Everybody's a Tinkerer

[boots]

I have been discouraged by a lot of folks' attitude toward the DIY community. I have trouble getting music shops and dealers take me seriously. Marketing is not my strong point, but every time I have tried to offer my services to repair or refurbish amps & effects, I get a response like, "Yeah, well everybody's a tinkerer these days. We have a professional that we send all our stuff to."

Never mind the fact that I have formal training and a degree in electronics (and 30-some years experience "tinkering"): If I build my own amps, I am labelled as a DIYer and a hobbyist.

My response to that is: yes, it does seem like everybody is a tinkerer these days, but there still a lot of us who actually understand the circuits and know how to do things right.

It does seem like anyone with a little motivation can build an amp from plans off the internet, whether they know anything about electronics or not. I have seen plenty of posts like, "Help - I just finished my first build, but it doesn't work".

I would still rather play through an honestly built tube amp built by a neophyte than one of the consumer electronic grade name brand amps out there. It's tough to sell ice cubes to Eskimoes. It's also tough to sell a no-name (but excellent!) amp to people who can buy name brand amps for the same or less money. It's a shame that more folks don't have an appreciation for old fashioned quality workmanship.

Thanks for letting me vent! Anyone else have similar experiences?

[Structo]

Yeah, it's probably the same everywhere.
In my town I've heard of complaints about the two places that actually will repair tube amps.
Yet, when I have tried to throw my name in the hat I get the hesitations.
These shops take forever to service amps and I've heard complaints of shoddy workmanship.

I also build bolt on neck guitars and finish them in nitro lacquer.

I have a Tele with P90's that has a quilted maple top, one piece alder back.
Thing looks and plays like a million bucks.
I took it to a shop to sell on consignment.
A similarly quality Fender would be priced at over $1K.
I told the guy, get $600 for me and you can keep the rest.
It's been there for over a month.
I don't get it.

I told the shop owner that if they get anybody that wants to restore any old tube amps I'm their guy. I said I would be very fair in my prices as well.
Like cap jobs, three prong cords, retube and bias jobs, repairs.
I understand you have to get your foot in the door and I would be willing to sell my labor rather cheaply at first.
Still nothing.

I guess people would rather bitch about poor service than take a chance on somebody new that may do a better job.....

[DonMoose]

I've had some limited success advertising on craigslist and planting cards in shops that don't have in-house techs. There are also a couple of local luthiers that have sent me some referrals.

[tubeswell]

I have been discouraged by a lot of folks' attitude toward the DIY community. I have trouble getting music shops and dealers take me seriously. Marketing is not my strong point, but every time I have tried to offer my services to repair or refurbish amps & effects, I get a response like, "Yeah, well everybody's a tinkerer these days. We have a professional that we send all our stuff to."

Never mind the fact that I have formal training and a degree in electronics (and 30-some years experience "tinkering"): If I build my own amps, I am labelled as a DIYer and a hobbyist.

Its probably not that they don't believe you can, its more likely that they have a cosy relationship with their regular provider and are just using a lazy way of palming you off.

[M Fowler]

I just got started and don't have much time to dedicate until January 2012

But I have had a steady stream of young guys coming over for help and in need of amps, which is slowly starting to payoff.

One guy brought over a B52 head it needed work bad one power tube snapping like crazy no matter what tube you put in that position. He has to have it fixed fast because he was living town on tour (which he is) not a tale so I sent him to Randy a full time good tech to get it done now.

Funny thing is he loved my Komet 60 in the Fender head cab, my Reverb Rocket head and the Express was his favorite. Did he buy no! I asked several times if I could accomodate his equipment line but he didn't buy?

These guys love crappy cheap amps and when they fall apart they buy another P.O.S.

Mark

[selloutrr]

If you want an "IN" to work as a repair tech. You should put together a portfolio of your work, this will help you visually demonstrate your skills and stand out from the rest. You might also want to have business cards made. That brings up another interesting point. Everyone is a "hobby" until you get a business license then you are official and legit. Think of it as a degree, for most things they aren't technically needed but it's those several lines on a resume that gets you hired.

I'm 50 50 on the homebrew amp versus the name brand. I'm all in favor of a small no name builder as long as it's not a clone, copy or similar build to something I can purchase that is legit and recognized. The reason being is resale. If I bought "Joe's amp" for $2000 and a similar "name brand" the name brand is going to hold more value because it appeals to more people, it's what I call a safe buy. If it's used even better it's already taken it's new price drop and will hold it's selling price as long as I was smart about where I bought in.

Most brillant amp guru are not good business men, so as the company gets more main stream they often jump ship and run. or drive the business into the ground trying to keep a build standard.

I agree most name brand amps are junk, the off shore price point building, cheap parts, etc. The small guys building by hand do generally make a better build quality.
The market since the early 90's is flooded by the little guys everyone is fighting to move up the ladder, sadley I just can't get myself interested in them, and if i see another fender, marshall, dumble or TW clone company pop up I'm going to puke.

If you want to be legit get a business license, copyright your ideas and trademark and make yourself legit. If you don't do the dance no one else if going to to it for you. It's your job to sell yourself as the one they need. Once you have an in you have to then prove you are the guy they go to. build trust and earn word of mouth to back up your marketing.
get your gear into the hands of the players and make them excited to play your gear.

[Gibsonman63]

I end up doing a repair or two a month, all word of mouth and mainly gigging musicians that need thier stuff back fast. To me the real money is finding the broken gear yourself, fixing it and selling it. Even at a very reasonable rate it doesn't take long for the repair cost to be a good portion of the value of the amp.

Same story, these guys would rather gig with thier Crate and Peavey crap than invest in a well built amp.

