blackstar HT-1R QC problems.

[Zipslack]

Just out of curiosity, Enzo, what do you do with "do-not-repair" amps? The shop I used to do work for (Fender stuff) would just cut the power cord and either throw them in the dumpster of salvage parts for repairs. I'm not sure about the legality, but I've often thought of going around to music shops and offering to buy returned Champion 600's for self-repair and re-sale (as salvage/repair units - NOT as original Fender equipment). The little Frontman amps they package with the starter Squiers are decent little project cabs for small amps if you can get them as warranty returns - small cab, speaker, and a halfway-decent chassis for little or no money - great for stuff like 386-based or 1/2W tube amps.

[Enzo]

Depends on the brand, and to some extent the item. Fender tells us we are "supposed" to destroy the old amp, unless they want it back. So in a recent swap I wound up with a little Frontman 15 or something. But in the case of FM212R - yes, those are replace only for warranty - they send a shipping label and expect it returned. What they tell us is we can strip off any useful parts - knobs, speakers, whatever. I take it to mean they don;t want us selling them. They don;t say anything about immediately offing them, so keeping a pile of dead ones is within the rules.

I do know that from time to time some of them wind up in the dumpster behind certain music stores.

I don;t expect a Frontman 15 to be of much value to me, but I was surprised when a dead Champion 600 wound up providing me useful parts for a half dozen repairs. I keep dead ones around. Those tiny little amps that come with Squire STrat Packs and whatall are usually easy to fix in a heartbeat, and are darn useful as signal tracers or just something real portable to take to the warhouse with me for checking something out. I take the serials off them when they die. I have been known to repair an amp or two and donate it to someone who was really in need. I know a couple teachers who teach poor kids. I myself never sell them.

Behringer used to let us keep everything. Entire powered mixers needing only some DFX problem solved. I wound up with some prety nice loot. Then they saw the error of their ways and started wanting everything back.

Most places have larger issue to worry about than what you do with dead starter amps. If you start filing an endless stream of warranty exchanges on small amps, they might look into whether you are defrauding them or not

Bottom line, if you can get possession of a dead amp, it is unlikely anyone from the factory is going to come looking for it.

[Chuck H]

I have been known to repair an amp or two and donate it to someone who was really in need. I know a couple teachers who teach poor kids.

Enzo, how come it doesn't surprise me that you stick to rules WRT your own monetary position, but you'll bend them to give a poor kid an amp.

BTW Zipslack, if you pay attention, you'll notice that you never see Enzo and Santa Claus in the same place at the same time.

[Enzo]

HEY!~ No SC stuff. Don't go there...


Since that photo, now is less dark in beard and less hair on head. Same amount of wife though.

[Chuck H]

It's a great picture. Such genuine expressions. Not a "say cheese" picture at all.

BTW, I'm not stalking you. I dug the pic out of an old thread.

And I'll guess that more Wenzo is better than less Wenzo. If the two of you are as happy 1% of the time as is obvious in that photo, it's a brilliant life.

[Enzo]

The wife is as big an asshole as I am. Believe me, when we are together we are about as obnoxious as it gets. But we amuse each other all the time. People ask why we got married, and I tell them: she gets my jokes. Every time we go to a restaurant, it's the Enzo/Wenzo road show. And we know each other's material inside out, so the waitress is doomed from the start.

[Enzo]

But I can fix HT-1Rs a hell of a lot better than she can, so neener neener.

[DrGonz78]

I am gonna start looking in the dumpsters behind music stores!!! I never really thought of doing that... But you know what it makes some sense really.

[Enzo]

Be nice to the store, remove any serial numbers.

[DrGonz78]

If I was gonna sell them intact in that way then yes I will remove the serial #. More important to me would be just to use anything that I found as spare parts and what not... But digging around in a dumpster might just not be worth it... We'll see.

[Enzo]

You might discreetly enlist someone who works there to alert you when opportunities arise.

[Zipslack]

Enzo, how come it doesn't surprise me that you stick to rules WRT your own monetary position, but you'll bend them to give a poor kid an amp.

BTW Zipslack, if you pay attention, you'll notice that you never see Enzo and Santa Claus in the same place at the same time.

Yeah, it was also brought to my attention once that you never see Satan and Santa in the same place at the same time....notice the similarities in spelling, both wear red suits...coincidence? But, I don't think Enzo is Satan, either...

[Enzo]

Hey now, don't be a Snaat.