hey all you people from craigslist...

I posted a response to someone looking for amp tech advice today: Hi. I understand your dilemma - there are no good amp techs in south jersey. I'm not really looking for amp repair business, although I wouldn't turn any of you down if I can help you. Feel free to email me questions, or better yet, post comments on my blog (which I will respond to!)

If I can fix your amp, I'll be happy to - I won't do it for free, but I also won't charge a ton to do so either - again - this isn't a business venture for me. That being said, i'm still learning myself (hence the point of this blog) - although I probably know more than most, seing as how I built my own amp already - and I'm working on #2.

Anyway - here's a list of things I can definately do:

* Install new tubes/bias an amp. - $75 + tubes - either bring them yourself, or pay me a deposit and i'll order them for you. I'm not in the buiness of making a killing off ripping people off for tubes, so if you just tell me what kind of amp you have, I can probably tell you what to order, and even give you a link so you can get them yourself and bring them to me. Oh look, I just put the link on this blog. See? Now tell me your amp and i'll tell you what to get. For free. You should still have someone bias it for you though - it's not safe to do yourself unless you know what you're doing.

* Replace a blown speaker/transformer/other big part. Deposit required for parts, labor charged after the work is done. $25/hr labor.

* POSSIBLY troubleshoot your amp. As I said, i'm still learning, so I may end up telling you to "contact an authorized technician". At any rate I can't make the problem worse - and if i can't fix it, I won't lie to you and tell you I did, or charge you for not fixing it. I also won't sell you parts you don't need. This is all stuff I've had happen to me - and I definately won't do it to someone else. I'm not an asshole. If the problem's out of my league, i'll let you know up front.
Cost: Free if i can't find the problem. Same as above if I do.

* Build you one of my amps - Gladly! It's a process that will take a few weeks, and I will require a deposit for parts, but the end product will be a better product than you will buy at the store (hand built vs circuit-board, better quality components, etc), and often a lot cheaper than the current "resissue" models sold with the name brands on it. I will also stand by my own products. I -am- an "authorized tech" for my own amps, heh. My focus is on tweed clones right now, but my next product is supposed to be a plexi clone. Plus, if you don't like what I've built you - i'll happily refund your deposit in full and keep the amp - so no loss on your part if you don't like it. Cost is by-amp, with the average being around $1500 for most models - yes that includes a plexi (just the head though - cabs cost so much to construct you're better off buying one off the shelf).

What I -can't- do:
Warranty work - as I said, i'm not an "authorized tech" for any of the major amp companies - yet - but for now, if your amp is under warranty - take it to someone who can do the work for you for free.

Mods - i don't do mods. one of these days i'll post why a master volume mod is stupid - the short version of the story is you get the same effect by using a tube distortion pedal (that uses an actual tube, at any rate). The slightly more involved version of the explanation is that all it lets you do is overdrive your preamp - you're not getting any power tube distortion by pushing your gain up - and anyone that tells you otherwise is lying.

I'm thinking that since i'm new at the whole amp-repair thing - if i 'm gonna do it, i'm going to charge an extremely competitive bench rate. $25/hour seems fair to me, especially when you compare it to what the 2 other people in the area are charging.