RETURNED AFTER 3 YEARS! - RARE 1954 Danelectro Silvertone 1341 Repair

This video is a good illustration why every guitar store and repair shop needs to have clear policies when it comes to warranties and repairs. What do you do when a customer returns an amp they bought almost 3 years ago for repair of a problem they say existed when they bought it? Well, it's a sticky situation, but we'll get it sorted! Along the way, we get to check out a rare, vintage 1954 Sears Catalog amplifier and demo it with a Tele and a PRS. Good times!
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[@heath7766]

That's a small amp! I fixing 3X the size amps and i'm 11!

[@TheGuitologist]

11 is a good age to get into electronics. I wish I had done that at your age. Some of this stuff is no joke though, the voltages in this little amp and the current in some areas can KILL YOU. Please learn all you can before poling around in anything with an onboard power supply. (Anything without a DC output wall supply, I mean.) Low voltage DC stuff...poke away! But tube gear, make sure you know what you're doing. And if you ever have questions about something, just ask: bradlinzy at gmail Keep at it, young buck!

[@ThomasWBaldwin]

turn them up to 11!!!!!

[@ThomasWBaldwin]

discharge yer caps!

[@mikewhitfield2994]

Under supervision, I hope! More Americans are killed by 120V than by higher voltages, perhaps because the Voltage is too low to arc before you touch it but still plenty high enough to kill you.

[@hoboroadie]

The Guitologist I miss Heathkit.

[@WillyMcCoy50]

Tell him to take it to Sears and get a $39.95 refund.

[@TheGuitologist]

^You won the internet today, sir.

[@podrum7421]

Was that Ted Nuge at around 22:48

[@umajunkcollector]

64 year warranty, yup, I believe it! Sears could give the $39.95 refund, then sell it on ebay, as is, for $399.90.

[@twinsmm1]

if only it was branded Craftsman.

[@fortj3]

FireBottle Yep. Stranglehold.

[@UncleDoug]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video, Brad, and sympathize with your predicament. In the long run, it's always best to be concerned with customer service and satisfaction. As you found with the cold solder joints, they often have justification for their complaints.....even though initially, they may appear to be unfounded. Speaking of frustration with returns, I have a local amp buyer who is a wonderful guitarist, but completely devoid of technical skills. He has returned the Harmony H410A amp I sold him (about 5 years ago....cheap) several times with the following symptoms and cure: 1.) No volume......dead battery in his active pickups 2.) Wavering volume.....tremolo was on 3.) No volume.....see #1, again. You get the idea. In this case, it was tempting to give this guy the boot; but, like you, each time I felt compassion for his predicament and wanted to resolve the issues.....for both our sakes. As a result, he remains a friend and customer, and I retain a free conscience. Overall an excellent video......the soliloquies, the repairs, the testing, etc. No roach eggs, but still far more entertaining than network TV ;) Thanks so much for posting it.

[@kenjimac2211]

UD, you are far more patient than I lol.

[@Barabyk]

You're one of the rare guys around, who actually repairs gear AND can play the guitar.

[@stuarthossack7906]

Dude ........... the amp owner KNOWS what's going on here ...... and he's playing you. He's even removing your ability to even do him a favour out of good will, even if you wanted to - and unless US consumer law is totally different to UK, this bloke is a chancer and should be treated as such. To have a good relationship with a good and trusted valve tech is priceless, and he just blew it.

[@buddyfan77]

There just aren't enough good guys like you man, keep up the good work and do what you feel is just for the guy because no matter what his reasons were he really needed to tell you right off the bat that there was a problem.

[@TheGuitologist]

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt on this one. I do this to make people smile, not to make enemies or piss people off. But at the same time, henceforth, the policies will be clearer than a handshake.

[@justinbouchard]

I'd say you have an amazing log of how you do work and how it comes out as a finished product. 3 years later hurts my soul. You do proper work dude. It's an 80 year old piece of electronic equipment. For me, even a refurbish/repair on something like that is always as is.

[@TheGuitologist]

As someone else pointed out, I think my decision to fix free of labor charge was the right one. That cold solder joint must have been there when I had the amp, I just missed it back then.

