Happy Holidays everyone. Live, love and follow your dreams! Cheers! RB
**Sorry SprintST, my "mitigating factor" was Thanksgiving. I occasionally like to take a holiday off with my family, don't you? My son is moving away and this will be the last time I get to see him for what will likely be quite some time. Meanwhile, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! I'll be in touch. ;-) RB (referencing this thread on AK. I'm still not sure who you are, SprintST)
Thanks, and I look forward to getting your email. RB
"Robert, I am listening to my restored 2285B as I write this. Thank you. It was a beautiful piece of machinery when built, and now it works and is a beautiful piece of stereophonic history. Please include any or all of this note in your feedback section. I started to look for 1970's stereo equipment in 2008 to replace my Sansui Au-717/TU -717. I had always aspired to owning a Marantz receiver so purchased this 2285b on eBay. Of course when I received it, there was some intermittent problem with the right channel. I looked on line and found Robert. I read his feedback, emailed him, looked at his backlog, and happily sent in my deposit knowing I'd be waiting a couple of years for him to get to me. Shortly after that, I decided to purchase another Marantz in anticipation of my son's 16th birthday--he loves 60's-80's rock-and-roll. Yahooooooo!!! I didn't really know what to buy him so contacted Robert. He was great and reviewed a number of Marantz receivers for me before concluding that a 2230 would be best for my son. I purchased one and before I turned it on, placed another deposit with Robert. I looked at the cue, read his comments, realized it would be a couple of years, but paid the money happily just to reserve my spot. Since then, for anyone who has spent any time at all as part of Robert's cue, we all know Robert went through some ups and downs, mostly downs. Having said that, throughout all of this heartache, Robert has done his best to keep us informed and to keep his cue moving. I've never read a negative comment from anyone who has received his finished product back from Robert, and I am another very happy customer. Thank you. For those of you on the cue, still waiting, as Jimmy Buffet says, 'the pleasure is worth all the pain'. Stay the course, you'll be happy for a long time and the wait will disappear in your memory. For those of you who complain and want your deposit back, grow up. You read his policy, it is as clear as day. Pay your money, get in line and wait. That's it. Robert, you did a great job and I will recommend you to all I meet who share our passion for this type of stereo equipment. All the best, Rich" Richard McArdle--Chicago, IL 2385B, 2230 Full Restorations
Meanwhile, I'm plugging away at restorations and I promise to have an updated queue page by Turkey Day! Cheers! RB
The feedback I've received regarding timeliness of communications, and firm expectations of ship dates has been heard loud and clear. I promise to give you, my valued customers, timely responses to your emails. In addition to your input, my business consultant (and fellow Marantz fan) has also pounded into me that great restoration work is not enough by itself and good communication is needed too. I know that, but it's easy to forget when buried in work.
Don't hesitate to email me about status of your restoration, and of course I love to hear about how your completed restoration looks and sounds to you! Cheers! RB
I'm not rich, I don't have thousands of dollars of operating capital for IRM. This business runs on a shoestring--a very balanced one. Anyone that knows what I charge knows my prices are "too low". I chose this so that everyone can afford to get their gear restored. I haven't changed my prices since I started this business. My parts costs have done nothing but go up and so the hours of labor on the invoice go down to accommodate--to keep my cost to you the same. I'm not makng much, guys. So when someone suddenly decides to pull the rug out from under me as is being done at the moment, I find it difficult not only to physically operate this business, but the desire to run it is beginning to wane.
I started this business because people came to me and asked me to. I've done my best to accommodate everyone and I've essentially thrown away my personal life to do so. Don't get me wrong, I love doing this work. I love everything about Marantz, the sound and what it stands for. But I can't and won't be backstabbed and pushed around in my business. With a negative balance at PayPal right now due to the issue below, and another person who just initiated a complaint after reading posts at AK, I can tell you right now, IRM is hanging on a thread. It's hard enough for me to wear all the 50 hats I have to just to make this biz run, I don't need any help making it harder. So, I'm leaving things in the hands of my customers. YOU decide if I stay in business or if I close down. This is a really, really sad day for me... hmmm just 3 days from what will be a year... sigh RB
A customer has just now started one of these complaints without even giving me a chance to talk about it via email (I need at least 24 hours to respond via email, people!). So essentially the customer has now locked out the funds I need to use to ship his gear. The "unforseen circumstances" below (8/21) was another PayPal dispute that caused a $1500 parts order to bounce. Now everyone will have to wait even longer due to that. So, you see? Please HELP me to get my restorations out, not hinder me, OK, guys? I'm bustin' a nut right now... EMAIL me before you do anything like this, ok? I know we can work something out that will be more beneficial to both of us.
Meanwhile, I have some other related news. One of my customers has volunteered to come work for me next week to help me get caught up on stuff. Hooray!! I'm really looking forward to having him here!! So much to do....
