Note: split from another thread
Hi joecool, thanks.
That's not surprising.
For long times I had a small factory running, with 3 to 6 guys working for me, with Christmas and New Year peaks of up to 8.
Now I'm working with just one guy who does the carpentry, transformers, mounts speakers, etc.
I make boards, panels, speakers, plus actual wiring.
My amps are very simple, I can wire 4 100W heads a day.
In Argentina it was *impossible* to buy US made and British amps, so people were happy to buy whatever I could provide, as long as I had the same quality sound.
When economy "opened" we were flooded with cheap imports and a big part of Argentine economy died, specially the Industry.
I survived because I strayed away from "expensive/boutique" amps (nice but I might sell 8 a year) and got into good sounding but very competitively priced "battle proven workhorses".
I do not make "student" amps, I can't compete with chinese cheapies, 95% are 100W "stage/live" amps.
As an example: my 100W head (Guitar or Bass) costs U$140 ; my 2x12" cabinet the same
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/730546838_5368176040.jpg)binet
New, with 1 year guarantee, parts and service assured for the next 10 or 20 years (that's a big selling point).
That's why I sell around 20 a month, with lows of 8 and highs of 36.
I've had many 6 amp Saturdays , with clients arriving with 1 to 2 hour intervals so they can test freely.
There have been bands born, with musicians meeting here, jamming together and liking what came out.
Just for some old photos and scans: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmfahey/
It's in Portuguese, this was hastily thrown together for some Brazilian customers.
The magazines are the local equivalent of Guitar Player.
Juan, I don't think you had ever shared this with us here. I know you had said you make amps "professionally" but I thought you meant maybe 3 or 4 a year on a boutique type of deal. Very cool! And your amps look very professional and well built. Are your 100w heads chipamp style power amps or discrete using all transistors etc?
JM, I don't recall where you posted it, but I liked the photo of a sheet of bare boards, ready to stuff with parts. If I recall you had something like 20 circuit boards on one large board, which I assumed you could snap apart to make 20 amps.
Maybe you refer to this:
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/730290981_b7acd0f548_z.jpg)
They were already cut and drilled , the solder flux was air drying, then the "L" aluminum heat sinks will be riveted in.
I have been making amplifiers since 1969, so they were discrete, no chipamps available way back then.
I still go discrete, because of universal availability and possibility of repair; besides the obvious fact that only lately chipamps are barely reaching the 100W mark.
I started with 2N3055, then TIP142/147 because of heavy counterfeiting, now IRFP640 or very robust IRFP250.
I'm testing TDA7294 but don't trust them for 100W, and for 60/70W I can do nicely with IRFP640.
I can't maintain a net of authorized service, I'm too small, so I usually exchange powerboards by mail.
For free under warranty and for a low price after that.
I don't care to earn by servicing my own product; the profit is indirect:
guys constantly write me: "I went to play in ------- (any remote place in Argentina) and they had your amps, working perfectly after 20 years ... ".
Although actual schematics vary, boards always have the same connections and are mounted the same way, so any trusty 5/10/20/30 years old amp can receive a "heart transplant" in 15 minutes and continue playing as good as new.
@Fahey-$140, whats the shipping from Arg? i can build a cab. ill use the speakers i bought for the Crate.
Quote from: clamup1 on January 07, 2011, 09:42:31 PM
@Fahey-$140, whats the shipping from Arg? i can build a cab. ill use the speakers i bought for the Crate.
I was wondering the same thing. I still think I'll build my own, but it is tempting.
Well, thanks, I'll check.
Only one I know, so far, is our US Mail equivalent, which only sends via air mail and charges too much.
The head weighs almost 6Kg (13 pounds) and postage to USA from 5 to 10 Kg is a disproportionate U$125.
If I can make a lighter cabinet and be under 5Kg, it becomes a slightly more reasonable U$65.
I'm sure that there must be other options; after all, all those guys who sell through EBay and ship from Hong Kong, Malaysia, etc. are paying much less than that for an equivalent trip.
I am selling a lot in neighbouring Brazil, but I have had to get an Exporter/Importer licence (*lots* of red tape), get Brazilian residence to be able to set a (unipersonal) Company there, all to be able to ship by ship (duh !!) and pay by the cubic meter and not by weight.
I rent a little space in somebody else's container; I'm sure those Asian sellers must do something similar, *somebody* must pack a zillion products into a container, which has a fixed shipping cost (U$3000 to 7000) which spread between individual products amounts to cents each.
Oh well.
an extra 125 kills it for me too. if im ever in arg ill stop by.
Yeah, a total of $265 just for a 100w head is a bit much for me right now. Although it's actually not a bad deal when you think about comparing it to Marshall, Vox etc.
What does this head feature? Looks like on the top one it is a 4 band EQ with 2 channels...one is overdrive - maybe foot switched?
How about a populated board? We could maybe build our own head chassis.
Or even maybe ship with a complete head minus the transformer. Omitting the transformer would lighten things up a bit.
Does anyone else think this thread is cool enough to be pinned?
Thanks for your kindness.
Yes, regular airmail *is* a deal killer for *any* reasonably heavy product; works only for a couple transistors, a CD, guitar pickups, etc.
