Wanted to get some advice about starting reconing at my amp shop. Good idea?

[Steve Conner]

Well, that's what I started out doing, stuffing boards! In the place I used to work, whenever we got a big order, everyone including the secretary and the cat ended up stuffing boards. Luckily hardly anyone ever bought our products. (That was why I quit that job.)

Now I don't even design boards, which had always been a main part of my job description. The boss recently told us that we're to outsource all our PCB layout so we can spend more time on R&D and programming. Some days I'd rather be stuffing boards, but I guess he knows where the "added value" is.

And the boards all get stuffed by pick-and-place machines and reflow soldered on a line, since we started using tiny SMDs. Even for one-off prototypes, they're too fine to solder by hand.

CERN have a copy of my "CV" in their "round filing cabinet" too. I know a guy over in the States who got hired by Fermilab, and he encouraged me to apply, but I never had any luck.

They probably hand out too many EE degrees nowadays, and that devalues them. Traditionally the difference is, technicians are great at making things and fixing them, but an engineer has the extra mental tools (mostly mathematical) to design them from scratch. Or sell them, if you're a so-called sales engineer

[Enzo]

At MSU, the EE program was always referred to on campus as "pre-packaging." A lot of guys enrolled in the electronics program, then quickly found the math was over their heads. But the pre-requisites for EE were about the same as for a degree in Packaging. So a lot of the EE washouts went into packaging. Hence EE as a Pre-packaging major.

[Steve Conner]

I was hoping you meant packaging semiconductor dice and the like there, but no, it seems MSU have a whole school devoted to cardboard boxes.

School of Packaging Michigan State University

[Enzo]

CArdboard boxes, come ON. How about those tough plastic blisterpacks everything comes in nowdays - the ones you cannot open with a chisel?

[AudioWorks]

I thought this was kind of inline with some of the postings on this thread so id mention it, right now i could really use another tech im wondering how some of you guys have found some of your techs you ended up liking. im worried ive found all the good ones in my area (south east Houston) that arent already with another shop. I was thinking about talking with some of the local jr colleges that have audio engineering and electronic circuitry departments to see about posting some directed adds at students that have a skill or interest at least in audio repair. I know i might have to go through a couple people until i find one, ive already started the process and passed two that just couldnt show up on time or skipped to often. Theres prob a policy on here against job postings cause i know there would be some great techs on here id love to have from what ive read, if only they where around me.
I thought about the head hunters but i hear thats expesnive and prob wouldnt have anyone with the skill set im looking for. Craiglist is a cheap possibly free way i found one good guy there once. Then there is monster of course, but i just cant pay monster 350 bucks for an add i dont think.
So if anyone can offer me any ideas and Anyone have luck with the local papers? I know a long while back i tried posting adds for my shop in it and i got zero repairs and cost me like 80 a week. Thats why im reluctant to try a job posting there. NO wonder the paper press is dying

[J M Fahey]

Techs:
I think Electronics students are one way to go.
They *sure* want to get something in their field, although they might make the same $$$ at the local Mc Donald's or equivalent.
Of course you will have to train them and let them start with the more routine tasks, such as cleaning/changing pots and jacks, repairing all those TDA2030 powered 15W jobs and the like.
At least they will untie your skilled techs from menial work.
Publicity:
Local papers are not bad, but they are, well, "local"; probably everybody who sees your ad there already knows you or your work through other ways.
You may strike a deal with local music shops and offer them, say, 5 or 10% for referring clients to you.
You can also sponsor local shows or festivals, maybe setting some banners on or by the stage, in exchange for helping them set the sound equipment, solve buzzing/radio problems, or something.
You can also set some similar deal with the -Club-where-everybody-plays.

[jrfrond]

One of our techs is a former grad of the Institute of Audio Research here in NYC. He's exceptional, and I'd like to add, he's the exception. We have had many people from IAR intern with us over the years. A few were good, some not so good. Next to our guy, we had one other tech who then returned to IAR to teach the Electronics Technology course. The rest are all would-be engineers and producers, and/or couldn't cut it at tech work.

Right now, we have a full house, but every once in awhile I will put an ad out and do a "resume run". You wouldn't believe the crap I get! Even though I specify AUDIO REPAIR TECH, I get copier techs, computer geeks, rocket scientists, ProTools specialists..... I mean really, if they can't at least READ accurately, I don't need them as a tech! Tech work is mostly about common sense, a skill that is sadly lacking in many young'ns nowadays. In addition, I find that most do not want to learn. They all want to go from Point A to Point Z, and think that everything has a diagnostic program built-in. Unfortunately, we just happen to live in an era of instant gratification.