Ok, now go have a nice holiday! I'll be working through it... Cheers! RBCheers! RB
And thanks to everyone who sent in moral support with regard to AK. You guys are the best (you know who you are)!
I'll be in touch... Cheers! RB
So right there, not much of an unbiased, Org is it?. AK is just another dot com and I'm competition. So naturally they have to paint me in a bad light to promote their own...
I also wanted to point out that there was no warning for me, just banned for life. They even blocked me from read-only viewing of the site by banning my IP address as well. Something is wrong with this if you ask me. What are they afraid of? At any rate, I won't be endorsing them or their site any longer. Their actions are not of a Org site where information exchange is the purpose. I feel sorry for the many cool people that are on that site who think they are getting unbiased info. As you all know, I don't push business on anyone. Emails and questions are answered without bias and without the sales pitch...
Bad Karma for Audio Karma... ;-(
Comments are always welcome HERE ... I'm not afraid to talk about stuff... RB
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Meanwhile, I'm apparently back in the hot water again (on AK) for being slow to get restorations done. I can certainly understand the waiting just plain sucks. I get it. I don't know if I could last very long without my 2225 daily listener. But I assure you all once again, your money, Marantz gear, and trust are well placed here. In engineering we used to say, "Fast, Inexpensive, or Hi-quality; Pick 2 of the 3". I chose to keep prices low and give the best quality I can. (many parts have doubled in cost yet I have never raised my prices). So, I can't do it fast enough for some people. "You can't please all the people all the time". For that, I am truly sorry and all I can say is please try to hang on a little longer. I WILL get to you and your restoration as soon as I can. It's inevitable.... it WILL be worth the wait.
(Meanwhile, once again I have to mention that there are no deposit refunds for any deposits taken after 4/2009. This is the rule, and you all know and agree to this before signing up. It's up TO YOU to decide to do business with me. Being patient will bring back rewards in spades. Many of you already know this..)
P.S. I also might point out that I've been working IRM for 7 years now, NON-STOP save for emergencies, 3 moves and my Dad dying. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY VACATION time to myself since I started the biz. I get 30 to 70 emails EVERY DAY and I try to answer each and every one. This is seven days a week, every week, every month. So when people infer that I'm not doing everything I can to get work out, once again, I get a little defensive....
well, anyway... I'll be in touch... Have a fun enjoying the great weather!! ~RB
Update: 10:35pm: Well, apparently I have now been banned from Audio Karma. LOL. I guess they want to be able to flame me without any sort of response. What a shame. They say:
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You have been banned for the following reason: Date the ban will be lifted: Never |
| vBulletin Message |
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Sorry. The administrator has banned your IP address. To contact the administrator click here
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Wow! I guess I hit a nerve or something. I must have REALLY SCARED THEM!! LOL. I am a pretty scary guy! ;-) Well, I'm just trying to let people know what's up. BTW, I don't market on AK AT ALL!! Never have, not once! And all you hear about on their posts is this person who restores and is on AK, or that person... Nor do I have multiple accounts. Are you serious? I barely have time to visit AK much less have multiple accounts. Really? So you be the judge here.... Meanwhile, shipped out 2 restorations today....
Cheers all! RB
unbelievable... just so amazingly childish... so I guess the witch hunt will have to happen behind my back now.... let me know how the show goes. ;-)
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All I can say is I'm super sorry for the inconvenience and added wait times, especially for people that have already paid for their restorations and shipping fees. Please email me if you need more info or want to add to my venting. Meanwhile, I will do my best to get this issue resolved as soon as humanly possible. Thanks for the understanding and hang in there, we'll get this... grrrrrrr
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Again, thanks SO much for the awesome feedback from all you great Marantz people out there! Honestly, I wish I knew how even begin to show my appreciation to you all for the support! I love the emails and great restoration stories! Please keep 'em coming!! ;-)
Oh, and watch for some amazing changes (and VERY serious improvements) in IRM in this coming year! RB
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Cheers! RB
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Cheers, RB
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Hi folks! I hope everyone made it through the holidays relatively unscathed. ;-) Well, I guess I'm in a little hot water with you all since I'm so far behind on emails and all. I just want to appologize and reassure everyone that I'm just behind due to the holidays and I will be back to better communication ASAP. Meanwhile, the holidays were especially hard for me this year as you can imagine. I ended up in the ER again with a panic attack. But I'm doing ok now and back at the bench. That coupled with an insane number of orders this December and I've nearly lost all sense of order in the shop!! But I've got things roped in now and as I take care of a few loose ends from last year, you all should see a jump in the queue as it gets back on track. By all means, please let me know if I missed something on the queue or if I screwed something up. And if I ever go more than 3 or 4 days without you hearing back on an email, please resend it. I appologize if I lost your first one...