If you dare to build it, maybe the boards plus finished (drilled and screen printed) front and back panels (the difficult part to home-make) can be turned into a light kit.
Cabinet, parts and power transformer can be gotten locally.
Let me re-design some featherweight package.
I'm checking and an international "Small Package" (the ones with the large green stamp) costs very reasonable U$22 for 1Kg/2.2 pounds and U$36 for 2Kg/4.4 pounds.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhh, the little wheels in my head are turning.
What can I fit within those limits?
I'm also thinking about a preamp (+ front panel) package, which can drive any chip amp, from 15 to 100W ... might even furnish an unpopulated board for am LM3886 or TDA7294. ::)
Wheels are turning and clicking.
Thanks again.
:tu: I'm wondering what the tone's like. Is it a really high gain set up? They look very, very nice! Right on par with the big dogs-Marshall, Peavey, Fender, etc. There's a real straight forward no b.s. look to them that I dig. I'll bet here in the states with good promotion you'd sell 'em by the truckload. You also mentioned the fact that equipment you built decades ago could be retrofitted with a new board and be running in minutes-astonishing! How many of the big dogs have been that wise? My hat's off to you. Given the right cicumstance, Fahey would be right next to other big names!
Quote from: will316 on January 09, 2011, 12:59:31 AM
:tu: I'm wondering what the tone's like. Is it a really high gain set up? They look very, very nice! Right on par with the big dogs-Marshall, Peavey, Fender, etc. There's a real straight forward no b.s. look to them that I dig. I'll bet here in the states with good promotion you'd sell 'em by the truckload. You also mentioned the fact that equipment you built decades ago could be retrofitted with a new board and be running in minutes-astonishing! How many of the big dogs have been that wise? My hat's off to you. Given the right cicumstance, Fahey would be right next to other big names!
I was thinking the same thing.
Juan, if you're ever interested in bringing your amps to the US, let me know. Maybe I could be a rep or something.
OK, thanks, let me think about it, it may work some way or another.
I guess the trick here is to redesign something (I do that all day) which fits within the Mail weight and size constraints.
Now I'm very busy with New Year derived work (by Law *everybody* here gets double salary or "13th month" on December 29) so lots of guys have "free" money burning a hole in their pockets, but February tends to be kind of slow, because we are in the middle of Summer Holidays and everybody is either suntanning on the Atlantic beaches , climbing hills in Central Argentina or skiing in our snowy South.
We'll keep in touch and, Joe, I'll see what I can work out.
Thanks again.
Quote from: J M Fahey on January 09, 2011, 08:42:48 AM
OK, thanks, let me think about it, it may work some way or another.
I guess the trick here is to redesign something (I do that all day) which fits within the Mail weight and size constraints.
Now I'm very busy with New Year derived work (by Law *everybody* here gets double salary or "13th month" on December 29) so lots of guys have "free" money burning a hole in their pockets, but February tends to be kind of slow, because we are in the middle of Summer Holidays and everybody is either suntanning on the Atlantic beaches , climbing hills in Central Argentina or skiing in our snowy South.
We'll keep in touch and, Joe, I'll see what I can work out.
Thanks again.
Cool. I think there would be a good chance of selling 100w heads or 50w combos. I don't think a 50w solid state head would sell here.
Any progress in this, Juan? I'm waiting to see Fahey Amplifiers in my local shop :tu:
Just curious, Juan, when you said the amps cost US$140, did you mean your cost, or that was the incredilby low selling price?
And just for the record, are your amps set to run on 120v or 240v mains?
And if you ever need a warranty repair station in Michigan....
That's the selling cost, FOB Buenos Aires.
Or what pays anybody who rings my bell with cash in hand.
Now, for export, mailing/transport expense doubles it (or more) and things start to change.
Now I'm working on full because I'm showing my products at São Paulo's (Brazil) ExpoMusic (a *huge* NAAM style show), which runs from 21 to 26 September, but I will need to be there at least 10 days before.
I've *just* (as in 10 minutes ago) arrived from my Zinc Plater's shop, with 63 +30 12" speaker frames and frontplates (they had to re-do the plating because of some stains)
(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/6595/sam0919g.jpg)
The ones in the back are similar to Jensen's C12N or Eminence Legend or Blackpowder or Weber 12F150, etc. ("Twin" Speakers) and the ones in the foreground similar to Celestion Rocket 50 (Valvestate 8040) or Jensen C12Q or Weber 12F125 , good sounding bur somewhat lower cost than the first ones.
As I said before, sending products in small amounts costs from 8U$S/Kg up to crippling 20U$/Kg, while sending them in a shared container costs around U$250 per cubic meter (=63 speakers=220Kg).
Now you understand why Chinese or similar products, which travel by the full container are so cheap, while the smaller manufacturer can't compete, paying 10X their shipping cost.
I can't sell in the US because of that.
Of course, if I ever did, now I know who can repair them on warranty sevice ;)
Oh well.
Quote from: J M Fahey on August 23, 2011, 05:21:13 PM
Now you understand why Chinese or similar products, which travel by the full container are so cheap, while the smaller manufacturer can't compete, paying 10X their shipping cost.
