Recommendations to service a Mesa mk IV?

[Kiwiaxe]

I think Clarry serviced this about 15 years ago.

Pots are scratchy and dropping volume. In theory they should be capable of a clean but the Mesa amps are nightmares and the mark IVs no less so.

I also don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on someone who will be learning on the job.

Any recommendations? Auckland based

[NippleWrestler]

If it's just cleaning the pots you can do that yourself with great ease as mesa pots are all wired off board rather than soldered on like Marshall or Peavey.

Contact cleaner in the slot, give the pot a few turns with some gusto, then some electrical lubricant and you're done.

What else do you need? It's worth taking 20 minutes to do that yourself and then see how you go than paying the bench fee for a tech to do the easy stuff.

Mesas aren't difficult to work on, I've fixed about 5 or 6, unless it's a relay situation. Those are never fun and means the board needs to come out, most other components can be accessed top side... and a schematic greatly helps.

Godspeed.

[olegmcnoleg]

I think Clarry serviced this about 15 years ago.

Pots are scratchy and dropping volume. In theory they should be capable of a clean but the Mesa amps are nightmares and the mark IVs no less so.

I also don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on someone who will be learning on the job.

Any recommendations? Auckland based

Has Clarry stopped fixing amps?

Last I knew he was still in business.

[jeremyb]

I'd be asking the Rockshop who they use for their warranty stuff?

[Kiwiaxe]

I think Clarry serviced this about 15 years ago.

Pots are scratchy and dropping volume. In theory they should be capable of a clean but the Mesa amps are nightmares and the mark IVs no less so.

I also don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on someone who will be learning on the job.

Any recommendations? Auckland based

Has Clarry stopped fixing amps?

Last I knew he was still in business.

No idea but he was old last time!

[Kiwiaxe]

If it's just cleaning the pots you can do that yourself with great ease as mesa pots are all wired off board rather than soldered on like Marshall or Peavey.

Contact cleaner in the slot, give the pot a few turns with some gusto, then some electrical lubricant and you're done.

What else do you need? It's worth taking 20 minutes to do that yourself and then see how you go than paying the bench fee for a tech to do the easy stuff.

Mesas aren't difficult to work on, I've fixed about 5 or 6, unless it's a relay situation. Those are never fun and means the board needs to come out, most other components can be accessed top side... and a schematic greatly helps.

Godspeed.

Hmm ok shall try that this weekend!

[The Scarecrow]

I think Clarry serviced this about 15 years ago.

Pots are scratchy and dropping volume. In theory they should be capable of a clean but the Mesa amps are nightmares and the mark IVs no less so.

I also don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on someone who will be learning on the job.

Any recommendations? Auckland based

Has Clarry stopped fixing amps?

Last I knew he was still in business.

No idea but he was old last time!

I first met Clarry when I was around 25, back when he was in Mt Eden just before he relocated to Titirangi.
He looked a bit older than my dad, who was in his mid 50's at the time - I had him pegged at a few years either side of retirement age.

I'm 45 now, so I only presume he'd be well into his 70's. Last time I saw him was in 2016 and he'd definitely aged a bit, but seemed to have no intention of stopping work.

[olegmcnoleg]

Has Clarry stopped fixing amps?

Last I knew he was still in business.

No idea but he was old last time!

I first met Clarry when I was around 25, back when he was in Mt Eden just before he relocated to Titirangi.
He looked a bit older than my dad, who was in his mid 50's at the time - I had him pegged at a few years either side of retirement age.

I'm 45 now, so I only presume he'd be well into his 70's. Last time I saw him was in 2016 and he'd definitely aged a bit, but seemed to have no intention of stopping work.

I definitely have not heard if he has stopped work. It should be front page news around here when he does, and I think we should give him an honorary lifetime Good Chap Award

[murky]

Ivan T at musicelectronicsrepair.co.nz

Some people find him a little direct. I like that he’s honest, straight to the point, and is qualified/more than happy to work on the tricky stuff. He’s fixed problems for me that others couldn’t. It’s his side hustle, so you may need to be patient.

[The Scarecrow]

No idea but he was old last time!

I first met Clarry when I was around 25, back when he was in Mt Eden just before he relocated to Titirangi.
He looked a bit older than my dad, who was in his mid 50's at the time - I had him pegged at a few years either side of retirement age.

I'm 45 now, so I only presume he'd be well into his 70's. Last time I saw him was in 2016 and he'd definitely aged a bit, but seemed to have no intention of stopping work.

I definitely have not heard if he has stopped work. It should be front page news around here when he does, and I think we should give him an honorary lifetime Good Chap Award

I remember when I sold my last tube amp (now completely digital in both my rigs) and one of my thoughts was "I probably won't see Clarry again"

[jeremyb]

I had him pegged.

[Capt. Black]

Clarry answered the door for me when I last picked up a repair from him a couple weeks ago. Looked the same as he always did. Seemed to be walking and talking and everything.

[NippleWrestler]

I think Clarry serviced this about 15 years ago.

Pots are scratchy and dropping volume. In theory they should be capable of a clean but the Mesa amps are nightmares and the mark IVs no less so.

I also don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on someone who will be learning on the job.

Any recommendations? Auckland based

Sorry, another thing. If you're cleaning the pots out properly you may as well do the tube sockets and jack sockets - anything that moves or a point of contact is an entrance for crud so give them a spray and a wiggle too. It's amazing sometimes how much you can fix up with a thorough clean, especially on older amps.

I did wonder if your filter caps are on their way out. They typically have a usage cycle of around 20 years and dropping volume, flubby bass, low gain are symptoms of them being past their best. Luckily these are also easy to change out (if you need to).

[NZTone.e]

Saw a receipt from 34 audio for an amp service recently, name on it wasn’t Clarry, might rule them out with the “learning on the job” comment…

[godgrinder]

Ivan T at musicelectronicsrepair.co.nz

Some people find him a little direct. I like that he’s honest, straight to the point, and is qualified/more than happy to work on the tricky stuff. He’s fixed problems for me that others couldn’t. It’s his side hustle, so you may need to be patient.

Yeah I had good results from him with more complicated modern amps.