Patrick in the sweet spot after a little attention to his KX-100. Nice lunch and fun chat with a good guy!!! ENJOY!!
Fisher repair in NYC?
- Thread starter Patrick_W
- Start date
Glad it all got resolved so well! It's such a neat feeling when that happens! Again, AK at its very best........
Dave
Dave
George was super generous with his knowledge, skill and time. It was one of those moments of serendipity when the kind folks in the Fisher forum helped me diagnose my bad transformer and I started scouring eBay and I noticed the only unit that was an exact match was for sale by one notdigital. So after contacting him about the transformer, (this is after he had already generously offered to help troubleshoot the unit in person) we set a time to install it.
We were able to get the transformer replaced and I learned a few things in the process. And with a little fiddling of tubes we were in business.
Now though I have some distortion in the left channel. It is only apparent when the volume goes past 6. But I can hear that the left channel is a little weaker than the right. George suggested I tackle the 12AX7 tubes with some new specimens and see if that clears it up. The adventure continues...
We were able to get the transformer replaced and I learned a few things in the process. And with a little fiddling of tubes we were in business.
Now though I have some distortion in the left channel. It is only apparent when the volume goes past 6. But I can hear that the left channel is a little weaker than the right. George suggested I tackle the 12AX7 tubes with some new specimens and see if that clears it up. The adventure continues...
jonnyz123
Member
Hey all. Going back to the original question of repair people in NYC, I found this site called NY Audio Repair, which is based in Brooklyn. I called the number, and spoke with someone named Ben. We spoke very briefly before I terminated the call, as I did not get a good vibe. He seemed very annoyed by my initial questions like, "So what's your name?" and "Where do you work out of?". I extrapolated to other questions I might have about the repairs, and decided he was not right for me. Who knows though, he might have been having a bad day, so feel free to try your luck!
Sounds very NYC to me.
enginedr
Super Member
I know Ben for over 30 years . He works on hi end tube gear and is very knowledgeable and honest but wants to get paid for his time .Peter Qvortrup at Audio Note and Nelson Pass hold him in high regard
Unfortunately, I had the same experience with Ben when I was looking to restore my Dynaco ST-70.
He basically said it needed to be completely gutted and all boards and wiring replaced
...
I don’t know if he would say the same thing about other more high-end vintage tube amps (McIntosh, Marantz, etc.) so not sure if he’s just got a thing for Dynacos. I’ve heard good things about his work, but I honestly won’t be back to find out...
I ended up going with Blackie Pagano, and I’m pretty happy with the results. It’s not super top-of-the-line work (he’s gotta make living and I’m sure can’t spend obsessive amounts of time on each project), but it’s solid and honest work.
He basically said it needed to be completely gutted and all boards and wiring replaced
...I don’t know if he would say the same thing about other more high-end vintage tube amps (McIntosh, Marantz, etc.) so not sure if he’s just got a thing for Dynacos. I’ve heard good things about his work, but I honestly won’t be back to find out...
I ended up going with Blackie Pagano, and I’m pretty happy with the results. It’s not super top-of-the-line work (he’s gotta make living and I’m sure can’t spend obsessive amounts of time on each project), but it’s solid and honest work.
jonnyz123
Member
I'm glad to hear that Ben has been a good resource for you and others. I have no problem with paying people for their time, but I do expect 5-15 minutes of unpaid, un-snippety time, to discuss my project, and develop a friendly relationship over the phone.