[@justinbouchard]

Yeah I feel like you made an appropriate decision for all. Honesty is the way of the future. Hope you didn't have to wake up to early to prepare fort the bunny! Tons of love from Canada :)

[@TheGuitologist]

Ok, I won't make you wait until tomorrow. Happy Easter, everybody!

[@MrBrymstond]

Happy Easter to you and your family bro

[@WillyMcCoy50]

Hide your eggs! Jesus is coming!!

[@BonesBroken]

The Guitologist Happy Easter, keep up the good work..

[@telecasteroil]

Happy Easter

[@rscelectrical7091]

Happy Easter, Aah another customer expecting a lifetime warranty on a piece of used kit. As for the old it was bad when i bought it but I didn't want to bother you, sorry we've heard it all before. Used equipment warranty: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months depending on the item & what you sell it as. Used, Repaired or Restored. 3 years after sale, then it's a chargeable repair. It's a variable trimmer capacitor from the looks of it.

[@remley8877]

Iti was the squire bullet practice amp of it's day. After 60 yrs, I may not charge a bench fee for looking at it or cleaning a socket, if I had sold it; but after 3 yrs, I'd charge full rates for parts and labor.

[@meirionlloyd-jones7645]

I`m sure the guy wouldn`t expect you to repair it for nothing ,your time cost you so it should be a case of explaining this to him ,just common sense and being reasonable ,no sweat.Keep on keeping on ,great stuff .

[@eetechtom]

Giving a customer a year warranty on something that vintage is above and beyond in my opinion.

[@JeffD63]

I would say after reading thru many of the comments you have sufficient information to make a decision. My biggest enjoyment of this video was during your demo after the service. I can see on your face you are evaluating your work. Then the tones got you and that was it. You set the Tele aside. The more you played the more you got pulled in. A beautiful thing to have recorded for posterity! Thank you ~ Jeff D

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks, Jeff. In spite of the conundrum over invoicing, there are much worse things I could be doing with my time. At the end of the day, gotta count blessings, especially on Easter. Happy Easter to you!

[@stevehogan8829]

Don't know why you're feeling any pressure. Charge him for the repair and sleep like a baby. Otherwise the resentment will build up and one day you 'll go crazy and start sabotaging amps that squeal like scared hogs right in the middle solos. It's not a new amp with a 1-5 year guarantee... It's a vintage amp... What would Judge Judy do? Hell Brad, I can't even get anyone to look at an amp down here. No one want to work on them... Everytime I take an amp to someone they just say, send it back to the factory... People don't realize how cool it is to have someone who repairs shit. Thanks.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks man. It's not really pressure, just venting. Thought it was an interesting subject to bring up - one of the pitfalls of doing this kind of work.

[@SciPunk215]

I recently watched a video from Tested.com where they went to a place called Weta Workshop in New Zealand. They are a production company who produced the movie sets for The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit among many others. The founder spoke passionately about the New Zealand work ethic. The entire nation is isolated from the rest of the modern world. His basic point is, if you want it to get done, you have to do it yourself... there IS nobody else who's going to do it for you at any price. Necessity is the mother of invention.

[@j_freed]

On the upshot, it was an interesting video to share and the thing sounded cool. It's good content for very little material outlay. And people watching this will certainly know 'they can't kid a kidder.'

[@umajunkcollector]

Customers will take you for anything that they can get, don't we all, lol! Make your policies clear, in writing on the receipt. Chances are, they'll lose said receipt, TS for them. Amps are so often ABUSED. 50$ up front to start with, to look at it, 30 days - that's at least most shops around here. If they want free, watch the vids, and try for yourself? lol poof, smoke, sizzle, then pay the tech to do it right. If you do a favor for one, then why not everybody else? Hay Brad, I have some stuff I want fixed for FREE too! At least keep special favors TOP SECRET, but some people have big mouths... "I have a friend (relative) that fixes amps... "

[@MrTdr01]

You know, I don’t know what you’re going on about a half the time. But I love you’re videos my friend. It seems you have a good attitude to life. Do keep them coming.

[@cjscala87]

I am lost when you start opening up these amps but I love watching you demo these rare jems

[@LauraSquirrel]

As others have said, a 30-day limited warranty would be more than reasonable. Certainly not three YEARS. LOL WTF??

