Synth repair in U.K

[KONTAKT1968]

My ARP Odysseys sick and in need of TLC.
Serching for techs in southest England ive come up with The synth prof in Suffolk and Synthrestore in Bedford does anyone have experience of either positive or negative please?

[Martin Walker]

Hi there, and welcome to the SOS Forums!

Have a search here, since there’s been quite a lot of discussion about who to recommend and who hangs on to faulty synths for months without seeming to actually spend any time trying to repair them

Martin

[Martin Walker]

Actually, I’ve just done that search for you

Have a read of these threads (newest at the top):

http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showf ... ber=911417

http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showf ... ber=827588

http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showf ... ber=728672

http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showf ... ber=313169

Hope this helps!

Martin

[KONTAKT1968]

Thanks very much.
I had searched but didnt unearth the top thread which pretty much answers my question.

[Martin Walker]

My pleasure

Martin

[ramthelinefeed]

SynthProf have fixed 4 of my machines in the past year, and done a splendid job, sorting things which in some cases other chancers and cowboys in days gone by had failed to fix.

Three of them, they turned around very quickly,
and for a fourth, where that wasn't possible (cos they needed to source parts, and it was just being STUBBORN and defying the laws of science , they kept me in the picture regarding timescales so I was quite happy to wait.

Can I also just bemoan how UPS still managed to bloody break one of the machines again on its way back! ARRRGH. Whereupon SynthProf took it back, fixed the damage and hand-delivered it back in not much more than a week.
It seems it doesn't matter how good your flightcase, how much bubble wrap you use, or how much "FRAGILE" stickers are all over your machine: UPS will still kick it round their depot for you.

[Folderol]

I wonder if there is a viable market for a delivery organisation that specialises in transporting fragile goods.

[Scramble]

There are such firms. My brother-in-law, for example, is a professional artist and sculptor and he has some firm that delivers fragile stuff for him. Obviously it costs more, though. He did send me their details a while back, not sure I still have them.

[Martin Walker]

I know of other companies who have given up using couriers because of all the breakages, and now rely on their own drivers because it's cheaper in the long run than having to write off expensive gear that's been dropped

Martin

[ramthelinefeed]

Yeah, Scan PCs hand-delivered my machine in 2010, for instance.

I think there's considerable scope for some kind of under-cover CCTV investigative journalism on what goes on in the depots of these courier companies - indeed Channel 4's DISPATCHES is ideally named to tackle it

[Sam Inglis]

I'm sure I've mentioned the courier company which attempted to deliver an expensive synth keyboard to one of our reviewers by throwing it over a six-foot garden wall...

[ramthelinefeed]

I'm sure I've mentioned the courier company which attempted to deliver an expensive synth keyboard to one of our reviewers by throwing it over a six-foot garden wall...

I hadn't heard that before! Do tell us more...

[Sam Inglis]

I think their excuse was that it was early in the morning, and they didn't want to ring the bell for fear of waking the occupants. So instead they woke them by hurling a piece of expensive music hardware onto the garden path from a great height.

[Hugh Robjohns]

When I took delivery of my PMC IB1s years ago I caught the delivery driver slide the second of the very large and heavy shipping boxes on to the edge of the lorry tailgate, and then push it over so that it overbalanced and fell about four feet on to its end on the ground! I didn't see how he unloaded the first one, but I imagine he did it the same way.

Needless to say, both speakers had been damaged in the process. The magnet motor assemblies on both midrange units had shifted on their axes resulting in very obvious distortions. Both units had to be replaced. I don't think PMC use that courier company any more!

hugh

[James Perrett]

how much "FRAGILE" stickers are all over your machine

Erm - you do realise that couriers treat Fragile stickers as an invitation to try to break your parcel don't you?

Pack it well but keep it anonymous and don't give the couriers any hint that they should try and break it.

James.

[ken long]

couriers

they're called "throwers" in the trade...

[ramthelinefeed]

how much "FRAGILE" stickers are all over your machine

Erm - you do realise that couriers treat Fragile stickers as an invitation to try to break your parcel don't you?

Pack it well but keep it anonymous and don't give the couriers any hint that they should try and break it.

IT'S FUNNY COS IT'S TRUE etc etc

[ramthelinefeed]

Oh dear - I had to finally go to Trading Standards about a particular synth repair outfit...
...only to find that the ConDems have cut Trading Standards for 'consumers', and they just tell you to go to Citizens Advice instead. So I've referred the matter there instead.
Horrible to have to do it though, it's only going to end in tears I seem to have run out of other options though.

[Peter Conz Connelly]

Oh dear - I had to finally go to Trading Standards about a particular synth repair outfit...
...only to find that the ConDems have cut Trading Standards for 'consumers', and they just tell you to go to Citizens Advice instead. So I've referred the matter there instead.
Horrible to have to do it though, it's only going to end in tears I seem to have run out of other options though.

I feel your pain ref: Trading Standards. I had an abysmal accountant who was a complete liability and nearly cost me my business but, when I presented my case to Trading Standards, they told me it was a civil issue and I needed to take it up with my, now previous, accountant.

P

[ramthelinefeed]

Hmm, well Trading Standards just sent me a standard email saying I should contact Citizen's Advice.

Citizens Advice then just sent me an email saying "well, the trader appears to be in violation of x, y and z, so write to them and tell them off". Which I'd done already and nothing had happened! Which is why I went to Trading Standards.

Ho hum. I guess I'll write a Final Letter... if that fails it's County Court time. Arrrgh.

[Peter Conz Connelly]

Hmm, well Trading Standards just sent me a standard email saying I should contact Citizen's Advice.

Citizens Advice then just sent me an email saying "well, the trader appears to be in violation of x, y and z, so write to them and tell them off". Which I'd done already and nothing had happened! Which is why I went to Trading Standards.

Ho hum. I guess I'll write a Final Letter... if that fails it's County Court time. Arrrgh.

Good luck Feline... it's sh!t the system doesn't pull its weight and help us appropriately. A lot of recent legalities I've had to deal with on my own, as the system failed me (although it's quick to take my £££).

P

[ramthelinefeed]

Hah! Well it cuts both ways, you know.
Just ignore "the system" when it asks you for £££... maybe you'll get away with it too

[Nigeln]

Hi
Just like to echo the good reports about Andy Jury, Synth Prof. He's repaired a load of stuff for me and always the work has always been first class - also he's a really nice guy.
After some bad experiences with a couple of other "professional" repair outfits, I'm glad I found Andy and I will NEVER use anyone else - he is a bit of a wiz when it comes to getting old synths going again!
Nigel

[ken long]

FAO Megheads - would like to add Jameson Logan to this list. Based near Wolverhampton, he repaired and restored 3 of my samplers beyond my expectations. He charges by the minute (ie, if he overruns by 10 min into the hour, he won't charge an extra full hour). He was very helpful explaining everything that was wrong and sourced all parts and kept me up to date every step of the way. His work is first class all devices operate better (better SNR, switching etc) than when they came out of the factory. He is also concerned about aesthetics unlike others I've had the misfortune of dealing with.

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/jammie-logan/3a/740/101

A+++