$310

Anyone know of anyone within 200 miles or so of Pittsburgh who does good amp repair work? I have an old Fender Bassman that needs a speaker out jack fixed and some new power tubes (probably will need biased).

Any recommendations are welcome. I just want to take it to some place nice. It's one of my babies, so I want to treat her right.

Where I live there is no place to get anything electrical repaired locally, unless you entrust it to a local tv or appliance repairman.

Hollowood Music in McKees Rocks used to have a first-class repair shop and is a Fender dealer: 412-771-3060. I last had a Genz-Benz repaired there and had it back, fixed, within three days. You might also try Swissvale Music 412-351-5882. I have used their bass repair service and was happy with it but I haven't had an amp repaired there. Not sure if they are a Fender dealer, though.

I've had some really bad luck with Hollowood on both a retail level and a live sound level (I will never pay for their soundmen to do a show again as long as I live. And that's after giving them a second chance myself on top of watching totally inept soundguys running the Hartwood Acres blues/jazz festival.). I actually already took care of the repair a few months back though with a guy at Jeree Recording in New Brighton (just off of Route 65). He was a real swell guy and showed me exactly what was wrong and how he would take care of it. He also cleaned it out for me, which was certainly welcome. Real cheap too.

was the guy at Jerree's by any chance Don Garvin? If so, I played with Don many many years ago. He's a great guitarist and also an electronics whiz. I'm from New Brighton, BTW -- know it well.

It WAS Don Garvin! I've never had the chance to hear him play, but I heard after the fact how awesome he is. He was a real pleasure showing me around how to take care of my tube amp. I have a post on here about how to take care of them that's probably 25% from the notes I took while I was listening to him (I actually asked him for pen and paper while I was there.

On a side note, you would by chance know Terry Hawkins as well, would you? I've played with him a good many times, including the New Year's Eve gig at Greg Powell's Rivertowne. Many good times.

Hawkins Music opened after I had left NB, so I don't know Terry. Brighton Music was my main stop. Garvin & I played with a guy called Gary Glenn, who was billed as "Pittsburgh's James Brown." He was white! After the JB craze died down, we became a Top 40 band and released one record, "I Hear Ya Knockin'," on Buddha Records in 1970. It never went anywhere. Garvin was more of an R&B fan, but he can play anything and also plays bass & piano and is first class engineer. I haven't seen him in almost 40 years but he usually plays on the WQED oldies shows on TV. Small world indeed.

I smell an MGR Summer Jam one of these days.

AH, Chris, I told you! It would happen someday! haha