Shango...Please pass on this message to Gary. Forget televisions and consumer electronics. Advertise and focus on vintage receivers and amplifiers. If he can work on Marantz, Pioneer, Sansui, ect for the 70's he will do very well. I have been running Electric City in Denver restoring vintage audio and we keep very busy because nobody else does this! Console stereos, tube amps, all this old stuff is very popular and he can continue working.
repairing vintage gear is my bread and butter here on the canadian east coast in nova scotia i gave up working on flat screens last year or so cant do much with them anymore
Look at my comment a little below yours.This is the way the last remaining old school TV repair shop here in Albuquerque operates.Budget TV.He doesn't just work on stereo components,but does a lot of work on record players,and console stereos,from the 50s,60s,and 70s.Your Zenith,Magnavox,RCA,GE,Admiral,etc.As well as antique radios.I was in there recently,and I saw one of those big old floor model Montgomery Wards Airline console radios,from 1938 somebody had brought in to be restored.
Gary deserves a salute, from each and every one of us.... Thanks so very much for documenting the end of an era... I just wish that it wasn't so, progress..... disposability....
Cost of ownership is what matters. Use the CPI calculator to convert the cost of a new tube TV ( and frequent repairs ) into today's $ then compare to today's TV. Be sure to include he cost of electricity / additional load on the house AC system. ( deduct from the winter heat bill though . ) The reason old stuff was repaired is because it was $$$ to buy new and broke frequently.
hi everyone ,if anyone else wants to learn about local tv repair try Saankramer Electronic Magazine System (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some super things about it and my brother in law got cool results with it.
It's all going in the direction of the hobbist and the museums. It's not dead. Funny thing is some of these young kids (Middle School age) are picking up the information and know more then me (35). Just like me with my ADD in middle school. I didn't do the best in school, but when I got interested in electronics, nothing else mattered. Look up Hyper focus. I've seen this with a few kids at the Vintage Computer Festival in person and on RUclips.
Very moving. Sad situation, but I hope maybe there's some sort of silver lining for him. Perhaps he can continue fixing the vintage stuff from home, to keep sharp, and busy.
This Is a sad reality of mom and pop shops. Not only TV shops but small business in general. They can't compete against huge big box companies with almost unlimited check books. I really enjoyed this. I think it's important to document the few shops like this that are left. As it shows a time when things weren't so disposable. Surprisingly we still have 3 shops here in small town SC. But i don't know how they stay afloat.
Radio Rescue You are right. The local hardware stores are fighting a losing battle. The stores that were a few blocks from everyone, who had most anything, are as scattered and few as utters on bulls.
I used to manage a shop, it's not an easy business, for one thing in the old days we pretty much had service manuals for everything, that saved us time.
Going out of business doesn't make sense to me. Moving into a garage and eliminating as much overhead does make sense to me. The internet can give back what it takes elsewhere. After all you need to keep up with the times. I mean how all these large brick and mortars keep failing to do so!
Cost of ownership is what matters. Use the CPI calculator to convert the cost of a new tube TV ( and frequent repairs ) into today's $ then compare to today's TV. Be sure to include he cost of electricity / additional load on the house AC system. ( deduct from the winter heat bill though . ) The reason old stuff was repaired is because it was $$$ to buy new and broke frequently.
here in the UK i worked in the TV repairs from 1966 to 2003, when i stepped sideways into IT hardware support. Watching and listening to this guy echos almost exactly what happened world wide when the china imports flooded the world with cheap consumer electronics. I still dabble in the dark arts of tube ( valve ) radio and tv and have great satisfaction in bringing them back from the brink...
@@christopherhulse8385 hi from Australia, I got out of my TV & video repair business in 2005 when it got too hard to make a living. Moved into broadcasting for the rest of my career. There must be a huge number of ex TV technicians worldwide!
Thank you Shango066 for taking the time to document Gary's story. He and his mother both appear really sharp. It is too bad that Gary has some ongoing physical challenges from his accident. He was more creative than most in keeping the business going. Here in Everett WA, the last of the repair shops closed less than 5 years ago. There was still an electronics parts distributor here 10 years ago.
I'm don't know if Mr Gary is among us nowadays (I hope he is, healty and happy). As a former service tecnnician, watching this video was painful. It almost made me cry. A / V service is not a job of wealth, we don't get rich repairing stereos and TVs, but it's a passion that runthrough our veins. Best wishes from Buenos Aires Argentina
If you don't mind me adding: When I was 6 or so, a tv repairman came out to our house about 1970, and after that. He worked for a tv and appliance shop where my father bought our tv's from, and I'd watch him with fascination. We'd talk about what he was doing, and if he replaced any parts or tubes, I got to keep them. I wanted to be a tv repairman when I grew up, but it didn't work out. It didn't come easy to me, so I didn't get to. But I never lost my interest. I just wished I had hands on training. Watching RUclips videos about electronics repairs is my favorite form of entertainment.
Thank you for this, I live in the UK so this is a real glimpse into life in the US. I'm very sorry for this gentleman and I hope he continues to get well and finds something amazing to do with his new found leisure time.
Yes I seen that to, a young sharp mind in an old body, mind 64 is bit so old now I guess. I could listen to this guy for hours, so knowledgeable, also his mother, what a fine lady. So sad to see it close.
I was on a service truck in the late '70's. That was when I learned the deep emotional connection people have with their "television friends". At times it felt like they were losing a family member if the set had to go to the shop. Thanks for the memories.
When I was a kid, our old magnavox had to go to the shop, we all came out on the front porch and worriedly watch it get loaded in the truck. Probably would have greeted it when it came back but it was a weekday when I was at school. So happy to see it and watch Speed Racer.
the lst one you mean! there are no more, if there are then it might just be an old shop that some keeps the items in, or its a muesuim only open to the public when the owner wants it to be
Worked at a shop like this during college... knew damn near nothing going in. Bench tech would send me out, with some basic instruction on diagnosing. if there was a part he knew was on the truck he would talk me thru fixing it on the phone. If it wasn't simple I'd put it on the truck and bring it in. We sold Zenith and Sony, Zenith was easy... Sonys got dragged in and, by example of our old school zinc plated bench tech, I was sure the way you fixed them was to mutter obscenity into the back of the set. Learned a lot. Hope Gary gets to keep his hand in it as he retires.