And to those at Audio Karma: All I can say is that I'm all about what I do. I am a man of my word, with honor and integrity. You won't find many who take what I do and my relationship with my customers more seriously. And it breaks my heart when I run into people who attack my credibility and honesty. For me Marantz means something more than just great audio. It's about greatness in everything you can do and who you are. It's about fidelity.
Talk soon... Rob
"Thanks. Hello all! My name is Robert J. from Houston Texas. I am a new member and this is my first post. Several months ago I got “The bug†to get back into the Audio World and try and recreate my youth! My wife tells me I’m going through a mid life crises. One of the first stops I made was to this and a few other forums to find out all about vintage audio and if everybody was having a good time! Well after some research and deciding what system I was going to put together, I made Marantz my choice along with a pair of Klipsch Chorus speakers modified with Bob Crites parts. So as it went, I looked around the web on Criegslist, Audiogon and a few others and found a Marantz 2285 in what I can best describe as “Mint†Now during this process , I had the pleasure of communicating via email with Robert Bowdish from IREBUILDMARANTZ.COM found him to be very helpful with all my questions and answered his emails swiftly. So as it went, I decided to have him do the work, read his policies and completely understood the long wait, although not happy, I understood. Then I had an idea, I would buy another unit (2265B) and have somebody local to do the work faster, so I could get my “Audio fix†as my wife put it. Now for the good part, I sent my unit to him and waited, went to another local guy and gave him my other unit to fix, but not fully recondition. So,,, just before Christmas, I received an email that my unit was to be sent out that day! 
I contacted Rob via email and asked him to send me a final bill and I would pay for it within a few days, then the same day, I receive an email back indicating the unit was shipped with a tracking number, package and insured as I requested he do. Now if you’re all with me here, the man sent the receiver before I gave him any money… Yes that’s crazy, but he did it and I in return held up my side and paid him. Now this is not an action of somebody that is a thief or con artist is it? So you ask, did I like the service and final product, the answer would be a BIG YES. I wanted to display some photos and more about my experience, but I need to get my speakers done!"
(no emphasis or editing done)
Hello again everyone! Well, this would have been my dad's 70th birthday today. And in honor of this day, I have decided to open up the webstore a day early. So consider IRM back up to full steam again. It's been a bumpy road, but we can all take a breather now! And thanks again for being such awesome 'Marantz people'! You know who you are! ;-)
Take care and stay healthy!!
Talk soon... Catch me on the IRMcam restoring your gear!
Rob
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Hi gang. Well, my father passed away on the 7th. It has been a very difficult time for my mom and my sister and me but we are finally getting through the tough stuff. Thanks again everyone that has sent in well wishes and all. Those emails helped more than you will never know!
Meanwhile, IRM is on track to reopen on 10/1 and during this last week of September, we will be sending out many of the sales and restored units that have been on hold during this time. Thanks SO much for the incredible patience! You shall soon be rewarded!! ;-)
Talk soon...
Rob
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Hello everyone! Good news! IRM is now completely moved to the new location and the new shop is nearly 100% setup. The new webcam is up so you can all see the new shop! For those of you who have outstanding orders, I'll be shipping very shortly! It looks like IRM will be on track to reopen on 10/1 as promised.
Thank you all again for the patience and understanding during this transition and difficult time.
Rob
Hello and thanks SO much for being one of my customers! I wanted to create this note to bring you all up to date on the happenings regarding IRM.
Many of you already know that my dad has been ill for some time. He recently suffered a major stroke in July and due to the stresses on my mom, I will have to move to my parents' house. This means the IRM shop will have to move yet again.
The first thing I want to emphasize is that IRM is not going away! This is only a temporary setback and I want everyone to understand completely that their equipement is safe with me and will get restored as promised. In order to facilitate this move, I am forced to somewhat shut down IRM until further notice. The web store is now down and I won't be taking on any new work until after October 1st. Again, I appreciate your understanding and patience. During this time emails may go unanswered for a short time but I will do my best to keep in contact--current jobs especially.
And again, thank you all for the well wishes and heart-felt concern I have seen in my emails. I can't begin to thank you enough! Meanwhile, I can only ask again for your continued patience as we make what will most likely be our last move to a permanent home for IRM so we can get back on track to restoring these awesome receviers. That's the plan!
Sincerely, Robert Bowdish
Owner IRebuildMarantz.com
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*IRM will have new shipping and billing addresses soon. For now these are current (please note):
Shipping Address For Equipment should have been provided to those that need it. Please email me if you don't have this information and need it.
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Communications Snail-Mail Address (if you can't for some reason do what you need to do with email)
(Please, NO equipment at this address):
IRebuildMarantzP.O. Box 1038
Homewood, CA 96141-1038
This address is available now. (updated 9/19/2011)
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Our email address irebuildmarantz@att.net is not longer valid. Please contact us via Robert@IRebuildMarantz.com
Thanks and talk to ya soon!!!
Your Humble Marantz Guru,
Rob