To Peavey, or not to Peavey...

[dorrisant]

I've got a McIntosh preamp C2200 on the bench....

Pictures?

[xtian]

McIntosh C2200

[gui_tarzan]

Ewwwww... silicon!

[xtian]

Exactly! Just found the issue, in fact. It was one of the JFETs in the mute circuit (mute during warmup). Operates fine without the JEFTs, actually, so owner is happy to have amp back while parts are being ordered.

Tech at McIntosh was very helpful. Sent service manual, helped me troubleshoot.

[ampdoc1]

I had a shop from '85 to '95, and had good relations with the top manufacturers. It made it a lot easier to get the correct parts and schematics, but at that time they didn't sell parts to anyone but their certified shops (pre internet days).

As I remember costs were usually 1/2 of retail, so you could make a decent profit on parts. Also, repair shops set their own hourly rates.

Peavey, Fender, Magnatone, Crate (yech), and all the "biggies" were helpful and quick. Peavey has been in business for 40+ years with the same basic management (Hartley), and have ALWAYS been good to work with, and innovative.

If I were you I'd sign up. I'm guessing, but figure amp sales/repairs have fallen dramatically since my day. An alliance with the top brands should bring more customers to your door.

a'doc1

[Structo]

What really sucks is when current manufacturers listen to the bean counters and build the product as cheaply as possible.

Thin PCB's, board mounted sockets, pots, etc.

Why don't they use plug in integrated amplifiers into sockets and be done with it?

Blow it up?
Blew the power amps?

Plug in new MOSFETS and keep on truckin'.

But with mass produced guitar tube amps, they are difficult to dissemble and with most companies using lead free solder, makes repairs difficult if not impossible, another road block.

I see other forums where people ask what is the best reissue of a classic amp.
Like the Deluxe Reverb RI, the Pro Reverb RI and so on.
I know which ones I would want to work on.

Consumer electronics is a whole market in the business of making things obsolete.

I wonder if labor and quality verses the way amps used to be assembled?
That is, hand stuffed and hand soldered.

So the total time to build the amp once you have all the parts.