Reasonable Repair Time

  • Thread starter Thread starter BedeDazzle
  • Start date Start date
BedeDazzle

BedeDazzle

New member
I know this is tricky to answer, but I am at a loss and curious about some opinions. I took a Tascam 688 in for a full transport repair after it stopped playing/recording etc. It's been about 2 months, and the times I have called and asked for a time estimate, well, that time has come and gone.

The repair will cost about what I paid for the machine in the first place, so I am a little annoyed that it is taking so long...in your experience what is a reasonable repair time? Is 2 months long enough to justify telling them I want to perhaps pay them for what they have done so far but take my business elsewhere? Those who are able to actually fix this old stuff wield a lot of power!

I am sure all of you can understand what life is like without your primary machine/creative outlet...

Thanks!
 
Way too long. Was the place you took it to qulified to work on your Tascam? Get it back. you shouldnt owe the a dime if nothing has been done.
 
My Otari MX-80 spare controller that needed some work has been at the tech's since early September.
I just spoke to him again a week or so ago, and he says he's working on it, still trying to sort out some of the logic issues, and then he has to repair a lot of the 24 channel switches...so I'm not expecting to see it for another couple of months.

But....it's a spare, and he's going to provide me with some other service after that's done...plus, he's the main guy for Otari decks, and he has tons of OEM parts....so I'm not going to burn any bridges by getting too upset over the long repair. I'm sure I'll get it back in full working shape...and that's what counts.
I also may relalyh need this tech again down the road, and the guy comes highly recommended.

That said.....if it was my only controller (which would make my MX-80 unusable without it)....mmmm, I might be a little more antsy about the long repair time, but again, with some of this older stuff, you're lucky when you can even find the right guy who can repair it, and/or the parts needed for it.....so, you just bite your tongue and give it a little more time. :)
 
Two months is way too long. Tell them you need it and you must take it someplace else... and of course you can't pay twice for it to be repaired so you owe them nothing. A failure to repair in a reasonable time is a failure to repair.
 
Yeah...for a regular service center, I would agree.

In my case, I'm working with a private tech who does stuff for big studios, and so I'm willing to be patient rather than push on it.
It took me a year just to find this guy and make contact through another guy, who introduced me. It's one of them word-of-mouth and who you know kind of deals....but everyone says he's real good and does great work...so I'm letting him work at his own pace.
 
Something I've learned over the years (taking lots of stuff to a lot of different techs) is that the best techs have the fastest turnaround ... and the longer they take, the worse their work is.

That said, there are legit reasons for a longer wait time ... waiting on parts, a backlog of work, etc. In these cases, the tech or shop -- if good and reliable -- will clearly communicate the time frame, proactively.
 
Well...when he has to machine broken pins for switches that are no longer available...I figure, at least the guy is motivated to fix the thing, and he knows what he's doing.
Not to mention, he has the tools to reprogram the EPROMS with the right codes for my machine...and he knows how to mod the circuit to get rid of the nasty communications "Error 90" crap that often comes up on the Otari MX-80 decks.
Did I mentoin....he also has a lot of *impossible* to get Otari tape deck parts, seeing how he bought out the Otari USA parts inventory when they pulled their stakes and left the USA several years back....he use to work for Otari.

Mmmmm yeah....I'm not going to push the guy. :)
 
Thanks, everyone, I appreciate your input (both sides of the issue). Communication has been hazy to say the least, so I think lonewhitefly your point is well taken. I will at least try to get a better answer of what is up, and go from there. There is a more expensive place I've had other issues with in the past, but they seem to never take more than two weeks.

I realized I never got a contract or anything, so do wonder how we will work it out if the machine is "half-done" etc... But yeah, cosmic cowboy, I have thought about your end of things myself--I mean, not everyone can fix these things (I know of only 3 places in Chicago). Anyhow, I appreciate everyone's input. Ha, I guess I needed a "support group" for missing my baby!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top