Pricing & Policy

Straightforward terms, no surprises.

Ashthorne HiFi is a one-person specialist workshop, not a general repair shop. The terms below exist so that everyone who gets in touch knows what to expect before any work begins. For the full legal terms covering liability, warranty and what happens if something goes wrong, see the Terms & Conditions.

Diagnostic & labour

Diagnostic £45 minimum, covers the first hour of bench time

Labour £55 per hour after the first, confirmed with you as work progresses

Parts Charged at cost, itemised alongside labour in the quote

Deposit None required to begin work

Turnaround Most jobs are with me around 1–2 weeks, sometimes up to three during busy periods. You're billed for hours actually worked, not the full period

The diagnostic fee applies whether or not the unit goes ahead to full repair. It reflects the time and expertise involved in properly assessing vintage equipment, not a booking fee.

Backlogs are often large due to high demand. I'll try to diagnose your unit the same day or week it arrives, but the full repair may take longer depending on complexity and the backlog at the time. Get in touch for a current estimate before sending anything.

Once I'm confident a repair's worth doing, I may add further labour at my discretion rather than re-quoting at every step. This stays reasonable for the job and won't exceed £100 unless we agree more work first.

What I take on

I take on jobs I judge to be economically viable, or that carry genuine sentimental value to the owner. Low-value repairs on equipment that is not worth the labour involved may be politely declined. This is a craft workshop, not a volume repair service, and pricing reflects that.

I work on equipment of all eras, from vintage classics through to newer solid-state designs. I have particular depth in 1970s to 1990s analogue circuitry, which is well documented and straightforward to source parts for, but newer equipment is just as welcome.

Valve/tube amplifiers and speaker reconing are outside what I take on: solid-state electronics only.

Service record

For higher-value jobs, or where resale and provenance are a consideration, I'm happy to include a permanent, verifiable record: what was done, parts used, and warranty status, accessible by QR sticker or a short reference code. See the records page to look one up.

Workshop

Ashthorne HiFi operates from a home workshop, by appointment only. Please don't turn up unannounced. Get in touch first and we'll arrange collection, drop-off, or courier as suits the unit.

If I've mentioned a day I might be free, that's not a confirmed slot — please wait for me to confirm a specific time before coming to collect.

Units offered for sale are refurbished and serviced by me before listing. I don't stock spare parts or hold general stock for sale.

Get in touch

WhatsApp is the fastest way to reach me: a couple of photos of the unit and a description of the fault lets me give a much better initial steer than a phone call.

Message on WhatsApp

Prefer email? Contact details here.