MISC Repair Shop, Boston

And I · #1 03-19-2011, 02:53 PM

Beware...

I brought my GK Mb2 500 head into MISC repair shop in boston cuz the "A" channel was all fuzzy and scratchy. they said they took it apart, cleaned it, put it back together and that it was fine... charged me $45. when i went to pick it up I twiddled the knobs and noticed that it felt... wrong. half the knobs felt good--turned easy but had a little resistance to them. the other half of the knobs were loose and felt like they weren't even hooked up to a pot at all... i told them it doesn't feel right. they tech who worked on it wasn't there, they told me that i could bring it back if it didn't work. great. i live 20 miles away. thanks.

so i get home, plug it in, and there is NOTHING from the "A" channel. Boost channel is still fine, as it was before. i fiddle with the knobs a bit on the A channel and there's the same scratchy fuzzy stuff it was doing before but worse. so not only did they not fix the thing--they made it worse, loosened half the knobs, and told me it was fixed. i doubt they even plugged it into a speaker... yes, i have tried the same bass, the same cables, and the same cabs with another head and it works fine.

so beware of MISC Repair Shop in Boston. I now have to borrow a head for two gigs this weekend, and hope that my wife can bring it back in on Monday, they can actually fix it, and fix it before my gigs next weekend. LAME!!!!!!!

Stumbo · #2 03-20-2011, 10:12 PM

MISC....that's the actual name of the shop? IMO, don't take it back to the place that messed it up!

I suggest you peruse: Tube amp techs- recommendations There are a few in the Boston area with good reviews posted.

Anyone have a good amp tech to recommend in the Boston area?

LeonD · #3 03-21-2011, 05:10 AM

I believe Wolf Ginandes at Berklee does amp repair. He's always done excellent work on my basses.

anonymous02282011 · #4 03-21-2011, 05:14 AM

Yea, there's a bunch of reputable cats who work on amps around Boston

Toms shop .. Aztec electronics in Watertown .. a google search will do.

Stan the amp man (my nickname for him) is up in Wilmington .. he's awesome. I can give you his number if you want .. just PM me

Those two guys have never failed me and they both came highly recommended.

And I · #5 03-21-2011, 12:01 PM

Musical Instrument Service Center is the full name of the store. I called Aztec first, but they're not "certified" to work on GK. MISC will get one more chance--since it's under a 90-day post repair warranty... If they can't fix it this time then i'll get my money back for the initial repair-that-wasn't, and take it elsewhere.

Thanks for the info on other options!

And I · #6 03-22-2011, 11:30 AM

They actually plugged it into a speaker and heard the problem this time. I'm not convinced that they even listened to it last time... They said they're not sure what it is just by listening, and to give them another week with it. I'm really hoping they don't try to charge me more than they already have, and I'm REALLY hoping they actually fix it this time.

My name is Mudd · #7 03-22-2011, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by And I

They actually plugged it into a speaker and heard the problem this time.

In front of you?

And I · #8 03-27-2011, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by My name is Mudd

In front of you?

in front of my wife, who was nice enough to take it in for me on a Monday...

So they took it in again this past Monday. I called them on Friday and "we're going to put it on the bench on Monday."

So they don't fix my amp after having it for 12 days, then they get it back and don't look at it for another 7 days... Seems like they don't really value my business. And it remains to be seen whether or not they can even properly diagnose an issue on an amp that they are certified to repair.

pica · #9 03-27-2011, 11:04 AM

Could you have sent it back to GK? It might have cost you a little more but you know the repair would have been done right the first time instead of having to make another 40 mile round trip.

Mojo-Man · #10 03-27-2011, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeonD

I believe Wolf Ginandes at Berklee does amp repair. He's always done excellent work on my basses.

I've known Wolf Ginandes for over 25 years.
Wolf does guitar repair only.
Tony does Amp repair.
They have done work on my basses, and amp for years.
Wolf is as good as anyone in the country for guitar work.
This does not sound like the shop I know?
Customer service is top notch.

adjustyourtone · #11 03-27-2011, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by And I

in front of my wife, who was nice enough to take it in for me on a Monday...

