Yamaha Owns Ampeg

[bob p]

Loud Sells Ampeg to Yamaha

[Leo_Gnardo]

Loud Sells Ampeg to Yamaha

Hopefully Yamaha will do the right thing and properly revive this once-proud brand from its moribund state. Oxygen over here please, without further delay!

There is one thing that makes me less than 100% happy about this. Ampeg has always been good about providing parts and technical help. Yamaha, not so much, "you're not an authorized repair center so no parts/schematics/assistance for you." Yamaha's method of dealing with their authorized repair centers is notoriously poor too. If Ampeg follows suit, it will be the worse for Ampeg.

[glebert]

Don't know about your experience with Ampeg/Loud but they were jackasses to me. Regular tech support guys tell me they can't help with a current product unless I'm an authorized service center, but that it is just a simple form to get authorized. Service manager replies "I'm not authorizing any more service centers, but submit the form and maybe at some point in the future I will approve it." Eff that. This was about a year ago.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Don't know about your experience with Ampeg/Loud but they were jackasses to me..

Sorry to hear that. I haven't needed help from Ampeg for at least 5 years. Back then I dealt with a woman who was a real sweetheart, nice as could be, and provided schemos & parts plus a followup email to make sure everything was all right. So much for service with a smile. Now it's apparently no service, with a snarl.

[nickb]

Don't know about your experience with Ampeg/Loud but they were jackasses to me. Regular tech support guys tell me they can't help with a current product unless I'm an authorized service center, but that it is just a simple form to get authorized. Service manager replies "I'm not authorizing any more service centers, but submit the form and maybe at some point in the future I will approve it." Eff that. This was about a year ago.

Think Line 6, also owned by Yamaha. The omens are not good.

[bob p]

It's funny, at the user forums there are people rejoicing about how Yamaha ownership of Ampeg will be a great thing. I've read things like, "Yahama makes affordable stuff so Ampegs will become affordable. Yay!"

I'm not so optimistic.

I had great results getting spare parts for old SLM era rack SVTs out of Loud. It was surprisingly easy. I ordered extras, just because. Yamaha? I don't trust Yamaha to make parts available. I wonder if it's too late to get parts at the Loud phone desk.

[nevetslab]

Maybe the production of the PCB's in the Yamaha-produced Ampeg amps won't be so horribly gooped everywhere with RTV. The recent (last few years production) of SVT-CL's have just been horrible with that awful crap. I don't think I've yet encountered any of the Yamaha-produced products yet. But, only a matter of time. What had been going out the factory door in SVT-CL's or SVT-VR's....they self-destruct on the road from loose hardware turning the beast into a ball and chain within the cabinet. Makes me a lot of $$$, but still a real PITA.

[The Dude]

Agreed. They need to rediscover the lock washer. You shouldn't have to take apart a new amp and install lock washers, especially on something that is intended for touring.

[SoulFetish]

Hopefully Yamaha will do the right thing and properly revive this once-proud brand from its moribund state. Oxygen over here please, without further delay!

There is one thing that makes me less than 100% happy about this. Ampeg has always been good about providing parts and technical help. Yamaha, not so much, "you're not an authorized repair center so no parts/schematics/assistance for you." Yamaha's method of dealing with their authorized repair centers is notoriously poor too. If Ampeg follows suit, it will be the worse for Ampeg.

Leo, I can’t speak to how non authorized service folks are treated but I vill tell you tbat as an authorized service center for the devision of yamaha that handles their keyboards, our experience has been that they have been a great company to work with. I thought it was important to share that.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Leo, I can’t speak to how non authorized service folks are treated but I vill tell you tbat as an authorized service center for the devision of yamaha that handles their keyboards, our experience has been that they have been a great company to work with. I thought it was important to share that.

That's because the Yamaha "credits" your service center earns for warranty repairs are used by the store to buy more Yamaha merchandise, and the bean counters move the figures on the books back into payroll for you and your fellow techs. If you have a big store, or chain of stores, Yamaha's system can work. Of course you can make a good report. For an independent service center, Yamaha's method of rewarding warranty work with credits and never cash assures doom in short order.

[The Dude]

Back in the days before everything was online, it used to be worth it to be a warranty center for access to parts and schematics. In fact, I used to be a warranty center for most everything. These days, you can get most everything on line- parts and schematics. And, even if you can't, you can usually figure out what's wrong with something. Hell, even when I had paper schematics, I hardly ever used them. Most company's (not all) warranty rates are crap compared to regular shop rates. Years ago, I decided to stop doing all warranty work. I was doing warranty work for $35 an hour making customers that were paying $65 an hour wait. It no longer made sense. I was stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. I've never looked back. Every once in a while some company calls and tries to set me up as a warranty station. I usually tell them that I'd be happy to do their repairs and also happy to bill them like everyone else. Surprisingly, they sometimes agree and have me do repair work for them.

[Enzo]

Parts and schematics are only part of it. I used to have a yellow pages ad, it developed very few new customers. My warranty deals netted me MANY MANY new customers. People with a Fender or Peavey or Marshall amp needing repair would go to those companies and ask where the authorized repair shop was. I'd get the referral. Many of those new customers would tell me they were not even aware I was there.

I provide good service, and they come back with their other future repairs. "Oh, you work on THOSE too? Great."

Fender was paying me $50 an hour, and as a gold I could bill up to two hours without approval. My shop rate was $60. SO I lost $10 over a cash deal. but I got that new customer, who represents hundreds of dollars over time. Dollars I would not have gotten otherwise.

Fender paid me monthly by check. I did not have the option of running a credit balance. Peavey would credit my account. I usually let it ride, and all my parts orders would go against my credit balance. WHenever I wanted, I;'d request a check for the balance, and they promptly responded with a check. I had no problem running a credit balance until it got to be hundreds of dollars. Samson used to take forever to put up a check but they never stiffed me. I did far more out of warranty work than warranty work for any of those companies.

[The Dude]

Good point. I'm not saying my "strategy" works for everyone. I've been lucky enough to have plenty of work most of the time, so I'm not so much worried about new customer referrals. I get referrals from the local music stores who send most everything my way. I also do repairs for the stores directly. I've been repairing MI gear here for 30+ years. Most of the locals know me and the newbies find me when they ask someone where to take their gear. I also don't have to spend a couple hours a day filling out warranty paperwork making no money at all. But again, you make a valid point.

[Enzo]

And I did not mean to imply yours is "wrong".

Like anyone I had my network of referral givers. But more and more people do not buy from local stores, and when that amp from Musicians Warehouse or Amazon breaks, they call the amp maker. Or look online.

I just didn't want people considering warranty work to miss the other side of it.

besides, I get good door decals too.

[The Dude]

......besides, I get good door decals too.

Don't forget about the occasional free t-shirt!