Policies
We currently accept Cash, Credit/Debit Cards, Paypal, and Venmo. (There is a 2% fee on a Credit/Debit Cards charges above $149.99)
Our shop is appointment ONLY. This includes dropping off and picking up equipment for diagnostics and service/repair. Please visit our Book an Appointment page to contact us and set up a day/time that works for you.
All repairs must have the Bench Fee paid at the time of drop off. Total payment for service/repairs (including parts and labor) is due at the time of pick up. Equipment will be held until full payment is received.
If a simple problem can be fixed during diagnostics, then the Bench Fee will cover the cost of the simple repair. If the problem(s) is more complicated and will cost more than the Bench Fee to repair, then we will contact you with a service/repair estimate. If needed, a service/repair estimate will be provided to you typically within 24 to 48 hours of diagnostic testing and inspection. Following your approval of a service/repair estimate, most repairs have a turnaround time of 1-4 weeks depending upon the magnitude of work involved, the parts required, if parts must be ordered, and other factors.
Each service/repair estimate outlines the issue(s) discovered during the inspection, the procedure and parts needed to correct the issue(s), and an accurate cost estimate for the entire service/repair. Occasionally, the process of repair itself can uncover larger issues that were not part of the initial repair estimate. If this occurs, we will contact you to discuss the issue and provide a new repair estimate (if needed).
The Hourly Labor Rate for amplifier service/repairs does NOT include the cost of parts required to complete amplifier service/repairs. The cost of replacement parts will be added to the final invoice. Service/repairs with parts totaling more than $149.99 will require the parts be paid in full, as well as any shipping charges prior to the repair, leaving the only the cost of labor at time of collection.
For liability reasons, we do NOT install replacement parts and components provided by clients.
Whenever possible, any parts removed from your equipment will be returned to you at the time of pick up.
All equipment must be picked up within 7 business days of completion notification. After 7 business days, a $5 per day storage fee will be applied to the final invoice. After 14 days, this fee will increase to $10 per day. If the equipment is not picked up within 30 days of completion notice, it will then be considered abandoned and sold to cover the cost of service/repair. We will make three attempts to contact you for pick-up of your equipment. Once at the completion/decline of service, a second time at the end of the 7-busines-day grace period, and a third and final time 24-48 hours prior to the disposal/liquidation.
Every service includes a 30-day warranty on all labor, installations, and necessary modifications from the date of completed repair, so please contact us if you have any issues with your equipment following service/repair. However, this warranty is void if the equipment is misused and/or tampered with by anyone in any way following service/repairs. This warranty does not cover tubes, transformers, capacitors, resistors, potentiometers, PCBs, or any other manufactured parts. Empirical Devices will not be liable for parts failure or manufacturer defects.
The labor and cost of replacing and biasing an amplifier’s power tubes can vary greatly depending on amplifier make/model, bias type, bias location, number of power tubes, condition of power tubes, and/or any previous modifications to the amp that could affect the bias process. So, it’s best to first inspect the amp’s circuitry before providing an accurate estimate. Therefore, an amplifier only needing a bias adjustment will still be received with a Bench Fee and will be examined for an accurate cost estimate for biasing services. The Bench Fee sets the minimum cost for biasing a tube amplifier. Please note that power tubes must be biased (or have the bias verified) anytime they are replaced—no exceptions.
Please see our FAQ page for further information on repair services and policies.