I can't sell in the US because of that.
Yeah that sucks man,, as you are obviously a serious contender and you make a good product.
Rare to find a manufacturing setup that makes its own drivers,, a credit to you: :tu:
Re dirty plating,
My first Apprenticeship was Electroplating so I'd guess they had not maintained there Vats or they were not rinsing well between the nickel and chrome Vats.
It's a high maintenance job as you have to check Vat ph and clean gear every morning if you want consistent results.
You are constantly adding acids and stuff just to keep going.
It was all many years ago now and I've forgotten most of it but yep ,,I do remember getting roused on for not washing and rinsing in my first year but hey I was just 15 then. 8)
Phil.
QuoteIt was all many years ago now and I've forgotten most of it but yep ,,I do remember getting roused on for not washing and rinsing in my first year but hey I was just 15 then. Cool
Phil.
Well, you seem to remember it very well.
This is Zinc plating, what you usually get on your screws and bolts, many electronics chassis and Celestion speakers.
Any similarity is pure coincidence ;)
After the process ends (many baths in between: degreasing in boiling industrial detergents, deoxidizing in acid baths, a *very* scary surface cleaning by dissolving the outer "skin" in a boiling CYANIDE bath, plus the actual electro-plating baths themselves.) they need a
long bath in clean boiling water, to wash all the residual very chemically active salts used in the process.
I'm sure (although they swore it was not so) that they either avoided the last wash, or cut it short, or never changed that water, because liquid trapped between the frame and the points-soldered back plate oozed later, staining the frame in a very ugly and visible way.
As a side comment: along my career I slowly added in-house all steps needed in manufacturing (that let me survive while others nosedived), including transformer winding, chassis processing and punching, silkscreenin, PCBs, etc. , with one big exception.
I actually *did* setup a speaker electroplating process at home, started it successfully .... and dismantled and sold evrything.
That's one process I'll happily pay others to do.
*All* baths contained Cyanide, in various proportions, it's needed to keep the metal clean (it "eats" everything: rust, grease, fingerprints, even old paint) and get shinu deposits.
No way José!!
I remember getting to those shops (by chance) at lunch hour, and seeing workers *wipe* their hands , wet with poisonous liquids bubbles, and grab their sandwiches . No kidding.
When I told them to wash them they answered "we're not sissies" and laughed. :loco
"Besides, we drink one liter of milk (required by law) a day, to clean our bodies." :duh
Oh well.
My Father, who was a Doctor, showed me their chest X-Rays.
They had caverns in their lungs a mouse could live in, no kidding.
At 35 to 45 they looked 65 or 70.
At 65 you say??
Don't know, I very much doubt any of them ever reached that ripe age.
So Phatt, keep enjoying your solder fumes , don't think they can be called healthy, but they don't kill you either.
You made an excellent career switch, early in your life :tu:
Arrh Yes,,,Now I see it. We call it *bright zinc* which when done well does have a similar hue to Blue Chrome.
Yep After a serious road crash which left me with several skull fractures and little to no sense of smell or taste,,,(add in coma for 1 full day)
my Dear Mother suggested I take a new path. :grr :trouble
A good call on Her part as not being able to smell much and working in an Electroplating plant was no place for me.
Yeah Cyanide serious stuff,, a Trace Element so really dangerous. (cumulative)
We used to do Gold plating as well and that used Cyanide.
Yes Even I understood the washing of hands when working around all that nasty stuff.
I ended up becoming a very good welder, fitter,,jack off all trades.
Even delving into cnc operated stuff. (CNC, Automatic multi head turret punching sheet metal)
Sadly I have been inflicted with a degenerative backbone issue and my body is likely still full of toxic waste stuff from all the other industries I've worked in over the years so with limited health those industries where no longer for me.
I'm pensioned off now so electronics (Though not my field) is mostly sitting at the bench and fiddling with little things so I can handle that.
But at times I miss working on big industrial stuff.
I never had the opportunity to learn the higher maths which one needs to go onto University but Now that I've had the time to focus on learning/reading I've finally got some grasp on the finer art of sending electrons down a wire.
Though I will never know it all I'm at least now able to make things that work and don't go up in smoke.
Cheers, Phil.
QuoteI'm checking and an international "Small Package" (the ones with the large green stamp) costs very reasonable U$22 for 1Kg/2.2 pounds and U$36 for 2Kg/4.4 pounds.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhh, the little wheels in my head are turning.
Mr. Fahey, would you consider sending just a board, a board with the parts, or a populated board? I am interested and am wondering what you would charge for this. I am in the northeast USA.
Hi jcgs.
Let me think about it.
I´ll ask for a few prices, and I´ll come up with a number.
Are you trying to "revive" a dead amp with a new guts transplant or building from scratch?
Because the main idea behind these kits is saving perfectly good cabinets, speakers and transformers (the most "difficult" parts for home builders) from the landfill, while providing a practical solution to the musician.
Not to mention it can be a very enjoyable experience.
Just now I'm flying to São Paulo, Brazil with a truckload (literally, 500 pounds) of speakers which I think will sell there very well , they're having a *huge* NAMM style trade show http://www.expomusic.com.br/2011/profissional/en-gb/index.asp but I'll be back in Buenos Aires about October the 10th .
