PSA: "Who is the real Larry?" thread is live

[Greazygeo]

I’d sent the original to Mercury magnetics to rebuild for $600 before I’m required to ship the whole amp at my own dime and then pay an additional $1000. $600 is better than $1500. Ricks a douche for the move and everyone knows it.

MM won’t rebuild it.

So let’s say the transformer is $600…so he is charging $400 labor to install it, Most places around here are $120 per hour bench fee.

I don’t think any manufacturers I know of would warranty their product with an attenuator. Risk you take I suppose.

Is what it is…last I looked they were around $5000, so looks like it is a $5000 amp.

 

[Ben Waylin]

Larry (if that is your real name), this "Snorkler" schematic you PM'ed me does not look right - at all.

 

[glpg80]

MM won’t rebuild it.

So let’s say the transformer is $600…so he is charging $400 labor to install it, Most places around here are $120 per hour bench fee.

I don’t think any manufacturers I know of would warranty their product with an attenuator. Risk you take I suppose.

Is what it is…last I looked they were around $5000, so looks like it is a $5000 amp.

The transformers are $300. A rebuild is $600.

He charges whatever he wants just like Larry.

Just because it cost that much on the consumer market doesn’t mean it’s worth that. It’s called a business model.

 

[RedB4Black]

The transformers are $300. A rebuild is $600.

He charges whatever he wants just like Larry.

Just because it cost that much on the consumer market doesn’t mean it’s worth that. It’s called a business model.

It's worth what people are willing to pay for it....nothing more, nothing less.

I believe they guy who had the amp didn't buy it from Rick either. What's his incentive to spend his time fixing it if he isn't paid for it. I know of other situations where Rick has fixed amps for free and covered the shipping.

 

[glpg80]

Who said he had to fix it for free? I didn’t.

You’re very right they’re worth whatever people will pay which is the same for anything material.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

It's worth what people are willing to pay for it....nothing more, nothing less.

I believe they guy who had the amp didn't buy it from Rick either. What's his incentive to spend his time fixing it if he isn't paid for it. I know of other situations where Rick has fixed amps for free and covered the shipping.

Bottom line is it's a stated Limited Lifetime Warranty to the original purchaser of the amp. The lifetime warranty is non transferable. 100% of the time he stands behind that. So we have a situation where an amp was damaged using a product / set up that Rick is vehemently against, and its to his discretion how he wants to handle it. Buyer of the DOA used amp went in eyes wide open. Case closed. Any personal opinion or position on Rick's business model is just that....and he continues to be busy AF.

Moving on, does anybody have any input or knowledge about this Larry guy NOT refunding Steve K's deposit to his wife, if that's the case? I personally find that way more offensive than any argument over the tube issue presented here. That would put this guy in the "A+ amp builder / F- human" category.

 

[Greazygeo]

The transformers are $300. A rebuild is $600.

He charges whatever he wants just like Larry.

Just because it cost that much on the consumer market doesn’t mean it’s worth that. It’s called a business model.

They won’t redo a proprietary product still in production, try it. You will see. If Rick sent it in, they would.

The market determines what the value of something is, not our opinions. If they were not worth 5000 noone would buy one and the price would either drop till they sold or company would go out of buisness. It obviously is not worth it to you…others disagree and he is still selling them.

 

[mooncobra]

Except for that time he wanted to charge $1000 for a transformer replacement.

The dude had to sell the amp on the forum at a massive loss non functional.

True dat homie, I remember when that tragedy unfolded, and sorrowful he was, a thousand dollars, cheap it is not!

 

[headlessdeadguy]

Where is the thread from 10-12 years ago where Larry showed his true colors? I can’t remember exactly what it was about but it may have had something to do with him building James Hetfield an amp or something. I don’t remember all of the details but he acted like a complete fuckhead.

 

[pstar]

Bottom line is it's a stated Limited Lifetime Warranty to the original purchaser of the amp. The lifetime warranty is non transferable. 100% of the time he stands behind that. So we have a situation where an amp was damaged using a product / set up that Rick is vehemently against, and its to his discretion how he wants to handle it. Buyer of the DOA used amp went in eyes wide open. Case closed. Any personal opinion or position on Rick's business model is just that....and he continues to be busy AF.

Moving on, does anybody have any input or knowledge about this Larry guy NOT refunding Steve K's deposit to his wife, if that's the case? I personally find that way more offensive than any argument over the tube issue presented here. That would put this guy in the "A+ amp builder / F- human" category.

He did NOT refund steve K's wife.

 

[VESmedic]

Where is the thread from 10-12 years ago where Larry showed his true colors? I can’t remember exactly what it was about but it may have had something to do with him building James Hetfield an amp or something. I don’t remember all of the details but he acted like a complete fuckhead.

