Godar Electronics

Stopped by Godar Electronics today with some electronics in need of attention prior to sale. It’s a sign you’re getting older when the amplifier you bought in college is now vintage and collectible. Oh well. I called Mike Godar in advance of my visit, so I knew what to expect. Or at least I thought I did. The quoted price, $ 135, was quite a bit more than the $ 80 or so I had expected. Apparently my internal pricing mechanism is now vintage as well. A quality repair, however, was needed if I was to sell the amp on eBay for top dollar. Instead, when I arrived Mike surprised me by making a cash offer for the amp on the spot. I negotiated a $ 75 improvement in his offer and decided to go ahead take it. He’ll double his money and I’ll avoid a repair bill, another trip to Gilbert, a time consuming eBay listing and the joy of figuring out how to inexpensively ship an amp that is roughly the same weight as a Volkswagen. Everyone wins, but I can’t help but think that the original $ 135 repair estimate was just a little expensive and a factor in my decision to sell. Mike seemed to be a stand up guy during the actual purchase negotiation, however, quoting online price listings consistent with those with which I was familiar. I’d award him 4.5 stars if I could.
The shop is fun to visit. Lots of old radios, turntables, amplifiers… piled all about. I’m not sure how much longer Godar will be here. It’s across the street from some spots like the Barrio Queen and the location must have real estate developers salivating. There aren’t that many places in town that fix vintage electronics. Let’s hope Mike is around a bit longer.

I came by and got my Dual 1215 turntable back. Auto functions not working of course. For the $ 85
I spent, Godar got the motor running properly (it was dead) and freed all of the levers. I downloaded the service manual and have begun to restore the unit myself. So far, I’ve gotten the auto return to work and I’m very close to repairing the record changing functions. I should have started the whole job myself and saved money time and angst.

I will start off by saying while I still consider myself a noob, I am a growing enthusiast of vintage stereo equipment. However problem with vintage gear is that after 30, 40, or 50 years, while pieces may still be working all will eventually need servicing. Unfortunately for me I know nothing about repairing electronics. So cost of repair is something that I have to keep in mind when I’m on the look out for vintage receivers and amplifiers.
I had found a nice vintage Pioneer SX-​939 receiver for a reasonable price and enjoyed it for several months before I started having trouble with it. The problem I was having with it was that for the first few minutes both channels would play fine but the right channel would eventually grow weaker to the point where there was hardly any sound coming out. I’ve had to have other equipment repaired before and knew that repair cost can quickly grow depending on the nature of the problem. Even diagnostic fees can make a difference. While I loved my Pioneer, sadly I wasn’t looking forward to paying a couple of hundred dollars to have it repaired when I could potentially buy another one or similar model for the cost. But then I found Godar and their low $ 20 diagnostic fee. The initial fee was enough that if the repair cost would be too much I could just cut it at a loss and find a better home for my Pioneer, someone with the know how to fix it themselves.
In the end I’m glad I decided to try Godar. The shop doesn’t look like much and you can easily pass it by if you’re not careful but I ended up having great service there. When I brought the receiver in, the guy at the counter had me fill out my information while he wrote down all the issues I was having. Then the repair tech came over and started chatting with me. He instantly recognized my blue face Pioneer and we talked a little about vintage gear. He then said it’d probably take up to a week but they would let me know what going on. I dropped it off on a Friday and by Tues got a call telling me they identified the issue and my total cost would be $ 80 including the initial fee and it would be done by Thursday. Sure enough I stop by Thursday and it’s ready to go. The tech explained what was wrong, what they fixed and that they thoroughly bench tested it. I took it home, hooked it up, fired her up and beautiful music started flowing out of both channels again. All of that was about 8 months ago and I am happy to say that my Pioneer is still going strong with no issues to report!
I would easily take me troubled gear back to them again and am happy that I can add Godar to the list of places that I feel comfortable having honest repair work done on my vintage equipment.

At this time, I’m pretty new to audio equipment. I stopped by to just check this place out and came out knowing significantly more about receivers and speakers than I had gone in with. The place didn’t look like much from the outside, but the expertise and personal attention of the guys inside more than made up for it.
Mike not only helped me decide on an excellent receiver, but he took the time to explain to me the basics of setting up a receiver with speakers, the history of the model, terminology, and general tips about the equipment I walked out with.
These guys know a lot about audio equipment and are passionate about it. I just set up my receiver and speakers and the sound is terrific. This place will have my business from now on.

Professional, Honest and Caring. I’m a collector of vintage stereo equipment, recently brought in a classic pre-​amp that needed some professional attention. Godar came through with the fix! For sure i will be back to get some of my other equipment serviced.

If you’re pining for the days of old when equipment worked for longer than a year or two, this is the place for you! I was looking for an old (top of the line) turntable. After this place had been recommended to me by a friend of our son, I decided to check it out. It’s now one of my favorite places to go on a Saturday! Mike (the owner) is a super guy, and a rare guru of all things audio, visual, and electrical. The range of what he carries will simply blow your mind — everything from turn of the century Victrollas and tube testers to speakers and VCR’s (remember them?!). My last purchase was one of his FM antennas, which is the thing that put Mike on the map. Can’t wait to hook it up! Don’t doubt, check it out!

it will not get better than this, folks! mike godar and his people are incredible! i live in chicago, however have ordered many products from this business. the latest a completely refurbished sony stereo vcr (try and get 1 as a stand alone w/​o dvd player new… doesn’t exist). anyway mike sent 1 2 me and it’s an incredibly quiet and clear picture unit. i also have purchased a high def tv/​fm stereo antenna (which mike invented btw) as well as many cables, connectors, etc… did i mention i absolutely love godar? ok thought so… also mike is an ol school talk radio guy and his conversations are worth the price of admission alone! good, no great stuff!

These guys are great… I love supporting local businesses, and when I inherited a plasma TV that wasn’t working anymore, I knew that getting it fixed would be cheaper than buying a new set. I was right. Godar got my plasma going, gave me some good advise on keeping an older plasma cooled off (using small computer fans) and saved me a ton of money.
They work on just about any kind of electronics, and have very quick turnaround time!