This question is for Jeff (The Ghost of FM) or for anyone familiar with this place. Jeff, if I recall correct, Patrick, who restored your MS-16, works at tele-tech? I've got a friend over in Toronto and he wants his TASCAM reel recorder serviced and I hinted that I might know of a place but needed to get back to him, hence my question(s) here.
Is teletech currently staffed by competent techs and is that place a reliable one to bring in your tape machine and have it serviced, from top to bottom, in a most professional manner? Are the people there well versed on how to service a tape machine? My friend is very weary of service centers in general and really wants someone who'll take good care of his recorder.
Tele-tech is a two man operation. Jack looks after the sales side of the business which consists primarily of selling a mix of new, used and consignment pieces which tend to lean toward the professional, working studio market. He started Tele-Tech back in the 60's.
Patrick is the technician and handles all of the service. He has extensive experience not only as a repairman but also as a designer and builder of class A tube preamps which are sold through the store. Patrick has been working with Jack for more then 25 years and is an extremely experienced and competent technician. He is also not cheap and not accustomed to pandering to the suspicions of newer clients who may have different expectations of how a service technician should go about his business. That's a cute way of saying that he is a bit full of himself because of his experience and can be less then perfect at providing clear communications and documenting his work and generally, he is this way because he is so busy with repeat clients who give him carte Blanche to do his work that he may seem fairly aloof and uninterested in pandering to the suspicions of a new or cash strapped customer.
If your friend is more interested with having his hand held through the repair process, he might want to look elsewhere as Patrick is not that type of service provider. If your friend is prepared to fork over $100 to 125 an hour plus parts and has the sole desire to see his machine working as it should, give him a shot as he knows his shit when it comes to repairing mixers and recorders.
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