SOT: Melbourne Amp Techs?

[talking_goat]

Can any Aussies refer me to any good amp techs in the Melbourne area that would be able to convert a US Mesa Poweramp from running on 117VC to 240VC?

I appreciate the help.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I can guarantee that Martin Holmes at Logitronics can do it without buggering it up. He's been an authorised tech for Roland & others for many years & he's fixed some rare old analog synths for me.
Logitronics is in Northcote.

[Toney]

You could also try Dale Sherlock, of Sherlock amps.
He builds, he repairs, he can wind pretty much any tranny and he is a nice guy. Check his website or Harmony Central.
Or.....I've always had good luck with the tech that Music Swap Shop recommends, check with them 9348-1194 (Elgin st , Carlton).
That guy has fixed my Marshall, weird tube effects I found and recently I asked him about replacement trannies for a tweed Champ(110v) that I want to import-he said he has his own guy to custom wind them and he's never had one back. He's at 77 Arglyle, st Fitzroy.
Pretty cheap and another nice approachable professional.
Good luck.

[Toney]

By the way, how did you come to own this?
Did you send off for it?
I see a lot of great gear cheap at Musician's friend, but they can't send stuff outside of the US.
Mongrel.
We get totally screwed price-wise here, compared to those big online warehouse discounters. Some of their specials make you wanna weep.
Not fair!
Have you found a discount store that can send here?

[moritz]

We get totally screwed price-wise here, compared to those big online warehouse discounters.

Yes, yes we do...  

[talking_goat]

By the way, how did you come to own this?
Did you send off for it?
I see a lot of great gear cheap at Musician's friend, but they can't send stuff outside of the US.
Mongrel.
We get totally screwed price-wise here, compared to those big online warehouse discounters. Some of their specials make you wanna weep.
Not fair!
Have you found a discount store that can send here?

We do get totally screwed here and I for one am sick of it! :evil:  I've been trying to find a way to get stuff cheaper. I tried music123.com cos they say they ship internationally, but when I asked for a quote including shipping to Australia there is a whole list of brands etc they can't ship overseas (seemed like basically everything). I haven't found a discount place yet but if any one knows of one fill me in!
I've just been looking at used gear on ebay. Sometimes its not too bad (although i spose it can be a bit risky).
I don't actually own this unit yet but I want to get one soon.

My current line of thinking is that I could get a US model as well as one of the US furman power conditioners, plug the US gear into that and the use a step down transformer from the power conditioner to the wall. I'm still not sure about this though.

[Toney]

What is really needed is some kind of conduit point.
The best solution at the moment would be a trusted (family?) connection in the US to buy an order and send it over.
Doing it this way it would be possible to have the parcel marked "gift" and step around customs and GST.
My dad is in the States at the moment. He kinda vagued out and got real interested in his cigar when I broached the subject of bringing back a Champ.
Awww c,mon dad it only ways a few kilos, you wouldn't mind checking it for authenicity and how 'bout stopping in at Manny's too?
Nope.
Maybe the Melbourne people could get together on this?

[Toney]

For example the ARION analogue delay at musicians friend.
$15 for a really usable analogue delay. NO kidding.
It's been discussed here before. Kinda a gem from an otherwise average company. The box and pots are a little crappy, but no biggy to replant it.
Apparently, where this unit is compromised, it works out well.
People say you can get some excellent whoop and swish sounds by twiddeling the knobs ......maybe as a noise outro for eg.
$15 bucks on special. Retails around $60.
Problem is, I am only re-telling what others have said because I C'ANT BUY ONE FOR $15.

[vdm]

oh the pains of living in melbourne!!

it makes me feel bad that i didnt take advantage of everything when i was living in the US.. but then again that was almost 10 years ago :? i dont know what good it would do, but if anyone wants to make a melbourne collective to do *something* about this, i'd be interested....

hrm.... that was a rather pointless post...

trent

[Toney]

I'm into it VDM.
Even if its just a once or twice thing. If we could get together some kind of buying collective and take advantage of those sweet Musician's friend prices.
Do you still have any family in  the States?

