hey...thanks for the tip. I made contact with this repair guy in the bronx. he seems really cool. if it dosen't work out I'll follow up your lead. so here's his email reply:
"...Hi Frank,
I have experience with older Solid State amps like Acoustic, Kustom, &
Sunn.
I do not charge a fee to inspect the amp & give an estimate.
My repair fees are $70 per hour + parts.
For most repairs, I charge just the one hour labor fee even if I spend
more
than an hour on it.
Occasionally in the case of an amp that is totally screwed up with
burnt PC
boards, I charge for 2 hours.
Thanks for Inquiring.................Tom
TLC Amplification
718-597-5416..."
I'll post and let everyone know how it works out
frank