Good luck.
Hello Juan.
I would also be interested in a kit with parts. My pcbs and soldering skills have been improving gradually but my power amps still they don't sound good to my ears. Also some of the parts like some transistors and MOSFETs can be quite difficult to find here in Portugal.
The speakers would be nice too but their weight is sure to make the shipping quite expensive.
The woodwork is not a problem for me, in fact it's something that I enjoy doing since learning it from a fellow carpenter. I'm currently trying to find a good design for a guitar combo with 10'' speaker, something easy to carry but strong enough to take some abuse.
Good luck with your brazilian adventure! :tu:
JM, That is great. I have a long dead amp with a perfectly good transformer that would love the heart transplant. I find your work very professional, and would love to hear what your amp sounds like. I will be waiting to see if you are willing!
Thanks a lot to both of you.
jcgss: please tell me the AC voltage(s) supplied by your power transformer.
Knowing the speaker impedance will also help. If not, don't worry.
What was the original amp rated?
morgoth: I'll see what I can do.
Aren't Italian MOD speakers available trhere?
A C10Q would be nice for what you need.
If not available or too expensive, I have a similar one which sounds good, stands any 50/60W amp (hint hint: LM3886 or similar) and is quite lightweight.
When I come back I'll ask at the Mail Office.
Juan, please keep us posted on this thread - it is very interesting to say the least.
Juan, the amp is a 40 watt amp, but I will get the actual voltage measurement of it later. This is very exciting! I prefer to purchase musical equipment from enthusiasts, keeps this hobby alive! I sure wish I could get a whole amp from you. Do you have any sound clips of your amps on here? I might also be interested in a 100 watt model as well, I think I have another dead 125 watt amp laying around here somewhere...too many projects around here and no work getting done!
Fine.
It's needed to suggest an approppriate power amp.
Anyway remember I will be away until Oct. 10th.
:tu:
Great. :)
Maybe we'll see some Fahey amps in the US during 2012? Here's hoping!
Maybe !!
I´m thinking the "save my dead amp" kits would be some way to start.
It would be some light to ship stuff, only way to build heavy International Mail shipping charges.
Stay tuned.
Quote from: J M Fahey on December 30, 2011, 12:10:09 AM
Maybe !!
I´m thinking the "save my dead amp" kits would be some way to start.
It would be some light to ship stuff, only way to build heavy International Mail shipping charges.
Stay tuned.
While that would be great for some, I'm more interested in a full amp, speaker, chassis and all. Ideally a 25w 10" combo or maybe 50w 12" combo. The 10" would work for me, but the 12" would probably be more marketable. I don't know though...a small workhorse of an amp could be popular if advertised properly. Maybe even have a speaker out jack so someone could hook it up to a 4 x 12 etc, it'd be great to demonstrate the amp with. I vote for a compact, 10" combo :-)
Well, what I said was considering the incredibly expensive Mail or Courier cost per Pound.
Now I´m becoming an Exporter, incorporating my (small) company and all that jazz, tons of red tape, to be able to pay real cheap Container Freight prices (what the commercial Chinese and everybody else pays), *but* , and that´s a big but, the minimum practical shipment is 1 cubic meter (3.5' x 3.5' x3.5') , weighing around 250Kg (around 550 Lb.) which means *a lot* of 10" 60W combos, plus "somebody", duly registered as an Importer in the USA must be on the receiving end.
It also involves International Funds Transfers, etc. , plus I must also be able to provide Electrical Safety certificates, ROHS compliance, etc.
It´s possible, I´m starting to do so to export to Brazil, so it´s possible in the future to do the same in USA, but it´s not quick or easy.
Stay tuned.
Quote from: J M Fahey on December 30, 2011, 09:35:55 AM
Well, what I said was considering the incredibly expensive Mail or Courier cost per Pound.
Now I´m becoming an Exporter, incorporating my (small) company and all that jazz, tons of red tape, to be able to pay real cheap Container Freight prices (what the commercial Chinese and everybody else pays), *but* , and that´s a big but, the minimum practical shipment is 1 cubic meter (3.5' x 3.5' x3.5') , weighing around 250Kg (around 550 Lb.) which means *a lot* of 10" 60W combos, plus "somebody", duly registered as an Importer in the USA must be on the receiving end.
It also involves International Funds Transfers, etc. , plus I must also be able to provide Electrical Safety certificates, ROHS compliance, etc.
It´s possible, I´m starting to do so to export to Brazil, so it´s possible in the future to do the same in USA, but it´s not quick or easy.
Stay tuned.
I think 60w on a 10" is overkill personally. Keep it small, lightweight and functional. It only needs 25-30w power, similar to a Frontman 25r. In fact, ideally in my mind it would be Fahey version of the Frontman 25r. You could cut the reverb or keep it for all I care, but the channel switching needs to stay. Also making it as portable as possible but still really rugged would be ideal. It could be billed as a light weight gigging amp.
Juan, I'm very impressed by your product and your company. Can you post a pic of the inside of the amp?
