010, 03:36 PM

You just described every amp repair tech I've ever met.

Not the most sociable of creatures, for sure.

You're a nice fellow, and I hope this ends well. I'd like to think I would've forgiven his "1/10th" comment, but any condescension following that would've had me out the door...if at all possible banging him on the chin with my amp as I picked it up off the counter.

kuys · #10 08-17-2010, 03:45 PM

As someone who fixes things for a living (non-amps).

I can agree with his sentiments and I may do some badmouthing but never in a way that would make the customer who purchased it feel stupid.

I also assure them that no matter what my opinion is of said product I will give it my all.

Personally, I'd go back to that guy in a heartbeat, if he knows his trade, everything else is secondary.

Floyd Eye · #11 08-17-2010, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Marvel

An odd experience in an amp repair shop today made me want to share with you guys and see if any of you have had anything similar ever happen to you.
(Sorry if this has been discussed many times - just wanted to say my bit)

Where I live there are not many truly trustworthy amp techs so when a guy about two hours drive from me was recommended I spoke to him on the phone and arranged to take my amp in for a diagnosis/repair/service.

When I walked through the door with my Fender 300PRO, and before I said a word, I was greeted with 'christ, not one of those pieces of s**t, I did'nt think anyone used them' he then added ' hope you did'nt buy that new' I told him that I got it for about 1/4 of what it would have cost new his answer was 'a 10th of the price would have been a rip off'. He was'nt smiling and clearly was'nt joking/trying to be funny.

Not the most comfortable of starts.

I was reassured slightly when he filled me in on his experience and knowledge, though he still spoke to me like I was a cretin who has no idea about my equipment, I don't have many options so I left the amp there with the request that he contact me before carrying out any work (if he tries telling me I need all 10 tubes replaced I know he's up to something).

I don't understand this strange attitude towards people and their equipment, I've come across it before with techs 'telling' me I have a stupid guitar (6 string) or 'surprise, surprise another broken Ampeg, why don't you get something good rather than waste your money repairing it'

I don't want to name and shame the tech who currently has my amp just in case he does a great job and just has a bad attitude but has anyone else had such a pleasant experience with a grumpy know-it-all don't talk-to-me-about-equipment tech bloke?

You should have told him to kiss your *** and walked out.

Handyman · #12 08-17-2010, 03:54 PM

From what you said about the long drive to his shop, the amp tech supply/demand situation probably doesn't require him to behave in a civilized manner.

There are enough good techs where I live that behaving like that would seriously damage your business.

vinxbass · #13 08-17-2010, 04:07 PM

Unfortunately my amp/guitar tech was killed by a drunk driver 10 yrs ago and it's left me basically to get whomever I can get to do the work that I want for myself at a reasonable fee. I've dealt with some a-holes and some pleasant fellows over the years. Up until just recently did I finally come into contact with a very knowlegible guy who does excellent work at a very reasonable fee, but like I mentioned it's been 10 yrs in doing so.

cybersnyder · #14 08-17-2010, 04:08 PM

I guess he never sees amps that are working come into his shop. It's always the broken ones, so he probably hates them all.

A440Hz · #15 08-17-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

Some of the best amp, guitar, car and computer techs I've met over the years are "eccentric" to put it mildly.

I think a crazy curmudgeon is pretty common for an amp repair guy. If he comes highly recommended and does good work, then I don't care if he's Jeffery Dahmer.

The fact that he knew your amp on sight, (and it's associated problems), is a good thing.

Hmmm. I don't know any amp techs who put amp parts in their fridge for later consumption. But that's just me.

Captain Marvel · #16 08-17-2010, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus.Bird

When you spoke to him on the phone did you tell him what type of amp it was?

Yeah, I told him on the phone before hand but he did'nt really react to its name and just said bring it in and I'll have a look.

I'll let you all know what happens, hopefully he'll deliver on the repairs and as some of you have said if he does that then a grumpy attitude can easily be ignored for the greater good. If not I'm stuck! Amp repairers are a rare bird over here!

BurningSkies · #17 08-17-2010, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

Some of the best amp, guitar, car and computer techs I've met over the years are "eccentric" to put it mildly.

I think a crazy curmudgeon is pretty common for an amp repair guy. If he comes highly recommended and does good work, then I don't care if he's Jeffery Dahmer.

The fact that he knew your amp on sight, (and it's associated problems), is a good thing.

Heh. I had my twin worked on by a guy out in the country...it was hard to get a number even to contact him, harder to get him to call me back or catch him on the phone and it was nearly an interview to get him to say yes to my poor Fender Twin.

When I went to his house (unmarked, no number, country road, signs threatening dogs, guns and anything else you can imagine)...I pulled up to hear someone shouting from out back. I go out back and I'm told from across a large yard to bring my amp into the barn. I fight my way through loose chickens, several dogs, and a goat...to the barn, which is FILLED with amps. I drop the amp off because I want it to become a 'stable' work amp. A week later I get a call saying my amp is fixed, and oh yeah...Its been blackfaced.

I still love the amp, but yes amp guys are usually fairly eccentric to understate things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VroomVroom

You just described every amp repair tech I've ever met.

Not the most sociable of creatures, for sure.

You're a nice fellow, and I hope this ends well. I'd like to think I would've forgiven his "1/10th" comment, but any condescension following that would've had me out the door...if at all possible banging him on the chin with my amp as I picked it up off the counter.

There's a line between eccentric and jerk...this does seem to be a bit over to one side of that line.

kuys · #18 08-17-2010, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Heh. I had my twin worked on by a guy out in the country...it was hard to get a number even to contact him, harder to get him to call me back or catch him on the phone and it was nearly an interview to get him to say yes to my poor Fender Twin.

When I went to his house (unmarked, no number, country road, signs threatening dogs, guns and anything else you can imagine)...I pulled up to hear someone shouting from out back. I go out back and I'm told from across a large yard to bring my amp into the barn. I fight my way through loose chickens, several dogs, and a goat...to the barn, which is FILLED with amps. I drop the amp off because I want it to become a 'stable' work amp. A week later I get a call saying my amp is fixed, and oh yeah...Its been blackfaced.

I still love the amp, but yes amp guys are usually fairly eccentric to understate things.

There's a line between eccentric and jerk...this does seem to be a bit over to one side of that line.

I'm curious what exactly is black-faced?

hdracer · #19 08-17-2010, 04:23 PM

The thing I don't understand is that you have a 300 Pro. That is a very good amp with a long proven design. I could understand if it was some old beat up POS.

Johnius · #20 08-17-2010, 04:24 PM

My tech happens to be quite technically competent but a total munch at the same time. I took a set-up class from him and he clearly expressed his opinioin that any amplifier built after 1976 was not worth the money because of the inferior parts used. This tech believes that if the product won't last at least 50 years then the parts are inferior. And don't even get him started on solid state -- it's not built to last at all. During one of the classes my Ampeg B15r was there being retubed and he used it as an example of poor construction and told me I should sell it before it quits working.

Not that these mopes don't have a point, but who cares? We can only buy what is sold. And I'm posting here because I love the sound of the Bassman 300. Paul Jackson did some great stuff on the older versions.