Tech will be able to service my 2203 JMP in 2 weeks… suggestions?

[V-man]

A few months ago I started This Thread regarding some squealing back @ Feb. and I just got the 2 week lead time notice (which is why I refuse to leave amps w techs before they are ready to work on it). The issue seems to have subsided for the moment, but aside from the typical socket/pot cleaning they typically add for 30 min on the ticket, I plan to have them do the ‘79 shielded wire update from the pre-79 unshielded wire setup on Pin 7 on V1, to hopefully mitigate the issue.

Since it is going in already, is there anything you suggest done or inspected beyond what a tech would typically do on a routine service/inspection? Filter caps were done 10 or fewer years ago (when I had the original owner’s EL-34 mod reversed to 6550s). Still has the original attached Bulgin power cord and impedance selector plug setup.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

4 speaker output US market version? If so, consider having the impedance selector bypassed or replace it with a high quality rotary switch rated to handle the current.

If you go for the bypass, have the speaker jacks wired up with one jack dedicated to the 16 ohm tap, 2 jacks dedicated to the 8 ohm tap, and 1 jack dedicated to the 4 ohm tap.

Either way it nullifies the known problem with those original selectors eventually becoming unreliable...or worse, you just lose the plug.

 

[Jon Snell]

I, like most other workshops, run a first come first served system. When equipment is brought to us, we book it in and allocate an ID reference. The repair is then placed in a queue and will get worked on as soon as that ID reference is reached.
If the equipment is not in the workshop, it is not in the queue.
In short, bring it in and it will be worked on. If it is not in the workshop, it is not in the queue.
This system has worked flawlwessly for over 45 years and it will not be changed.
Just think of the time wasted waiting with an empty bench and qualified engineers' wages, being paid to sit and wait for that item that was booked in but taken away again and the repair is not now available for some reason.

 

[william vogel]

I, like most other workshops, run a first come first served system. When equipment is brought to us, we book it in and allocate an ID reference. The repair is then placed in a queue and will get worked on as soon as that ID reference is reached.
If the equipment is not in the workshop, it is not in the queue.
In short, bring it in and it will be worked on. If it is not in the workshop, it is not in the queue.
This system has worked flawlwessly for over 45 years and it will not be changed.
Just think of the time wasted waiting with an empty bench and qualified engineers' wages, being paid to sit and wait for that item that was booked in but taken away again and the repair is not now available for some reason.

The customer doesn’t see it that way most of the time. I agree with you but the selfishness is always there. Your system works well and filters the less desirable customers.

 

[V-man]

I, like most other workshops, run a first come first served system. When equipment is brought to us, we book it in and allocate an ID reference. The repair is then placed in a queue and will get worked on as soon as that ID reference is reached.
If the equipment is not in the workshop, it is not in the queue.
In short, bring it in and it will be worked on. If it is not in the workshop, it is not in the queue.
This system has worked flawlwessly for over 45 years and it will not be changed.
Just think of the time wasted waiting with an empty bench and qualified engineers' wages, being paid to sit and wait for that item that was booked in but taken away again and the repair is not now available for some reason.

That’s all well and good for you and most of the techs who continue to pull this… and that may have been peachy for more customers back when in a world where 2-3 week lead time was as long as it got.

Notice my tagged thread? I came into the shop around February, 2022. I am NOW being told I am 2 weeks out. 4 months. Maybe from your side of the counter, 4 months is just fine to hold a customer’s equipment hostage… not being fixed, taking up space, every day a new opportunity to be banged around as someone moves three things around to get to another unit, another chance the amp is lost to a fire, water damage or theft. And then a claim (assuming the place/tech is even established enough to have applicable insurance) to fight with the insurer over the unit.

Of course, being in the business, it is the obvious response recounting stories of customers wanting this or doing that, to support the ”my way/highway” attitude or policy. Well, the thing is I am not in the business. I am merely one guy with gear that has had to visit a shop here or there over the years… and somehow this one guy can go tit for tat with most seasoned professionals with my own stories over the fuckery, carelessness and outright incompetence that comes out of these shops, which has led me to “my or the highway ain’t fucking happening or you aren’t doing business with me…or anybody I know”.

I have had components pilfered, the wrong parts used, physical damage to classic amps that the guy respects or thinks no more of than the 4th oil change that he has to grind through that day. One local legend of a guitar repair business had one of my guitars for more than two years and for all that waiting, (with literally two even-measured check ins in that time) I was rewarded with guitar covered in overspray, a fucking pubic hair in the finish and wolverine slash marks in an ebony board from taking a wire brush to clear off the overspray from not taping it off. In short, while I 100% respect the knowledge and insight of techs I interact with online, those I have dealt with in the wild sit right between gunsmiths and wile-e-coyote for buffoonish incompetence.

And since I am currently interacting online, I can only assume that you have had 45 years of impeccable workmanship and professionalism that sends the all city’s amp needs to your door (all satisfactorily addressed in no more than 3 weeks’ time). However, the tone and attitude of your unsolicited criticism that I am reading from the response (which was not accompanied with anything constructive or relevant to what I requested in my post) just so happens to mirror the attitudes of those point-blank, most incompetent and problematic people I have had the misfortune of dealing with, all of whom, stood on their impressive training, the pictures of stars they did business with, and the decades of business they reigned over the industry, only to phone in shoddy work in their declining years of indifference and cantankerousness (or worse). More than half of these landmark fixtures of the trade are now long out of business.