[AudioWorks]

Yeah i get alot of guitar techs that apply and i dont really need that at the moment. I mean theres alotta of people that say they do guitar work and have worked on a few amps before when what i would really like to see is some one whos an amp tech whos worked on some guitars before. Theres def more guitar techs then electronic repair techs.
I called the local jr college today and they had some online registration for jobs looking for students. it doesn't sound to promising. Id rather post an add in related departments.
I know a few shops that called the itt tech schools about hiring some of there students and they were like we dont have anything to do with analog troubleshooting at all. AT least thats what a few shops i worked for mentioned to me about it.
But yeah i am more then willing to train some body. Maybe it have to be as an intern at first. ive done it before and got good results

[Enzo]

I have hired many techs over the years. In my time in the coin industry I would fly into some town - Memphis for example - hire a tech that I would leave there to support our equipment. I didn't have the luxury of hiring a clunker.

Sorry, but my experience with kids right out of school has been a bust. They can explain Thevenin to you, or chant some bawdy line to figure out the color code sequence, but they as a rule totally lack practical experience.

I advertise for techs with some relevant experience, and hope I get some good resumes in response. ANd like many who hire, I suspect, I have my collection of laughable resumes. My fave was the guy who mentioned his experience servicing "VCAres". That's right, the guy couldn;t spell VCR. I worked at one company where a fellow interviewed with me and claimed experience working on TVs. I actually recommended against hiring him, but the company hired him anyway. First time we sent him out on a tech crew, one of my guys came back and said, "SO he worked on TVs eh? Where, from the front?"

What I need in a tech is someone with critical thinking skills. I can teach him or her the electronics specific to our trade. I pose a troubelshooting situation and see what he offers. OK, you are at a friend's house, NO TOOLS, and one speaker in the stereo system is making no sound. How would you troubleshoot this problem to determine where the defect was? All I want to hear is that he would use the system itself as the diagnostic tool. Swap speakers, swap speaker cords, swap power amp inputs, etc etc. Believe me I got guys starting right off with checking the bias, blah blah blah. No tools, remember? And bias is the FIRST thing you check? Sheesh.

I don;t think there is any one pool of techs to find. Guys with any kind of field service experience will usually be more resourceful than most - they often have to come up with somehting where there is no support facility around them.

There are techs with just enough knowledge to be dangerous, guys who never dreamed they don;t know all they need to know. But I almost always prefer a self taught guy, a guy who learned to take amps apart on his own, over a kid from a school. Nothing against schools, school experience is not mutually exclusive with real world experience. But the practical experience outweighs the book learning in my view.

I used to have a written exam. What does this circuit do? What does this color code mean? Here are a handful of parts, what are they all? Here is some circuit, how does it work? And show them something self contained like maybe a fan control circuit.

Or have them discuss how the Fender footswitch circuits work.

I used to use the papers, but papers are not where anyone looks now. My wife runs an agency that finds people employment, I see this stuff.

Craigs list, why not? There will be online want ads in your area. That is where to post. Here we have CareerBuilders.com, Lansinghelpwanted.com, and some others.

Post in some forums, what the heck. Post tech needed right here, and in other amp forums. "No calls" is good, it sorts out the folks who call anyway as not able to follow directions.

And ask all your clientelle. WHo is a good roadie looking for a gig? SOme roadies set up drums, yes, but a lot of them have developed a certain amount of tech experience, you might use. ANd find out who is doing basement work that is worth a damn.

Got any hifi stores in the area? They got restless techs? Or laid off techs? They might have to adjust to the world of guitar amps, but troubleshooting is troubleshooting. And parts is parts.


And attitude. Attitude is something that may show in a resume, but often not. Especially in the generic resumes you get when someone received "help" creating it. Last thing you need is a self-righteous punk who won;t get along with customers or the rest of the crew. I want a guy who comes in wanting to see how much he can learn, not to show how much he knows. Whether he really knows or not is a separate issue.

It is easy to fake a good attitude with generic questions, but set up a hypothetical customer situation and ask how they would handle it.

[AudioWorks]

I was thinking it woud be cool if there was a catagory for discussions about the business and managment side of shops, amp/proaudio equipment builders, designers, vendors, etc.. that have to do with music electronics. You know like experiences, questions for each other get a feel for what its like. I would like to see that. Just a thought

[Enzo]

So start some threads. I usually think of the Music Electronic section for those first. if we get enough volume of such threads, tboy might make us up a section. If we only get three threads between now and Christmas, there would be no point.

