Repair Alesis ION to 100% and sell or sell as is?

Hey guys

Just wanted your opinion on something. I'm moving cities and down-sizing my rig, which means I'm going to have to sell my beloved ION.

Now, cosmetically it's great and it works a treat apart from 2 issues. The right main output channel is softer than the left and has a faint whine going through it - the Main Left and Aux L & R all work great tho. I've heard that this is very easy fix (around $2 worth of parts, just replacing a transistor or volume pot) however I'm not game enough to do it myself and I don't trust any of the local techs not to rip me off 100s of dollars (as they've done to mates of mine).

The other minor issue is the octave down button occasionally requires a little more pressure to activate.

So my question to you is, would it be worth putting it on ebay with these 2 issues clearly stated, or would I be likely to get more for it if I fork out for the repairs myself and then sell the unit as 100% working?

Cheers guys!

Repair cost can run up in ya, I'd sell as is, unfortunately they are not fetching big $$$ in mint condition.

Yeah, it's kinda like putting money in to a car before you sell it. You don't make your money back.

Too bad you're not technically inclined. But then again, if you botch it, you have no sale at all. AR, you;ll have to list it for "parts".

I'd just put it up as is.

I don't think those are big issue. Though EvilBay is fickle, people that bid on equipment usually want it in 100% working order. I suggest listing it stating what the issues are and put a reserve on it so you don't have to give it away.

Mike T.

Trade it for my MAM SQ16 sequencer =o]

Here in the central USA, shipping costs to and from a certified Alesis service center like Audio Design and Service will probably run you about 60 USD. Are there any certified Alesis service centers in Australia? I think there are just two such places in the USA, the one above in CA and another on the East coast.

I had the output transistors on my Ion mains replaced by the above mentioned place as well as a faulty master volume pot. They charged me for the parts plus a few hours labor and called with the cost estimate before doing any work other than the diagnosis of the problem. The overall repair cost about the same for the work as it did for shipping the board from Minnesota to California.

I have a "local" tech that does all my work. He's been in the business over 30 years. He's even worked on really OLD gear without schematics, although that's challenging. Bottom line is he's fixed everything i ever gave him. I got my Prophet 5 reconditioned (new KB bushing, a new OSC, and several front panel switches replaced, new batter, for about $175 USD, and included the parts! yeah, he WAY undercharged me for the work. I tipped him, in cash!

If you can find a "local" electronics shop, they could work on it for you, if they are inclined to try to help you. You may want to check with Alesis about getting parts for it though. If they have electronic qualifications AND experience, you might be able to get it repaired without shipping is somewhere.

Mike T.