I'm curious about some of the changes that have occured over the years. Did any versions sound better or worse than others? I'm asking in reference to power amp changes, but preamp or speaker changes are also of interest. Any reliability problems that caused circuit or component changes?
Dear Loudthud, thanks a lot, you´ll make me blush.
I appreciate your words, specially coming from a heavyweight Pro like you.
I'm finishing, to be delivered today, one of my popular 3 channel, 6 input , 100W PA/multipurpose heads, will take some pictures when finished.
I´ve delivered over 10000 amps in 42 years , sound has *permanently* changed to suit customer´s needs and "what´s fashionable at the time".
Musicians often change because of this, I have to adapt.
When I began in 1969, Beatles were still Kings, and anything Fender ruled, so I started copying Blackfaces.
In 1972 tubes dissappeared from Argentina (long story), everybody switched to horrible 6DQ6, only power tube available, I switched to SS, the lesser of two evils.
I clearly heard that there was a big difference between both technologies, and worked *hard* to introduce in "perfect" SS amps all the grit, dirtyness, nonlinearity, etc. to turn them into "rock" amps.
I can honestly say that in 1972/73 I developed, on my own, what 15 years later would be called "Valvestate", go figure.
Since I worked with "Big Name" bands, playing Stadiums,I developed and sold unthinkable (by then) 200W and 400W RMS heads.
*Also* had to develop my own speakers, no cheap and good Eminence here.
As of reliability, always used the standard workhorse available, it does not pay to be fancy when parts disappear 3 or 5 years later.
And for me, "sound comes from the DESIGN, not from the part"
Way back then, it was LM741 and 2N3055 ; then switched to much better RC4558 and finally to incredibly good TL072.
Fake 2N3055 forced me to drop them in around 2007/2008 for TIP142/147 ; I also dropped robust 2N3773 (what I used in the "big" heads) for IRFP250, also because of fakes.
Don´t use chipamps for the planned obsolescence reasons.
I always back up my old clients, 30 years old amps can be repaired to functionally "like new" ones for a fixed price (40% to 50% the "new" price).
*All* my power amp boards from the last 30 years are mounted to the same backpanel/heatsink with the same 2 screws , so they can be exchanged freely, typically when some of them was in the hands of a "tech" who seems to have used a blowtorch to solder.
Well, that´s about it.
Anybody who wants to see some pictures, can browse
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmfahey/page7/
Flickers indexes backwards, so start from the last page and advance to page 1.
It´s in Portuguese because it was hastily put together for my Brazilian customers.
If you want to hear my B300 Bass amplifiers, watch:
http://youtu.be/LpGu0XscQ-o
they are the white front panel, big red led, to the right of the Bass Player´s head. 3 x 300W heads driving 3 x Ampeg 8x10".
To hear some of my tube stuff:
La Renga in River Soccer Stadium (Buenos Aires)
http://youtu.be/2q7bBOusSSY
Guitar: 1 Fahey built into a gutted JCM900 (the only "mod" to make it sound good) + 1 MB DR + 2 Matchless Chieftain 120
Bass: 2 Fahey Rackmount Tube Preamps driving an AB Systems 1500 and a QSC 900 into 4 x Ampeg 8 x 10" .
As I said before, my customers play LOUD !! :duh
As a side note: Argentine Rock is GOOD !!! <3)
I was lucky to having been able to supply them with Custom Made equipment, wouldn´t have survived the cheap Oriental imports otherwise.
And, why am I still making "small" 100W amps then?
Scarce Big names supply the credibility; thousands of "regular" musicians keep me alive.
Wow! Your amps look really nice :tu:
"I think 60w on a 10" is overkill personally. Keep it small, lightweight and functional. It only needs 25-30w power, similar to a Frontman 25r."
As someone who likes the sound of little amps cranked hard, I can see where you'd say that, but consider something like an Evans RE150 or RE200 (amps I'd love to try sometime). They're designed for rich, detailed tone and portability, primarily for jazz guys, with 150 or 200 solid-state watts through a 10" speaker.
If you were going for headroom and portability, and giggable volume, that combination of features/dimensions might make an appealing package. But if the onset of speaker distortion mattered to you in terms of getting the tone you were after, yeah, that much power through a 10 might not be the hot setup...I can't say, since I've never pushed a 10 capable of handling that many watts to the point of cone distortion. I do know it can be a fun tone addition with lower-wattage rigs, though.
The Fahey amps do look very nice. I need to check out those video clips and hear 'em. I
More important than the video clips, we need to start getting these amps into the states :dbtu:
Quote from: joecool85 on April 02, 2012, 04:32:26 PM
More important than the video clips, we need to start getting these amps into the states :dbtu:
Any progress on this, Juan?
I'm thinking about sending at least *one*, so as to break the ice.
Being an experiment, it does not matter freight costs more than the amp itself.
Only hope it does not get stopped at Customs because they want a $10000 UL/CE/CSA/etc. certification or something.
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 13, 2013, 07:50:11 PM
I'm thinking about sending at least *one*, so as to break the ice.
Being an experiment, it does not matter freight costs more than the amp itself.
Only hope it does not get stopped at Customs because they want a $10000 UL/CE/CSA/etc. certification or something.
