DNR is on my mind

[Randall]

Increasingly, the idea of Do Not Repair comes up. I got lucky recently with a Behringer bass combo that I was able to diagnose and fix with a shorted power supply diode. But more and more I am leaning, as an independent shop with no affiliations, towards turning away the SMD chinese made stuff that is designed to be punched out at an automated factory with no regard to the repair side. Such quicksand this stuff can be. Give me an old tube amp any day over this modern day planned for the grave crap. I know there are ninjas here that take real pride in going for that kind of thing, but I am really thinking about throwing a blanket over my ego and filtering out what doesn't make profitable sense. Someone brought me a 80's multi function home stereo amp that won't power up. I tried a few things, and then just gave it back, it just seemed like quicksand, and my heart wasn't into it.

Anyone else feel the same?

[Enzo]

No, I don;t feel the same, because I think it is a cliche to just refer to Chinese stuff as automatically low quality. The fact that you or I don;t know or have the skills to work on surface mount electronics does not mean it is low quality. What do you think is inside those expensive smart phone everyone caries around? The computer you are communicating with us on, what is inside that, and where was it made?


Do Not Repair lists mean one thing, and one thing only. It means it is less expensive for Fender or whoever to replace the product than to pay me $50 to fix it.

What difference does it make if the amp is a $90 model on the DNR list or a $2000 model if the problem is a shorted rectifier. That is about as common as repairs get to faulty SMPS. It is one of the first things I check for.

And before we go off too far into tubes, Fender has tube amps on its Do Not Repair list as well as the solid state.

Nothing personal here, but when I hear of a tech who only wants to work on tube amps - as in that is all he takes in - it sends the message to me that he lacks the drive and curiosity to learn any new technologies or repair techniques. SMD repair work is routine for the thousands and thousands of people who work with it every day. it is merely a matter or learning how to use the equipment. We can pretend it is all crappy because we don't like working on it, but that doesn't make it so.

I have an old Oberheim OB8 in my shop. Sorry, no tubes in it, but made in AMerica, full of nothing but full size parts soldered into holes in a circuit board. strap that onto your bench and see how your electronics stack up. I'll wager my lunch money it is just as baffling to you as the SMD stuff.

I tend to think of the "we only do tube amps" shops as skimmers. They skim off the easy 15% of the repair market, and leave the customers with real problems to find help elsewhere. Should every shop work on everything that comes its way? No, of course not. But you never challenge yourself, you never learn anything.

Imagine a car repair garage and the guy only works on cars before they added the computer modules. Here is my 1974 Dodge, here is my '68 Chevy. What, you won't fix my 2011 Ford? Maybe he isn't the guy to take care of your band van.

I recently took my HP laptop computer to a local skimmer repair shop in town. It couldn;t start the fan, detected that, and will not boot up. Guy installs a new fan, sends it home with me. Nope, still does it half the time. Took it back. After waiting a reasonable time, I called back and was told: You should have bought a Dell. It needs a whole new mother board. yeah right. You see, this kid can figure out and replace bum hard drives, bad power supplies, bad screens. But component level repair? Not at all. Since most repairs are simple enough and straightforward, he can fix most stuff that comes in by replacing modules. But anything out of the ordinary, and he is not up to it. More power to him, but I will go retrieve me computer and take it to the pro shop up in Lansing.

[Jazz P Bass]

I would have to wonder if the computer geek installed an original HP fan.

I had a desktop model that had a fan heat sensor on it.
Apparently HP has a tight tolerance on that part.
A generic fan, with sensor, 'worked' but it kicked up a 'no fan' error at boot up.
Easily bypassed by pressing F2, but it was aggravating to the owner.

I purchased a ( comparatively expensive) genuine HP fan a 'wallah'.
It worked.

Just sayin'.

[Randall]

Well, to be fair Enzo I have only turned down a few pieces each year, usually stuff that either doesn't make sense from a value point of view, or is going to be maddening because it was constructed in such a way that getting probes on test points is impossible because they are hiding behind other things and would need to be disassembled to the point of making it unable to power up so one could troubleshoot it. And often with hot glue everywhere, further complicating things. I've made some SMD repairs, but not many. I don't have the eyes or the hands for it anymore, and to be honest the skill oftentimes. No way I would attempt a four sided SMD chip for example.

