Engineering; teaching/training (one-on-one), explaining diagnostics step by step while you watch and/or help.....and other such:  by negotiation, ahead of time.   Usually basic shop labor rate; or less.   Often, the advice is FREE!    Groups:  by negotiation.

Service calls:   $100 Flat Fee, which includes up to one hour at customer's site. Basic $80/hr after the first hour at site. If over 40 miles round trip, will be an extra charge of $0.80/mile each way.      ***We are presently NOT doing service calls***
 

Type 5:  This Category is generally for Triple Lead Marshall (JCM 2000 TSL122), which are highly complex and/or very heavy and CAN BE quite difficult to work on; and, may take a fair amount of time just to remove/replace the chassis.  I usually discuss category 4 and 5 items in-depth with the customer before accepting such an item for diagnosis or repair, to be sure the customer and I are in agreement as to what is to be done.   I sometimes see items I will place in this Category that have previously been wrongly/poorly worked-on, have multiple problems, sometimes prior work caused problems. Sometimes there is extensive circuit work that is needed...and, I may need to do quite extensive Internet work to find Service Literature, etc.   Included in this category Type 5 are large mixing boards of 12 or more channels, which I may decline to work on at all; and, many amplifiers over 200 w/ch.  Old large, complicated ANTIQUE radios often fit this category of Type 5.  Our MINIMUM FEE WITH DIAGNOSTIC TESTING is typically $135.

Type 4 and type 5, at our discretion, if we decline to repair after disassembly and testing, or, we decline to repair if it will be way expensive beyond its worth, will be one-half the Minimum fee.

TYPE 6:   This category is for many things not elsewhere's mentioned.  We usually quote a minimum/diagnostic fee once we see the unit, and obtain the full complaint from you.   There are some items we MAY no longer work on, such as as very big and very heavy Open Reel (Reel-to-Reel) tape units, that may or may not contain an 8 track and/or cassette player besides the open reel mechanism.     We are going to eventually completely stop working on the biggest Egnaters and triple lead Marshalls, ETC.

TYPE 7:   (and, see TYPE 4)....I am sometimes asked about the cost to repair an ANTIQUE radio of the Cathedral, Tomestone, or CONSOLE TYPE, to reasonably good or better operating condition.  To ME, an antique console radio is a large radio, often with a phonograph, that was manufactured before the 1970's.  Many were built in the 1930's, some may be quite valuable. Before the sixties, such radios are vacuum tube operated.   I've done quite a bit of work on old radios over the years.    It is very difficult to quote a repair price, because in many instances the radio is not operational at all when you bring it to us, and considerable work may be required to get it operating up to just a diagnosis condition.  Really early radios have speakers in the cabinet that do NOT have 'permanent' magnets, ....the magnetism for the speaker cone is provided by a largish many-turn device that has connections-to the radio's power supply, and is used as a 'choke', in electronics terminology, and the speaker plugs into the radio chassis, and we must remove the speaker when working on the main chassis on the workbench, OR, we must make up a circuit/parts to duplicate the speaker magnet coil, electrically.    Over my many years of experience; and, similar experience by others doing similar work, many, if not most, of us technicians seem to have come up with what may seem like a strange Rule-of-Thumb method of estimating probable billing for a complete job for a major tabletop antique, and especially for a major console.   It is $25 PER VACUUM TUBE, at a minimum, for me, but may be more...(or less).   I will telephone or e-mail you now and then, as work proceeds.  This covers labor, which can be extensive on such things as dial drives, etc.....and will cover parts such as a tube or three perhaps, and cover small parts such as coupling capacitors.  It does not include major electrolytic capacitors and more than a couple of vacuum tubes ...nor does it cover any cabinet work.  In general, when a major console antique is taken on by me, the labor, and also including parts, runs less than that.  Labor from some places, not mine, seem to run from that amount to three times (or even more if the work is being done by a technician in expensive-to-live-and-work-cities, such as San Francisco, and/or of cabinet work is contemplated...which I don't do anymore).   A lot of labor and cost is OFTEN involved in obtaining technical repair literature (this applies to a LOT of repairs, not just consoles!).  
I have found it best to give the customer an out-front diagnosis estimate on many (not necessarily all) of these antique repairs, and this price is quite often, depending on the radio's condition, the amount I may want out front, before doing any really serious diagnostic work.   I NO LONGER will do 'free' diagnostic work on these old antique radios.   
Beginning April 5th, 2024, I will no longer work on large/medium consoles.     I will honor my WaitList listings for such, up to and including this date, but will not accept further console work.   There MAY be exceptions made.   I WILL still work on antique table radios.  If my health holds up, I may consider the consoles again.

BTW.....I do my best to keep my prices low.... well below my publish of my State's requirement for a 'published' labor rate.    You can see that earlier on, where I list my basic rates.   I usually charge less, often substantially less, but I have to have something to show, to meet State requirements.   Tips are accepted!
.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

We may require a cash deposit before any work is done on ANYTHING.   We tend to only ask for cash deposits wherein the item may not be worth fixing, from an initial look-see.  This method is also used to separate out those who have purchased things for very little money at garage sales, etc., and may, otherwise, try to get me to check them out for free, and when that checkout takes considerable time.   Cash deposits are fairly common when working on true antique radios, due to the enormous amount of time often needed just to get to a good diagnostic analysis.  

Note:  I almost always now decline to work on SMC-built items....that means lead-less components (Surface Mounted Components), as I have sold my special soldering equipment for such PIA work, and these units are typically difficult to work on anyway, particularly without service manuals.   We are no longer stocking SMC parts at all.  We are, generally, not working any more on items with surface mounted components (lead-less).  Many exceptions though.


Test item usage fees: 

WE have and use some types of specialized test tools that wear out.   Some of these tools BREAK from a bad unit customers bring us.  Usage will usually be billed as a 'parts or test gear usage'.  Certain test equipment items have limited lifetimes due to wear with age and/or usage, such as "factory-standard" test tapes for frequency range & performance, wow & flutter, ETC.  Most of these items are no longer available from the original manufacturers; or, are only available at VERY high cost.   If/when these fail due to normal or other wear, we have to spend a considerable amount of time/money obtaining (or, making) new ones...IF WE EVEN CAN, or have specialists make them for us.   Therefore: Usage fees may apply to certain such items, including FACTORY test tapes & FACTORY tape torque meters; or similar specialty tools.  10-1/2" Open Reel test tapes (any tape width):  $15.00.    ALL other tape types and sizes, including specialized tape type torque gauge units to measure tape take-up, or FF/RWD torques, or braking torques, for any and all types of tape machines...this includes small open reel types, 8 track cartridge types; and micro, mini, and standard cassette types; all inclusive 1 to 8 tracks:   $2 minimum, $8.00 maximum.  We DO NOT usually charge for use of some of our standardized CD/DVD discs and cassettes, because we can make most of those easily....just not all, ....otherwise it's a buck or two.