[DanielB1]

I am a new member and have been lurking here a bit because I am just getting back into repairing amps since I retired. Some of you guys (Enzo etc) have really helped me get back up to speed in a technology that I left a decade or two ago. Though I have always maintained my own equipment over the years it hasn’t been enough to keep me sharp enough and most of my experience has been in SS digital but I really love a good tube amp.

Ironically I stumbled across this thread looking for links for reconing some guitar amp speakers. I have a few dead ones out in the garage and need them for reconditioning amps. I ‘used’ to be an electronic tech in a previous life and morphed into computer security work (which paid way way more) and recently got back into it to supplement my income in this economy. Even though I am still interested in reconing supplies I had to give my $.02 worth pertaining to why I personally left the electronic repair business.

I had two repair shops -one with a partner that serviced all consumer electronic devices then I sold out and went solo specializing in large screen 3 gun (picture tube) video projectors (projo). I had very little competition in this area so I was able to charge a premium rate. Being that they were large, unwieldy and usually ceiling mounted 99% of repairs were done at the customers location (usually while they watched and talked (i.e. distracted)). I went to a lot of bars and high end homes in those days.

Getting on to my point. I left the business because:

1)The popularity of 3 gun projectors faded. Most customers were keeping their $5000.00 projectors running until HD, Flat Panel Big Screens and LCD projector technology evolved. As it did my customer base dissolved. I knew I wanted to work more in computers so I didn’t even try to keep up with the technology.

2)It seemed that every time I turned around someone new and inexperienced would open up a repair shop and try to cut prices and then go out of business after six months. When I had the solo projo repair this wasn’t as much of an issue –my customers were loyal knowing my capabilities and experience (you don’t want a tech saying “ooops” while working on your $5000 TV). Projos weren’t ‘disposable’.

3)Even with the premium rate that I charged (time on unit plus travel -port to port) my brother who was a union electrician made more per year than I AND he had full benefits and pension. One customer actually complained to me that I charge more than her plumber! How much does plumbing and electrical technology change over the years compared to electronic technology??? It cost a lot to attend service training seminars and maintain minimum parts requirements.

4)Techs were treated like dogs. Sharing rooms for training seminars and having a miniscule expense account (when I worked for someone else) while the sale force continually went on all-expense paid seminars and events in warm sunny places AND were wined and dined by reps when they visited.

5)Don’t even get me started on warranty fees and reimbursement turn-around from manufacturers. Back then it was terrible.

6)I completely agree with Enzo regarding being self-employed. Having said that I would still rather be self-employed – corporate America was a rude awakening. The longer you have been self-employed the harder you will find it getting a job for someone else.

7)I was really interested in IT (self-taught) and knew that’s where I wanted to be. It seemed natural to go from electronic engineering technology to Information Technology and computers.

Well so much for my $.02 on this year old thread. I still need the name of some recone suppliers that cover the Pyle blue label speakers in my current project (76 SF 100watt Twin Reverb). Though the manufacturer code is Pyle (1098644) I think is about the time the Tandy (Radio Shack, Pyle) bought Utah – the frames look the same. From what Enzo said there may be some generic kit that will work.

Thanks!

[Amp Kat]

Look at Weber Speakers, Ted (RIP) started out just repairing speakers on the side as I think he was a lawyer and look at the business he has built that TA runs now. As said you will run into lots of kinks in the repair side mostly customers sending in speakers for repair that are also damaged and voice coil issues so it will take a while to weed out the legit. Might want to give TA a shout as he doesn't do recones on anything but Weber speakers now and could probably give some stellar advice. Anyway if you decide and need some testers give me a shout I have a few C-30's laying around that need reconing and one shorted you could toy with so yeah you have one customer already just shoot me a PM if you like.

[Prairie Dawg]

This is all pretty interesting stuff. Great discussion. I started doing amps as a hobby years ago after spending a lot of time hanging around with old guys from the Michigan Antique Radio Club years ago. About 1-1/2 years ago one of my part time jobs went bye bye and I started taking on work on a regular basis.

A lot of the stuff I work on is pretty modestly priced-many times the cost is too slender to support a $100 per hour repair enterprise which is what the local KOTH charges. Devilles, Peavey Classic 30s and the like, oftentimes acquired on ebay and bounced around in shipping.

It's mostly a hobby, but I apply the troubleshooting skills I learned in the aircraft engine repair business, and burying myself in an amp is a nice break from some of my other schemes.

[J M Fahey]

The *big* problem is to find an adequately stocked parts supplier; if you happen to find some please post links here.
Good luck.