This indirectly was what I was getting at: how in the fuck does anyone with Larry amp money NOT know about these kinds of happenings over the years? I don’t think anyone is like “hey, that looks like a cool amp, I’ll be happy to drop 7500 dollars on something I know absolutely nothing about! Cant wait to pick it up in 2 years!”…. Which is why it’s baffling we need a high school level post by some drunken idiot Canadian at midnight on a Friday dissecting Larry’s birthday and his blood type. These stories are not new, and yet Larry has still been in business for 30+ years. So either someone is lying, or someone is exaggerating and borderline lying. You can’t be a one man amp shop and have tons of bad press and stay in business for 30+ years making amps for the biggest celebrities/musicians. That’s just not a thing. His amps sound great, but not great enough to deal with these supposed “mishaps” that seem to only pop up on guitar forums.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

True dat homie, I remember when that tragedy unfolded, and sorrowful he was, a thousand dollars, cheap it is not!

And a smart guy would've contacted Rick FIRST to confirm what the repair costs would be. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that guy bought a used amp he knew was NOT working, with the intention of having Rick fix it, and then was blown out by the repair quote. Seems he didn't make a simple phone call or email inquiry that would've saved him $1000.

 

[headlessdeadguy]

This indirectly was what I was getting at: how in the fuck does anyone with Larry amp money NOT know about these kinds of happenings over the years? I don’t think anyone is like “hey, that looks like a cool amp, I’ll be happy to drop 7500 dollars on something I know absolutely nothing about! Cant wait to pick it up in 2 years!”…. Which is why it’s baffling we need a high school level post by some drunken idiot Canadian at midnight on a Friday dissecting Larry’s birthday and his blood type. These stories are not new, and yet Larry has still been in business for 30+ years. So either someone is lying, or someone is exaggerating and borderline lying. You can’t be a one man amp shop and have tons of bad press and stay in business for 30+ years making amps for the biggest celebrities/musicians. That’s just not a thing. His amps sound great, but not great enough to deal with these supposed “mishaps” that seem to only pop up on guitar forums.

I'm not good enough to justify the gear I currently have, let alone a $7000 amp. Our resident Larry owner isn't either but whatever floats your boat. I feel kind of stupid having a Bogner when the 6505+ comes real close to sounding as good with my skill level.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

He did NOT refund steve K's wife.

If factual, that right there would be enough reason to start a 'Fuck you Larry' flame thread. Steve K. was a good dude who went out of his way to help many people. I find it in horribly bad taste that he would then keep a deposit on an amp he knows he will never need to build. Shit, we should almost do a Go Fund Me for the balance owed, get the amp and sell it and send her the proceeds.

 

[gtrwun]

If factual, that right there would be enough reason to start a 'Fuck you Larry' flame thread. Steve K. was a good dude who went out of his way to help many people. I find it in horribly bad taste that he would then keep a deposit on an amp he knows he will never need to build. Shit, we should almost do a Go Fund Me for the balance owed, get the amp and sell it and send her the proceeds.

Steve K was a good guy. Nobody here would argue that.
The Steve K / Larry drama played out on here many years ago. Look it up. Hell, your an old timer here although I don’t see you post much anymore?
This doesn’t need a new thread to rehash old news.

 

[cetanu]

You can’t be a one man amp shop and have tons of bad press and stay in business for 30+ years making amps for the biggest celebrities/musicians.

What celebrities/musicians are you talking about? The only more prominent guy that used a Larry is seemingly hiding from process servers in a mobile home and will not be playing on a stage for quite a while. So many of these alleged Larry users simply don't use or even mention them. Helmut Grohmann is just one of many amp builders and there are a ton of great amps out there.. many of them with less baggage.

 

[mooncobra]

I'm not good enough to justify the gear I currently have, let alone a $7000 amp. Our resident Larry owner isn't either but whatever floats your boat. I feel kind of stupid having a Bogner when the 6505+ comes real close to sounding as good with my skill level.

I don’t subscribe to that not being a good enough player to own an amp theory. I have a Friedman and even a Knaggs. I can barely strum in time, let alone play even a basic solo. Yet they please me to no end and bring me immense pleasure.

 

[VESmedic]

What celebrities/musicians are you talking about? The only more prominent guy that used a Larry is seemingly hiding from process servers in a mobile home and will not be playing on a stage for quite a while. So many of these alleged Larry users simply don't use or even mention them. Helmut Grohmann is just one of many amp builders and there are a ton of great amps out there.. many of them with less baggage.

I just meant in general. Not just Larry in particular, but any small boutique amp company: you can’t survive with “mishaps” like this, if they are true. But I agree, the Larry is up there with other “legendary” amps that no one uses…. CALM DOWN GUYZ PUT DOWN THE PITCHFORKS. #C+

On a more serious note, I do agree with you though, I honestly don’t know anyone really outside schaeffer. I have seen a picture or two during the black album recording sessions in which a Larry was there in the picture, but who knows if it was really used. But yea definitely, I don’t really know anyone using these amps.

 

[VESmedic]

I'm not good enough to justify the gear I currently have, let alone a $7000 amp. Our resident Larry owner isn't either but whatever floats your boat. I feel kind of stupid having a Bogner when the 6505+ comes real close to sounding as good with my skill level.

Man play what you want, life is too short to wait to be “good enough”. Fuck all that shit. I have an ungodly expensive studio that is so outrageously overkill for someone at my skill level it’s asinine. But who cares, it makes me happy, that’s enough for me!

 

[rottingcorpse]

He did NOT refund steve K's wife.

Then I'm out. Fuck that shit. That's a shit-heel move.