[@Yupppi]

Very fair judgment call. Especially to the customer. Truth be told after 3 years even if it was your fault, it should be the customer's responsibility. You can't just wait forever if you want service for free. I don't doubt it was one of those "I'll get to this when I have time" from him, happens to me all the time when I push back necessary evil like complaining about service or warranty or whatever. But I admit with those that I've made it my own concern, not theirs.

[@scottbulmer7160]

"Givers sleep well, takers eat well." I think you did the right thing....... you demonstrated something lacking in this world.......... integrity.

[@ringostarr4520]

The story seems weird that someone would wait 3 years to return the amp for a repair. Perhaps the gentleman was being honest that something was not right with the amp, but to wait that long seems strange. Once Brad got into the amp and saw cold solder joints that needed re-flow it became apparent that the guys story checked out. So probably that amp had some issues going on since the guy bought it. Definitely a nice gesture to give free labor on the job and we all got another great amp demo!!

[@mal2ksc]

I agree, the problems were probably there from the start but that's still no excuse to wait three years to report them. A simple message that "it has signal dropouts" or a phone recording of it actually doing it would have been sufficient. If it doesn't actually go back for a while, but it was reported promptly, then I think it's still fair to claim it "under warranty".

[@roscoefoofoo]

FWIW, I think you resolved this very fairly, Brad. Ignore the sniping haters. They "live" to make others as miserable as they are. Not worth your time.

[@skithewhitestuff]

You can't give a lifetime warranty. The buyer should have returned it to you within a reasonable amount of time, nearly three years is way beyond a reasonable amount of time. I could see you were struggling with making that decision, because you are a decent human being. You can be decent without being taken for a fool. The buyer was very lucky to not be charged for your time to identify and rectify the problem. Another great video by the way.

[@rabidpb]

Since you asked for opinions, I'd have given the jacks/sockets/pots a clean up as a sign of good will, fixed anything obviously dangerous, and then charged the customer for anything else or for any parts that might be needed. But then I'm not depending on that business to keep a roof over my head.

[@rabidpb]

I can't disagree with you, but like I said I don't do repairs as a business, I think if I did, I'd have to be much firmer on terms of business to deal with timewasters.

[@Panhead49EL]

I'd say you were more than fair with the gentleman. Glad for both parties that it wasn't anything major.

[@MRN89]

I’m sorry but any sane person that bought something and had an issue or fault would of got in touch straight away not left it for 3 years and come back saying the was an issue. Fair enough up to 6 months later then it’s kinda understandable. Charge him for any works done to it, it’s a vintage amp and most of the parts are way past there prime, vintage gear always has little issues. True collectors don’t like for anything to be changed to affect value so I’m not surprised you left it as close to stock when you sold it 3 years ago. For all you know someone else has been in there tinkering with it also. Keep us the awesome content, no other channel on KZbin compels me to watch a 50 minute video on amp nerd’ing out 🤘🏻

[@audiotechlabs4650]

When I had my shop, back in the 80s, I repaired home and car stereos in the oil fields. They would bring me a in dash, high end cassette Am-Fm unit with enough mud and dirt you could grow corn, and I would spend the first hour of bench time cleaning the thing to get to the problem, which usually was the problemI gave a 30 day warranty on my work. 29 days later they would bring them back in the same condition they had first brought them in for repair. It drove me nuts. So I had to change my warranty to include a stipulation that said if the unit was not working because of dirt and neglect, a bench charge would be charged. It stopped 90% of the abuse. Some times you miss something small, even after a through bench test, or time just creates repair items. But 3 years is way too long to wait for a return. If you had bought something and it had a problem and you waited 3 years to return it, whom ever you bought it from would laugh in your face and not honor your warranty. Your videos are not just about repair. You go further into things that, in your opinion, needs to be addressed. I agree with you! Your videos are informative, even about issues other than servicing vintage tube amps. I'm with you brother! Thanxz

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks. Always a joy reading your comments.

[@PhuckHue2]

everybody wants a freebie

[@ringostarr4520]

Oh one last thought... I would have tested that death cap for leakage on the chassis. Now a days I might even have the customer sign a written statement accepting complete responsibility for the two prong power cable. Personally I never let any amp go out of my shop without a 3 prong and removal of the virtual ground cap. If I were to leave a 2 prong on a collectors amp then I would probably have them sign something. Probably a good policy to implement while your also putting together a return policy.

