Purchased completely gone-through '72 Traynor YBA-1 - DOA

[Phil_S]

You think it's seriously fair to charge 70 bucks to wire this simple thing? I've literally prepped the thing, built the new control panel, can supply plenty of awesome 70s CTS pots and jacks. 70 bucks is out of control for these simple two volume controls. I'd rather never play bass again than pay 70 for some guy to wire it

Respectfully, I disagree. Remember, we are a bunch of DIY people here. It it was my instrument, its doubtful I'd take it to someone and that's because I'm reasonably sure I can do that myself. What if you don't have the tools, knowledge, and skills to do that job? What if you do, but just don't feel like doing it? So, you take it to someone who has tools, knowledge, and experience. $70 is a bargain. The person who takes the work is going to stand behind what he does (at least he should) and it's going to take him some time to fish the wiring harness and get it all put together the way it should. And you think how much is appropriate? Remember, he's got overhead, too, because he's a business. If you don't want to pay a professional for his time, that's certainly OK. What's not OK is to expect someone to work for compensation that doesn't really pay the bills and produce an adequate profit. If he's not making a profit, he can't stay in business. If he can't stay in business, he won't be there the next time you need him.

I'd tend to want to frame this in context of the instruments market value. I don't know if that's some POS $200 instrument, or if it's some rare $2,000 instrument. Certainly one might question putting $70 into a $200 instrument, but probably not into a $2,000 instrument. In the end you've got to decide, but to quibble over this price for the work doesn't seem appropriate to me.

[Richie]

You think it's seriously fair to charge 70 bucks to wire this simple thing? I've literally prepped the thing, built the new control panel, can supply plenty of awesome 70s CTS pots and jacks. 70 bucks is out of control for these simple two volume controls. I'd rather never play bass again than pay 70 for some guy to wire it

If you made a new plate/panel for the controls, looks like if you had room to spread the controls apart some,along with the jack. Give more access to the knobs etc. But yeah that should be an easy fix,and no fishing the parts "I assume" since they are on the removable control plate.

I think it depends on who you get to work on it, and where they are located. many times location and cost figures in to the amount. But most may charge whatever the going rate bench fee is. Around here, i'd say 20 to 30 bucks if you supply the parts. looks like a MIJ beatle bass type guitar.

[CherryFive]

You think it's seriously fair to charge 70 bucks to wire this simple thing? I've literally prepped the thing, built the new control panel, can supply plenty of awesome 70s CTS pots and jacks. 70 bucks is out of control for these simple two volume controls. I'd rather never play bass again than pay 70 for some guy to wire it

Respectfully, I disagree. Remember, we are a bunch of DIY people here. It it was my instrument, its doubtful I'd take it to someone and that's because I'm reasonably sure I can do that myself. What if you don't have the tools, knowledge, and skills to do that job? What if you do, but just don't feel like doing it? So, you take it to someone who has tools, knowledge, and experience. $70 is a bargain. The person who takes the work is going to stand behind what he does (at least he should) and it's going to take him some time to fish the wiring harness and get it all put together the way it should. And you think how much is appropriate? Remember, he's got overhead, too, because he's a business. If you don't want to pay a professional for his time, that's certainly OK. What's not OK is to expect someone to work for compensation that doesn't really pay the bills and produce an adequate profit. If he's not making a profit, he can't stay in business. If he can't stay in business, he won't be there the next time you need him.

I'd tend to want to frame this in context of the instruments market value. I don't know if that's some POS $200 instrument, or if it's some rare $2,000 instrument. Certainly one might question putting $70 into a $200 instrument, but probably not into a $2,000 instrument. In the end you've got to decide, but to quibble over this price for the work doesn't seem appropriate to me.

well it was at guitar center. he gets paid by the hour this kid. he was telling me the reason it would be 70 was because he wanted to charge me 2o bucks in parts - ten bucks for each overpriced guitar center potentiometer. Lol, sorry, no thanks. Still seem like a fair deal?

I paid like 100 dollars for the bass off my piano teacher. It's an early 1970s/late 1960s Teisco. On those grounds alone I wont pay 20 bucks in pots. I would be prepared to spend 40 on this repair, not 70. That's like charging 30 to string a person's guitar. I worked at music store many times. Someone wants me to string their guitar I usually just do it free if the person seems cool enough. Bending over the customer with overpriced parts and overpriced work is just lame, and certainly creates zero repeat business. There is no complicated wiring harness, it's not like an ES 335; instead the panel comes off and everything is right there. I'm really surprised you guys think wiring two pots to an output jack is worth 70s bucks. I mean for F's sake, when my guitar tech was still alive it was like 70 bucks for a WHOLE set-up, not just two stupid pots. You guys are out of your mind to try to rationalize this to me.

EDIT - Yes I tend to see things the way Richie does here. Trouble is I can't find any repair guy in this state worth a dang, so they all tend to charge 70 bucks for these silly things. It's not a very happening state. Music is definitely dead here compared what I saw in CA in 1994. It's just dead. But anyway, yeah the knobs were spaced a little close, but the bass takes "mini" potentiometers, it's strange. It all fits, plus those knobs are huge so it makes 'em seem closer than they are.

[jelle]

If you feel that the price of 70 bucks is too high, why not do it yourself?