[mikeb]

You Victorians are just looking for something to do to take your mind off the lack of local involvement in the big game this weekend, right?  

Mike

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Stop bitching guys, fresh food is so cheap at Victoria Market that you can save enough to cover the 200% markup out here on US gear!
Melbourne: cheap for food, expensive for amps!
It's OK to get someone to send FX to Australia, but anythign big/heavy & fragile is really hard and expensive to ship. Even well built stuff can smash up unless it is REALLY well packed, i don't mean just bubblewrap in a crate.

[niftydog]

How's about the cost of freight?!?!?

It's not necessarily a mark up they slap on gear out here, it's just the cost of GETTING it here in the first place that they have to recoup. Doing a "one off" order like this is going to be marginal at best and ruinously expensive at worst.

Ever wonder why there's no australian made solder? Try importing a shipping container full of lead and you'll see what I mean!

We had one part that we needed that was made in Briton. It worked out cheaper to send one of our staff on a 5 day jaunt to London to buy direct from the manufacturer than it was to buy from a local distributor! Now, THAT WAS markup!

[Toney]

Was there some game on this weekend?
Oh,  I hadn't noticed...... :wink:
Allans want $279 for a US Big Muff ferchrissake.
Around US$79 at musicians friend and those Arion delays US$14.95!!!
and I was seriously thinking about an original DM2 for $200 at Music swap shop.
How much could the insured postage on a pedal be??
Surely not THAT much.
Do you import gear from time to time Paul?
I also enjoy food!

[niftydog]

only suckers pay ticket price at a music shop!

Make mates with a guy who works for a music store and you can do even better.

Ok, so not fatastic compared to the US price, but I got an EH bass microsynth, retails for around $1000 for $650. In my hand the next day!

[Toney]

Sounds like you did really well Niftydog.
Music Junction is the only reasonably priced joint in Melbourne. Allans, Manny's, Gallins mostly aren't massively flexible. There are no local music shops near me, just those chains.
Still, that synth is only US$299 from Musician's friend!

[niftydog]

I know.... sad isn't it?

It's really hard to say if it's worth it or not. Pretty difficult to estimate shipping and insurance. Also, for the EH synth I would have had to buy an Australian wall wart to replace the US one that would have come with it. Another cost, another inconvenience....

Bulk orders are the way to go, but I don't know what the law says... like once you import a certain value of goods you might be subject to duties and taxes etc.

[mikeb]

Buy on (USA) ebay!!!! I've saved stacks that way.

GST isn't collected on imported items unless it is more than AUS$50.

Mike

[talking_goat]

Sounds like you did really well Niftydog.
Music Junction is the only reasonably priced joint in Melbourne. Allans, Manny's, Gallins mostly aren't massively flexible. There are no local music shops near me, just those chains.
Still, that synth is only US$299 from Musician's friend!

Yeah, a majority of the places in Melbourne are pretty average when it comes to cutting a deal. They have to be making a very handy profit, not that you can blame them, although it isn't that pleasant for the consumer. The worst is when you have to basically pay full retail and cop nothing but poxy attitude from the shop assistants. :evil:  I don't know whether it's just my luck but 9 times outta 10 I end up getting someone who thinks they are god's gift to guitar to come over and talk down to me. It just doesn't give me a good vibe.
whinge over

[vdm]

eh.. i did work experience for gallins a couple years back and they were really nice to me.. its amazing the amount of pretense and 'machoness' some people came into the shop with...

nonetheless terry (my boss - and head manager) has now left and my connections there are fading.... *says goodbye to 20% discount*...

you can always pull em down by a fair bit and get some extra things like leads and straps thrown in while they're not thinking

oh and by the way.... whoever watches the footy anyway :wink: .....'

trent