[@freepress8451]

US seems different to the UK. We have Electrical Safety tests - Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) for 2nd hand items sold by businesses. There is currently no strict legal requirement for PAT testing www.pat.org.uk/is-pat-testing-a-legal-requirement/ But >>>>Not complying with the above mentioned regulations can result in fines up to £5,000 and/or six months imprisonment. Fines have been seen to go as high as £20,000 and offences heard in the Crown Court have carried sentences of more than 2 years imprisonment in additional to unlimited financial penalties. So even though PAT testing itself is not legally required, it simply helps you to protect yourself by ensuring that you are complying with these regulations.

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Amazing survivor... Things this old are prone to all sorts of degrading parts.. You can have it working perfect, and then more old stuff goes. Just keep after them as needs come up, or gut them to bare chassis and rebuild with all new everything.. not much other choice, so just keep it going as stuff comes up. Owners need to realize old stuff will need ongoing service. You do well for the amp... Owner should respect that. Good work Brad.. and I enjoy the noodling around on that thar Tele too😊👍.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks, Jennifer. Always appreciate seeing you pop up in the comments.

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

The Guitologist Aw gee thanks... I enjoy seeing you learn and improve the skillset.. so few ‘younger’ folks wanting to learn the ropes. I appreciate your enthusiasm, and ethics in business too. Keep it up!

[@umajunkcollector]

I have a 1946 Philco console (see my vid on it) that I put on CL for 130$, willing to go down to 100$, stating AS IS, no warranty, and needs restore/repairs. Callers asked if it works, I told them that it's complete, mostly original, but should not be used until serviced, and if it was repairred and fully functional, that the price would be more like 400$. People EXPECT perfect for cheap.

[@mal2ksc]

What the buyer reported probably was broken when he got it, but that's no excuse for waiting so long to report it. Even if he couldn't actually return the unit for service in a timely manner, that's not an excuse to not even _mention_ it.

[@thorerik678]

I fix old stuff too. People should understand that used gear is just that. It is good to go till the customer takes it back. You should charge a fair price. My policy is that unless you immediately tell me something is wrong then it is on you. You are actually doing him a supreme favor in even looking at it and considering using your valuable hard won skills to help him out.

[@donaldfilbert4832]

It's amazing it worked as well as it did initially - with those 3 cold solder joints !!!

[@freepress8451]

You are a kind-hearted guy and I always think its an unwritten rule. Wear and tear is damage that naturally and inevitably occurs as a result of normal wear or aging. It is used in a legal context for such areas as warranty contracts from manufacturers, which usually stipulate that damage from wear and tear will not be covered. As you have now uploaded this video and what you decide will affect all your repairs. You have a video demonstrating amp prior to purchase and you can easily check the cosmetic condition - rough handling? So your conscience should be clear and what the amp may need now is a service due to wear & tear - which is chargeable. So talk to client explain wear & tear, offer a free inspection/estimate and then go back to him with what you have found - emphasis any part replaced will be chargeable.

[@Zelleram55]

Wow... cool wasn't expecting ol Nugent to come jumping out of that little thang! Love that 6SJ7 tone in the preamp.

[@Spin-fp9mb]

You've gone over and above the call of duty. I am embarrassed for the amp's owner. Unreal. Enjoyed your professionalism

[@leesanders6490]

Simply tell him you will service the amp for him, for your standard rate. He will understand. He knows how long he waited to get back to you. Things are cool. HAPPY EASTER to you and your family!

[@cj_m2477]

Man! That little amp overdrives nicely!

[@pamparitas]

3 years .... Simple charge from your work I love your videos

[@Intrinsic.Recording]

Just watched this one. Just got done with a pressed board 1339. I like it cranked. MXR dyna comp in front. Or not. Nice tones for such a simple tiny amp. Something about those Chicago output transformers man. There are a slew of new low wattage amps. None do it for me like these do. Thanks for the vids!

[@locutus61]

Playing that thing on the bench with the speaker so close to the parts cabinets could have been the noise you heard. Sounded great after the quick fix!

[@md770]

That is a very cool little amp, I always find your videos interesting and watch every new one you put out.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks, Marc. I appreciate you watching.