This is fairly simple stuff, and no high voltages that can kill you either.

[CherryFive]

Well, I just bought a new soldering iron and an assist kit with a cleaning brush is on the way. I think I might be better equipped to take a shot at it. I really do stink at soldering (or all the irons I've used just stink) and I really don't know what wire goes where. I find wiring diagrams, but none that look like my two single coil pickups with two volume knobs. I just don't understand it. I go to these websites and they're talking about wiring a Les paul. I don't know about all that, I suppose I get confused easily.

[rp]

I really do stink at soldering

Heat the connection then apply the solder keeping the tip on there, if it doesn't flow immediately you didn't heat the connection enough. Obviously don't over cook things. Get some (wide) solder wick and a solder sucker too. If you can use leaded solder not ROHS, Kester is a sure way to go w/ solder but others are good.

Clean the tip on the wet sponge after every connection. Use a camera/phone to take (good) pictures before you take anything apart, if i goes bad you can put it back the way it was.

There's prolly plenty of soldering vids on youtube.

[SilverFox]

Like a gentle breeze that shifts the sands and reveals a hidden object buried from the beginning, am I the only one noticing a subtle revealing in the nature of this thread?? The thread purpose is being revealed.

Fox.

[CherryFive]

Dropped the amp off with Larry the Accutech guy. He was groaning and moaning. It was really starting to annoy me. I've dropped things off before and he was fine. This time he just felt like being bitchy, like I was bothering him to pay him to do work (go figure). He looked at the list of work done and he said "I doubt he replaced all of these parts" etc. He was just kinda groaning, I almost took the amp back home, but I already spent 30 damn minutes driving there, and he's fixed plenty of my amps before. Still acts like he never met me. I wasn't looking forward to driving all the way back home broken-amp in hand, only to find some tech 1 hour away. I fucking hate Connecticut. Everyone's such a dick.

Anyway he took the amp under duress, I kept stressing to him IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING SIMPLE. It's like, why is every tech I've ever met in my life act like they're saving babies? He was whinning about having to go through the circuit "what if he mis-wired it now I gotta go through all that and I'm not blah blah" it's like dude, your job is to FIX BROKEN AMPS and now you're complaining that they're "too broken"? I hate people. You know what I mean

[eniam rognab]

try fixing stuff for a living...

i repair battery charging systems, "i was charging my car in an electrical storm, now it don't work... can't you just replace the fan?"

true story

[CherryFive]

I told him money is no object. Let it cost 300 dollars whatever. Do you want the work or not? Try being a doctor. They had to cut into my mom's foot the other day and handled it without the anti-social high-strung vibe.

[Davidg]

Dude you have obviously never been in any sort of repair work dealing with people, esp. impatient and tight musicians. The attitude you have now is probably why u have no techs in your state/area. Do u really think there is no one else in the state of ct that can do this? No, there is just no one willing to do it for the general public and deal with the BS.

Look at it from Larry's point of view. What he hears from your story is some guy that obviously didn't know what he was doing dove headfirst into the amp and has probably screwed up several things and given up to pass on to some other idiot to fix. So now HE get's to be the one to actually fix it and fix whatever else the guy screwed up trying to fix the original problem. And he also has a three ring circus going with getting paid. What if this seller 2,000 miles away doesn't want to pay up when he's done. Are u going to be thrilled about paying the bill? No, u are going to bitch and complain about it. There are fewer things I hate worse than taking over on an amp from someone who has tried to fix it already that had no business even being inside of it. They always screw up more than the original problem and make it harder than it should be and always complain when they have to pay the piper.

Now u seem like a ok guy, imagine the crap he has had to deal with from the a-- holes he has had to deal with. And final thought, What are u going to do when he gets tired of it or can't afford to do it anymore and quits and is not there when your amp breaks down the day before the biggest gig of your life?? Take it to the kid at Guitar Center?

[jelle]

^

[Teleguy61]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2f-MZ2HRHQ

I am moved to repeat...............

[CherryFive]

So now HE get's to be the one to actually fix it and fix whatever else the guy screwed up trying to fix the original problem.

Well yeah..I mean that's the job! To fix stuff. Speaking from a musician's perspective, I don't settle with that lousy attitude! I've sat around and learned Yes Close to the Edge by ear, having to reverse-engineer some of the most complex musical things I ever heard! My attitude about the challenge has been to "bring it on!" I've spend my life devoted to playing music, not repairing. I was hoping to find that passion and dedication in someone who repairs amps for a living, not snarky attitude, snapping down to me like I'm some idiot. An idiot who doesn't understand anything and never read a book.

So now HE get's to be the one to actually fix it and fix whatever else the guy screwed up trying to fix the original problem. And he also has a three ring circus going with getting paid. What if this seller 2,000 miles away doesn't want to pay up when he's done. Are u going to be thrilled about paying the bill? No, u are going to bitch and complain about it.

Not true. Whether it was my microphones, record player, or tube amp in his shop, I've always paid him right on time and NEVER given him a hassle. There is a case open on ebay, I will get money back, and even if I paid out of pocket, larry will still get paid. I never told Larry the seller is going to pay. Why did you jump to that conclusion?

[Deric]

Everyone's such a dick.

You couldn't pay me enough to work on your amp.