Los Angeles Amp Tech

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

Can anyone recommend a good amp tech in or near L.A. to look at my Session 400 LTD? It starts buzzing, which can go away if you flip the ground, or hit it (my favorite method) but it comes back when you play again. Worse, it is intermittently squealing to high heaven.

Any ideas I might try myself also appreciated.

New Note: After reading how tone really comes from your hands, I'm a little worried the amp will check out OK.

Where can I get my hands fixed?

Peter Freiberger

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

I tried spitting on my hands already.

PF

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

I'd be glad to take look at it Peter as I am an "Authorized Peavey Service Center". That being said- if it's something simple- there's hope for me- if not- I'll send the chassis in to Peavey and let them handle it.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

If you can't get it down to Jim try Music Works in Lawndale on Artesia Blvd. They do excellent work and their prices are generally quite low.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Fred Bova · From: Connecticut, USA

Check your Insertion Jacks if it has a "Loop" between your Preamp and Power amp. These normals get dirty. If it does have a "Loop", just place a short cable between these two jacks and see if the problem goes away. Also, as far as the "Squeal", I know that the Reverb jacks inside the amp can get loose and cause a bad ground situation. This will cause the "Squeal" and can also be the source of Buzz/Hum also.

IF,... you open the Amp,..

(1)Make sure that the amp is UNPLUGED from the wall!

Turning it OFF is not good enough, turning OFF a Power Strip is NOT good enough.

UNPLUG the A.C. cord, place the end in a ZIPLOC bag, this will make sure that there is no way you can forget it is plugged in.

(2)Make sure that the amp has been off for at least 10 mins before you put your hand inside.

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

Forget VST in Pasadena, even though they show up on Peavey's authorized service center list.
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"Gopher, Everett?"

ajm · From: Los Angeles

Whereabouts are you in the LA area?
Calabasas? Irvine? Saugus? Pomona?
It covers a lot of ground.

That said, I can't speak for Music Work's (Redondo Beach) amp repair, but I had them refret a guitar for me a few years ago and couldn't have asked for better quality or more reasonable rates.
_________________
Artie McEwan

Darrell Urbien · From: Echo Park, California

I have no connections to this guy (well, other than I talked to him for my Knutsen research), and I personally know nothing about amps. But Stefan at Solutions Audio in Silverlake does a brisk business in amp/speaker repair. This is the shop on Sunset (near Fountain) that has the mural on the front pictured on an Elliott Smith record:

After Smith's death the mural turned into something of a memorial, though sadly it has since become marred by graffiti.

In any case, Stefan is a real character, so be warned. The shop itself comes straight out of Central Casting - it must be the size of a an old-fashioned hardware store, but there is only about 100 square feet of usable floor space inside. The rest is crammed full of stacked speakers, amps, wires, cones, and assorted piles of junk. Amazing. While I was talking to him about Knutsens over the course of an hour, there must've been 20 people in there either picking up or dropping off. The shop's been there forever, so they must know something. Or not. YMMV FWIW.

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

I live within walking distance of Solutions Audio, and that's the best thing I can say about them. You are charitable calling Stephan a "character". "Lunatic" might be better. Don't go there unless you have a lot of time to kill, and don't expect the work to be fast, good, or to get a call when it's eventually done. Just my opinion, based on my experience.

I'm going to try Fred's suggestions today. Maybe I'll get lucky.

Darrell Urbien · From: Echo Park, California

Oh well. Is the Indian food across the street any good? Smile

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

I'm no expert, but I liked the Indian food. The sushi bar, Saito, is really good, but kind of expensive (once was enough). There are lots of great cheap ethnic restaurants in the area.

Greg McMullen · From: Brooklyn, New York

here's the site for the guy that fixes my amps....

http://tubesville.com/repairs.php

Blackie Pagano has done great work on my amps.

good luck,
-greg

Michael Brebes · From: Northridge CA

i do a number of amp repairs as a side business. I'm in the San Fernando Valley.
_________________
Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso

Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

I dropped the amp off at Music Works this morning. It'll probably be there a while, but I have a spare. I'll report back in a few weeks. Thanks to all for your help.

ajm · From: Los Angeles

So where is Blackie Pagano actually located?
_________________
Artie McEwan

Mike Maddux · From: Cerritos, CA

GPS Electronics in Norwalk, CA
_________________
President - Southern Californa Steel Guitar Association

Regular Rig: Twin Reverb, Sho-Bud LDG

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

Jim did a fine job, and very reasonably priced, on my Session 400, although it took about 6 weeks.