[@md770]

The Guitologist you’re welcome, I absolutely know nothing about electronics or the first thing about soldering, I have always wanted to change the pick ups in my jazz master but I would screw it up and probably have to throw my guitar in the trash. Maybe if I keep watching y channel something might sink in lol

[@shonka]

This is total BS. 3 years !!!!!!!!! Yes it’s time for strict policies or people will try to take advantage you. I would charge him a bench fee and cleaning !!!!!!!! Hope you don’t have to pay return shipping.

[@TheGuitologist]

No shipping involved. Local sale.

[@rewster77]

I sincerely enjoy watchin your videos. Thanks from East Texas!

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks a ton, Tim! Good to have you onboard.

[@francesnieznay6623]

And back at you,thanks again,good holidays.

[@loudtim265]

nah, 3 years on a vintage (50s even!) amp = no coverage. I know you're a good guy and will be generous and that's great, but if it were any shop I've ever worked in he'd pay as any walk-in customer would.

[@TheGuitologist]

I stand behind what I do, but it needs to be within reason. He lucked out in that the issue was found within a few minutes and was an easy fix.

[@DeepPastry]

About the right response. Since it was earlier in your electrical work those dry joints were able to slip through. A plus is just getting to see firsthand how much you've improved since back then.

[@BigDaddy-fx4nx]

Merit Coil & Transformer 239 Late to the game here but having been in the business for many years not covered after 3 years. 30 days, 60 days even 90 days MAX!!! From experience so many guys plug into a pedal and turn it up and wonder why they blow speakers LOL. That Rola, it's amazing it lasted this long. The amp would probably sound better with a new Jensen or something.

[@B60IN3]

Your videos are very informative. But I would tune in just to hear you play. Thanks and Happy Easter to you.

[@DoobieDarrin]

Thanks for sharing Man.

[@vxidastronaut]

I love how the speaker "snaps" with the pick attack!

[@jshackelford31]

Before repairing the amp set a policy that there is a charge for amp diagnostics (outside of the 60 day warranty policy). All other amps that are coming in to be fixed and was not sold or service by you pays a diagnostic fee and if the client wants the amp fixed they need to be informed that there is going to be a labor and parts cost.

[@TheGuitologist]

I told him before he brought it over I'd give it a look for free. Giving him the benefit of the doubt. My commentary was really meant as a cautionary tale for other techs who might be watching to consider setting stern policies.

[@JohnIainMcFarlanewaspfactor]

Yeah,charge for basic service and return with written layout of work done and that any further returns will incur a premium rate.(sounds fine to me)Oh yeah,Happy Easter to you and family Brad.

[@mikemorrison4860]

1:38:00 of Mr Carlson's Lab EICO 377 video does indeed identify that "unknown" component as a trimmer capacitor. I love watching repair videos even if it is all over my head.

[@richardweinberger6302]

What? Only 60-something years old and it already needs work? I LOVE that circuit , those 6SY7 preamps are the bomb. The real problem is he can't play like you :)

[@decsnspace]

At some point all amplifiers, especially vintage ones are going to need to be serviced and will need parts and tubes replaced due to normal operation and wear and tear just like your car. You cant expect after using the amp for 3 years to come back and expect free service unless that was agreed upon in the terms of the sale. That said, no seller in their right mind that I'd know would agree to that when dealing with old vintage amps that have components that will eventually fail. As a buyer you need to be aware of this when buying an old amp. Otherwise go buy something new from Guitar Center, and then good luck trying to get free service on it after 3 years of use. Great video though Brad, that is really cool vintage amp!

[@DeadKoby]

My primary business is fixing computers. I have a specified warranty on things, but I try and be nice. Example. Client brings in computer, not sure if they should replace it, or have it tuned up. We tuned it up, because it seemed adequate to do so. Got paid........... Month later, client decides they want a NEW computer (that we build), so I charged ZERO to transfer the data from the old computer as a courtesy. So it's a discount on the next needs.

[@TheGuitologist]

That's something every small business has to do in order to beat the big boxes and grow. Service is the cornerstone. You probably have a lot of happy customers.

[@Bunjamin27]

I think that your 6mo if you've serviced it is more than reasonable. Otherwise, "as is" is how I would assume, if I were a buyer.. unless something else was agreed upon in writing. And even then, who the hell wants to keep track of that shit. Great soldering footage, very helpful!