I worked in a shop back in High School called Tappan Television in Tappan, NY. Owner Harry Kirk taught me how to troubleshoot, read schematics, use test equipment, etc. Went to a two year tech school for Electronics Technology from 75 thru 77 and still worked at the shop. Once I graduated tech school I went to work for an Oceanography company and stopped working at the shop, That same week Zenith laid off all its American workers and went to Mexico, I felt bad but needed to advance as I knew this was a dying business but I liked it. Anyway I later worked for NCR Corp for 30 years as a Field Engineer fixing ATM Machies, Check Sorters and retail POS Systems. I use to stop by and visit Harry at the old shop when I went to see family but he has since passed. I'm now semi retired and am a Field Engineer for Burroughs fixing ATM's.
Thank you for documenting this - sad to see the last few shops go. There is a lot to learn from the old ways, as to how to do the new ways better. Engineering and mathematics is great fun, but so is knowing the fundamentals from the old ways - too many engineers these days don't get their hands dirty ... they wouldn't know where to begin to make a machine or piece of electronics work.
It's sad to see this type of tv's and radio's and stereos fade away. They don't make these products to be worked on there just made to sell it put a lot of job's out of business just like this gentleman. This is a good video enjoyed watching it it brought memories back for a few minutes
This hit me hard. I fixed many things, including TV sets, having learned how as a kid. Today is so different, seemingly wasteful. Well done Gary! Thanks for sharing your story.
A lot of people have the internet for instructions on how to fix electronics and most of the TV boards yes can be replaced however you can purchase the parts to repair them for half the price. Definitely this guy should do some RUclips videos on how to repair older stuff that knowledge is kind of going to the wayside but definitely is applicable for a lot of us guys who like to restore old things
Shango Thanks For this Great Video on Acme TV and Radio....man this is getting too much....The Places Ever Will Never Be Like This.... There is Nothing U can Buy That is worth Anything... My Dad Had a Friend that had a TV Shop Called Anthonys TV and Electronics on Gaffey St in San Pedro.... When I was Little I would Watch how thay worked on TVs and Picture Tubes...I wished many times I can just sit and watch all day doing their stuff!!!...😊... Great Memories Are Here Too 🌈
My good friend's Dad retired from TV/Electronics repair a few years back. His Dad started the store as a radio repair/retailer in the 30s and the son came in with TVs in the 50s. Half TV and home elctronics and half guitars and music equipment. Many a happy hour was spent in that store. To echo most of the other comments, it's sad to see these stores going away. Truly the end of an era.
it isso sad to have all the great repair shops go out of business . it is a real shame . people who really need to have stuff repaired will not be able to anymore . they will but it will not be fixed as good as if buy people that would take pride like owners of vintage repair shops . I wish that all the newer stuff would go away but that wont happen . I hope that at least those who have repaired will have family that might carry on where the older generation left off thank you so much and please give my best to the acme repair store own and thank you for posting this all the best always
A close friend just passed away that had a little shop in Anaheim. Nick and Fergeys Golden West TV. He used to run service calls, several a day. I followed suit here in Northern California and ran service calls from the mid 80s until the mid 2010s when the bottom fall out of the TV repair business. I miss Henry Schultz (Hank)
This makes me so sad! Repair shops like these are long gone here in Germany, most of the smaller TV and radio shops are gone as well. I've been selling, installing and repairing car stereo stuff for almost 17 years now. This will probably be the last year since my landlord is selling the house and it probably will be torn down soon. Funny thing is that a friend of mine is doing well in repairing and restoring old tube stuff as a business. People from all over the country send him stuff to fix and are willing to pay good money because he's one of only a fee people who can do it.
I videotaped a closing shop back in the mid nineties, had the same sad feelings. An era that time and technology has passed by. Thanks for the post Shango.
I enjoyed watching this, you captured the spirit of a bygone era. I did service calls with my dad back in late 50 and mid sixties. We had bags of tubes and a small tube tester...LOL. This man has a lot of knowledge and you have shown him much earned respect. I am certain he would be a good teacher. I personally was touched by this, thank you.
As the owner of an independent service facility myself, I can only feel bad for this guy. One always hopes to be able to sell the business when retiring. After all those years and a lifetime of work, all he got was a full dumpster. Sad.
I just watched this and it reminded me of how i got into this business. We had an old guy in our small town that worked on TV sets. I took mine down to have him look at it. He asked me if id like to watch him as i had told him in was always interested in electronics. That was probably in 1979. I went to tech school and took electronics technology. Got out in 1982 and got a job with a shop that worked on everything. We had 3 techs. 2 on the road and 1 in the shop. Fast forward to today. I just helped a couple of old friends i did a lot of work for close up shop within the last 3 years. One passed away and the last one which was last year was 90 years old. Brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for doing this story. Fortunately i am still in the business and am the CE at our local PBS station and have been there for nearly 28 years. I still work on quite a few flat screens and frig and range electronic boards.
Brings back memories. In 2014 the business that my grandfather founded in the 1950s that my uncle later opertated until his death was auctioned off. His shop looked just like Acme TV. I wish I had taken the opportunity to video document it before it was dismantled and sold.
we Made it almost 7 minutes in before we heard, "6GH8" :) we have one TV repair shop left up here in the SF bay area that services vintage Tube TVs and radio/stereo equipment.
Great video as ever, Its kind of sad to see it go, In Winnipeg, we only have one radio and TV repair shop left in as well, the gentleman that runs it is in his 90s so I wonder how long it will last.
Yes, and they did or do good work there. I knew of three other places. One in Dryden, Ontario and two in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Of those there is one left in Halifax and he is retiring soon, he says.
@william kidd,,There are way more Than 1 repair shop in Winnipeg!!! If you google TV Repair Shops you will find at least 10 repair shops!! How would I Know??? I ran a Repair Business from 1986 to 2002 and I Live In Winnipeg!!!
@321reh I live in Winnipeg too, Do they fix tube radios and turntables too? Because he's the only one I know in the city that still works on tube equipment.
There Are A Handful Of Part Time Technicians Who Still Dabble With Tube Sets!! I Use To Fix Tube Radios And TV Sets A Long Time Ago And I Am Considering To Do That Again!! I Ran A Repair Shop From 1986 To 2002!! Tubes Are In My Blood and Will Never Go Away!! I Even Have A Small Inventory Of Tubes In Stock in case I Need Them In The Future.. Good Luck In Finding More Technicians!!!
