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Why Unqualified Repairs Are Often Dangerous

#81
There's a problem with luthiers and guitar techs and such, that there's no agreed upon professional credential for that, there are no requirements for education in the field or standards for how work should be done, and anyone can call themselves a luthier or a technician. You've no real idea who you are getting other than by their reputation. And reputation can be misleading.

Maybe it's the same in amps. You think the guy is highly qualified and then he uses nails for fuses.

I am curious about the other aspects though. The fan wires are cut and magic spray was used inside it? Was the original complaint that the fan was too loud/running all the time so this chap "fixed it"?
 
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#83
JenderBazzFass said:
There's a problem with luthiers and guitar techs and such, that there's no agreed upon professional credential for that, there are no requirements for education in the field or standards for how work should be done, and anyone can call themselves a luthier or a technician. You've no real idea who you are getting other than by their reputation. And reputation can be misleading.

Maybe it's the same in amps. You think the guy is highly qualified and then he uses nails for fuses.

I am curious about the other aspects though. The fan wires are cut and magic spray was used inside it? Was the original complaint that the fan was too loud/running all the time so this chap "fixed it"?
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See also "audio engineer"
 
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#84
JenderBazzFass said:
There's a problem with luthiers and guitar techs and such, that there's no agreed upon professional credential for that, there are no requirements for education in the field or standards for how work should be done, and anyone can call themselves a luthier or a technician. You've no real idea who you are getting other than by their reputation. And reputation can be misleading.

Maybe it's the same in amps. You think the guy is highly qualified and then he uses nails for fuses.

I am curious about the other aspects though. The fan wires are cut and magic spray was used inside it? Was the original complaint that the fan was too loud/running all the time so this chap "fixed it"?
Click to expand...
There is professional accreditation for electronics training from respectable post secondary institutions.
 
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#85
msb said:
I sent my old GenzBenz to agedhorse for a checkup , it was still working fine , but the front led had stopped working. I was thankful it was unmolested. The turnaround was fast. And today it’s like a new amp. Money well spent , I’m thankful he’s still servicing those amps.
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Same.

But mine had really crapped out. A wisp of smoke and then no sound.

The Aged Horse performed his magic and its been great since. Never had a doubt about where to send it.
 
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#86
agedhorse said:
there's a metal rod where the fuse is supposed to be
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I no stuff about electro things...

adaw.gif


giphy.gif


agedhorse said:
why I stopped supporting non-factory service except at Fender & Gibson authorized service centers
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Fixed! ;):D

I could make a list what I have seen on construction sites (folks fixing "bad fuses" and what they tried to use)

but I don't want to give anybody even the slightest hint on how to electrocute themselves! :bag:


greetings

Wise
 
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#87
When I worked retail back then, we had a rash of Peavey products that would just shut down with an ominous burnt smell.

Evidently, when they made the PC boards, the particular chemicals involved, once good and warm in a normally functioning amp, would emit a scent that would draw roaches way better than anything any of the pesticide companies ever dreamed up. They'd get in the amp, put one foot on this hot trace and another on another hot trace, dead short, BANG. And you'd find this burnt silhouette of the critter exactly where this happened when you opened it up and then you figured out what torpedo'd the unit.

Eventually, they issued a Service Order about this, allowed the claims, changed their production chemistry, and the world returned to normal orbit 'round the Sun.

Anybody heard from the guy with the Sunn head with the installed plug strip?
 
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#90
agedhorse said:
View attachment 5405553 This came into the shop today, customer first claimed that it was working fine then suddenly stopped working, and of course trying to claim the flat rate service program coverage said that nobody tried to repair it.

Obviously this wasn't the case and it came out that "maybe" he and his "highly qualified" electronics buddy from the local repair shop might have "looked at it" but didn't touch anything other than installing a new tube.

Clearly this wasn't the case, there's a metal rod where the fuse is supposed to be, the jack nuts are missing and the fan wires were cut. There was also "magic cure-all spray" spooge all over the inside of amp (including on the power amp module), which may have been the root cause of the failure.

