What equipment do you not work on?
I like to think I’d be willing to work on anything with a service manual, but realistically I need to draw the line somewhere.
My experience and knowledge of CD players is limited. I have repaired two. One had a faulty Philips DAC and the other had a dead laser. Bear in mind that some laser assemblies can be hard to find, expensive or just impossible to get a hold of.
I have never been a big fan of cassette decks. I have done a handful of belt jobs and regard it as a massive pain in the arse, especially if you need to determine the size of the replacement belt. It doesn’t help that some of these decks are full of plastic parts waiting to break! I also don’t have any of the factory calibration tapes that are used for setting up playback speed, record levels and Dolby stuff.
Reel to reel tape recorders are something I have zero experience of, so I think it would be prudent to stay away from them. If I did work on one it would have to be on a ‘purely experimental’ basis.
I don’t work on brand new or modern stuff. My definition of ‘modern’ stretches to the 1990’s. A lot of this stuff is not serviceman friendly and difficult to work on.
So called ‘midi’ systems that were popular in the ’90s and ’00s also fall under this category.
If you are not sure, please feel free to get in touch!
What equipment do you prefer to work on?
I really enjoy working on British equipment from the 1950’s to the 1970’s. Companies such as Hacker, Dynatron, Bush, Pye and others made lots of equipment that well worth restoring.
Anything with a nice wooden cabinet is worth sorting.
I have worked on some ARCAM equipment from the 1990’s and found it to be very good.
I’ve restored 12 Pye Black Boxes (at least one of each model excluding the Super Black Box) and numerous ‘Dansette’ type record players.
As a result of this I am familiar with a range of Garrard, BSR and Collaro turntables and auto-changers.
Do you work on Bang and Olufsen (B&O) Equipment?
I would really like to but I haven’t encountered any yet. It’s worth mentioning that many B&O turntables use a ‘one piece’ cartridge and stylus assembly. This means that if the stylus is damaged, the whole cartridge will have to be sent away to be re-tipped and repaired. The costs to do this should be considered before having any equipment restored.
Do you work on guitar amplifiers?
So far, I haven’t worked on one. I would be happy to consider working on any vintage valve based amplifier. I wouldn’t consider working on anything new or modern though.
Would you restore a Pye Achoic 1005?
Yes. I restored two back to back in 2023. Bear in mind that certain parts are becoming scarce. The Newmarket ‘NKT’ transistors used in the 1005 can be expensive. Styli are still available but stocks are dwindling. Don’t let this put you off the Pye 1005, they are interesting machines!
Do you work on radiograms and stereograms?
Yes. I’m happy to accommodate these larger pieces of equipment.
Would you restore ‘X’ for a birthday or Christmas present?
I’m happy to restore equipment in time for a special event but I need plenty of notice. I am not prepared to rush things.
‘I have some vintage equipment I’d like to sell. Would you buy it?’
I don’t usually buy stuff. Maybe in some exceptional circumstances.
Where are you?
North east of Newcastle.
Do you do collections or callouts?
No. Any equipment that is going to be restored must be brought to me.
‘I have a vintage valve/transistor radio I’d like restored. Would you do that?’
My interest in this type of equipment started in 2015 with radio, so I’m always open to restoring radios.
How can I get in touch?
Please direct any questions to: enquiries@hailshifi.co.uk