Mad Science Works - List of Services

MAD SCIENCE WORKS FAQ

Where are you located?

Please see the contact page
What equipment do you work on?

I work on almost all guitar and bass amps, guitar and bass electronics, and certain other pro audio products:
What brands do you provide factory authorized warranty service?
What will you not work on?
How do I get something repaired under warranty?

Please bring the item in along with your original purchase receipt. Most manufacturer's mail-in 'warranty cards' are only marketing surveys, not an actual warranty registration and provide no coverage whatsoever.
My amp is dead. How Much will my repair Cost?

It cannot be precisely calculated what a repair will cost until the unit is disassembled and the problem found. This disassembly and analysis for most gear incurs a "quote fee" of 36.00 and will be applied to the repair. At that point, you will be called with the exact quote. If at that point you do not wish to proceed with the repair, the 36.00 fee will still need to be paid to recover the item

At times, certain complex or unusual equipment will not be possible to quote for 36.00. If this occurs, you will be called back with a revised quote fee of 72.00. Should this situation occur, you have the option to waive all fees and pick up the item at no charge. If you wish to continue, you will then be provided with an exact quote for the repair after the additional analysis. If at that point you do not wish to proceed with the repair, the 72.00 fee will still need to be paid to recover the item..

Quotes are based loosely on a 72.00 per hour shop rate for labor, plus parts. Tube amp repairs typically range from 3/4 to 1-1/2 hours, and as such would cost 54.00 to 108.00 labor plus the cost of parts. A typical simple repair indicated by smoke and a blown fuse would incur 3/4 hour of labor plus parts, most likely a rectifier or output tubes and either a diode or screen resistor and would total approx 75-100.00 . However the repair of a channel switching failure might take 2 hours and cost 180.00 or more.

A solid state amp repair typically ranges from 1/2 to 2-1/2 hours. Simple jack or control problems might be 40.00, a simple repair involving circuitry might be 80.00, a more complex repair 150.00, a complete rebuild over 200.00
Do I need to bring parts or tubes?

No. We have, or can order, anything you could possibly need at reasonable prices and subsequently integrate the price of labor and parts. Work done with customer supplied parts may end up costing more overall.
Do you have a standard fee for a tube amp checkout & tuneup?

If you are having crackling, buzzing, or dropout problems and your tube amp is still basically working, it most likely needs a checkout and cleaning. The fee for this is 54.00. This includes:
If items are found during this process that require repair the customer will be notified for a quote and approval at that time.
What if I just need new tubes and a bias ?

At a minimum, when new tubes are installed I check the screen resistors, power tube sockets, and bias circuit for any potential problems which could affect tube life, then set the bias for the amp. The fee for this is 36.00.
How long will my repair take?

There is a floating backup of 2-3 weeks, so count on leaving your amp for that long.
Geez! I can't wait 2-3 weeks without my amp?

In that case, please call to have a repair scheduled. Your work will be placed in the queue just as if you had brought the piece in. I will call you when your turn comes up, and you can bring your amp in at that time. If it takes you more than a week to come in, your turn is lost and we have to start over.
But what if I have an emergency and need my amp fixed NOW ?

I do emergency work, but there is a 50.00 extra fee to place your work at the top of the queue. Saturdays and Sundays incur a 100.00 urgent fee, provided that I am available.
Do you do any amp upgrades or custom work?

Certainly, I do plenty of custom work and upgrades. I can build amp kits to order, install transformer upgrades of any brand, speaker upgrades, blackface conversion of fender amps, rectifier tube to solid state conversions and vice versa. Please call for more info. My shop is a dealer for just about every component you would need for an upgrade or custom work, so it is economically advantageous for you to get a quote from me on the entire work and all the supplies involved.
I have a question about a repair. Can I call you?

Although I'd love to chat with you about your repair, I just get so busy I can't always answer the phone. But please leave a message and I'll get back to your as soon as I can.
If you're looking for self-repair information, these websites are an excellent source for information for you. http://duncanamps.com and http://aikenamps.com
Do you have a warranty on your work?

All work performed has a 60 day warranty on parts and labor for the problem that was actually repaired. Some amps may have different unrelated problems crop up within that 60 days, to which no warranty applies.

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