So sad to see these old school electronic repair shops go away.If you belong to any of the many record player/console stereo/cassette player groups on Facebook,you know that interest in this old stuff has increased greatly in recent years.More and more people are even becoming interested in old CRT televisions.In these Facebook groups,we are having more and more people come in from the UK,and Australia as well.But no matter where these people are from,a common problem seems to be a lack of people who can restore that old TV they inherited from grandma,or that console stereo they picked up at an estate sale.Here in Albuquerque,we had three shops like this.Al Setner's,no longer owned by the original owner.The guy who runs the place now,just does warranty work on flat screens.Menaul TV,where the guy who owned it,just retired recently.I was one of his last customers.He repaired my Fisher X-101 tube amp,and restored both a 1962 Magnavox console stereo,and a 1959 RCA Stereo-Orthophonic consolette.The last old school repair place we have like this,is called Budget TV,he does a lot of business doing restoration work on this old stuff.I have a few things I am going to take in for repair and restoration,like a matched set of a HH Scott tube tuner and amp,a 1959 Motorola three channel console stereo,and a rare 1949 GE 33/78 radio/phono.These old school repair shops are real treasures,if you are lucky enough to live near one,you need to support them with your business. Nowadays,if you want one of these old guys to repair a piece of vintage tube gear,it's best to buy the tubes online,before you take the item in for repair. Great video Shango.
I think there is one TV shop left in my area and he told me that 95% of his repairs is warranty work on flat screen TV's and once the warranty expires, most people replace the set when it breaks. I suspect that in the near future, even warranty repair will go away and when the set breaks, they'll either refund the purchase price or give the customer a new set. I have a phone book from 1977 and at that time, there was about 4 pages worth of TV shops in the area.
In the Southwest Nebraska town of 8000 where I live, there were 4 repair shops. I worked at a Magnavox dealer as tech, now in IT. Perhaps 2 remain, 1 being a part time operation I'd guess. Glad I'm not in that trade for a living. I'd be starving...
radiotvphononut This is called progress. Progress to failure. How far will it go until Americans demand quality over quantity?The entire culture has diminished into a superficial nature. No one wants a quality amplifier. No one cares about the quality of the sound they listen to. Desktop speakers off their pc is good enough. One problem, flat screens are high definition. They would not buy a CRT because the quality is not the same, can’t buy a 48” CRT to hang on the wall. It is really sad. I took a portable dvd/tv player to be repaired and was told they could not. I took a Marantz 4400 quad amp to be repaired and told the same. So shops are as well to blame as they have gone to pure card replacement. So it’s now independents who will do work on the YT. Get work from those who contact them. Many reasons, all too sad.
Very sad, everything now is throwaway electronics. I have done Tv,Radio, Phonograph repair for a long time. It is a dying art. I have managed to keep going by doing vintage equipment, a lot of my repairs are done for musicians who live for there tube gear. As well as other vintage tube equipment. I also do video game repairs. I am currently learnig cellphone repair, as long as my eyes stay good lol SMD's are a whole new ball game. I have made the investment on the repair gear so its not that bad. My prayers are with Gary, I wish him all the best. Great Video 👍
I'm 4 years late on that one... Discovering that channel in 2022. Closing such a shop, that's sad. Actually : depressing. Reminds me of the many shops downtown that amazed and fascinated me as a kid. Shops selling and repairing TVs, radios, Hi-Fi, cameras... And that hardware store next to my grand-parents in the early 80's : the ceiling was probably 5 meters high with a WW1-era plane painted on it. All shelves, from the floor to the ceiling, were full of stuff. The shopkeeper was well in his nineties : he looked like he was already grown-up when that plane was flying. All closed for decades, replaced by perfume/jewels/shoes/fashion generic licensed dealers.
This is really cool seems like times were better when people cared enough to repair something and have it for years. Im only 24 so ive grown up on throw away society but my parents and grandparents have taught me well to take care of things and repair when you can
End of an era. My late father repaired TVs, and progressed from valves (tubes) to transistors, before he retired. When colour TV started in the UK, at school the next day I bragged we had colour - only one in the class! What I didn't mention though, was that it was only brought home "on test" for a few days.
Just got done watching this video on acme tv in lomita california. I feel really bad this kind of brought a tear to my eye watching this video with someone with so much skill in electronics and seeing how they industry has changed from the decades to the point where his skill is no longer needed anymore. With someone with so much knowledge now can't even use it anymore. Even though he said he had an accident and he's in bad health but at least he had the mindset to still want to keep on working. But as time has gone on the industry has changed now he's forced not to be able to work anymore. People like him or a dying breed with all this knowledge in electronics it's a sad shame that he can't use it anymore. I have so much respect for people like that I wish I had half the knowledge that he does about this stuff. Very good video I'm glad you made this 😔
I been in this Store in the 1970s and 1980s...Just Beholding Radios was so Cool 😎....I would Always wanted those Old Multi Band Radios....😎...that was the reason I went in this store.... I am from San Pedro and Palos Verdes Area....Lomita Blvd...Also the Lucky's Market Too I was maybe 13 years old?
I was in the repair business from 1968 till 1998 and Gary told it very much like my shop and the tube era up to the present. I'll feel for Gary and what he is going through now closing his shop. I still have some of my test equipment and turned to the hobby of restoring old vintage equipment, radios, stereos and jukeboxes. I wish Gary improvement in health, God Bless!!
1960s 1970s lots tube sets lots repairs. 80s lots tvs to fix. 90s solid state , in 1998 worked for bigger shop has 6 technicians. contracts 10 years specialized in CD , dvd, car audio , lots decks to fix every month. hundreds of them i was pretty good at it. you know in end 2008 i left working there , business dying right out. i had change to electrical engineering manufacture . but I still love old radios. i still fix them ham radios. been ham long time. I miss the old days TV repair. if it was still here thats what i be a radio man tv man !
Nice documentary of a dying trade. While in college in the late 80's I started looking for work. One place was a repair business kind of like this. I would have started out fixing VCRs for $4 an hour. I could flip burgers for that. After graduating, I found a career in IT.
I did tv repair. Car stereo repair. finished my career doing poker machine monitor repair. I kind of miss it. todays stuff doesn't compare. You can't really troubleshoot to component level. just wild ass guessing and throwing parts at something.
?? I worked & managed a repair shop, we paid techs 40% commission on their jobs. I only know of one guy that was a full time tech that got an hourly wage. Most techs traveled around and we would call them in when needed.
The concept of repairing is becoming obsolete. I found a newer broken Polaroid LCD TV and there wasn't a single screw; all plastic tabs and metal slots, and just one board. The flimsy plastic bezel is designed to break. The LED backlights are buried behind the glass panel. It's a disposable item. Never meant to be serviced. The board failed and a new identical TV, same model and everything, was on sale for $99. Not even worth opening it up. The little I know about tube sets I've learned from you shango, so thank you for passing on your knowledge of this dying, or dead, art. I hope all is well with Gary.