As for me, I take my experience and apply it intelligently and fairly. I respect what *I* consider a reasonable lead time. If the quote is longer than that, they can take my money for the bench fee up front as my placeholder, so that my shit is not held hostage to some archaic policy, and their bench time is respected with up-front payment for whether I bring my gear in immediately (as assured) or not - as in the present case. I have also found some outfits willing to schedule same-day/while-you wait service at a less expeditious timeline that is convenient to them, which is very fair IMO.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

My friends who used to run their own electronics repair business (focusing on guitar and PA equipment, mostly) always had a first come, first served policy but they were generally pretty quick about getting things done. I was doing that myself, too, for a while, but that came
to an end before I'd built up a significant clientele so my own turnaround time was sometimes "while you wait" and other times, it was just a week or two while waiting for ordered parts to arrive. Same as my friends did it. The only time a job might be bumped up is if it's truly something really quick to address, a few minute's worth of work for something that's obvious and simple. This does tend to help with customer opinions and it does help keep the backlog down to a reasonable amount. I'd do it myself. If I can fix that while you wait, I'll put 15 to 30 minutes into it. If it takes more than 30 minutes it gets in line and waits its turn.

Customers have to accept the fact that there may be other customers who got there first. Wait your turn. Trying to jump in line is certainly not fair to those who got there first, and are waiting for their work to be done, and it's very "entitled" of anyone who thinks their job should just be sent to the head of the line because they stamp their feet and hold their breath until their face turns blue. I'd find that entertaining, but it wouldn't push your work ahead in MY workload schedule.

If you want expedited service, cash talks. You can buy your way to the head of the line. Otherwise...it's not my fault you don't have a spare amp...guitar...PA console...PA speaker...whatever.

There's never any valid excuse for a technician or repairman damaging equipment. Not intentionally, not accidentally, not by neglect or failure to pay attention to the details, or fail to remove an item from where paint will be sprayed, or by using the wrong tool for the job.
Certainly no worthy technician will be taking parts off your amp to add to his stash of rare valuable parts.

I hadn't gotten to that point yet but my plan was that in the case of a vintage amp, I photograph it when it crosses my bench, and send the photograph to the owner. (Text message or email.) Showing the internals. And a second photo when it's done, showing that his internal original parts are all still there except for the bad ones, which are in the bag of pulled parts that go back to the customer along with the amplifier when he picks it up. 100 percent parts accountability is the best practice and ALL technicians should follow it. Find a burned resistor? Replace it but put the bad one in the dead parts bag. The customer gets it.

It takes a long time to build a solid reputation for integrity and honesty. But you can break that reputation with just one bad day's work.

 

[V-man]

Customers have to accept the fact that there may be other customers who got there first. Wait your turn. Trying to jump in line is certainly not fair to those who got there first, and are waiting for their work to be done, and it's very "entitled" of anyone who thinks their job should just be sent to the head of the line because they stamp their feet and hold their breath until their face turns blue. I'd find that entertaining, but it wouldn't push your work ahead in MY workload schedule.

If you want expedited service, cash talks. You can buy your way to the head of the line. Otherwise...it's not my fault you don't have a spare amp...guitar...PA console...PA speaker...whatever.

Pretty much agree with the entirety of the post with a point of clarification to the blue-marked line quoted. I agree with this as well as a general principle and is not at issue with my shop appointment referenced. If there is a “pay to jump the line” I have no qualms with that either.

My principle beef is with this archaic and stupid insistence that an amp/guitar/piece of gear MUST be left with the shop when the lead time is easily outside of a 2-week bracket. There is zero damned reason why a piece of gear should have to be shoe-horned in with 20-40 other pieces of gear acting as a fire hazard, none of which with an honest intention of being touched in the upcoming weeks.

A simple pre-paid deposit and a phone call at the 1-2 week lead mark to bring the unit in is just prudent administration. The customer is invested by virtue of his surrendered deposit. The shop has less clutter and liability for mishaps, and is pre-compensated for any no-show in the queue.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I agree, "bring it in when I call for it" makes sense, provided people do as you ask. Any time the equipment is NOT in my shop I don't have to worry about safeguarding it. But I've also found that people will often TELL you "I'll be there at 10 AM Monday morning" and they don't actually get there until 6 PM Thursday evening, making you wait after your normal closing time......and then they call at the last minute and tell you they can't make it.

The answer to that is simple: "Your amp's service time is allotted for Monday morning. If it's not here in time then you lose your place in line and it goes back to the end of the line. My time is valuable. Don't waste it. Don't stand me up."

Of course everybody is in a big hurry to get it fixed. But when it's time to cough up the cash, they become ghosts some of the time. Or they protest about paying what you SAID it would cost.

 

[V-man]

That’s why i was very happy to agree w this shop’s “well if you want us to hold your place, we need a $65 bench deposit” solution. No prob for me, and I am happy to zip it over there the moment they are ready (or whatever their ”pre” bench window time is needed).

Not everybody is as prompt or direct, which is why a nonrefundable deposit to hold the bench time from x:00 to y:30 or whatever appointment time seems reasonable for both times given proper notice. As a busy shop, I am sure I would want the next 6-10 ticket items at my fingertips, but the next 20-50 seems like a liability, a hassle, and a clutter bomb in the work space all in one.

Edited bc this whole post was in bold for some reason (fixed now).