Take it to a qualified tech - not happening

[tchristian]

"Take it to a qualified tech." If only if only . . .

I have two used bass heads that are no longer working: an Eden WT-405 and an early model Ashdown ABM500H (serial #0519-10-99). They exhibit similar symptoms. Generally, they play well enough for a few minutes then the output becomes scratchy and fades out or stops fairly abruptly. These are not simple fix problems e.g. jumper the send/return jacks, clean the potentiometers, replace the preamp tubes, etc. They fail to run with any bass, cab, cable, electrical circuit, power cord, whatever. I believe I've tried all the simple "armchair" fixes.

What I need is a qualified tech, preferably in western Montana. I've lived in Missoula a long time - nearly 40 years. In all that time I have only known two legitimate electronics repair shops for music gear. I tried them. They are either no longer working on solid state bass gear or are operating under a shady business model. I'm putting out local feelers (Facebook) but I don't hold out much hope. The level of professionalism in this town can be hit or miss.

So I'm feeling the need to reach out to TB in the wild hope that someone can recommend a good repair shop. I'm especially interested in getting the Ashdown back up to speed. It's my kind of amp. I'm happy to drive a fair distance if that's what it takes. I'd certainly consider shipping the Ashdown. And a trip to western Washington where I have friends and family is not out of the question.

Rather not put too much into the Eden. If I can't find someone in state it may well go on the block for parts or if someone other than me wants to mess with it.

I appreciate any advice you all might have. Many thanks in advance. theo

 

[silky smoove]

And a trip to western Washington where I have friends and family is not out of the question.

Plenty of qualified techs here in Seattle. Around the halfway point between Seattle and Missoula is Spokane where you'll also find qualified techs, although that's not small amount of driving regardless. Good luck!

 

[ddnidd1]

I don't know what the situation is today, but in the past Eden only supplied schematics to authorized repair centers.

 

[mbrain]

Actually, at one point it wasn't hard to get schematics for Eden. It might be a long shot, but get on the wayback machine website (an internet archive), check out Eden's old webpages for authorized shops, and make some calls. You might find someone with the old docs.

 

[tchristian]

Plenty of qualified techs here in Seattle. Around the halfway point between Seattle and Missoula is Spokane where you'll also find qualified techs, although that's not small amount of driving regardless. Good luck!

Thanks. Spokane isn't out of the question since my wife loves the place. Easier to justify with two missions instead of one. Still, I'm hoping to find someone in Montana. I don't suppose you have any personal experience with a shop of two in the Seattle Tacoma area?

 

[tchristian]

ddnidd1 and mbrain, I found the schematic in less than a minute. Problem for me is I'm not inclined to work on this amp. It's a shame to have it sitting around broken - so many folks here are very fond of Eden amps - but I never really liked the sound of it. Still, at least now I can include a schematic if I find someone to work on it. Many thanks!

 

[silky smoove]

I don't suppose you have any personal experience with a shop of two in the Seattle Tacoma area?

Condor in Fremont is legendary, but they went out of business due to someone retiring, if memory serves. I’ve heard they reopened, possibly under a new name. There’s a guy in Burien called Efex that’s very good, but is a little nutty. He repaired a Roland SPDSX for me and I was impressed with his work, but his people skills were… ahem… interesting. American Music in Fremont has a great repair department but the queue tends to be massive.

 

[tchristian]

Many thanks silky.

 

[killerbee]

I have the same issue with my Eden WT 405. Watching

 

[buldog5151bass]

Why not contact customer service and ask for a recommendation? Under the circumstances, they might be able to provide some assistance. Certainly would be good PR.

 

[80jazz]

Plenty of qualified techs here in Seattle. Around the halfway point between Seattle and Missoula is Spokane where you'll also find qualified techs, although that's not small amount of driving regardless. Good luck!

Spokane was my first thought too.

Good luck.

 

[80jazz]

Thanks. Spokane isn't out of the question since my wife loves the place. Easier to justify with two missions instead of one. Still, I'm hoping to find someone in Montana. I don't suppose you have any personal experience with a shop of two in the Seattle Tacoma area?

Perhaps Kalispell?

 

[Fishheadjoe]

Is Calgary too far? There are a number of repair shops in town.
Fishheadjoe

 

[HJFree]

Such a specialized profession. It's a shame there aren't more qualified Technition's out there. You will find some rock star tech's on this site!

 

[lyonaudio]

Hey, it's Montana...

 

[Jefenator]

+1 on contacting Ashdown.
BCS they recognize the issue and refer you to an authorized facility somewhere not too far away.
WCS you might want to think about starting fresh.
IME some amps can be "lifetime", others, not so much...

 

[tchristian]

Hey, it's Montana...

The crux of the problem.

 

[tchristian]

I appreciate the advice folks. I'm hoping someone has had a good experience local to me. I'll reach out to Ashdown and Eden today. Maybe I bypassed the most obvious first step.

 

[smurfco]

I don't know any amp techs but I do know a guy who moved out there and became a dental floss tycoon.

 

[Egg250]

You've obviously got a component or two overheating and grounding out or sending the amp into protection mode.

Instead of looking for a music specific shop, open your aperture to electronic repair shops.