Your advice for a new tech!

[Ronsonic]

Hey Ron, do you work for a shop in Tampa by some chance? I have friends who own a shop in that nice, sunny area.

We are lucky enough in our shop to have a diverse range of techs with varying areas of expertise. I have one particular tech who will sit FOREVER on a restoration piece and he's great at it. But, until I figured out that he would need DOUBLE the estimated time that he told me he would to repair, for instance, that CS80 or that OB8, it was a problem. Like Ron said, "ARP's & crafts" (I like that one)! In our case, it's not an ARP in here right now that's the albatross, but an original modular Moog. Yikes!!! And that Polaris Chroma??? Well, let's just say I am verry happy that we haven't seen one since about '96.

I'm guessing one such friend would be Richard of EPR. Yep, he's down here. Was a partner in the shop I'm at for some time. Back off doing his own thing.

I'm mostly a guitar and amp guy, but archaic anything is part of being "the tubes guy" and I do some synths and just about anything needed. For awhile did massive numbers of Nords, the US distributor was right up the street. Old Mini-Moogs don't bother me, but the Memory Moog is named for the way it will haunt you for the rest of your life. Our shop has some specialization going on, hifi, power amps, guitar gear, synths mostly go in different directions.

I see Richard from time to time, I'll say hi for ya.

[jrfrond]

I'm guessing one such friend would be Richard of EPR. Yep, he's down here. Was a partner in the shop I'm at for some time. Back off doing his own thing.

I'm mostly a guitar and amp guy, but archaic anything is part of being "the tubes guy" and I do some synths and just about anything needed. For awhile did massive numbers of Nords, the US distributor was right up the street. Old Mini-Moogs don't bother me, but the Memory Moog is named for the way it will haunt you for the rest of your life. Our shop has some specialization going on, hifi, power amps, guitar gear, synths mostly go in different directions.

I see Richard from time to time, I'll say hi for ya.

I figured you knew Rich. So, you are working with Mike then, huh? Tell HIM I said "hello" too. Just spoke to him a couple of weeks ago for Nord tech support. I know that Rich decided to take a semi-permanent vacation (most likely to play tennis) and then Mike changed the name of the shop. I know Rich from the old days back here in upstate NY. Tell him Steve from dBm said hello too.

Besides attending NAMM, I got to know a lot of service centers when I worked as service manager for both Music Industries and Samson Technologies. Our own Enzo (Doug) is one of them.

Small world, but I would want to service it all!!!

Hey Lars, I'll drop in when I finally get to visit my son who moved to Austin to attend UT. We'll talk.....

[Ronsonic]

I figured you knew Rich. So, you are working with Mike then, huh? Tell HIM I said "hello" too. Just spoke to him a couple of weeks ago for Nord tech support. I know that Rich decided to take a semi-permanent vacation (most likely to play tennis) and then Mike changed the name of the shop. I know Rich from the old days back here in upstate NY. Tell him Steve from dBm said hello too.

Besides attending NAMM, I got to know a lot of service centers when I worked as service manager for both Music Industries and Samson Technologies. Our own Enzo (Doug) is one of them.

Small world, but I would want to service it all!!!

Hey Lars, I'll drop in when I finally get to visit my son who moved to Austin to attend UT. We'll talk.....

So I sez "Hi" to Mike for ya. He asks how I came to be talking to you, told him I ran into you on an online music electronics forum. "You guys don't get enough of this stuff?!?!?!?!"

Mike was always Pro Audio Repair, then merged with Richard and picked up the EPR brand that Richard had been running. After the split, Mike went back to Pro Audio. Richard seems a bit burnt on the industry (like that never happens) so good on him for finding stuff he enjoys doing.

Mike sez let you know he's collating and depasswording the Nord files for you. Here's my Nord tip of the day, if it's any sort of key or control scanner issue suspect the 74HC374.

It is a small world. Not all that many guys doing this on at any level.

[jrfrond]

So I sez "Hi" to Mike for ya. He asks how I came to be talking to you, told him I ran into you on an online music electronics forum. "You guys don't get enough of this stuff?!?!?!?!"

Mike was always Pro Audio Repair, then merged with Richard and picked up the EPR brand that Richard had been running. After the split, Mike went back to Pro Audio. Richard seems a bit burnt on the industry (like that never happens) so good on him for finding stuff he enjoys doing.

Mike sez let you know he's collating and depasswording the Nord files for you. Here's my Nord tip of the day, if it's any sort of key or control scanner issue suspect the 74HC374.

It is a small world. Not all that many guys doing this on at any level.

Small world indeed!

Rich/EPR was part of an loosely-defined service network that a bunch of pro shops around the country carved out for ourselves over the years, mostly as a result of meetings at NAMM. We aren't a chartered organization as such, but rather a self-proclaimed alliance of professional service centers who cross-refer clientele and manufacturers, as well as help each other with parts, schematics and service tips. It has worked really well. Rich was one of the best in the industry.

You MUST go to NAMM if you want to build a service business on a commercial level. It has helped us in countless ways. We are members, and every servicer should follow suit. Not only do you get on the "inside" of the industry, but there are other benefits as well. For instance, we purchased our insurance policy through a NAMM special offer at a substantial discount.

[creatorlars]

Damn -- this is exactly some of the stuff I needed to hear. Can't say how appreciative of this advice. I'm going to read through this a few times before commenting more in full, and with maybe some more specific questions -- I have a Multimoog open in front of me right now I need to get out of here today!!

[creatorlars]

Hey Lars, I'll drop in when I finally get to visit my son who moved to Austin to attend UT. We'll talk.....

Absolutely! Lunch and/or beer on me.