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LH500: keep and fix or give away

Keep and fix or give away

  • Keep and fix

    Votes: 6 30.0%

  • Give it away

    Votes: 12 60.0%

  • Free carrots

    Votes: 2 10.0%
  • Total voters
    20
Pings Bass

Pings Bass

bassist, arranger, aelurophile, ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ
Supporting Member
Apr 11, 2018
5,642
17,969
Portland, OR
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#1
I've got a Hartke LH500 that won't power up. I changed the fuse in the power cord jack, but still nothing. Bench fee to get it in the door at an authorized repair shop is probably $100, and if it's much more than that to fix, eh, I don't love it that much.

So, should I take my chances at the shop, or just put it up on Craigslist for free?

Anybody in Portland want to come relieve me off this dilemma?
 
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#2
For a QUALIFIED service tech that's experienced with Hartke products, it's a straight forward amp to repair. The challenge is finding a really qualified tech that has real troubleshooting experience rather than a parts change out jockey that doesn't understand how the circuitry really works.

You might give Hartke (Sampson Technologies) a call and see if they have an "A list" tech in your area that they would recommend.
 
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#3
agedhorse said:
For a QUALIFIED service tech that's experienced with Hartke products, it's a straight forward amp to repair. The challenge is finding a really qualified tech that has real troubleshooting experience rather than a parts change out jockey that doesn't understand how the circuitry really works.

You might give Hartke (Sampson Technologies) a call and see if they have an "A list" tech in your area that they would recommend.
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Yeah thanks, I checked.:thumbsup:

Inner Sound is the local factory auth service center. Hundred bucks to walk in the door. Unknown how much to walk back out. They've fixed other stuff for me before, and they're pretty much the only game in town.

Like I said, I don't think I love it that much. Maybe if I knew it wouldn't be more than $125, but I don't want to pay $100 to find out. Hence the dilemma:thumbsup:
 
#4
Gotcha

I would assume the $100 fee covers the cost of diagnosis, and that charge applies to the repair if you go forward.

One thing to be cautious of, and I am NOT saying this is the case here, but there is a common "scam" (I don't know what else to call it) where a shop will charge for an estimate with payment up front. Without even performing diagnostics and correctly identifying the cause and true cost to repair, then providing an estimated cost so high that it was unlikely to be repaired, just pocketing the estimate charge without any work.

I see enough incorrect (impossibly incorrect) diagnosis and estimates that I think it's important to mention this.
 
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#8
Pings Bass said:
I've got a Hartke LH500 that won't power up. I changed the fuse in the power cord jack, but still nothing. Bench fee to get it in the door at an authorized repair shop is probably $100, and if it's much more than that to fix, eh, I don't love it that much.

So, should I take my chances at the shop, or just put it up on Craigslist for free?

Anybody in Portland want to come relieve me off this dilemma?
Click to expand...
Doesn't Sam Ash own that company? shouldn't you be able to go through them without a "bench fee"?
 
#12
I would sell it or $5 rather than give it away. Read the children's book "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie". If you give something away invariably, the recipient feels that they are doing you a favor and they'll want you to deliver it, ask if you have the original box, you'll get follow up questions. Sell it for $5 with disclosure and the transaction is complete.
 
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#15
JimmyM said:
Samson = Sam Ash. Doesn't do you much good either way, but they are the same company.
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#16
Bill Staudt said:
I had a GK 400RB that was blowing fuses last fall. Paid $60 bench fee and was quoted $250-300 to fix. I sold the amp for parts on Reverb to cover the bench fee. These days, with shipping and Reverb being nightmares, I would just give it away.
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I’m a fan of the Hartke LH 500 and 1000, and though the 400RB is worth about the same, it’s a classic that is more worth fixing. Sentimental value + the old GK je ne sais quoi. (Actuellement, je crois que je sais)

I vote pass it along unless you have a good relationship with a tech already and would rather support the tech than spend the similar money on a similar amp.
 
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#20
Wesley R said:
'
In this area they go used for $150-$200.
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Yeah, I think I paid $150 for it a few years back in the Portland metro area. Hence my reluctance to dump another $100+ into it now. If I knew it would just be $100, it might be worth keeping as a studio amp. But I honestly never want to haul a lead sled to a gig again if I can help it.

MultiScaleMale said:
It's a life lesson book disguised as a children's book. Heh.
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I was always reminded of this book when taking care of an old house. Like, let's tear up the carpet and refinish the oak floors. OK, but the floor is all wavy under the bay windows because the cantilevered joists supporting them were under-engineered and are bucking, so you have to jack up the front of the house and re-engineer the bay window support. But that's going to crack the stucco on the second story, so you'll need to refinish that, and while you're doing that, you'll need to reseat the window replacement that was done poorly, and hoo boy would you look at all that dry rot...
 
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