I had a Saturday job in a TV repair shop in the 80s in UK, the owner was in his late 60s and was from the valve era, he was in his twighlight years and told me many stories of his youth, an amazing mentor, his shop was exactly like ACME, piles of repair sets, valves, tubes, tuner boards etc. The similarities are uncanny
Wish we had a shop that fixed older stuff, as i picked up an RCA 1951 Roundie TV that needs Restored, i'd like to have had that running to watch my old movie collection on. But Here where i live there are no shops any more that Restore or work on these types of TV's any more, i still have the set and hope some day to get it up and running again.
@jamie ericcon i'm in NY state, thats the Problem, No where around here to take an old set too. i saved the Tv from getting Junked along side the road and brought it home, its not in too bad of shape, just needs work done to See if worth fixing.Be neat to see it come back to life again though.
I started my working life in a TV Radio repair shop back in 1977 (I was just 15). It was a fantastic experience. I used to love the customer's opinion on what the fault was. The "Picture Valve" needs replacing they would pronounce. Life in a TV Repair shop was pretty much the same the world over. We would get to know and see families grow up, it was all part of a vibrant community. Nowadays we just throw things away, life has certainly changed and not all for the better.
I swear I seen what looked like a homebrew signal tracer in there like the ones made in my college electronics class. Probably ended up in the dumpster. Thanks for the video.
Old school small businesses have a warmth and genuine atmosphere that all the money and corporate backing in the world could never successfully replicate.
I can remember a bunch of little shops like these when I was a kid in the 80s. They slowly started to peter off in the mid/late 90s. The last one I can recall turned to fixing Apple computers in the early 00s, and might still be there. It really is a sad thing to see and art form die off like this. Thank you for your years of service, Gary.
Wow! I hate to see this place close. I lived near this late in the late 70's. There's not many TV/Radio repair places like this around any more. I still have plenty of vacuum-tube equipment. There's no one that knows how to repair them. Thanks for documenting this!
The video archive you are producing will be invaluable to future collectors of this stuff. I wish player piano guys had been able to have a resource like this 40 years ago. I've seen beautiful pianos 100 years old go to the dump because no one can fix them or afford to have them fixed.
One of the reasons things are so 'disposable' now is if something breaks after 5 years of use its replacement is usually much improved. TVs and radios stayed the same for 40 years after they came out. Great video.
I have 5 crt televisions in the home. Enjoy them so much more than LED sets. Sorry to see the old shop go as they were a pleasure to visit and learn about electronics. Brings back great memories, thanks.
I got my start on consumer electronics service in 1981. Looking back, I think I learned a lot because many of the TVs and stereos were serviced without schematics. Fun times, but kind of makes a guy feel old.
As I tiptoe into the tube and whatever other vintage stuff, the end of this shop makes it all seem like a mirage. My brother has fixed loads of old guitar stuff, and I told him I'd like to fix my Akai reel-reel - he goes 'do ya think it'd even be worth it?' He likes to make me frown, but he's kinda correct. ftw, man. RiP, Acme.
History needs to be preserved. My wife has 7 Reel to Reel machines. A few are in the process of being repaired (I do electronics work on the side). Provided the parts are not extreme, I always say "Fix It!"
I love that you do these shop closing videos. I wish I had done one here for our good old classic machinist. Our choices now for machine shops have never been as good since.
Bless that man. Thanks or documenting this... he held out to the bitter end. My old shop was pretty similar to Acme in having had to diversify. I was lucky though- I had some pretty fat contracts with the firm who sold the extended warranties with both Best Buy and Wal Mart, and there not being any other shops in that area gave me a great deal of business for years. Walk ins? Nah. Only car radios and PCs. Finally the warranty company changed hands and wanted to renegotiate with me for less than half of what I was getting. I told them to fly a kite, closed up shop and started a new life in California, which has been very good to me. That was 2011 or thereabouts.
Great video, same here in europe (Im from Spain), nearly no repair shops left. Luckily I know a guy who fixes my (arcade) crts, and I am learning how to fix them. Reminds me of my dad, he turns 80 in 2 months, and does not want to stop working, if I even suggest it, he will kick my *ss.
Shango...Please pass on this message to Gary. Forget televisions and consumer electronics. Advertise and focus on vintage receivers and amplifiers. If he can work on Marantz, Pioneer, Sansui, ect for the 70's he will do very well. I have been running Electric City in Denver restoring vintage audio and we keep very busy because nobody else does this! Console stereos, tube amps, all this old stuff is very popular and he can continue working.
repairing vintage gear is my bread and butter here on the canadian east coast in nova scotia i gave up working on flat screens last year or so cant do much with them anymore
Look at my comment a little below yours.This is the way the last remaining old school TV repair shop here in Albuquerque operates.Budget TV.He doesn't just work on stereo components,but does a lot of work on record players,and console stereos,from the 50s,60s,and 70s.Your Zenith,Magnavox,RCA,GE,Admiral,etc.As well as antique radios.I was in there recently,and I saw one of those big old floor model Montgomery Wards Airline console radios,from 1938 somebody had brought in to be restored.
Gary deserves a salute, from each and every one of us.... Thanks so very much for documenting the end of an era... I just wish that it wasn't so, progress..... disposability....
Cost of ownership is what matters. Use the CPI calculator to convert the cost of a new tube TV ( and frequent repairs ) into today's $ then compare to today's TV. Be sure to include he cost of electricity / additional load on the house AC system. ( deduct from the winter heat bill though . )
The reason old stuff was repaired is because it was $$$ to buy new and broke frequently.
Sad to see the business close. I hope Gary's health improves.
hi everyone ,if anyone else wants to learn about
local tv repair
try Saankramer Electronic Magazine System (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some super things about it and my brother in law got cool results with it.
Sad to have to watch a man dismantle his life...
This is sad... a dying art in my opinion... So many teachers are gone too.
It's all going in the direction of the hobbist and the museums. It's not dead. Funny thing is some of these young kids (Middle School age) are picking up the information and know more then me (35).
Just like me with my ADD in middle school. I didn't do the best in school, but when I got interested in electronics, nothing else mattered. Look up Hyper focus.
I've seen this with a few kids at the Vintage Computer Festival in person and on RUclips.
The teachers who are left are teaching lies and social agendas
Very moving. Sad situation, but I hope maybe there's some sort of silver lining for him. Perhaps he can continue fixing the vintage stuff from home, to keep sharp, and busy.
