THE ELECTRIC GUITAR
The electric guitar revolutionized popular music over a half-century ago, and continues to be its greatest tool of expression. Before this, instruments were mechanical and acoustic alone. Now, through electronic technology, our electrified beat enthralls the world with harmony and joy!
NO MUSIC, NO LIFE!
Howard (Mick) Davis
SERVICES:
Terms of Service - BELOW
Is Your Pedal Worth Fixing or Upgrading?
ARTICLES AND INFORMATION:
How Loading and Cables Affect Your Sound and What to Do About It
Distortion: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Who I Am and What I Do - plus the secret to happiness!
Links to Good People, Information, Resources, and Products
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Guitar Pedal Design, Repairs, and Custom Modifications
TERMS OF SERVICE
For information on ANALOG CIRCUIT DESIGN - ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING SERVICES, please send an inquiry with full technical details to: howard.davis2@att.net
I do not sell schematics or parts.
I no longer do repair/modification business internationally due to payment and shipping problems. If you do not have a return shipping address within the 48 contiguous United States, do not send me your pedal.
My services are now limited to engineering and the repair/modification of vintage Electro-Harmonix pedals I designed, such as the BIG BOX Deluxe Memory Man and Deluxe Electric Mistress. I do not service Pigtronix or Xvive pedals, though I designed most of them. These are constructed with SMD (tiny surface mount) components, making repair and modification impractical in most cases. Feel free to e-mail for a list and description of the custom mods available for your Electro-Harmonix pedal: howard.davis2@att.net
REPAIRS AND CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS:
COST ESTIMATES:
No serviceperson can quote you a fair price for a repair without first finding out exactly what is wrong, what parts will be needed, and how much labor will be required. Any estimate given without this information being known is a "guesstimate" - and often is higher than necessary. If you are given an estimate without any preliminary diagnostic work, should the actual repair only take five minutes, many service people will still charge you the full guesstimated amount. Some will give you a "lowball" guesstimate to get your business, then charge far more than you expected when the work is done. By doing diagnostic work prior to giving an estimate I protect you from such nasty surprises.
A bench fee is normally charged for the diagnostic work required to determine what is wrong. This is fair compensation for that work, and is credited towards the total parts and labor cost if you decide to go ahead with the repair. If desired, I can give you a free estimate based on the problem as it is described to me, but it must be understood that without any diagnostic work this estimate may not be accurate. For custom redesign/modification work on Electro-Harmonix pedals in good working condition, I can quote an exact price for the job.
DAMAGED, ATTEMPTED REPAIR, AND TAMPERED-WITH UNITS:
DAMAGE may be physical, or electrical, as from the application of excessive voltage. TAMPERING includes a previous unsuccessful repair attempt, or any undocumented modification whether successful or not. Pedals with these conditions require far more time and labor for test and diagnosis, and I must charge accordingly. In some cases such pedals are damaged so badly that it would cost more to fix them than they are worth. In cases of damage or tampering the diagnostic bench fee is higher than otherwise, but of course is fully deductible from the total parts and labor cost if you decide to proceed with repair. This charge applies however even if repair is not feasible, and must be paid in advance in certain cases.
INTERMITTENT OR NON-EXISTENT PROBLEMS:
Occasionally I am sent a pedal that has nothing wrong with it, the problem actually being in other equipment it was being used with. Sometimes a problem is intermittent, and cannot be detected until it shows up again. In such cases, a bench fee plus shipping/handling is charged, and the unit is returned as-is. The bench fee is FULLY DEDUCTIBLE from the parts and labor charge for any repairs done on the same unit for the same problem within 30 days from the date of return shipping.
RECONDITIONING: If needed and desired, I can cosmetically recondition (clean, touch up paint scratches, and relacquer) the box of any Electro-Harmonix guitar pedal so it looks almost like new when you get it back. Reconditioning, like custom mods, can raise the resale value of a pedal considerably. Deep scratches, bends, dents, and deep rust staining in the steel cannot be fully restored.
BATTERIES:
If you send a pedal with a good 9V battery, it is returned with the same battery. If the battery is weak or dead, it is replaced with a new battery for which you will be charged, unless you tell me not to. If you send a pedal with no battery, it is returned without one unless you tell me to install one.
PAYMENT AND TURNAROUND TIME:
My turnaround time is short. The work is usually completed within a few days of receiving your pedal. Unless agreed otherwise beforehand (as for a diagnosis and estimate), receiving the pedal will be considered consent to proceed with the work. Unless requested otherwise, please send no payment until you are billed after the work is completed.
For FAST SERVICE: Please pay PROMPTLY with a POSTAL money order, CERTIFIED check, or CASH. I will then ship your pedal within a day or two of receiving payment for the work. If you are in the New York City area, you can contact me to arrange a dropoff and pickup, thus saving yourself the shipping time and costs both ways.
For SLOW SERVICE: Pay by personal or company check or a non-postal money order. There will be A DELAY of TWO TO FOUR WEEKS until payment clears the bank before shipping.
NO PAYPAL, CREDIT CARDS, or WIRE TRANSFERS can be accepted.
SHIPPING:
Shipping is usually the biggest time-consumer in the repair cycle. I ship by FedEx Home Delivery or FedEx Ground. Shipments carry insurance, but I do not handle loss or damage claims.
The US Postal Service can be slow and unreliable, so I recommend that you SHIP TO ME by UPS or Fed Ex - NOT the USPS. I can take no responsibility for shipment delays, loss, or damage, which occasionally occur, mostly with the USPS.
STORAGE CHARGES AND UNCLAIMED UNITS:
Please pay promptly when billed. Should payment not be received within one month of the billing date, a weekly STORAGE CHARGE will begin to accrue. Should a bill remain unpaid three months from the billing date, the unit will be considered ABANDONED PROPERTY and WILL BE SOLD or DISASSEMBLED FOR THE PARTS, unless previously agreed otherwise with the sender.
WARRANTY:
I warranty all repair and modification work, parts and labor, for 30 days from the date of shipment to you. This warranty is VOID if any damage, tampering, attempted repair, or modification has occurred subsequent to my delivery to the shipping carrier.
SHIP TO:
Howard Davis, EE
207 Ocean Parkway #3G
Brooklyn, NY 11218
Please contact me prior to sending any pedal to be certain I can fix or mod it. ENCLOSE with the pedal:
1) A detailed description of the problem needing repair or of the mods desired.
2) Your full name and return shipping address, and email address.
I will notify you by email the day I receive your pedal, when the work is completed, and upon shipping it back to you.
E-mail: howard.davis2@att.net