[@mischef18]

Yup did enjoy this video bro, for it's age it sure sounded well when you put it through it's paces. I was born in 53 and do not sound that good, lol.

[@TheGuitologist]

My dad was born in '53. The year Hank died. I was born in '77. The year Elvis died.

[@mischef18]

NZ's worst train disaster was the month after I was born so not hard to remember the year for me.

[@icghost2]

Anything that you missed on the original service (like those solder joints) should be provided for free - I think you handled this properly!

[@TheGuitologist]

I agree. Clearly that cold solder was probably there when I had it, just didn't rear its ugly head yet. My monologue was really more about the timeframe than anything. Good comment!

[@VersesRecords]

Long term (multi-decade) used and vintage dealer here, I sell as best as I can, sometimes repaired, sometimes restored, sometimes as project, and with a good reputation, but I sell w/out warranty. Sure, within reason I'll help somebody out, but 3 years later???? Old cars, old guitars, old boats . . . plus the rise of GC has caused everybody to think they can just return stuff for the heck of it. If I sense that from them, I direct them to GC first. People.

[@micha-elcleveland1265]

Bringing the amp back to you for servicing after 3 years GOOD. His story true or not goes far beyond my expectations of a vintage amp. All tube amps have issues, to expect perfect operation from a vintage amp is absurd logically. 3 years = service charge

[@micha-elcleveland1265]

If your business were mine >90 days would be a service call. Brad you are such a nice person.

[@ricardoneves5094]

Your videos are amazing! I wonder who would NOT want to see them! :)

[@skycarl]

You know Brad, as in the cases like this, you may need to start having the buyers sign a " as is " statement so they understand what they are getting. People now days don't have an understanding of things anymore like they use to.

[@johnbellas490]

Yes that ceramic piece is a capacitor, actually it is a trimmer capacitor (variable) !! I am thinking that it "might" adjust a feedback circuit, maybe I don't know for Shure!! usually you wouls find these in radio circuits to adjust a circuits resonant frequency. By the way those style resistors with the brown mottled body are known to go high in value and become noisey afterwhile with advanced age!! I Think you are on the right track about your rethinking your business standard or guidelines on a sale. and yes for the moment do what you can and satisfy the customer by all means,

[@ka0kuj599]

Charge him for a line cord and service. Hands down fair. That thing rocked in your previous test. I don't think you owe him labor. I know you are right about the vintage caps but I think they should go.

[@TheGuitologist]

I do too, but that's crossing over into a paid service. Not doing that for free unless they're dead.

[@johnthrelfall5]

That amp sounds good! I have got an old amp that I made about 1960 with the same tubes , looks like it was the standard tube complement for a single sided output amp.

[@nerfnerfification]

That weird bit is an old mica compression capacitor - they only alter very small amounts and used to be used for trimmers and hf bypass on old valve radios.

[@fuzzwack1]

Anything Antique would be sold as is working,Its over 50 years old,The guy should be happy it even works!!

[@PrinceWesterburg]

18:00 - Thats a trim capacitor but they are usually used in radios so perhaps it was used as a way of reducing RFI? I should imagine it was something they had a surfeit of and thus wished to use up.

[@timka880057]

Cold solder joints.. I've seen plenty of them in old amps. Enjoyed the video man... God bless !! :)

[@unclechuck5635]

Sweet prs. Understated cool

[@TnTravelers33]

That’s pretty stand up to take it back for service after 3 years

[@matieupizil424]

Sup Brad, Shlappy Keaster duder, to you and the fam. The only freebie policy I have is the one I carry with my band mates and the dudes and dudettes who share studio space with us and the studio owner. If it’s a great friend or something, I would understand, but a regular custy? We should all treat our customers fairly, but with that said, they should also have the presence of mind to treat us fairly as well. I can understand him not wanting to bother ya, but it’s also a courtesy to notify you if the repair isn’t what he was expecting. Three years is a long time to wait to get the amp back to ya, sheesh! I think whatever you decide is going to have to be acceptable. Long time fan brother, your vids have been an inspiration and a great way to chill out

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate hearing from you.