Where are you sending it? Do you need my address? 8|
I'll probably send you one, will ask for address and other data when I do it.
I'm wondering about making an smps version, freight by the pound is murderous and a deal killer.
The regular post 9 Kg rate (what a 100W head weighs) is murderous U$155 :loco :duh :grr
Through EMS, the USPS "courier" it costs U$165 :( :grr
*Maybe* I can lower it to <3Kg, which means around U$80.
Not cheap but more reasonable.
Oh well.
Check http://www.correoargentino.com.ar/precios/encomiendas/internacionales and divide by 5.1 , the U$/$arg exchange rate.
"Note: requires +/-35V 5A plug pack. Not supplied."
Yes, that's an option.
Or even include the diodes and filter caps, but require a generic 30+30VAC 150VA transformer, which can be bought from many suppliers.
Although the *real* solution is to do what the Chinese.
Ever wonder how they offer "free shipping" from Hong Kong or Shanghai?
Which by the way costs about the same as sending from here. :o
Remember they usually say "wait 1 to 2 weeks for shipping" for all "heavy" stuff (such as mine).
I *think* "somebody" in China gets products from a ton of EBay sellers, packs a container full and sends it to USA, in bulk, to be later redistributed through cheap USPS.
QuoteOne 40' container can hold 12,384 shoeboxes
or about 5000 100W heads and costs about U$4000 to ship anywhere in the World, make it $1 per head. :o
That's why you find cheap Chinese stuff everywhere, but us mere mortals can't ship a guitar plug. :grr
Also why Fender (and many others) prefer to send you a new amp, (such as a Frontman FM212) instead of sending a couple parts and paying a local Tech some U$65 to fix it. :grr
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 15, 2013, 05:08:33 PM
I'll probably send you one, will ask for address and other data when I do it.
I'm wondering about making an smps version, freight by the pound is murderous and a deal killer.
The regular post 9 Kg rate (what a 100W head weighs) is murderous U$155 :loco :duh :grr
Through EMS, the USPS "courier" it costs U$165 :( :grr
*Maybe* I can lower it to <3Kg, which means around U$80.
Not cheap but more reasonable.
Oh well.
Check http://www.correoargentino.com.ar/precios/encomiendas/internacionales and divide by 5.1 , the U$/$arg exchange rate.
Hi Fahey, I was trying to compare Argentine vs Indian Economy...
Here is a price list for Both Argentina and India...May be the prices are lower in local store
Goods Ars Ars from Rupees(India)ruppee/10.65
Western digital 1 TB hard disk 599 469
Kingstone pendrive 90 59.40
Fender Frontman 25R 1461 760.56
Squier Hot rail Guitar 4,317 2065
nokia asha 311 mobile 1499 563
Reference http://listado.mercadolibre.com.ar
Food and Vegetables:
In India
Potato 2 ARS/Kg
Milk 2.4 ARS/ltr
chicken 17.5 ARS/kg
Cocacola 5.5 ARS/2 ltrs
Salary of School Teacher/Freshers Software Engineer:3000 ARS/mon
Indian President Salary :14084 ARS/mon + 2,06,57,277 ARS/Year for additional Expenses,So hey can buy 2560 bottles of Cocacola ;) ;)
What about yours.. :) :) :) :) :)
Thanks, very interesting, but please "translate" to U$, so we all can compare in an easier way :) :) :)
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 16, 2013, 09:05:56 PM
Thanks, very interesting, but please "translate" to U$, so we all can compare in an easier way :) :) :)
Then I am posting Price is us$ in india based on 1us$=55 INR
Western digital 1 TB hard disk 90.90 $
Kingstone pendrive 16gb 10.96 $
Fender Frontman 25R 147.27 $
Squier Hot rail Guitar 381 $
nokia asha 311 mobile 109
mobile calling charge 0.54$/hour
3G 10mbps Broadband 4$/GB
Plane fare (2000kms) 100 $
Train fare (2000kms) First class 60 $
Staying in a 5 star Hotel 100$/night
Electricity meter 0.1$/Kw
Petrol 1.36$/ltr
Diesel 0.95$/ltr
Resistor 1.1 $/50 dozen
5%-250mw
Capacitor 2.5$/50 dozen
20-25v small ceramic
solder 1.4 $/50 gms
Good Quality
Admission fee in University 45.45$/year
including tuition(Govt. Sponsored)
for Engineering study
Admission fee in University 1800$/year
including tuition(private)
for Engineering study
Food and Vegetables:
In India
Potato 0.36$/Kg
Milk 0.45$/ltr
chicken 3.27$/kg
Cocacola 1.1$/2 ltrs
Salary of School Teacher/Freshers Software Engineer/Bank Employee:545 $/mon
Indian President Salary :2727 $/mon + 4000000 $/Year for additional Expenses,So hey can buy 2560 bottles of Cocacola with his monthly salary :) :)
We are really Football crazy..we were quite mad about maradona and now mad about messi... :) :)
But our country is very poor. Poverty is everywhere. But it is progressing very rapidly..
What about yours..
The Australian dollar is very close to parity with US dollar at the moment (which is causing our export industries, particularly farmers, very considerable pain).
