Hello, and welcome to the first instalment of the my jukebox blog. It's going to be a sneak peak into my daily adventures, travelling around the country servicing and repairing classic jukeboxes. You may have already found my info page and read a little about my background and training in the jukebox world. People very often ask me how on earth I got into this line of work and the answer is through being given a safe and supportive environment in which to learn and experiment with jukeboxes. It was through Dave's Jukeboxes ltd that this was made possible for me. I think I was 14 or 15 when I first stuck my head in a jukebox, It was mostly washing and cleaning machines in preparation for restoration and also dismantling and breaking up jukeboxes that were not going to be sold or repaired.
“It has often occured to me that perhaps part of the reason why Jukeboxes are so valuable now is due to the sheer number that were scrapped throughout the years”
After many years of gaining experience through part time work with jukeboxes. I eventually set aside other jobs and career opportunities to come and work full time with Dave's Jukeboxes. I was able to take a leading role in the service and repairs side of the business. I realised during this time that there was a real demand for the engineer to come to the customer at home. I started to specialise in mobile service and found it to be very rewarding and as the years progressed, I was able to carry out a more and more comprehensive service without needing a workshop. I continued to grow this area until it was as big as the rest of the business. It was then only a matter of time before all the pieces slotted into place and I was able to branch out and set up on my own, just me and my tools and everything I had learnt. When I recently went back through my accounts for last year, I had clocked up over 40,000 miles and serviced 152 jukeboxes, all at the convenience of my customers and at their addresses.
So where next? well maybe your house! I am most often fully booked up to 3 weeks ahead and with christmas around the corner it is definitely worth getting that jukebox service booked up sooner rather than later. I will be expecting the usual enquiries a few days before christmas from the optimistic ones who will be hoping I have appointments available on the day!! I do hate to disappoint.
There are many thousands of jukeboxes out there that need a good regular service and I'm pretty sure its more work than one man can handle all alone. It is with this in mind that I am now aiming to recreate that safe and supportive environment in which others may learn as I did. Keep an eye on the restoration workshops page where the dates of my first event will be announced shortly. Come and have a go just for fun, or see where it might take you...