This Is a sad reality of mom and pop shops. Not only TV shops but small business in general. They can't compete against huge big box companies with almost unlimited check books. I really enjoyed this. I think it's important to document the few shops like this that are left. As it shows a time when things weren't so disposable. Surprisingly we still have 3 shops here in small town SC. But i don't know how they stay afloat.
Radio Rescue
You are right. The local hardware stores are fighting a losing battle. The stores that were a few blocks from everyone, who had most anything, are as scattered and few as utters on bulls.
I used to manage a shop, it's not an easy business, for one thing in the old days we pretty much had service manuals for everything, that saved us time.
Going out of business doesn't make sense to me. Moving into a garage and eliminating as much overhead does make sense to me. The internet can give back what it takes elsewhere. After all you need to keep up with the times. I mean how all these large brick and mortars keep failing to do so!
Cost of ownership is what matters. Use the CPI calculator to convert the cost of a new tube TV ( and frequent repairs ) into today's $ then compare to today's TV. Be sure to include he cost of electricity / additional load on the house AC system. ( deduct from the winter heat bill though . )
The reason old stuff was repaired is because it was $$$ to buy new and broke frequently.
here in the UK i worked in the TV repairs from 1966 to 2003, when i stepped sideways into IT hardware support.
Watching and listening to this guy echos almost exactly what happened world wide when the china imports flooded the world with cheap consumer electronics.
I still dabble in the dark arts of tube ( valve ) radio and tv and have great satisfaction in bringing them back from the brink...
The very last TV repair shop in Halesowen closed 6 months ago, i don't know of any other repair shops any longer, very sad.
@@christopherhulse8385 hi from Australia, I got out of my TV & video repair business in 2005 when it got too hard to make a living. Moved into broadcasting for the rest of my career. There must be a huge number of ex TV technicians worldwide!
junk imports
Thank you Shango066 for taking the time to document Gary's story. He and his mother both appear really sharp. It is too bad that Gary has some ongoing physical challenges from his accident. He was more creative than most in keeping the business going. Here in Everett WA, the last of the repair shops closed less than 5 years ago. There was still an electronics parts distributor here 10 years ago.
Gary had a good run. Everything changes sooner or later, I wish him the best
after waking up..watching this..i feel old..and sad..going back to bed..
iamrichrocker me too
same
I wish I could go back to about 1965.
Gary and his family is what makes America great.
It was a damn good run and he still had his spirits about him at the end, job well done old timer
I'm don't know if Mr Gary is among us nowadays (I hope he is, healty and happy). As a former service tecnnician, watching this video was painful. It almost made me cry. A / V service is not a job of wealth, we don't get rich repairing stereos and TVs, but it's a passion that runthrough our veins.
Best wishes from Buenos Aires Argentina
If you don't mind me adding:
When I was 6 or so, a tv repairman came out to our house about 1970, and after that. He worked for a tv and appliance shop where my father bought our tv's from, and I'd watch him with fascination. We'd talk about what he was doing, and if he replaced any parts or tubes, I got to keep them. I wanted to be a tv repairman when I grew up, but it didn't work out.
It didn't come easy to me, so I didn't get to. But I never lost my interest. I just wished I had hands on training. Watching RUclips videos about electronics repairs is my favorite form of entertainment.
Thank you for this, I live in the UK so this is a real glimpse into life in the US. I'm very sorry for this gentleman and I hope he continues to get well and finds something amazing to do with his new found leisure time.
His eyes are looking so young. but his bones look tired.
Sad to hear the story, but thanks a lot for passing on the history. Please more of that.
Yes I seen that to, a young sharp mind in an old body, mind 64 is bit so old now I guess. I could listen to this guy for hours, so knowledgeable, also his mother, what a fine lady. So sad to see it close.
I was on a service truck in the late '70's. That was when I learned the deep emotional connection people have with their "television friends". At times it felt like they were losing a family member if the set had to go to the shop. Thanks for the memories.
When I was a kid, our old magnavox had to go to the shop, we all came out on the front porch and worriedly watch it get loaded in the truck. Probably would have greeted it when it came back but it was a weekday when I was at school. So happy to see it and watch Speed Racer.
Good job on this,,, it's sad,,, another one bites the dust.
the lst one you mean! there are no more, if there are then it might just be an old shop that some keeps the items in, or its a muesuim only open to the public when the owner wants it to be
Worked at a shop like this during college... knew damn near nothing going in. Bench tech would send me out, with some basic instruction on diagnosing. if there was a part he knew was on the truck he would talk me thru fixing it on the phone. If it wasn't simple I'd put it on the truck and bring it in. We sold Zenith and Sony, Zenith was easy... Sonys got dragged in and, by example of our old school zinc plated bench tech, I was sure the way you fixed them was to mutter obscenity into the back of the set. Learned a lot. Hope Gary gets to keep his hand in it as he retires.
I admire this guy for sticking it out as long as he has. I've always liked repair places like this !
What a great look back at a fading era. Love this video. Very nice man...hope he is still well.
ShangO you did again , you interview the most interesting people, who needs TV when you got ShangO on patrol ! :) and Gary is as sharp as a needle !
I use to love going into shops like this you never knew what you would see or find.
So sad! I'm grateful that you documented this relic. Dear thanks to anyone who has a business like this.
I worked in a shop back in High School called Tappan Television in Tappan, NY. Owner Harry Kirk taught me how to troubleshoot, read schematics, use test equipment, etc. Went to a two year tech school for Electronics Technology from 75 thru 77 and still worked at the shop. Once I graduated tech school I went to work for an Oceanography company and stopped working at the shop, That same week Zenith laid off all its American workers and went to Mexico, I felt bad but needed to advance as I knew this was a dying business but I liked it. Anyway I later worked for NCR Corp for 30 years as a Field Engineer fixing ATM Machies, Check Sorters and retail POS Systems. I use to stop by and visit Harry at the old shop when I went to see family but he has since passed. I'm now semi retired and am a Field Engineer for Burroughs fixing ATM's.
That's where Wylie Coyote use to get all his electronics fixed....
Was thinking exactly the same. Wile E Coyote used to buy giant magnets, rockets and the famous 'genuine boomerang'.
Thank you for documenting this - sad to see the last few shops go. There is a lot to learn from the old ways, as to how to do the new ways better. Engineering and mathematics is great fun, but so is knowing the fundamentals from the old ways - too many engineers these days don't get their hands dirty ... they wouldn't know where to begin to make a machine or piece of electronics work.
This all sad and a sign of the times. But, great video, so happy stuff like this gets documented. Wish Gary well for us!
