zephonic Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 I think I remember this coming up a while back in some thread but can't find it. The R output of my Fantom just died on me and needs fixing faster than pronto. I remember there were two individuals or shops mentioned in the greater LA area (one of them in OC, I think) as being expert and quick. Anybody got anything? Thanks. local: Korg Nautilus 61 AT | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer | 16" MBP M1 Max home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Clark Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 I always take mine to Advanced Musical Electronics. http://www.advancedmusical.com/ But it's probably gonna take them a couple weeks. Just a caveat. Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles http://philipclark.com Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 Thanks, Phil. A couple of weeks is gonna be a problem, though. local: Korg Nautilus 61 AT | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer | 16" MBP M1 Max home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveCoscia Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Yes, Advanced Musical Electronics is the best in LA. Steve Coscia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxcvbnm098 Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 You can also try: Audio Rehab 3096 North Clybourn Burbank CA 91505 (818) 557-1232 and FET Electronics Repair 3129 Burbank Blvd. Burbank CA 91505 (818) 954-9656 and Synthrepair 6110 Santa Monica Blvd. (near Gower) Hollywood CA 90038 (323) 460-4509 and LASynthCo 5112 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042 (323) 909-BITS (2487) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-missRichardTee Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Pasadena authorized Markbass but I saw all sorts of keyboards for repair. Virtual Sound Technology 1270 Lincoln Ave #1000, Pasadena, CA 91103 (626) 794-8196 Paul Morte Technical Services He is in close association with Yamaha in Buena Park Orange County 946 N Main St, Orange, CA 92867 (714) 532-9540 You don't have ideas, ideas have you We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenElevenShadows Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Pasadena authorized Markbass but I saw all sorts of keyboards for repair. Virtual Sound Technology 1270 Lincoln Ave #1000, Pasadena, CA 91103 (626) 794-8196 https://www.vstservice.com/ VST is the best I've found in the Los Angeles area. And yes, they do repair synths and keyboards, and have been working on mine for ages. There's a few of us who really have not had very good luck with Advanced, but YMMV. For several of us recording engineers and keyboardists in the area, they've taken two months to fix something that was fairly simple, and botched the job several times. With anything really intricate or involved, I would not recommend them. Ken Lee Photography - photos and books Eleven Shadows ambient music The Mercury Seven-cool spacey music Linktree to various sites Instagram Nightaxians Video Podcast Eleven Shadows website Ken Lee Photography Pinterest Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 Thanks, all! I've got back-to-back hits this weekend but gonna figure this out on Monday. local: Korg Nautilus 61 AT | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer | 16" MBP M1 Max home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Good luck. Nothing to add beyond the usual Advanced Musical Electronics recommendations. Not sure how quickly paying a rush fee will get you your gear there. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 GPS Norwalk is my shop. PMT is also great in Orange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 So I took it to AME today, paid the rush fee, and should have it back tomorrow. The other shops that responded to my enquiry all had longer turnarounds, even with rush fees. I also have them replace two buttons that are wonky, and they said it would be better to replace all buttons? I declined. It is weird to me they'd say that, because I have had this problem with the same two buttons before. Never any of the others. local: Korg Nautilus 61 AT | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer | 16" MBP M1 Max home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxcvbnm098 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 This thread struck me in that one would be hard pressed to find any selection of new keyboards in the greater LA area, yet there are a boatload of repair places for electronic instruments. more than I knew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 There's a few of us who really have not had very good luck with Advanced, but YMMV. For several of us recording engineers and keyboardists in the area, they've taken two months to fix something that was fairly simple, and botched the job several times. With anything really intricate or involved, I would not recommend them. I have to say I did not have the best experience with Advanced Musical Electronics. I used their services twice last year, first on my Roland Fantom X7 which had the defunct output as described in the OP and a few buttons that would not engage. They fixed the output well enough, but the buttons gave out again shortly after the 90-day warranty window. What's more, since I got it back the filter has started misbehaving, but when I took it back they said they couldn't replicate the problem. They charged me $264.50 Six weeks later, I took my NordPiano there because one key stopped working. The Nord US distributor told me AME was one of the best in the business. Turns out there was nothing wrong with the NP88, just a dirty contact, and they cleaned it out at $280.90 I can't understand in what reality cleaning out a dirty contact can command such a premium. Both prices included $50 rush fees, but still... I reckon they are more geared towards fixing amps and that kind of thing, but I will not be coming back there for my keyboards. local: Korg Nautilus 61 AT | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer | 16" MBP M1 Max home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Did you ask how many hours labor they charged you for? It sounds easy after you know what the problem is but it does take time. Once they've determined the issue they have to disassemble to the point where they can get to the contact. Yeah it sucks, but that's what it cost these days. Hopefully they're being honest about the time spent. Car repairs are way worse these days and every time I bring my dog to the vet it cost close to $300 or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-missRichardTee Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Yamaha volume pedal ( F 7 or F9 I have forgotten ) came apart but still seemed to work, but not the same. In san diego bobbadoshe recommended the excellent but very expensive Jarvis. Is there an alternative to him for quick service? You don't have ideas, ideas have you We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Did you ask how many hours labor they charged you for? It sounds easy after you know what the problem is but it does take time. Once they've determined the issue they have to disassemble to the point where they can get to the contact. Yeah it sucks, but that's what it cost these days. Hopefully they're being honest about the time spent. Car repairs are way worse these days and every time I bring my dog to the vet it cost close to $300 or more. Yeah, I have itemized receipts for both jobs. I'm not here to slander anybody, just reporting my experience. Even the guy from the US Nord distributor thought that amount was a little high. I'm more pissed about the malfunctioning buttons on the Fantom. I'm not sure that the erratic behavior of the filter is necessarily related to their handiwork, but it