I tried calling Music Works to see if Jim could fix a stereo receiver of mine and got a number disconnected message. Anyone know anything about this? Or how to contact Jim?

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

I've never had an amp repaired by Jim Palenscar, but I know Jim, and he is one of those very rare people who knows what he doesn't know. So I would trust him completely.

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

I'm a big fan of Jim, but dropping an amp there and later picking it up would amount to about 400 miles of driving, at $4.50 a gallon. There must be a competent repairman closer, and besides, where's Jim Foote of Music Works?

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

Spoke to Jim Foote today. Music Works is still in business! Just a phone company screw-up yesterday resulting in a "disconnected/out of service" message.

Boo Bernstein · From: Los Angeles, CA

Peter -- Please let us know how you make out.

One would think that in L.A. it wouldn't be so difficult to find a really great tech.

Here's my current story: I had been having problems with my Nashville 1000. I looked on the Peavey website and got the list of Authorized Service Centers and brought my amp out to one a few weeks ago. Mike Brown was kind enough to instruct me to have the tech call Peavey so they could walk him through the repair requirements. When I went to pick up the amp, I asked the tech if he had spoken to Peavey and he said that he figured it out himself and didn't need to speak to them.

I brought the amp home -- it sounded a bit better but when I took it out to a gig, it was back to losing power and sounding bad. I brought it back to the same tech (since I had already paid for the work) and insisted that he call the Peavey people who, I suspect, will have a good idea of how to fix this. So far, he hasn't called Peavey and my amp still sits. Very frustrating.

Boo

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Actually there are very few good amp techs in the L.A. area. There are quite a few hacks and some ridiculously high-priced folks who think real highly of themselves (look up tubesville), but the ones repeatedly mentioned as professional and reasonable are Jim Foote in the South Bay, Don Butler in the Valley, Billy Yates in Venice (usually through Trutone) and Bob Dixon (Amphole - private shop, harder to access). Bill Zoom of X used to be THE guy out in Orange County but has closed his shop for now, and I don't know of anyone good out there. Jim has the best reputation among working musicians for decent pricing and "crash and burn" work if you REALLY need it (although on normal basis he's very backed up, for good reason) AND pros with high-end equipment (one of the few in the world authorized to service Dumbles). I've dealt with him for at least 25 years and I know Mike Perlowin, who is also very particular, takes his stuff from near North Hollywood to Jim's shop in Lawndale for a reason.

Do a google search and you'll find all sorts of guys, and they come and go. Few have the staying power or history of Foote or Butler.

It's common for 6-string players to ship an amp chassis to a good tech for service and/or repair, as most cities just do not have quality people. You hang around the amp boards and newsgroups long enough, you see the same names on the good and bad side repeatedly. In California, the two most often referred are Ron Veil (Uncle Spot) up north and Jim down south. California players also used to ship some higher-gain stuff to Tony Krank in Arizona, but he's mostly building his own amps now.

The professional tech community is actually VERY small, and the number of good ones very tiny. Remember, there are not many schools offering electronics courses much any longer and learning tube technology isn't a simple task; there's also a hefty investment in decent test equipment. In that most players never see a tech (they take an amp to a "service center", that often outsources it to a shop that has agreed on lowball negotiated rates) it's not a get-rich business, even though the good ones are VERY busy regardless.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Lee Jeffriess · From: Vallejo California

I totally recomend Tim Maag for any tube SS amp repair, he has good mods for Standel and Sho bud.
Mostly he understands the demands of steel guitar.
Tim Maag
Fullerton CA 714 447 8364

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

Boo, Jim Foote did a great job on my Session 400 a while back, although it took quite a while. I knew that in advance and didn't mind since I had a spare. And very reasonable. I have a lot of faith in Jim Palenscar as well, but he's considerably further.

This time around I have an old Yamaha receiver that needs attention. Jim Foote doesn't have the schematics for that sort of thing though. Interestingly a friend who is head tech at one of the few remaining large L.A. studios said it's gotten so it's hardly worth repairing old stereo gear. Just look for another on Craigslist.

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