[selloutrr]

I end up doing a repair or two a month, all word of mouth and mainly gigging musicians that need thier stuff back fast. To me the real money is finding the broken gear yourself, fixing it and selling it. Even at a very reasonable rate it doesn't take long for the repair cost to be a good portion of the value of the amp.

Same story, these guys would rather gig with thier Crate and Peavey crap than invest in a well built amp.

I AGREE 100% It's exactly how I've gone about gather my amp stash. But you can take it one step farther. I rent my amps out to studios $35- $200 a day. NOS tubes on request (subject to additional $) all insured. had my attorney draft a contract. not only do they sweeten my studio, but it puts something back in the pot for more amps, and gives other studios a chance to use some vintage gear. Since they are easy to fix and client is responsible for damage, it's all good. They live in 1/2"+ ATA flight cases I've only had one amp actually damaged from shipping. a couple have been setup wrong and blown up the OT. tubes broken in shipping. nothing major. I average about 30 amps out at any one time. 15 years of collecting broken sought after amps. I do miss the days when you could buy a fender amp for $150 bucks that worked and some dead ones where even free.

[boots]

[quote="Gibsonman63"]I end up doing a repair or two a month, all word of mouth and mainly gigging musicians that need thier stuff back fast. To me the real money is finding the broken gear yourself, fixing it and selling it. Even at a very reasonable rate it doesn't take long for the repair cost to be a good portion of the value of the amp.

That's what I had in mind - finding non-working old amps and either repairing them for the shop (on a contract basis) or buying them cheap enough to be able to repair/refurb and then re-sell them on my own.

Trouble is, the shops don't want somebody buying broken amps for a song, and then putting them back on the market where they would be seen as competition. They feel that they can still get top dollar for broken amps, and the little bit of extra money they would make by having them repaired isn't worth the hassle.

So unfortunately, I can't even buy trashed out amps, unless I want to pay way too much for them. I guess as long as people are willing to pay top dollar for broken gear, the shops are happy to keep selling it for that.

All this has been my effort to make money doing something I like, without having to work FOR somebody! But, it seems that potential customers become very defensive when they suspect that you want them to spend money on something. I'm convinced it's all a matter of how effectively you market yourself and your product.

[billyz]

If you want to be more than a hobbyist or tinkerer, DIYer, then you have to make it a business. Get a License, Market yourself, Work at it full time, not part time. Get a website, that is professional looking. Have business cards that are not printed on your home computer. And then give it three years to develop. What is your business plan? If you act and look like a DIY tinkerer , then that is how you will be perceived. In time , if you do good to outstanding work, you will get as much business by way of referral as you do from advertising. I look at every new client as a farming opportunity for repeat business as well as spreading the good word.

[Gibsonman63]

The guitar shops are going to be hard to work with because it doesn't make sense to them. They already have too much of an investment.

I have done well scoring gear on Craigslist that needs repair. Pawn shops aren't what they used to be before the internet and before they got more interested in PayDay loans, but there are still some deals to be had. A friend of mine has a deal where he buys "aged" merchandise from the local pawn shop. The only downside is you have to take the cheapo crap with the gems.

BillyZ makes some good points. If you want to make a career out of it, you have to go bigger picture. Very nice website, BTW.

[billyz]

The guitar shops are going to be hard to work with because it doesn't make sense to them. They already have too much of an investment.

I have done well scoring gear on Craigslist that needs repair. Pawn shops aren't what they used to be before the internet and before they got more interested in PayDay loans, but there are still some deals to be had. A friend of mine has a deal where he buys "aged" merchandise from the local pawn shop. The only downside is you have to take the cheapo crap with the gems.

BillyZ makes some good points. If you want to make a career out of it, you have to go bigger picture. Very nice website, BTW.

Gibsonman, thanks for the website comment, I traded some work out for it ! .

[stompjunkie]

It really is an interesting time for amp techs. It seems that everyone that comes into the local guitar shop here is an "amp tech." Some of them really know their trade and some of them can barely color by numbers. I think it's most shop's reaction now to just say no thanks without a second thought. There are just sooo many people coming in offering now especially with the economy being what it is. I also know that another shop that closed down a couple years ago around here went through a different amp guy just about every 6 months. They all seemed professional but hack repairs and months of wait time were almost always the case.

I guess all I'm getting to is this. If you want to work a deal with a shop or shops, expect them to be hesitant. Bring a resume, business cards and a portfolio. Possibly bring an amp that you've built, re-built or modded. Perhaps even offer to do one for them for just the cost of the parts.

As much as I love that there are wonderful places (Like this one!) that are full of information from amazing helpful people, it also allows for many to get just enough info to throw out a few terms and say they are a "tech." It is unfortuneate, but everyone that does know what they are doing really has to go out of their way prove that they aren't just saying they do.

On a related note, everyone that comes into the local shop says the same damn thing "Oh yeah, I do all my own work, I just don't have the time/tools etc..." Seems like everyone is a luthier and amp tech now. Thats a great thing, but over-confident jerks make it real hard for the people that have spent years learning their trade.

[stompjunkie]

Oh yeah, also wanted to say...finding good deals on broken amps to fix....almost impossible now. With everyone scouring ebay, craigslist and occasionally pawn shops, everyone is getting top dollar for broken items. It seems to me that no one budgets anything for their time on any of these projects. I've seen amps sell for $100 under new prices that need major repairs.

Seems like in the ebay age, everyone wants the exact amount that the top bidder in the world was willing to pay.

[boots]

Thanks for all the great comments, everybody! Lots of good food for thought. Too bad I was busy getting high all through the boutique amp boom of the 80's and 90's! I doubt if we will ever see opportunities like that again.

Now, I think I'll go play my guitar. Through my beautiful, hand-built amp that sounds better than anything I could buy in the local music shop!