Sad to see this. I do electronics repair myself and my field is dying as well. Salute to Gary…
It's sad to see this type of tv's and radio's and stereos fade away. They don't make these products to be worked on there just made to sell it put a lot of job's out of business just like this gentleman. This is a good video enjoyed watching it it brought memories back for a few minutes
This hit me hard. I fixed many things, including TV sets, having learned how as a kid. Today is so different, seemingly wasteful.
Well done Gary! Thanks for sharing your story.
A lot of people have the internet for instructions on how to fix electronics and most of the TV boards yes can be replaced however you can purchase the parts to repair them for half the price. Definitely this guy should do some RUclips videos on how to repair older stuff that knowledge is kind of going to the wayside but definitely is applicable for a lot of us guys who like to restore old things
I’ve done this my entire life , this shop looks like every one I’ve ever been in .
Shango Thanks For this Great Video on Acme TV and Radio....man this is getting too much....The Places Ever Will Never Be Like This.... There is Nothing U can Buy That is worth Anything... My Dad Had a Friend that had a TV Shop Called Anthonys TV and Electronics on Gaffey St in San Pedro.... When I was Little I would Watch how thay worked on TVs and Picture Tubes...I wished many times I can just sit and watch all day doing their stuff!!!...😊... Great Memories Are Here Too 🌈
61 years. Nothing last forever... It's up to you to share your channel with the world. Your experience and knowledge for future generations to view.
I watched this again and my heart sank and I worked at a shop for 4 years it is so sad that it brought me to tears
My good friend's Dad retired from TV/Electronics repair a few years back. His Dad started the store as a radio repair/retailer in the 30s and the son came in with TVs in the 50s. Half TV and home elctronics and half guitars and music equipment. Many a happy hour was spent in that store. To echo most of the other comments, it's sad to see these stores going away. Truly the end of an era.
it isso sad to have all the great repair shops go out of business . it is a real shame . people who really need to have stuff repaired will not be able to anymore . they will but it will not be fixed as good as if buy people that would take pride like owners of vintage repair shops . I wish that all the newer stuff would go away but that wont happen . I hope that at least those who have repaired will have family that might carry on where the older generation left off thank you so much and please give my best to the acme repair store own and thank you for posting this all the best always
A close friend just passed away that had a little shop in Anaheim. Nick and Fergeys Golden West TV. He used to run service calls, several a day. I followed suit here in Northern California and ran service calls from the mid 80s until the mid 2010s when the bottom fall out of the TV repair business. I miss Henry Schultz (Hank)
This makes me so sad! Repair shops like these are long gone here in Germany, most of the smaller TV and radio shops are gone as well. I've been selling, installing and repairing car stereo stuff for almost 17 years now. This will probably be the last year since my landlord is selling the house and it probably will be torn down soon. Funny thing is that a friend of mine is doing well in repairing and restoring old tube stuff as a business. People from all over the country send him stuff to fix and are willing to pay good money because he's one of only a fee people who can do it.
I videotaped a closing shop back in the mid nineties, had the same sad feelings. An era that time and technology has passed by. Thanks for the post Shango.
I enjoyed watching this, you captured the spirit of a bygone era. I did service calls with my dad back in late 50 and mid sixties. We had bags of tubes and a small tube tester...LOL. This man has a lot of knowledge and you have shown him much earned respect. I am certain he would be a good teacher. I personally was touched by this, thank you.
As the owner of an independent service facility myself, I can only feel bad for this guy. One always hopes to be able to sell the business when retiring. After all those years and a lifetime of work, all he got was a full dumpster. Sad.
I sure wish Gary the best, it's too bad he had to close. Thank you for making this video. I always look forward to your next video.
Definitely a sad EOL vid :(
Indeed
I just watched this and it reminded me of how i got into this business. We had an old guy in our small town that worked on TV sets. I took mine down to have him look at it. He asked me if id like to watch him as i had told him in was always interested in electronics. That was probably in 1979. I went to tech school and took electronics technology. Got out in 1982 and got a job with a shop that worked on everything. We had 3 techs. 2 on the road and 1 in the shop. Fast forward to today. I just helped a couple of old friends i did a lot of work for close up shop within the last 3 years. One passed away and the last one which was last year was 90 years old. Brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for doing this story. Fortunately i am still in the business and am the CE at our local PBS station and have been there for nearly 28 years. I still work on quite a few flat screens and frig and range electronic boards.
Awww this hurts. Sorry your buddy closed down, I bet he still gets calls ;) seemed like a great guy. Thanks for sharing.
This is more than "kinda" sad. It breaks my heart for Gary.
Brings back memories. In 2014 the business that my grandfather founded in the 1950s that my uncle later opertated until his death was auctioned off. His shop looked just like Acme TV. I wish I had taken the opportunity to video document it before it was dismantled and sold.
we Made it almost 7 minutes in before we heard, "6GH8" :) we have one TV repair shop left up here in the SF bay area that services vintage Tube TVs and radio/stereo equipment.
Great video as ever, Its kind of sad to see it go, In Winnipeg, we only have one radio and TV repair shop left in as well, the gentleman that runs it is in his 90s so I wonder how long it will last.
Yes, and they did or do good work there. I knew of three other places. One in Dryden, Ontario and two in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Of those there is one left in Halifax and he is retiring soon, he says.
@william kidd,,There are way more Than 1 repair shop in Winnipeg!!! If you google TV Repair Shops you will find at least 10 repair shops!! How would I Know??? I ran a Repair Business from 1986 to 2002 and I Live In Winnipeg!!!
@321reh I live in Winnipeg too, Do they fix tube radios and turntables too? Because he's the only one I know in the city that still works on tube equipment.
Willaim kidd: And, highly recomended by other repair guys too.
There Are A Handful Of Part Time Technicians Who Still Dabble With Tube Sets!! I Use To Fix Tube Radios And TV Sets A Long Time Ago And I Am Considering To Do That Again!! I Ran A Repair Shop From 1986 To 2002!! Tubes Are In My Blood and Will Never Go Away!! I Even Have A Small Inventory Of Tubes In Stock in case I Need Them In The Future.. Good Luck In Finding More Technicians!!!
It's a Damn Shame,to see these places close down. I have watched so many places close their doors over the years. Thank you for sharing Shango.