First of all, this is extremely dangerous because depending on the failure mode, it's possible for the bulk supply caps to explode, which can launch electrolyte onto a person's face and into their eyes (a trip to the ER for sure).

Second, this would have likely been a $100 flat rate repair had they not messed with it. Now, it's in the $450-$500 territory.

This is a good way to learn from somebody else's expensive mistake (or lapse of good judgement), and why I stopped supporting non-factory service except at Fender authorized service centers. I see this stuff more and more these days.
Click to expand...
Angus `Mac' MacGyver
 
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#91
agedhorse said:
View attachment 5405553 This came into the shop today, customer first claimed that it was working fine then suddenly stopped working, and of course trying to claim the flat rate service program coverage said that nobody tried to repair it.

Obviously this wasn't the case and it came out that "maybe" he and his "highly qualified" electronics buddy from the local repair shop might have "looked at it" but didn't touch anything other than installing a new tube.

Clearly this wasn't the case, there's a metal rod where the fuse is supposed to be, the jack nuts are missing and the fan wires were cut. There was also "magic cure-all spray" spooge all over the inside of amp (including on the power amp module), which may have been the root cause of the failure.

First of all, this is extremely dangerous because depending on the failure mode, it's possible for the bulk supply caps to explode, which can launch electrolyte onto a person's face and into their eyes (a trip to the ER for sure).

Second, this would have likely been a $100 flat rate repair had they not messed with it. Now, it's in the $450-$500 territory.

This is a good way to learn from somebody else's expensive mistake (or lapse of good judgement), and why I stopped supporting non-factory service except at Fender authorized service centers. I see this stuff more and more these days.
Click to expand...
You would think if they were going to try to claim they didn't do anything to the amp, they would have at least TRIED to make it look like they didn't do anything to the amp :rollno:
 
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#94
coy garcia said:
I confess. 20yrs ago I used a foil gum wrapper on my boogie 400+fuse that popped mid gig... then I had sparks...then no sound and went direct into pa without a DI to finish the gig. Soon after I took it to a authorized boogie repair tech and he didn't say a word but...he was kind enough to tape a spare fuse to the back of the amp.
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Kind of the opposite problem, but I had a friend bring me a D180 which was blowing fuses.

This was the fuse holder:

t0FHAyu.jpg



And this was the bag of fuses he had taped to the front:

q0f6KeO.jpg


Not the source of his issues, but off by a few amps.
 
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#95
Fuzzbass said:
As a n00b bass modder I had done some pickup replacement. My brother's Marshall needed a new fuse holder, so I attempted that myself. Getting knocked on my butt was how I learned about capacitance*!

View attachment 5406407

*and also never to F with amps again
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Been there! I used to have a Fender 400PS, the giant. Not sure why, but I had it open one day on my bed and grabbed some part of it and got the shock of a lifetime, the thing hadn't been plugged in for months. My dad, who learned electronics in the Army and spent his entire life in the electronic service industry, when I told him what happened he just said, "ya, those oil filled capacitors will hold a charge forever." Good to know:banghead:
 
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#96
coy garcia said:
I confess. 20yrs ago I used a foil gum wrapper on my boogie 400+fuse that popped mid gig... then I had sparks...then no sound and went direct into pa without a DI to finish the gig. Soon after I took it to a authorized boogie repair tech and he didn't say a word but...he was kind enough to tape a spare fuse to the back of the amp.
Click to expand...

Once upon a time I did something similar for my guitarists Peavey with a blown fuse. We tried to do the right thing and hit up radio shack and anywhere else but couldn't find the right fuse. So since we needed the amp for the gig that night I wrapped the blown fuse in tin foil and thaaaaaaaaaaaankfully it worked just fine through that gig. Of course, afterwards I did talk with him in a sort of "do not do as I did, that was dumb" and to my knowledge none of us ever have.
 
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#97
Looks like a 50 amp super slow blow. LOL. Gotta love it.


newfuture said:
See also "audio engineer"
Click to expand...

There are some of us that have proper professional education and usually a secondary degree in a supporting field. Like an AAS in electronics etc.

But, yes, anyone can open a repair shop and make money messing up your gear. I don't trust anyone but the factory. Even then it's scary what may happen.
 
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