How do you motivate your audio tech?

Sound to us like you need a new tech, we have two tech's and do around 800 jobs per year, the turnaround is two weeks. The only reason for more time would be glass from Mac or a part from outside the US.
 
good one Sam....My techs a good buddy but If I used a stranger and had any broken promises regarding a tube amp repair where by I was getting the run around id gather up a few of my Harley rideing buddy's and go for a visite....something about hearing Harleys pull into your drive way with a bunch on 250 lb-ers rideing them that would get that soldering iron heating up fast..lol
 
I am right there with ya. Expensive receiver dropped off for recap in May. Trying to be patient but it is 3.5 hrs away and now winter is coming. Highly recoo'd but never dreamed it would take this long. Frustrating.
 
Alas, I fear that no after-the-fact incentive is going to move your tech along.
Frankly I'd give him a call and tell him you'll be by to pick up the gear - that might get him going, though I doubt it.
I just refurbed an Sansui AU-9500 for a guy - took me about 2 weeks of my part time labor and he was quite happy.
Meanwhile he has an SX-1980 with another local guy and it's been close to a year - he told him "no hurry" - big mistake!
 
I dropped my power amp off to a local tech In March, still have not heard any news.

Also, it had already been recapped with all new outputs. Come year end, I'm requesting it back.
 
Just be aware- that getting parts for some gear, isn't nearly as simple as it once was.

For one example- we order lots of parts from Bosch/Electrovoice here at the pro audio shop I consult with. We were back-ordered for FIVE WEEKS SOLID on a simple woofer recone kit- for a VERY common 18" subwoofer driver. And about as long for a replacement amp module for a powered PA speaker.

Many manufacturers simply refuse to stock significant numbers of parts of any kind, anymore. Trying to get specialized parts (the kinds that there aren't any generic replacements for) out of them can be an issue in futility, sometimes. Our local Berhinger service center, literally resigned from doing Behringer service altogether, due to this.

Fortunately, there have been some cases, where third parties step up to fill in the slack. Mackie is one example- when they ditched most of their service operation (about the time they became part of LOUD Electronics), a place called S&X Enterprises (IIRC)- made up of former Mackie service personnel, who were let go during the buyout- popped up, to do Mackie service. Without that, a lot of people would have been SOL- some of the procedures and parts are pretty unique, and if you don't have the ability to find those, you just don't fix anything...

Also, there's the issue of COUNTERFEIT parts. Especially transistors, Darlington "power pack" modules, and such. I've seen local techs with jobs held up for MONTHS, trying to find a GENUINE replacement part, that wouldn't blow up as soon as it's installed into a unit. I've seen counterfeit output modules, literally explode, when everything else in the circuit was PERFECT. Dissect them afterward, and you'd see things like transistors that are 1/10 as large as they need to be, to handle the needed voltage and current. Unfortunately, this is almost the norm now- you have to almost have the proverbial eyes on the back of your head, to not get ripped off by these crooks...

So, when you do find a good tech, that does good work, and is conscientious about the quality of the parts he/she uses- IMHO, it's only fair, to allow them some lee-way in terms of how long it takes to get something done. Fast, cheap, good- pick any two.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
Just be aware- that getting parts for some gear, isn't nearly as simple as it once was.

For one example- we order lots of parts from Bosch/Electrovoice here at the pro audio shop I consult with. We were back-ordered for FIVE WEEKS SOLID on a simple woofer recone kit- for a VERY common 18" subwoofer driver. And about as long for a replacement amp module for a powered PA speaker.

Many manufacturers simply refuse to stock significant numbers of parts of any kind, anymore. Trying to get specialized parts (the kinds that there aren't any generic replacements for) out of them can be an issue in futility, sometimes. Our local Berhinger service center, literally resigned from doing Behringer service altogether, due to this.

Fortunately, there have been some cases, where third parties step up to fill in the slack. Mackie is one example- when they ditched most of their service operation (about the time they became part of LOUD Electronics), a place called S&X Enterprises (IIRC)- made up of former Mackie service personnel, who were let go during the buyout- popped up, to do Mackie service. Without that, a lot of people would have been SOL- some of the procedures and parts are pretty unique, and if you don't have the ability to find those, you just don't fix anything...

Also, there's the issue of COUNTERFEIT parts. Especially transistors, Darlington "power pack" modules, and such. I've seen local techs with jobs held up for MONTHS, trying to find a GENUINE replacement part, that wouldn't blow up as soon as it's installed into a unit. I've seen counterfeit output modules, literally explode, when everything else in the circuit was PERFECT. Dissect them afterward, and you'd see things like transistors that are 1/10 as large as they need to be, to handle the needed voltage and current. Unfortunately, this is almost the norm now- you have to almost have the proverbial eyes on the back of your head, to not get ripped off by these crooks...

So, when you do find a good tech, that does good work, and is conscientious about the quality of the parts he/she uses- IMHO, it's only fair, to allow them some lee-way in terms of how long it takes to get something done. Fast, cheap, good- pick any two.

Regards,
Gordon.
Hi Gordon. Can you do a recone job on my EV 18WK speaker? Thank you! Johnny aka radiotubes4u
 
good one Sam....My techs a good buddy but If I used a stranger and had any broken promises regarding a tube amp repair where by I was getting the run around id gather up a few of my Harley rideing buddy's and go for a visite....something about hearing Harleys pull into your drive way with a bunch on 250 lb-ers rideing them that would get that soldering iron heating up fast..lol
Yep and that is why i sold my Harley nothing worse then fitting the stereo type of a thug. And my BMW is way more fun in every aspect of riding
 
One time, I took a solid state power amp, which I wasn't familiar with, to a local tech. There were probably 20-30 pieces in his queue all lined up to be looked at around his bench. He was looking at his calendar and probably was about to tell me to come back in a few months. I mentioned audio karma, and how a member referred me to him, and he put my amp on his bench right away, opened it up, found the problem, fixed it, I paid, and out the door in 30 minutes.
 
My tech used to be in a local band, (he was the bass player), back it the 70's. I start up conversations about the music scene back then. Not sure if it helps,
but we have a somewhat personal connection. Not sure if it speeds things along though, but he seems more personable.
 
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