Big Sky Audio, LLP

We are in the process of closing our business due to retirement. We are no longer accepting any new service work and apologize for the inconvenience. All shop test equipment, tech benches, parts, and upgrade procedures (intellectual property) will be sold. Please inquire by pm if interested.

Rick
 
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Joined 2004
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Hi Rick,
Why don't you show pictures of the equipment and whatever else you are selling? Your web site would have been perfect for that, but it's gone 403 as you probably know.

From one service person to another, have a great retirement! I'm sure you deserve it. I can't see myself retiring, what would I do? What are your plans?

-Chris
 
Hi Chris,

Thank you for the kind words. It has been a terrific 12 years specializing in ADCOM, HK Citation, and Parasound. Due to some decline in health along with a very rude and threatening customer earlier this year, I've decided to close down the shop. My plans are to finally get around to fixing my own stuff that has sat untouched for years because I was always busy doing customer work. Never had much time to even revise the website. You are seeing a 403 message as my website host blocks all out of US customers because of new European privacy laws.

Equipment for sale is on eBay under my user ID: bigskyaudiollp

Interested buyers can purchase directly also and save 10% off the listed prices.

Rick
 
Administrator
Joined 2004
Paid Member
Hi Rick,
I hear you loud and clear! After I sold my business in 1998 after 16 years and moved to a quiet place in a small town, I had old customers look me up (they were not happy with the new owners). So I took one, then another ... on and on.

These days its great, because I don't have to accept every client. "If my dog doesn't like you, I don't either". Dogs are an excellent judge of character!!

Having said that, I'm very busy, but I make time to do my own stuff now and then. You really need to do that. There is a little pressure, but nothing like it used to be (my shop was 6,000 sq ft with a bunch of employees). Consider taking on a little work from your best customers.

I was warranty for brands like Carver, Revox, Nakamichi, Adcom, Counterpoint, Audio Alchemy, Marantz (the good old days), Yamaha and Denon plus a few others. That and we did recording studio work too. It was fun and enjoyable until the market dropped out in 1998 and I sold at exactly the right time.

You know what I miss more than anything Rick? The 8 filing cabinets full of service manuals! I walked away with what was on my service bench only.

-Chris
 
I understand about the new owners of your former business. They may not be committed to doing the best job possible nor have the passion that you had with running your shop. I have reworked quite a few ADCOM amps that other shops had done previously and am amazed at the shoddy work sent out the door. I currently have an ADCOM GFA-565 that I suspect one of the guys here has repaired. It came to my shop because it blew the customer's house breaker along with its own primary fuse.

My advice to anyone repairing amplifiers is that this is a serious business and do the job right the first time. Having really good liability insurance is a must.
 
the person who gives me a job has chosen the same path as you.
he has sold his big store to buy a smaller one and gives me to repair all he does not want to do anymore.
At 75 he has never been so happy, he chose his client and the devices he wants to repair.
so good retirement to you!
 
Administrator
Joined 2004
Paid Member
Hi Rick,
Sh*t happens. I had robust liability insurance when I had my shop. You never know who is going to be ridiculous, and you never know when the judge actually buys into that.

I only had to use the liability insurance once. When I moved, the phone guy butted my racks before they were completely installed. They went over like dominoes. All I could do was stand and watch as they went over slowly. I only lost some of my own gear, but we had 10 or so customer units that were damaged. I told them right up front and not a one was annoyed. We fixed all the damage, and the insurance replaced the test equipment (Use the replacement policy!!). That phone guy still feels bad about that and we are still good friends. He used to work for me before he did the phone guy gig.

-Chris
 
Administrator
Joined 2004
Paid Member
Hi Rick (bigskyaudio),
Yes. Really poor workmanship. The number of poorly serviced products I see on a daily basis is actually very disheartening. The few good techs left tend to work from home these days.

Doing work bad enough to blow breakers is inspired! That should never happen, even with a dead short. I'd be looking at the electrical in the house too.

-Chris
 
I can't speak for everyone but I started my business because I love amplifiers. A service company usually will not make one rich but it has paid my bills which is all I ever wanted it to do. It is indeed a labor of love. My passion is restoring older amps like a Citation 16A where it can be made to sound better than new.

Liability insurance is required for many businesses and is silly not to have it. Chris just mentioned how racks fell over in his shop and damaged customer items. You have to be covered for that along with theft, fire, water damage, etc. Don't forget about the customer's living room fire because of an amp that was just repaired.
 
The rude customers are usually few and far between but they do happen. I had an instance earlier this year that really soured me on the whole operating a business thing. Against my better judgement, I allowed a seller of a Parasound HCA-2200II to ship to me, upgrade it, and then send it to the new owner who purchased it. I was assured by the seller that it worked fine. I do not accept 3rd party shipments but made an exception as the buyer wanted to save on shipping cost and have the amp sent directly to me. Well, it had a right channel that did not work and had a raucous hum. I told the buyer about the inoperative amp and his reply was that I was a scammer and he believed the seller that the amp was good. I was threatened with a lawsuit, losing my home, jail time, and whatever else he could think of.
 
Administrator
Joined 2004
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Hi Rick (bigskyaudio),
Wow, that's way over the top! The fault could have been shipping damage, but the best way to deal with that would be to return it to the original owner, shipping collect. Forget the buyer in this case and you are taking the only reasonable action you could. Just opting out of that plan.

I'm sure this was a lot of wasted time and effort, coupled by the stress of dealing with an idiot. I'm sorry you ran into one of those people Rick.

-Chris
 
it's our cross to wear.
I prefer to laugh that crying even if it is not always easy.
just this week, I have a 3x Ion that comes straight from england and sold as functional, except that it was bridged on a single channel, so in mono and with a broken down channel.
and an Analog Audio Puccini settanta who is coming out for the second time from a well-known hifi repair company in France, despite that, the amp creaks as if it was a burn out in the speakers ...
you are right, nothing is better than having your own workshop at home.
 
It is a business learning experience that one wants to know about and hopefully avoid, sorry that it is on the backs of others. Lots of scamming going on these days for sure.

Parrasound HCA-2200II = John Curl design that probably uses unobtainable Toshiba fets and you are going to upgrade/fix it using what parts?
 
Assuming you have or can get these genuine Toshiba parts. Are you selling off your stock of special parts?, which imo means it is over for you, if you do sell off stock, because good luck finding them again at reasonable costs and risks. I am sure Parrasound has given up servicing these units because probably no stock of parts. Maybe John Curl can supply service parts for his design :)