I won't go through the whole list, most of which are similar;
mobile calling charge - about $1/min (depending on plan)
3G 21mbps Broadband - $40 for 3Gb 40/3= $13/Gb
Plane and train fares, 5 star hotel, are about x10 (but India has a great train system)
Electricity ~32c/kWhr (and rising rapidly)
Petrol&Diesel $1.40-$1.60/litre depending on grade and city/country
LPG ~60c/litre
Government withdrew subsidy of tertiary education some years ago. Fees vary depending on the subject but are in the $1000's/pa, loaned but have to be paid back after graduation. Terrible move.
Milk $1.00 to $2.50/litre (depending on quality)
Whole cooked chicken $7
Basic fruit and veg ~$2-$4/kg
(Chicken dish inc. chips+salad served in pub $20, Beer $5 small bottle
Cigarettes $20+/pkt highly taxed to discourage smoking)
Average Salary ~$1000-1500pw, $4k-$6kmth
Cheap house $300k, average $500+k
Prime Minister $470000pa = $39166mth
Most Aussies are sport mad. I'm an exception. :duh
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 15, 2013, 05:08:33 PM
I'll probably send you one, will ask for address and other data when I do it.
I'm wondering about making an smps version, freight by the pound is murderous and a deal killer.
The regular post 9 Kg rate (what a 100W head weighs) is murderous U$155 :loco :duh :grr
Through EMS, the USPS "courier" it costs U$165 :( :grr
*Maybe* I can lower it to <3Kg, which means around U$80.
Not cheap but more reasonable.
Oh well.
Check http://www.correoargentino.com.ar/precios/encomiendas/internacionales and divide by 5.1 , the U$/$arg exchange rate.
For the record, I'll accept whatever you send, though I'd be more interested in a 10" or 12" combo unit than a head. Tech 21's Trademark 30 amp only weighs 14lbs, ~6.5kg and that is loaded with the speaker ready to play. If you could do that it shouldn't be too bad to ship.
What a week for Argentina. First the pope, now the second most famous man in Argentina is thinking about sending amps to the US! Exciting times.
Quote from: JHow on March 20, 2013, 09:23:11 PM
What a week for Argentina. First the pope, now the second most famous man in Argentina is thinking about sending amps to the US! Exciting times.
Heck with Argentina, I'm stoked because I might be the one getting the amp! Go US!
Quote from: joecool85 on March 18, 2013, 12:49:01 PM
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 15, 2013, 05:08:33 PM
I'll probably send you one, will ask for address and other data when I do it.
I'm wondering about making an smps version, freight by the pound is murderous and a deal killer.
The regular post 9 Kg rate (what a 100W head weighs) is murderous U$155 :loco :duh :grr
Through EMS, the USPS "courier" it costs U$165 :( :grr
*Maybe* I can lower it to <3Kg, which means around U$80.
Not cheap but more reasonable.
Oh well.
Check http://www.correoargentino.com.ar/precios/encomiendas/internacionales and divide by 5.1 , the U$/$arg exchange rate.
For the record, I'll accept whatever you send, though I'd be more interested in a 10" or 12" combo unit than a head. Tech 21's Trademark 30 amp only weighs 14lbs, ~6.5kg and that is loaded with the speaker ready to play. If you could do that it shouldn't be too bad to ship.
Let me work on some weight reduction and it may be possible.
JN
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 21, 2013, 07:23:42 PM
Quote from: joecool85 on March 18, 2013, 12:49:01 PM
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 15, 2013, 05:08:33 PM
I'll probably send you one, will ask for address and other data when I do it.
I'm wondering about making an smps version, freight by the pound is murderous and a deal killer.
The regular post 9 Kg rate (what a 100W head weighs) is murderous U$155 :loco :duh :grr
Through EMS, the USPS "courier" it costs U$165 :( :grr
*Maybe* I can lower it to <3Kg, which means around U$80.
Not cheap but more reasonable.
Oh well.
Check http://www.correoargentino.com.ar/precios/encomiendas/internacionales and divide by 5.1 , the U$/$arg exchange rate.
For the record, I'll accept whatever you send, though I'd be more interested in a 10" or 12" combo unit than a head. Tech 21's Trademark 30 amp only weighs 14lbs, ~6.5kg and that is loaded with the speaker ready to play. If you could do that it shouldn't be too bad to ship.
Let me work on some weight reduction and it may be possible.
JN
Cool. Worse case, ship it to me sans-speaker and I will source a Legend to put in there. Do your amps have a speaker out jack? If so, can it drive the internal and an external speaker or does it cut the internal to drive the external cab?
That's a step in the right direction.
I guess that the solution will be for me to get to pack the electronics, including an SMPS, into a light compact aluminum chassis.
You get your own cabinet and speaker.
Or something like that.
JMF
By the way, what happened to good old "Surface Shipping"?
Or Marine/Sea Shipping?
Nowadays it looks like everything is "Air or nothing"
Crazy.
FWIW a friend went from Argentina to Spain (or Genova, Italy, same price) as passenger in a Cargo Ship.
Why?
He wanted to carry guitars, amplifiers, and lots of other stuff with him.
Plane allowance: around 20Kg, depending on Airline.