So I am not going to be able to repair a SMD main board with DSP FX for example. And in many cases since I am not factory, I may not even be able to get the replacement board, even if the customer wanted to pay for that for his modern VOX modeling amp that he bought used, for example. AND, I can't even guarantee that would be the fix, so if it isn't what then? I get stuck with the board.

But, more and more as I see the newer stuff, it just seems like it is made to be sold at GC at a price point, and that's it. I have had a "no Behringer or Line 6 please" line in my on line ads for years. As an independent, I don't have to if I don't want. I also take in mixing boards, powered speakers, and other gear, but I reserve the right to take a look, and spend a bit of time to decide if I want to work on it or not. If not, no charge. I guess my point is, as things progress and I get older, I feel more and more that I am under no obligation to try to fix everyone's problems.

But the older gear I almost always take in and get the job done, unless there are obvious signs it's been hacked.

[xtian]

Randall, a simple price check on used equipment filters out a lot of repairs for me. If a unit costs less than three hours of my time on the used market, I'll point that out to the owner and explain that it doesn't make financial sense to repair such a unit. But if they insist, I accept the challenge (after getting a deposit!).

[drewl]

I've kinda gotten the rep of being the guy to bring the hard stuff to.

So I see all kinds of weird stuff!

[The Dude]

Same here, drewl. I get a lot of stuff that was at some other shop already, which makes it even more difficult. You can't limit yourself to looking for "normal" problems. A lot of the problems I see have been "installed" by someone else.

[J M Fahey]

Same here.
No link between shops and factories so when repair goes beyond standard parts replacement, say rewinding transformers, reconing speakers, etc. , they call me.

[olddawg]

Same here, drewl. I get a lot of stuff that was at some other shop already, which makes it even more difficult. You can't limit yourself to looking for "normal" problems. A lot of the problems I see have been "installed" by someone else.

I was a tech a long time. (Not as long as Enzo but a long time nevertheless) When I first started doing it the old tube guys didn't understand component level solid state. Then the solid state guys didn't understand op amps. Then all of them didn't understand microprocessors. Then who was left freaked out over PMPS. Then multi layer boards and surface mount tech put the nail in the coffin. I was lucky since I was an authorized senior tech for a bunch of companies and every year several companies had product siminars that covered most changes in technology. What finally got me was eyesight. I had to replace a 250 pin IC every day 15 years ago using hot air extraction, etc. The last innovation was ball soldering, microscopes, ovens, and X-rays. Lol. Nowadays you can fix it or you can't. There are production run changes that will drive you nuts because of the digital nature of everything. And yeah. The disposable nature of things get in the way. The money has always been made servicing high end productucts. In 1983 I could get $165 (in 1983 dollars) to repair a $1200 VCR and do 12 or more a day. Oh have times changed. Find your nitch and specialize... But don't expect that nitch to last. It's funny, every time I would get a new truly competent tech in the shop my first question would be, "Ok... What's wrong with you?", lol. The reason being is if you are smart enough and have the skill set to excell in this field you can probably transfer those skills to a much more lucrative career. Especially nowadays. It seems no one has any component level and electromechanical skills under 50.

[drewl]

I've also been fortunate in that I work on some pretty difficult things in my real job so I have the equipment for SMD stuff (need a microscope for alot of it)

I had to learn tube stuff as they sure didn't teach it when I went to school!

[The Dude]

Yep, every time I get my paycheck, I ask myself why I'm still doing this. But, I like what I'm doing and the boss lets me skate whenever I need to hit the road for shows. The flexibility is worth it to me. I've been offered a job at a local hospital and could be making more money, but I'd have to be on call weekends. That doesn't work for me as I'm a musician first and tech second. If I could make a decent living playing music, I would probably just be a hobbyist.

[olddawg]

Yep... That was me for decades. I could go on the road, in studio, whatever and my job would always be there. AND.. It paid pretty damn well through the 90s.