So sad to see these old school electronic repair shops go away.If you belong to any of the many record player/console stereo/cassette player groups on Facebook,you know that interest in this old stuff has increased greatly in recent years.More and more people are even becoming interested in old CRT televisions.In these Facebook groups,we are having more and more people come in from the UK,and Australia as well.But no matter where these people are from,a common problem seems to be a lack of people who can restore that old TV they inherited from grandma,or that console stereo they picked up at an estate sale.Here in Albuquerque,we had three shops like this.Al Setner's,no longer owned by the original owner.The guy who runs the place now,just does warranty work on flat screens.Menaul TV,where the guy who owned it,just retired recently.I was one of his last customers.He repaired my Fisher X-101 tube amp,and restored both a 1962 Magnavox console stereo,and a 1959 RCA Stereo-Orthophonic consolette.The last old school repair place we have like this,is called Budget TV,he does a lot of business doing restoration work on this old stuff.I have a few things I am going to take in for repair and restoration,like a matched set of a HH Scott tube tuner and amp,a 1959 Motorola three channel console stereo,and a rare 1949 GE 33/78 radio/phono.These old school repair shops are real treasures,if you are lucky enough to live near one,you need to support them with your business.
Nowadays,if you want one of these old guys to repair a piece of vintage tube gear,it's best to buy the tubes online,before you take the item in for repair.
Great video Shango.
I think there is one TV shop left in my area and he told me that 95% of his repairs is warranty work on flat screen TV's and once the warranty expires, most people replace the set when it breaks. I suspect that in the near future, even warranty repair will go away and when the set breaks, they'll either refund the purchase price or give the customer a new set. I have a phone book from 1977 and at that time, there was about 4 pages worth of TV shops in the area.
In the Southwest Nebraska town of 8000 where I live, there were 4 repair shops. I worked at a Magnavox dealer as tech, now in IT. Perhaps 2 remain, 1 being a part time operation I'd guess.
Glad I'm not in that trade for a living. I'd be starving...
radiotvphononut
This is called progress. Progress to failure. How far will it go until Americans demand quality over quantity?The entire culture has diminished into a superficial nature. No one wants a quality amplifier. No one cares about the quality of the sound they listen to. Desktop speakers off their pc is good enough.
One problem, flat screens are high definition. They would not buy a CRT because the quality is not the same, can’t buy a 48” CRT to hang on the wall. It is really sad. I took a portable dvd/tv player to be repaired and was told they could not. I took a Marantz 4400 quad amp to be repaired and told the same. So shops are as well to blame as they have gone to pure card replacement. So it’s now independents who will do work on the YT. Get work from those who contact them.
Many reasons, all too sad.
@@jameslucas6589 agreed
my dad used them when i was a kid!! i even used him a few years ago myself !! i miss the acme sign!! but i seen that sign for like 56 yrs
Nicely done/edited video. I hate to think how much stuff wound up in the dumpster. I hope Mr. Townsend is doing okay. It must be difficult for him.
another great video to start off my monday! although this is kinda sad, i’m glad you recorded it.
Very sad, everything now is throwaway electronics. I have done Tv,Radio, Phonograph repair for a long time. It is a dying art. I have managed to keep going by doing vintage equipment, a lot of my repairs are done for musicians who live for there tube gear. As well as other vintage tube equipment. I also do video game repairs. I am currently learnig cellphone repair, as long as my eyes stay good lol SMD's are a whole new ball game. I have made the investment on the repair gear so its not that bad. My prayers are with Gary, I wish him all the best. Great Video 👍
Very sad seeing another vintage electronic repair shop close. 😞
Did you see the Yelp review? One review from a guy that called to see if the barber shop next door was open.
I'm 4 years late on that one... Discovering that channel in 2022. Closing such a shop, that's sad. Actually : depressing. Reminds me of the many shops downtown that amazed and fascinated me as a kid. Shops selling and repairing TVs, radios, Hi-Fi, cameras... And that hardware store next to my grand-parents in the early 80's : the ceiling was probably 5 meters high with a WW1-era plane painted on it. All shelves, from the floor to the ceiling, were full of stuff. The shopkeeper was well in his nineties : he looked like he was already grown-up when that plane was flying. All closed for decades, replaced by perfume/jewels/shoes/fashion generic licensed dealers.
This is really cool seems like times were better when people cared enough to repair something and have it for years. Im only 24 so ive grown up on throw away society but my parents and grandparents have taught me well to take care of things and repair when you can
End of an era. My late father repaired TVs, and progressed from valves (tubes) to transistors, before he retired. When colour TV started in the UK, at school the next day I bragged we had colour - only one in the class! What I didn't mention though, was that it was only brought home "on test" for a few days.
Just got done watching this video on acme tv in lomita california. I feel really bad this kind of brought a tear to my eye watching this video with someone with so much skill in electronics and seeing how they industry has changed from the decades to the point where his skill is no longer needed anymore. With someone with so much knowledge now can't even use it anymore. Even though he said he had an accident and he's in bad health but at least he had the mindset to still want to keep on working. But as time has gone on the industry has changed now he's forced not to be able to work anymore. People like him or a dying breed with all this knowledge in electronics it's a sad shame that he can't use it anymore. I have so much respect for people like that I wish I had half the knowledge that he does about this stuff. Very good video I'm glad you made this 😔
I been in this Store in the 1970s and 1980s...Just Beholding Radios was so Cool 😎....I would Always wanted those Old Multi Band Radios....😎...that was the reason I went in this store.... I am from San Pedro and Palos Verdes Area....Lomita Blvd...Also the Lucky's Market Too I was maybe 13 years old?
I was in the repair business from 1968 till 1998 and Gary told it very much like my shop and the tube era up to the present. I'll feel for Gary and what he is going through now closing his shop. I still have some of my test equipment and turned to the hobby of restoring old vintage equipment, radios, stereos and jukeboxes. I wish Gary improvement in health, God Bless!!
Thank you for documenting this. Without your attention to this, it would disappear and we would have no societal memory of it.
sorry to see another shop closing up, Hope Gary is doing better and able to find something to keep him occupied.
1960s 1970s lots tube sets lots repairs. 80s lots tvs to fix. 90s solid state , in 1998 worked for bigger shop has 6 technicians. contracts 10 years specialized in CD , dvd, car audio , lots decks to fix every month. hundreds of them i was pretty good at it. you know in end 2008 i left working there , business dying right out. i had change to electrical engineering manufacture . but I still love old radios. i still fix them ham radios. been ham long time. I miss the old days TV repair. if it was still here thats what i be a radio man tv man !
Nice documentary of a dying trade. While in college in the late 80's I started looking for work. One place was a repair business kind of like this. I would have started out fixing VCRs for $4 an hour. I could flip burgers for that. After graduating, I found a career in IT.
wtf
I did tv repair. Car stereo repair. finished my career doing poker machine monitor repair. I kind of miss it. todays stuff doesn't compare. You can't really troubleshoot to component level. just wild ass guessing and throwing parts at something.