Each extra Kg between $10 and $20.
Ship allowance: 1 cubic meter (a cube measuring over 3ft x 3ft x 3ft).
How much's thay in weight?
He carried around 250Kg of stuff , but would have paid the same if it were a Ton .
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 22, 2013, 11:00:20 PM
That's a step in the right direction.
I guess that the solution will be for me to get to pack the electronics, including an SMPS, into a light compact aluminum chassis.
You get your own cabinet and speaker.
Or something like that.
JMF
By the way, what happened to good old "Surface Shipping"?
Or Marine/Sea Shipping?
Nowadays it looks like everything is "Air or nothing"
Crazy.
FWIW a friend went from Argentina to Spain (or Genova, Italy, same price) as passenger in a Cargo Ship.
Why?
He wanted to carry guitars, amplifiers, and lots of other stuff with him.
Plane allowance: around 20Kg, depending on Airline.
Each extra Kg between $10 and $20.
Ship allowance: 1 cubic meter (a cube measuring over 3ft x 3ft x 3ft).
How much's thay in weight?
He carried around 250Kg of stuff , but would have paid the same if it were a Ton .
Juan, if you're shipping it to me as your expense, I will take whatever you want to give me. I have no problem paying shipping though for a "regular" Fahey amplifier, just sans speaker if it makes a big difference. Honestly it'd be cool to get it complete, speaker and all. If you could get me a price on the shipping maybe we can work something out. Go ahead and PM me about it.
OK, I'll check shipping options. :)
Quote from: joecool85 on March 18, 2013, 12:49:01 PM
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 15, 2013, 05:08:33 PM
I'll probably send you one, will ask for address and other data when I do it.
I'm wondering about making an smps version, freight by the pound is murderous and a deal killer.
The regular post 9 Kg rate (what a 100W head weighs) is murderous U$155 :loco :duh :grr
Through EMS, the USPS "courier" it costs U$165 :( :grr
*Maybe* I can lower it to <3Kg, which means around U$80.
Not cheap but more reasonable.
Oh well.
Check http://www.correoargentino.com.ar/precios/encomiendas/internacionales and divide by 5.1 , the U$/$arg exchange rate.
For the record, I'll accept whatever you send, though I'd be more interested in a 10" or 12" combo unit than a head. Tech 21's Trademark 30 amp only weighs 14lbs, ~6.5kg and that is loaded with the speaker ready to play. If you could do that it shouldn't be too bad to ship.
Quote from: J M Fahey on March 24, 2013, 05:29:02 AM
OK, I'll check shipping options. :)
You know what, I take it back. If you can only do a head that is fine too. I could always build or buy a speaker cab.
Juan, has this progressed at all? I'd still love to rock a Fahey amp.
mmmmmhhhhh, just for kicks maybe we could trade an amp for Site services or something.
Give me an idea about how could it work.:)
Just PM me ;)
Quote from: J M Fahey on February 01, 2014, 09:43:10 AM
mmmmmhhhhh, just for kicks maybe we could trade an amp for Site services or something.
Give me an idea about how could it work.:)
Just PM me ;)
PM sent.
Quote from: joecool85 on February 01, 2014, 07:47:24 PM
Quote from: J M Fahey on February 01, 2014, 09:43:10 AM
mmmmmhhhhh, just for kicks maybe we could trade an amp for Site services or something.
Give me an idea about how could it work.:)
Just PM me ;)
PM sent.
Did you get my PM?
Again, sorry for necro bumping an old thread,
but I'm curious whatever happened here?
Did joecool85 ever get a Fahey amp?
I've been listening to Fahey amps on utoob and they sound awesome!
I too, would love to buy a Fahey amp.
A Fahey amp in Canada would probably be the first! 8)
... and speaking of JM, have not seen him around here much lately... hope he is ok.
Thanks. Haven´t been much around, very busy and solving some Legal issues (who needs enemies when Family can be more dangerous? Oh well.
I´m designing a new line of ultralight amps, like those which are all the rage right now, in part because I need to add such products anyway, and in part to be able to ship them abroad; air freight on 10 kg (packaged) worth of amp, some 22 pounds, is a deal killer.
Lower that to 2.5 or 3kg and we are talking ;) and most important, joecool will be able to get his own :dbtu:
Quote from: J M Fahey on January 08, 2017, 06:04:57 PM
Thanks. Haven´t been much around, very busy and solving some Legal issues (who needs enemies when Family can be more dangerous? Oh well.
I´m designing a new line of ultralight amps, like those which are all the rage right now, in part because I need to add such products anyway, and in part to be able to ship them abroad; air freight on 10 kg (packaged) worth of amp, some 22 pounds, is a deal killer.
Lower that to 2.5 or 3kg and we are talking ;) and most important, joecool will be able to get his own :dbtu:
Bummer about the legal issues, but wicked exciting about the ultra light amps! Keep us posted, and good luck on both fronts!
Sent from my XT1055 using Tapatalk
Sorry to hear about the issues. Hope it ends up well for you.
Would be awesome to see Fahey amps in North America! :dbtu:
Thanks :)
I was thinking about it, any chance there could be a reverb built into this amp?