[@dougthetechguy5005]

A normal person who purchases something or pays for service would say something right away when they got it home and noticed a problem not wait 3 years and then say oh by the way. I've had people try to pull this on me on repairs and I call them out on it right then and there, I say to them you paid X amount of money on a repair and then you get home and start using it and notice something is not right and your not happy but you don't say something till the next time you need service then start saying well after you worked on it last time I've had this issue or that....... no way man I tell them you know I stand behind my work if your not happy and there is still an issue after you pay me for repairs call me right and I will take care of the problem right away but if you wait 6 months or a year and you continue using it that's on you man! People try to get something for nothing all the time by trying to guilt you don't fall for it Brad!!.....if your on the fence on these types of cases just charge a basic bench fee or what I call a recheck fee that's less than what you'd normally charge that way you make something for your time and the customer gets a break but knows there's no freebies

[@TheGuitologist]

This happens so rarely, I try to give the benefit of the doubt first time. If it becomes more frequent, my foot will stay in the permanent "down" position.

[@umajunkcollector]

four thumbs down, I wonder WHO that could be, peeps that expect freebies, did he comment here?

[@dougthetechguy5005]

Being in the computer repair business is a little different, people screw up their machines constantly but in their mind it's never their fault it's yours, once you work on it everything that goes wrong with it is on you so they seem to think and for some odd reason people seem to think they're gonna have a trained and certified tech do repair work for like $25 and get all twisted when you say it's gonna be $99 they're cheap and don't want to pay! Years ago I had a guy who I disinfected his computer and did a tune up etc. he did not want to pay for a good security software he wanted to use free stuff anyway about a week after getting it back he calls me and says it's all messed up and is infected again and asks me are you going to charge me again and I said absolutely he gets an attitude and says to me all I did was go to some porn sites and stuff and hangs up on me lol....

[@SimonLarkin-CSRecording]

Doug Strock, agree 100%

[@alexdeleon7135]

I concur with your assessment. Three years is far and beyond an acceptable warranty claim. Today's new electronics carry a 1 year warranty, unless you purchase an additional warranty.This particular case negates both commonplace practices for a new amplifier. The amp was sold in working order. A 90 day warranty could have been offered (at your discretion) for added value to get it out the door. But he needs to pay for the amount of any time you spent diagnosing, and disassembly to inspect inside the chassis. Irrespective of his "heartfelt courtesy" of not calling because you could be busy..Write it up, and charge his ass. .

[@Only1Shadow]

That mysterious screw thingy you pointed out does indeed appear to be a variable cap - but it's something I would expect to see in an old radio or other RF gear. No idea what it's doing inside a guitar amp. My only guess would be since the input tube is a 6SJ7 Pentode the input gain is high enough they may be using that cap in some sort of adjustable filter circuit to kill off stray hypersonic oscilations

[@jpwill75]

love the Nugent riff...

[@leebarnes655]

It's a trimmer cap, but the typical range on those is 15 pf so your in circuit measuring technique had you rooster blocked from the start.

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

I would maybe replace the vacuum tube sockets and see if that solves the problem. if you start custom building amps then a ECC88 as the input stage and a high power PWM output stage driving three speakers using an AF filter network to rout the bass,mid and treble throw to the appropriate speakers.

[@ivofurtado2677]

Happy Easter. To you and your family

[@naroxcpe1964]

First time I ever saw you play with a pick ~

[@sissyfist]

Even if he noticed the problem right away, if he waited 3 years that's on him, sucks but the 3 year wait just voids any free repair or return it may have qualified for if he had brought it back within a reasonable time frame. If it was a small, cheap, easy to fix repair, maybe do it for cost or a discount, just because it was for a previous customer.

[@utubehound69]

You made some "knob tuner keys" cool.

[@THEROLLINGROAD2010]

Don't know if this has been replied to in the comments re the adjustable ceramic block cap referred to. Its value will only be a few pf so meter might not be able to measure its value. There is no electrolyte other than the air between the two plates. These trimmers are normally found in old radio's as part of HF tuning circuits as in a aerial trimmer etc. Perhaps it was added to act as part of a HF filter on the supply such as rf interference etc ?

[@ThomasWBaldwin]

nice can of Freon spray clears that crackle right up!