Not true! Have a look at Louis Rossman's channel and iPadRehab!
?? I worked & managed a repair shop, we paid techs 40% commission on their jobs. I only know of one guy that was a full time tech that got an hourly wage.
Most techs traveled around and we would call them in when needed.
The concept of repairing is becoming obsolete. I found a newer broken Polaroid LCD TV and there wasn't a single screw; all plastic tabs and metal slots, and just one board. The flimsy plastic bezel is designed to break. The LED backlights are buried behind the glass panel. It's a disposable item. Never meant to be serviced. The board failed and a new identical TV, same model and everything, was on sale for $99. Not even worth opening it up. The little I know about tube sets I've learned from you shango, so thank you for passing on your knowledge of this dying, or dead, art. I hope all is well with Gary.
I had a Saturday job in a TV repair shop in the 80s in UK, the owner was in his late 60s and was from the valve era, he was in his twighlight years and told me many stories of his youth, an amazing mentor, his shop was exactly like ACME, piles of repair sets, valves, tubes, tuner boards etc. The similarities are uncanny
Wish we had a shop that fixed older stuff, as i picked up an RCA 1951 Roundie TV that needs Restored, i'd like to have had that running to watch my old movie collection on. But Here where i live there are no shops any more that Restore or work on these types of TV's any more, i still have the set and hope some day to get it up and running again.
@jamie ericcon i'm in NY state, thats the Problem, No where around here to take an old set too. i saved the Tv from getting Junked along side the road and brought it home, its not in too bad of shape, just needs work done to See if worth fixing.Be neat to see it come back to life again though.
I started my working life in a TV Radio repair shop back in 1977 (I was just 15). It was a fantastic experience. I used to love the customer's opinion on what the fault was. The "Picture Valve" needs replacing they would pronounce. Life in a TV Repair shop was pretty much the same the world over. We would get to know and see families grow up, it was all part of a vibrant community. Nowadays we just throw things away, life has certainly changed and not all for the better.
I remember all this stuff from when I was a kid. Warm memories, bittersweet to see this business coming to a close.
As a recent subscriber, I wasn't aware of this absolute gem of a video. What a treat and pretty well done.
I swear I seen what looked like a homebrew signal tracer in there like the ones made in my college electronics class. Probably ended up in the dumpster. Thanks for the video.
Old school small businesses have a warmth and genuine atmosphere that all the money and corporate backing in the world could never successfully replicate.
Best wishes to Gary and his Mom! Thank's for sharing this Shango!
I can remember a bunch of little shops like these when I was a kid in the 80s. They slowly started to peter off in the mid/late 90s. The last one I can recall turned to fixing Apple computers in the early 00s, and might still be there. It really is a sad thing to see and art form die off like this. Thank you for your years of service, Gary.
You rock Garry. This brought back lot's of memories. So fortunate that you were able to work with your Dad on service calls.
Wow! I hate to see this place close. I lived near this late in the late 70's. There's not many TV/Radio repair places like this around any more. I still have plenty of vacuum-tube equipment. There's no one that knows how to repair them. Thanks for documenting this!
MUCH RESPECT GARY THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF SERVICE AND HARD WORK. YOU WILL BE MISSED.
Thanks for the video. Been a service tech for about anything for over 40 years. Boy has it changed. Good luck Gary.
The video archive you are producing will be invaluable to future collectors of this stuff. I wish player piano guys had been able to have a resource like this 40 years ago. I've seen beautiful pianos 100 years old go to the dump because no one can fix them or afford to have them fixed.
Great video,closed my tv shop 20 years ago,still repair old electronics like you do,keeps me busy,thanks for the wonderful video!
One of the reasons things are so 'disposable' now is if something breaks after 5 years of use its replacement is usually much improved. TVs and radios stayed the same for 40 years after they came out. Great video.
I have 5 crt televisions in the home. Enjoy them so much more than LED sets. Sorry to see the old shop go as they were a pleasure to visit and learn about electronics. Brings back great memories, thanks.
He still had a 1A2 Key System in operation! Pretty cool !
Gary and his wealth of knowledge have my deepest respect. Sad indeed. Wonderful video documentary, Shango. Thank you.
The party's over.....Thanks for the memories Gary, hope you feel better soon.
Your saddest video so far, Shango! Thank You for documenting this.
I got my start on consumer electronics service in 1981. Looking back, I think I learned a lot because many of the TVs and stereos were serviced without schematics. Fun times, but kind of makes a guy feel old.
Good video. You're documenting history. I love that sign. That would be the ultimate man cave item.
As I tiptoe into the tube and whatever other vintage stuff, the end of this shop makes it all seem like a mirage. My brother has fixed loads of old guitar stuff, and I told him I'd like to fix my Akai reel-reel - he goes 'do ya think it'd even be worth it?' He likes to make me frown, but he's kinda correct. ftw, man. RiP, Acme.
History needs to be preserved. My wife has 7 Reel to Reel machines. A few are in the process of being repaired (I do electronics work on the side). Provided the parts are not extreme, I always say "Fix It!"
Most shops that repair tube guitar amps,will not touch vintage tube audio equipment,or God forbid,antique radios.
wonder why that is? too much tail-chasing? too much responsibility involved?
I love that you do these shop closing videos. I wish I had done one here for our good old classic machinist. Our choices now for machine shops have never been as good since.
I'm glad to support a local guy who fixes this kind of stuff. I'm hoping he's going to resurrect my Pioneer Laserdisc player...
Bless that man. Thanks or documenting this... he held out to the bitter end. My old shop was pretty similar to Acme in having had to diversify. I was lucky though- I had some pretty fat contracts with the firm who sold the extended warranties with both Best Buy and Wal Mart, and there not being any other shops in that area gave me a great deal of business for years. Walk ins? Nah. Only car radios and PCs. Finally the warranty company changed hands and wanted to renegotiate with me for less than half of what I was getting. I told them to fly a kite, closed up shop and started a new life in California, which has been very good to me. That was 2011 or thereabouts.
A touching video. I always look forward to your videos, Shangoman. Maybe you can have this guy drop by your place to make some repair videos with him.
Great video, same here in europe (Im from Spain), nearly no repair shops left. Luckily I know a guy who fixes my (arcade) crts, and I am learning how to fix them.
Reminds me of my dad, he turns 80 in 2 months, and does not want to stop working, if I even suggest it, he will kick my *ss.