Who Works on Pedals?

[ravindave_3600]

I have three pedals I love that aren't working right:
Animals vibe (won't turn on)
Pitchblack tuner (won't turn off)
Joe Walsh Wah (just needs a tune up).
When I realized I was 3 down I started wondering, where do I find someone to work on them?

Before you suggest I do it myself you should know I'm totally inept at repairing things; my wife keeps a handyman on speed dial in case I ever suggest I'm going to fix something. So, that's not going to happen.

Any constructive ideas would be appreciated!

 

[radiocaster]

Not suggesting you fix it, but the footswitch is probably faulty on the tuner.

 

[That Cal Webway]

Good thread, I will keep my eye on it!

 

[stormsedge]

...

 

[ravindave_3600]

Not suggesting you fix it, but the footswitch is probably faulty on the tuner.

That's my suspicion, too.

 

[mad dog]

Andy Fuchs, Fuchs Audio in Clifton NJ. I've had several pedals repaired there.

 

[edvard]

If you were in my neck of the woods, I'd just say stop by and we'll take a look, but since that's not possible, here's my best advice (I've seen all these happen):

Animals vibe (won't turn on)

You mean it doesn't have power? Or it won't engage when you push on the button?
If no power:
Many, if not most, pedals don't engage power until you have a plug in the input. If you have a plug in the input but no power, most probably one of the jack contacts is bent or a wire got disconnected. For plastic jacks soldered directly on the board; the frame of the jack can break, the "leaf" contacts can get weak, and stress on the jack against the board can break or lift the solder pads. Replace the former, re-flow solder for the latter.
If pedal button doesn't switch the signal:
Is it a momentary button, or latching (makes a big *click* when you step on it)? For both, check the condition of the switch. I've seen the plastic part of the switch cracked, internal springs broken or rusted, or the whole mechanism froze up because it was old or not lubed properly at the factory. It's possible to open up the switch to check the internals and button it up again, but only about half the time will it be repairable with a cleaning and re-lube.
If the switch is good, and it is a momentary type, then the smoke that runs the switching logic may have escaped, and you'll need a new chip.

Pitchblack tuner (won't turn off)

See "If pedal button doesn't switch the signal" above.

Joe Walsh Wah (just needs a tune up)

If this is one of those Joe Walsh signature wahs made by RMC, check their website for troubleshooting, adjustment help, and repairs.
Links:

TROUBLESHOOTING

www.realmccoycustom.com

PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENT OF YOUR RMC WAH-WAH PEDAL

www.realmccoycustom.com

REPAIRS

www.realmccoycustom.com

I know you said you won't be repairing these yourself, but at least it'll be useful to know what might be wrong, and if you have a friend who's good with a soldering iron, you'll be able to point them in the most likely direction.

 

[TwoBear]

When we had our vintage store we had a guy that worked out of his home

he was really good and for a few years even had a place set up at our store.

Most places will have access to a repair guy and if they deal in a lot of used vintage stuff they almost certainly have to have access to a good repair person.

 

[Killing Floor]

First thing I’d do is message each of the builders. Lots of builders repair their pedals.
I know Wren & Cuff repairs pedals.
There are a couple amp shops who also repair pedals around here. Probably same as where you are.

 

[kennl]

many issues can be fixed with a solder reflow and/or some deoxit

 

[teleplayr]

I can't believe the number of posts that are just like this one.

Like "Killing Floor" suggested the first thing to do is contact the manufacturer and ask about repairs.

I've had pedals I've bought used (I didn't mention that) and had them repaired for FREE!

The only company I had issues with was DOD/Digitec. I had sent two different pedals to them that had distortion issues (A Digital Delay & Noise Gate) and all they did was install batteries in them and send them back. I didn't purchase anything from them since.

As an example I've had pedals repaired by Roctron, Option 5, Alesis and VooDoo Lab, and the only cost to me was sending it to them.

It never hurts to ask and the worst they can say is NO. I haven't had that happen yet.

 

[ravindave_3600]

Good suggestions on here. I'm going to start by contacting a great guitar tech I know; he knows everyone. After that I'll hit the makers.

 

[uriah1]

Analogman too.

 

[Ignatius]

I found this guy who happened to be across the state from me, took a chance and sent him a couple old Arion SCH-1 chorus pedals for repair. It took him a few weeks to get to them but he did a great job and he was reasonable https://mimmotronics.com/

Great recommendation above for Andy Fuchs also. He builds a heck of an amp and he has a line of pedals too. I had a Fuchs for a short time and he was great to work with for a repair I needed.

 

[11 Gauge]

I'll second the idea of potentially getting them repaired by the manufacturer, if possible. Even if it's a simple or straightforward fix, no one should know any given pedal better than the folks who made it in the first place.

Aside from that, I'd probably do some research to see what you have available locally. There's probably shops that repair guitars and amps, so they should be able to handle the straightforward pedal stuff, too.