That’s not strictly true; it’s more that I don’t like working on equipment that certain people have messed with.

In a nutshell, the picture below is why I often refuse to look at equipment that has been worked on by the worst offenders:

I don’t enjoy cleaning up messes left by others or fixing problems that never existed before the wrong person got hold of something. I’m sure this is a concept most can relate to. The best scenario is hi-fi equipment that is unmolested, perhaps dirty or even broken, but in otherwise original condition. I am happy to work on pieces that skilled technicians have worked on, but sadly, highly skilled professionals are few and far between.

Many DIY and commercial attempts at maintenance introduce faults such as damaged printed circuit boards and pads, compromised wiring and low-quality, incorrect or mismatched parts. This work almost never resolves the original issues, AND introduces new problems that compound the original ones, all of which must then be diagnosed and solved. A classic example is this Sansui AU-317.

This doesn’t just happen with electronics, of course. Every mechanic knows the pain of working on a vehicle with loose, broken, stripped or missing fasteners everywhere. Conversely, we all know the satisfaction of working on something that a skilled professional has previously worked on. Likewise, musical instruments like guitars and synths, poorly constructed buildings, bad plastic surgery, etc, etc.

Undoing bad work is tedious, time-consuming and therefore expensive, and when you’ve seen and rectified as much of this sort of thing as I have, you will understand why I generally avoid it!