So they took it in again this past Monday. I called them on Friday and "we're going to put it on the bench on Monday."

So they don't fix my amp after having it for 12 days, then they get it back and don't look at it for another 7 days... Seems like they don't really value my business. And it remains to be seen whether or not they can even properly diagnose an issue on an amp that they are certified to repair.

MISC is one of the most respected and talented group of guys in the business. Wolf and Tony have been servicing my gear for over 20 years and are the busiest service center within 100 miles of Boston. You don't stay in business for 30 years and have a bad reputation. If it wasn't for those guys most of us would be even more broke because we wouldn't have anyone to fix our gear.

So before you rag on the repairmen you should look at the item you brought in and do some research on it. The MB2 500 Bass Head is a poorly designed compact head. Anything advertised to be rated at 500watts and only 3lbs should raise some concern to the purchaser. An experienced musician should understand that something that small, rated that high a wattage for only $450 is obviously the product of low quality components and a very cheap selection of power transistors. I don't care how good the warranty is that thing is going to generate a lot of heat and make problems. Sounds more like you should be angry at yourself for not buying a decent piece of gear and NOT angry at your local repairman.

Stumbo · #12 03-28-2011, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adjustyourtone

Sounds more like you should be angry at yourself for not buying a decent piece of gear and NOT angry at your local repairman.

LOL.... Get angry at yourself and not the repair guy for screwing up? Never heard of such a thing.

Let's see how that works for your car, toaster or any other item you own. It has a warranty. These guys are the "experts". What more is there to say?

Either they can fix it and provide great customer service or not.

That's easy to comprehend and to measure.

If they can't/won't fix it then let them tell the OP or GK that they don't want to be a "certified warranty" center anymore. Seems to me that they're using the "certified warranty center" as a sales tool to make money on unsuspecting customers who buy new equipment and who don't realize that they won't get good service on GK equipment.

Maybe a complaint letter to the president of GK is in order. Another scam that I've seen is that when you don't buy the original equipment from a dealer, they give you crappy service when you only come in for repair. Maybe these guys are attempting to get you to buy some new equipment from them?

If the repair guy screwed up once and appears to be lackadaisical about getting to look at it again, I'd say, actions speak louder than any biased defense can provide.

How they serviced anyone else's equipment in the past or in the future doesn't matter to the OP.

My name is Mudd · #13 03-28-2011, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Maybe a complaint letter to the president of GK is in order.

That may not be necessary...Bob Gallien is an active member here and may find this thread on his own.

And I · #14 03-28-2011, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adjustyourtone

Sounds more like you should be angry at yourself for not buying a decent piece of gear and NOT angry at your local repairman.

yeah, totally. i'm so pissed i bought something from one of the major manufacturers. i can't believe i went with such a shoddy brand.

seriously though, to be clear--i'm disappointed, not angry. i know the MB2 500 has a bad rep. but that rep didn't develop until after i bought it. and also, to be clear I am not upset with the repair shop because the amp broke--i'm upset for not fixing it very slowly, twice (read below).

Quote:

Originally Posted by pica

Could you have sent it back to GK? It might have cost you a little more but you know the repair would have been done right the first time instead of having to make another 40 mile round trip.

MISC is a GK certified repair shop, so i didn't think it would be a problem.

maybe they were just busy and couldn't get to it for a week... they're right across from Berkeley so i'm sure they are constantly swamped. but they did get it up on the bench today and almost fixed it properly. the problem that used to exist is gone. they replaced a couple of parts and redid some solder. they didn't charge me, which is good since they offer (and honor) a 90 day after-repair warranty. as far as the service goes, it's not really that bad. they took a while to get to it. they didn't fix it the first time, but they did take it back and try again for free. and they are really nice.

unfortunately the treble knob is now completely ineffectual. i plugged a CD into the input jack and turned the treble knob all the way up and all the way down and it had no effect at all. yes, the tweeters on my cabs work fine. so... guess it's going back to the shop.

i know MISC has a good reputation, but on this particular piece of gear, they have not lived up to it... guess it happens to even the best shops. but after they fix the treble knob, they're never going to see another piece of my gear again.

