The Odd Bench
Vintage gear, one-offs, and the machine three other shops turned away. If it has a circuit board and a story, bring it.
Why it works
Most shops grade your machine against a price list before anyone looks inside it. This bench is the opposite.
The tech who wants your weird thing
You’re not a queue number graded against a rate card. The odd machines are the favorite machines here. If yours is interesting, it goes on the bench happy.
One tech, start to finish
Your machine doesn’t change hands. The same person diagnoses it, quotes it, and fixes it, and that person has done component-level work for years, including benches at PS Audio, Ayre, and TMR.
A written quote, with photos
Before we touch a screwdriver you get what we found, what it costs, and how long it takes, in writing, with photos of the actual problem. You approve, then we work.
The $49 diagnosis gets credited
A flat $49 puts your machine on the bench and gets you a straight answer. Approve the repair and the $49 comes off the bill.
If it’s not worth fixing, we say so
Sometimes the right call is “don’t spend money on this.” You’ll hear it when it’s true, and in that case the diagnosis doesn’t cost you anything.
No upsell. Ever.
We don’t sell parts you don’t need or upgrades you didn’t ask for. If something can be repaired instead of replaced, that’s the option you’ll see.
What rides in
A partial list. The rest arrives in the trunk.
Vintage computers
Apple IIs, Commodores, classic Macs, old workstations, the family computer nobody else will open. Scarce parts and reverse engineering are the job, not the excuse.
Test equipment
Scopes, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, bench supplies. Working, uncalibrated, or fully dark.
Synths and drum machines
Analog and digital. Keys that don’t trigger, voices that drift, power supplies that gave up mid-set, and the unit that hasn’t made a sound in a decade.
Guitar amps
Tube and solid state. Hum, crackle, no output, dead channels, and the reverb that ate your sound.
Pinball and arcade boards
Driver boards, CPU boards, power supplies, and the machine that’s been dark for years. One board at a time if that’s what it takes.
Turntables
Direct drive, belt drive, and the idler-drive oddballs. Motors, speed control, tonearm wiring, and the hum that won’t quit.
Odd formats
Reel-to-reel, 8-track, DAT, MiniDisc. If playing it has become a lost art, repairing it is one too, and we’re keeping both alive.
“What is it? Just bring it”
The unlabeled box, the hand-built one-off, the machine with no nameplate. Bring it in and we’ll figure out what it is together.
Why people drive here
We’re one bench in Longmont, and we get regulars from further than you’d expect. People make the drive from Cheyenne, Fort Collins, and Denver because the machine in their trunk needs a shop that will actually quote it. For vintage gear and one-offs, a shop like that is rare, and it’s worth the trip.
Or skip the drive: ship it in
Request an RMA number online (it takes minutes), pack the machine well, and send it to us. You get the same written quote with photos before any work starts, and nothing happens without your approval.
Questions people ask before the drive
Something else on your mind? Call (720) 964-0064. We like the weird calls.
What counts as “odd”?
If it has a circuit board and a story, probably this bench. Vintage computers, test equipment, synths and drum machines, guitar amps, pinball and arcade boards, turntables, and the formats nobody makes anymore. Not sure? Call and describe it.
Will you tell me if it’s not worth fixing?
Yes, straight. The $49 diagnosis is credited to your repair when you approve it. If the honest answer is that your machine isn’t worth the money, the diagnosis is free and we’ll tell you why. We’d rather lose the repair than sell you one.
How does pricing work?
The diagnosis is a flat $49, credited to the repair if you approve it. After that, everything is a written quote with photos: parts listed separately, labor listed plainly, no surprises. You approve the number before we touch a screwdriver.
Do I need an appointment?
No. Walk in Monday to Friday, 9 to 6, or Saturday and Sunday, 10 to 3. If you fill out the online form first, the bench will be ready when you arrive.
I’m not local. Can I ship it in?
Yes, from anywhere in the country. Request an RMA number (it takes minutes), pack the machine well, and send it in. Diagnosis, written quote with photos, your approval, then the fix. Same bench, same rules.
Weird machine on the shelf? Let’s look at it.
Call any time. Our AI receptionist answers around the clock and a human follows up. Prefer to ship it? Request an RMA number and send the machine in from anywhere in the country.