▼ Culture Retro Repairs Where to get your vintage valuables fixed locally. BY MR. P-BODY T his is the modern world. I get it. I can’t judge popular culture’s obsession with convenience because I’m not writing this on a typewriter. I’ve escaped the pains of paper and ribbons jams in exchange for a computer. I also blame correction fluid. When I’m done writing, it’s time to relax and crank up some vintage vinyl with a 1973 Marantz stereo receiver and among many options, Rush’s 2112 is perfect. Oh sure, I could just use iTunes but it’s just not the same. I’d rather be an analog kid than a digital man any day. But it’s all fun and games until the thing blows or will no longer power up. Unfortunately, regardless of great build quality, these valued vintage receivers are around 49 years old. Best Buy can’t repair one of these. Now what? Research options on Google? Yeah, of course you can, and you should. Thankfully, Phoenix is a big city and there are many options when seeking out repairs. It’s impossible to list everything under our sun but I can offer my years of experience as a veteran of things vintage as well as a handful of local services that have expertise for possessions that you would rather not donate to the dumpster. And most of these have been in business for decades. Audio/Video SpenCertified 456 East Juanita Avenue, #8, Mesa 480-207-1511 spencertified.com Five years’ experience isn’t a decade but SpenCertified in Mesa has a five-star rating, offering full service on “pretty much anything electronic,” to quote owner Spencer Vogt. He reveals his initial goals were to build his brand and business as opposed to selling items on eBay or Amazon, which were his origins. After doing videotape to DVD transfers for many customers, he decided to become a rare source in the Valley for audio repair. The website states they offer warranties on purchases and a warranty on repairs, quite a promise considering they’re videotape experts. Do you remember VHS? It’s so fun and retro until the VCR turns into an actual movie monster, eating your horror movie tapes that are now vintage and pricey. “Well, we do quite a bit of VCR repairs and we ship them all over as well as internationally. They’re still far more popular than you might think,” Vogt confirms. Melrose TV, VCR & Stereo Repair 4342 North Seventh Avenue 602-264-4359 melrosetvaz.com Audio repair services of the antique variety would include Melrose TV, VCR & Stereo Mr. P-body Repair. On Seventh Avenue, with its modest but noticeable old-school storefront, this shop is operated by a singular tech/owner named Richard Heaton. Most of the items I saw are the usual suspects such as tape decks and flat-screen TVs but there were truly some antique pieces on hand. I’m referring to old-school units that might have played the original radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. “You have to be around a long time to work on vintage audio,” Heaton says. But with typically 30 items in the queue awaiting service, you may be concerned that your repair order might also be around a long time. Reviews seem to say otherwise and it’s remarkable that since 1964, Heaton has been able to turn around repairs to customers’ satisfaction. Typewriters Mesa Typewriter Exchange 30 South MacDonald, Mesa 480-964-3603 Mesa’s SpenCertified offers full service on “pretty much anything electronic,” owner Spencer Vogts says. The concept of our love for vintage and perhaps “obsolete” products was quite well summed up by Bill Wahl, owner of Mesa Typewriter Exchange. He says, “My customers that come in for typewriters are passionate — they ‘want’ a typewriter, it’s not something they ‘need’ in today’s world.” Wahl even reveals that his customers are way more into typewriters than he is. “My customer base is diverse and all ages,” he clarifies. Opened by his grandfather in 1948, this shop has been offering sales and repair services for nearly 75 years. I was reminded of the experi- ences of yesteryear; a small cluttered shop with pictures of family on the wall as if you were in the owner’s house. His Ocean’s Eleven poster of the original 1960 film was a great metaphor — a visual representation of another vintage creation that was modernized (and in this case, needlessly and repeatedly). His typewriters are about $150 and up, and he’s got everything except maybe the one featured in The Shining, in which Jack Torrance typed, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Yes, I looked for it. Accordng to store owner Bill Wahl, Mesa Typewriter Exchange’s customer base “is diverse and all ages.” 24 Mr. P-body Clocks/Watches The Clock Doctor 10610 North 71st Place, Scottsdale 480-951-8994 clockdr.com Walking into Scottsdale’s The Clock Doctor is the closest thing to time literally standing still; it’s got an abundance of timepieces. Apparently, music videos have been shot within this shop, and I was expecting H.G. Wells to come out and speak to me. But the owner’s name is Tyler Gesswein, who explained to me that his grandfather Bill Gesswein has been working with time- pieces since 1960. And he still hangs out at the shop from time to time. In Arizona since 1982, The Clock Doctor is renowned for repairs and restoration from the tiniest watches to grandfather clocks from all over the world. These guys have no kind of digital depression. Tyler Gesswein >> p 26 SEPT 29TH–OCT 5TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