MarTONEbass · #15 03-29-2011, 03:54 PM

FWIW, Cranky's in Mansfield is a great tube amp repair shop. If you're south of the city, its the place to go.

stratovani · #16 03-29-2011, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

I've known Wolf Ginandes for over 25 years.
Wolf does guitar repair only.
Tony does Amp repair.
They have done work on my basses, and amp for years.
Wolf is as good as anyone in the country for guitar work.
This does not sound like the shop I know?
Customer service is top notch.

Last summer I saw Wolf with the Mohegan Sun All-Stars at a concert at the Ecotarium in Worcester. One helluva pocket player! Talked to him a bit after, a really nice guy as well. Hopefully we'll see them again this summer.

Mojo-Man · #17 03-29-2011, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stratovani

Last summer I saw Wolf with the Mohegan Sun All-Stars at a concert at the Ecotarium in Worcester. One helluva pocket player! Talked to him a bit after, a really nice guy as well. Hopefully we'll see them again this summer.

Wolf is a great groove player.
One of the nicest people you will meet.
Has a cool collection of basses. (Killer Pre-CBS Fenders)
We talked forever about basses.
His 1958 P-Bass is the bomb. (But all his basses are)

And I · #18 03-30-2011, 12:21 PM

I spoke to Tony yesterday, and he was apologetic and suggested I bring it back and they'd look at the treble control, and reminded me it's still under the shop's warranty. He also explained that this amp (and pretty much all the micro amps) is difficult to work on due to the size and layout... i won't be able to bring it back until next week because i need it for some gigs this week and weekend and it at least produces sound now.

And I · #19 04-09-2011, 01:08 PM

Musical Instrument Service Center has definitely redeemed themselves. Tony has called me a few times with status updates and has really been on the ball with speed and service. They called GK and asked for a wiring schematic for the amp. GK basically said "don't bother, it's just going to break again, send it to us and we'll send you a new MB 500". wow. way to go GK!! The catch is you had to have purchased it within the last 2 years. i bought mine 26 months ago... so i have to pay $150 plus shipping. So like $350 off on a new MB 500. not bad. Tony is handling all of it, so i'll just go down to Boston and settle up with him for the charge from GK (he's paying up front) and walk away with my new MB 500! TO prove GKs point, Tony was able to fix the treble knob--but then the power indicator light went out! MB2 500, What a lemon...

Stumbo · #20 04-10-2011, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by And I

Musical Instrument Service Center has definitely redeemed themselves. Tony has called me a few times with status updates and has really been on the ball with speed and service. They called GK and asked for a wiring schematic for the amp. GK basically said "don't bother, it's just going to break again, send it to us and we'll send you a new MB 500". wow. way to go GK!! The catch is you had to have purchased it within the last 2 years. i bought mine 26 months ago... so i have to pay $150 plus shipping. So like $350 off on a new MB 500. not bad. Tony is handling all of it, so i'll just go down to Boston and settle up with him for the charge from GK (he's paying up front) and walk away with my new MB 500! TO prove GKs point, Tony was able to fix the treble knob--but then the power indicator light went out! MB2 500, What a lemon...

Seems to me your problem started awhile back. I suggest you call GK and ask them to wave the 24 mo. limit in your case. 2 mos past the warranty expiration date is much and points to the fact that your amp has the design flaw that causes the amp to go out before 24 months.

IMO, you shouldn't have to pay anything extra. They have admitted the flaw in their design and you should have to suffer for it because you problem happened a few weeks after the warranty ran out.

I'm having a similar problem with my home air conditioner. It went out 2 months after the 5 year warranty ran out. Units of this type usually run 20 years or more. Why did mine go out? My duct already installed duct work was undersized for the unit. They knew this and still installed it. Should I suffer the $3k loss? I don't think so. It's their fault same as it's GK's fault.

Good luck.