How We Run the Business

   Sending your gear to us

   We receive and ship amps and other gear all over North and South America, Puerto Rico and to Europe and the mid-East. As long as your equipment is correctly packaged and insured, chances are there won't be any problems, and the costs are usually reasonable.

   Having many years experience with shipping valuable gear, we feel if these guidelines are followed the chances of damage are greatly minimized. No matter how well equipment is packaged, it's always possible that some damage can occur. We strongly advise insuring you package for full replacement value with the shipping firm. These fees are quite reasonable, and the first $100 or so is usually included in the base shipping price.

   For sake of this discussion, let's assume you're going to ship us a Fender Twin Reverb guitar amplifier. First off, we will only need the "head" or chassis portion of the amp and not the speakers or enclosure. It's usually a good idea to send us any foot switches, as there are some amps that use a specific type only. In short, you will remove the electronics chassis from the enclosure, number the tubes, label their locations and remove them. Wrap each of the tubes individually in bubble pack (unless you happen to have the appropriate tube boxes), then place them all into a small box with some packing "peanuts" around them. Now, take the chassis and wrap it completely in bubble pack; first around the long dimension, then around the other dimension several turns each way. Find a box that it fits tightly into and use more peanuts to take up any extra space. The plan is to now place the two boxes into a single larger box for the outer container, taking up any space with peanuts. If finding boxes of the required sizes is a problem, use cut heavy cardboard to fashion the inner box for the chassis. It's really important that a heavy box in good condition is used for the outer container, as this is what will be subjected to the most severe handling. Use reinforced shipping tape to secure everything, taking care to tape over ALL seams and edges of the outer box. Be sure to leave a note inside with your return address, phone number and any specific instructions you have for us. All of the packing supplies for the example amp can be purchased at a shipping or business supply store for less than $20. We can then use the same materials for return shipping to you. If you have any questions on how to remove the amp's chassis from the enclosure, or anything else, we can provide instructions for your specific gear.

   How long will it take?

   Analog Bros. does ALL work by appointment only, with no "walk in" business. This way we can schedule your repair to minimize the time your gear spends in the shop. We are usually booked at least two or so weeks ahead, so if you're planning to have any work done, contact us so we can work out an agreeable schedule. Most jobs can usually be completed within a few days from when the equipment arrives, as long as no unforseen circumstances develop (more involved repairs, parts back orders, waiting for approvals, etc.). We will typically quote about a one week turnaround (plus shipping time). If we encounter any issues as described above, we will contact you for your input on how you would like the situation best handled.

   We encourage good communications with our clients, and will advise them of the equipment's arrival (and the condition it arrived in), again when we have an estimate ready, once again when the job is complete, and finally we'll send the tracking # and shipping information when it leaves. If you have a high priority or emergency job, let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate your needs.

   Repair Costs

   Our "in shop" bench labor rate is US$60/hr for musical instrument equipment. Our standard procedure is to charge approximately one hour of time to diagnose the problem(s). Based upon those findings, we will provide an estimated repair cost. If you elect to have us make the repair, that one hour diagnosis fee is applied toward the final bill. If you elect to not have us do the repair, the balance due is that diagnosis fee. We will provide a detailed written description of the problem(s) found. All of our repair work is guaranteed for 90 days, parts and labor, including tubes. Shipping costs both to and from our facility are at the client's expense. We do not mark up any shipping costs, they are the actual fees that we pay.

   For "on site" repairs (Hammond organs, recording consoles, studio maintenance), recording engineering, pro audio equipment, technical assistance or any other situations, please contact us directly for a rate schedule.