[@ivofurtado2677]

It's not the amp it's the guy that owns it great job Brad

[@umajunkcollector]

he'd be crying that we need "amplifier control" lol

[@TheGuitologist]

Amps don't kill people, I DO! :D

[@RobertKohut]

You went way beyond!! Now that's old fashion customer service!! Remember the customer is always right!! (regardless of their ignorance). So a couple of cold solder joints and some cleaning. Vintage? Sold As Is!! Restored? 90 day warranty! Tubes 30 days! 3 Years?? Ha, ha, ha, ha ,ha ,ha......(repeat)

[@TheGuitologist]

One detail I'd forgotten to mention about him is that he lives a good distance away, so maybe he was waiting for the next time he'd be traveling to Louisville. Like I said elsewhere, I gave him the benefit of the doubt on it. I prefer happy customers to pissed off ones.

[@Unavintage]

Here in Brazil we´re under Customer Protection Code (free translation) which states for used equipment 1 month warranty and for new, 3 months.

[@johnbarker5169]

I like your mic clip!

[@TheGuitologist]

That's my own patented design.

[@TononiaWorld]

Clean the contacts, tightten the tube sockets and check the tubes, if they need replacing charge for them... And out of grace replace power cord for 3 prong

[@justinrayguitars6024]

Man you make me nervous putting your fingers on some of these things. Happy Easter!

[@YeeThirty]

Its a mica cap. Yoy see them a lot in radios and test equiptment where frequency adjustments are made

[@ThomasWBaldwin]

yer awesome. God, i love these old amps.....

[@fredwa1225]

OK, this isn't a troll comment, it is a question LOL.If there is a problem why did you not just contact the customer and ask him/her what is up???? Anyway I watch every vid you put out, love the work you do!!

[@PrinceWesterburg]

You should have a standard warranty period of maybe a year but on seriously vintage gear like this you could say you honour your work for a month due to the 'Bathtub Curve': en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathtub_curve See, with gear like this, you not only have new parts that could fail in there but other hidden points of failure that in no way could you cover. The speaker is very old, the acids in the paper are taking their toll on it and if he's been playing it or not then it'll have aged. I have plenty of vintage amps that fart like this one - its part fo the sound of them.

[@telecasteroil]

Bench Charge , definitely or just send it back, no guilt sir .

[@bobvines00]

Brad, Like many folks who've already commented, after three years, I too feel that you ought to at least charge the amp owner a basic bench fee. Maybe not your full fee, but at least something for your time. Did you feel that those cold solder joints at the inputs were something that you didn't fix the first time? Also, you said that you wanted to check the ~4 original yellow caps to see if they needed to be replaced -- did you actually check them? I don't recall you mentioning how they checked (of course, I forget things way too quickly during a migraine!). Regardless, another great video!

[@davekazoroski6548]

If it was sold "used, as-is" you should inform the customer of this, and offer a free evaluation. If your evaluation determines that parts and labor are required, send him a fair quote for the work. Leave it up to the customer to decide what to do. You have no obligation to provide a warranty on this amp, and the customer has no reason to expect a free repair. In the worst case, buy it back from him for the original price he paid.

[@Scottie_S]

For some reason, KZbin have decided to stop sending me notifications when you post a new vid regardless of the fact that I have the bell activated.

[@TheGuitologist]

Not surprised.

[@MarkTillotson]

That appears to be a mica trimmer capacitor, it can only be a handful of pF at that size, which seems an odd component for audio, a few pF is a big deal for RF, but not audio normally. My guess is that its to suppress RF oscillation - are any of the tubes RF rated ones that might want to oscillate at many MHz?

[@1Dougloid]

Good insights Brad. I do a couple of things. I always date and initial it somewhere inside the chassis and in the last two years or so I've been logging my repairs by serial numbers. If it's some problem I overlooked when I last was inside there I'll usually comp the owner on the labor unless he's being a real jackass. I did a blog post on something that was built by a local guy-not naming names here-and it was a real piece of crap, used parts and lousy build. I lost my shirt on the labor of getting it working again and after about eight months it conked out again. The guy calls me like I'm obligated to fix his crap for free forever. One thing I learned in my former job was the fine art of getting the client to fire you and have him think it was his idea in the first place. Comes in handy sometimes. Keep up the good work brother.

[@TheGuitologist]

I'm getting better at turning down some jobs.

[@eugeneeaton7262]

Sounds good to me !

[@user-uf4qq6gq9x]

Happy Easter !