did become a persistent issue after I got it back from them. As for car repairs, don't get me started...I'll bore you right into next week. local: Korg Nautilus 61 AT | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer | 16" MBP M1 Max home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Sorry Menno. Man you'd hope at least with all that hassle and $$ the problems would be fully fixed. I hate hate hate having to get gear worked on these days because of my experiences in the last couple years. My guy in San Diego: a) Does excellent work. b) Costs $120 / hr in labor with a $200 rush fee, unless you want to wait 5 months which is what I did when I didn't pay the rush fee. b) Despite me bringing $1K of work to him myself over the last couple of years, and despite the fact that I'm one of the most working players in town and in a position to throw him lots of work from referrals, he never serves me with a smile or a spark of recognition. I guess what I'd like and what I dreamed of is the same kind of relationship I have with my piano tuner. He (unexpectedly) tuned my piano for free last night because I send him a ton of work, I loaned him my old Motif 6 for a couple months and he takes care of musicians. That's just not gonna happen with this guy. So I kiss my $$ goodbye because he: a) does excellent work. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 The $120/hour doesn't surprise me and like I said earlier that's just what it cost these day. But $200 for a rush job? Really? So is that paying for a tech coming in on the weekend or working extra hours late at night? Or is it to compensate for all those screwed folks waiting in line who's business they may lose because now it's going to take 5 months to fix their equipment? Having a really good tech, especially for you professionals is super important. But a big part of the equation has to be that tight relationship. Bobby - I'm guessing when you say their work is excellent most of your repairs are not like a Vintage Vibe craftsmanship type job but more like something electronic or mechanical broke, fix it. Any competent tech should be able to do this if they're in business. What makes them excellent in my book is the customer service and attentiveness to the customer's needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoodyBluesKeys Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I guess things have changed in the electronic instrument repair business since I was in it for close to 28 years (I know, everything else has changed). I was not in a city the size of LA (but was in the Norfolk/VaBeach area for the last ten), I didn't even have a bunch of techs, just myself. I did (and do in my present business) charge a professional rate, which was $75/hr at that time; and I can see $120 now although I am presently at $90). But I never got to where clients had to wait for months for their gear with the single exception that occasionally I could not get the parts - I remember a Hammond-Suzuki Church Organ that was out for close to a year - Yamaha North America was completely out of the needed boards, they had to be fabricated in Japan, and then were not shipped until the next time Yamaha had a container load coming to the US. I got stuff fixed aa soon as I could - from my point of view, I had time and perhaps parts tied up in the project with no way to get my $$ except to finish the job. More importantly, ATTITUDE. If I haven't seen a client in a while, I may not immediately recognize the face, but the smile goes along with the service. Could be some of it comes from my upbringing in a small town Southern area where people are friendly in general, but the client could go elsewhere, why in the world should I have an attitude. It also helps that I had worked for others, and have the general belief that the worst days of self-employment are about in parallel with the very occasional very best days of working with a "boss." Around here in the service businesses that I am aware of, it takes more than just doing excellent work. Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 +1 +120 +200 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Buttons on most gear built in the last 30 years have been the Achilles heel of gear. Especially stuff made in Asia. Most buttons are just actuators pressing on small tactile switches underneath the panel. Too many times I have had these tactile switches fail. If you're lucky you can still get new replacements, but the chances get slimmer as the gear gets older. Anymore, I avoid gear with those tactile switches. Sometimes it isn't obvious; I have even popped the hood on a guitar pedal only to find those big footswitches are just an actuator with tactile switch! It is a cost effective solution to build, but not for long life. Can you say "planned obsolescence"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 But $200 for a rush job? Really? So is that paying for a tech coming in on the weekend or working extra hours late at night? Or is it to compensate for all those screwed folks waiting in line who's business they may lose because now it's going to take 5 months to fix their equipment? All of the above I guess. Having a really good tech, especially for you professionals is super important. But a big part of the equation has to be that tight relationship. Bobby - I'm guessing when you say their work is excellent most of your repairs are not like a Vintage Vibe craftsmanship type job but more like something electronic or mechanical broke, fix it. Any competent tech should be able to do this if they're in business. What makes them excellent in my book is the customer service and attentiveness to the customer's needs. The finer electronics troubleshooting. Tracing problems to the correct component, stuff like that. Maybe almost everyone should be able to do it, I don't know. I know that this guy is regarded as the best by some respectable people I know. And I haven't had the problems that Zephonic just described in his post about AME. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 The finer electronics troubleshooting. Tracing problems to the correct component, stuff like that. Maybe almost everyone should be able to do it, I don't know. I know that this guy is regarded as the best by some respectable people I know. And I haven't had the problems that Zephonic just described in his post about AME. Understood Bobby - I wasn't questioning his technical ability nor criticizing your decision to go with him. I realize there are many factors to consider when one's livelihood is reliant on equipment operating properly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotiDave Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 the AF1 button on my XF is getting a tad finicky. I can alternately activate it with a footswitch (which I use when I play live anyway). but something to watch out for. I'm in SD, I used Jarvis once to fix a broken key. I paid the rush fee as I had a show coming up and needed it back (my only pro board). that rush fee wasn't anywhere close to $200 , i think it ws closer to $50. could be this fee varies based on how long your board will "jump the queue" and interrup the scheduled flow? i don't know but the total repair fee was $140 if I recall (maybe I pre-paid for the actual key). which is alot to replace one key but then again he has to completely open it all up etc., and I had the comfort of knowing I wouldnt get it half-assembled and realize i'd f'd something up. it worked out fine, he even called me to ask if I wanted him to remove that dent in the bottom plate while he was at it . I said uh yeah you bet - go for it. thanks. The baiting I do is purely for entertainment value. Please feel free to ignore it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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