Ed, the owner of A-B & B Electronics, was the only one who I could find to work on my late 40's Philco. He had great reviews at the time, so I happily called him. I should've known on our first conversation, or should I say lack thereof, that it was going to become a nightmare. First of all, he doesn't concentrate on the conversation and what I am telling him. In addition, his phone keeps beeping for another call, so I'm continually put on hold. Again, good reviews and honestly, he seems like my last hope on the antique I've had setting for a few years now. He tells me to bring it to him. Well, it's in a unit. "I don't have room in my garage. You must disassemble." My husband isn't crazy about that, but we've waited a long time. So he does. Ed wants $40 to "look" at it. In the 13 months he had the pieces, turntable, amp, and radio, we hardly heard a peep. We had to continually call him for updates, going through the same pattern of terrible communication, phone beeping, put on hold or I'll call you back. I got so frustrated, I pleaded with my husband to take it over. He got so irritated , I had to take it back over because I thought we'll never get it back. Mind you, he's open until 6pm and only open until 1pm on Saturdays. Considering we live 45 minutes away w/out traffic and my husbands works til 5 pm M-F, quite an operation to accomplish. Thirteen long months later, pushing, pulling, scraping, mustering up every ounce of patience left, we picked it up. In the end he said the original turntable couldn't be fixed and ordered another on EBay and added 15%. Because everything is built in, we had to make a form for it to fit inside. So basically after all that, we got a turntable that worked but we would have to figure out how to put it all back together, apply it so it fit into the unit, because "he didn't have room for the cabinet" to do it himself. When I say fit, the phonograph is screwed to the door and the door opens forward to display the unit that has springs. The unit sat again for another four months while my husband gathered a plan. Well, yesterday, I had a girlfriend over. We appraised the situation together and after some grinding of metal, used the original form, screwed it all on and played my first record. Hallelujah! In closing, we paid nearly $345 dollars. Not exactly sure what we got for that except a lot of runaround. Didn't inform us he wanted cash until we were there for pick up. Wasn't going to credit the original $40 that was given as the initial deposit. Good thing I kept my original receipt. Overall, no matter how desperate, DON'T GO SEE ED. Terrible, the worst communication skills. Nobody needs that much aggrevation in their life. My husband and I still have PTSD and we appreciate each other more for our communication skills. read more

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It's because of the favorable Yelp reviews that I used AB&B Electronics. Agreed, Ed is professional, knowledgeable, and readily identified the issue with the Denon, DP turn table I took to him for repair. His prices are reasonable and his work is timely and thorough. Thanks Ed! read more

What can I say about AB & B Electronics that hasn't been said already? I had a technics 1200 mk 1 that I pulled out of storage this past X-mas. After so many years of non-use I noticed that the turntable platter demonstrated an inconsistent speed and the anti-skate on the turntable had a LOT of drift. Additionally, I noticed that despite getting new speaker wires, new speakers, and an integrated amplifier there was a distinctive hum that would play when my turntable was at rest. I found AB & B Electronics when I typed "Turntable repair in OC". I called him and told him the problems I noticed and he told me to bring it in for inspection (with a $40 deposit for diagnostics). Now, I will say that when I visited the business I was shocked that it was essentially the garage connected to his house and it was just him and one other technician. I can tell you that I'm glad I took a chance with Ed. Though the operation is pretty small it punches well above it's weight for knowledge and service. Upon a cursory inspection of my turntable Ed noticed that the ground wire for my turntable was missing the end-piece which he told me was likely the reason why my speakers was emitting a noticeable hum. He fixed that on the spot for no charge. While Ed was looking over my turntable I decided to "kick the tires" on his knowledge. What I appreciate about Ed is that unlike most of the young stereo repair people I know/worked with, he was knowledgeable yet not pretentious. Ed and his father owned (forever ago) owned an electronics store for quite a few years. He told me about a time when he use to go house to house (and to the local prison) to repair old televisions, radios, transistors, and media cabinets that had broken down. Additionally, Ed demonstrated a deep knowledge about turntables and the difference between mechanical turntables vs. electronic turntables. After our conversation Ed looked over the turntable he quoted a time window in which to expect my turntable to be ready for pick-up. One week later, Ed called me to let me know that he had completed the repair on my turntable. Let me tell you, my old technics turntable sounds like it has received a second life. I cannot write enough about how impressed I am with his work. Ed's experience lends itself to being an expert with not only repairing old/dated audio equipment but also modern equipment as well. If there is a "knock" I would have to say that because Ed manages everything himself you may have to call ahead if you want to schedule your service and call ahead to pick up. Also, it's a cash only (so keep that in mind), but the price he charges is super reasonable. read more

Ed's business here in Tustin made life better today. SO...refreshing to do business with an honest, down to earth business owner. I confidently would recommend Ed. read more

Ed is remarkable. Professional and personable. His experience is self evident. Even though my need was a small task ... he gave me time and completed it well. I highly recommend AB & B Electronics. read more

I don't write many reviews, but the repair to my vintage Yamaha receiver went well. Dropped it off, paid the diagnostic fee. It was done, communication was good from Ed. I brought it home and thought I heard static in the volume knob. Called Ed, he had me bring it in. Even though only I could barely hear it, he serviced it and was happy to do so. I'm grateful for people who stand by what they say and go the extra mile for customers! Thanks Ed! read more

Ed is a master. I brought a 1960s-era RCA stereo console to him in quite poor condition. Within a few weeks he had sourced parts and got back to me with a reasonable quote. The work itself was done within a week and the system is almost as good as new. Throughout the whole process Ed took the time to explain what was wrong with the equipment, was transparent about where he was at with the repairs and clear about what the costs were likely to be. The man is very professional, knowledgeable and obviously passionate about the equipment he works with. Cannot recommend him highly enough. The business is cash only, so prepare for that. read more

What a fly-by-night Garage (not inside the home) operation this is. I should have been wise when not 1 soldering iron was present in that Garage, no scope, no meters, nothing but a bench without a light. I made it clear I wanted the relay changed in my 1979 Pioneer SX 980, did he do it, NO, why because no soldering iron, let alone the intelligence to use one. Was charged an arm and a leg to do something so minor and if I want my property back, have to pay (only in cash) why, because you can stop payment on a check or Visa. Will never ever be stupid enough to go back to this person of false representation of skills and knowledge to do repairs that I requested be done. I have owned Stereo equipment for past 40 years of my life. read more

I've taken multiple vintage record players in rough shape to AB&B and they come back to me working great. They're so knowledgeable about the different mechanisms that can go wrong. The first one I took in is a tube amp player, it was buzzing horrendously and the auto drop/multiple record feature wasn't functioning. It's 5 years later and it's still working great! read more

Private owned and a master of his trade. Fixed issues with 1970 analog receiver. Not sure if you can find anyone else with technical skills, especially a manufacturer/ retail. He works on turntables, amps, receivers, and most things electronic. read more

Ed brought our 1970's Hitachi stackable record player back to life! Ed's expertise and passion shows in his work. He fixed on our record player about 3 weeks and kept us updated on the repair process. Because of Ed, it's spinning like new! Ed is efficient and honest. I'm so grateful to him for helping us and our Hitachi! read more

Wow !!! Took a turntable with some issues, Ed the proprietor was very through let me know the cost and time it would take to repair. I'm so happy I found him. I recommend him to anyone that needs this type of service. You will not be disappointed. read more

Ed is the Greatest! He was so sweet very helpful. I had no clue what needed to be fixed and he made sure to tell step by step what need to be done. Reasonably for all that had to be taken care of. Definitely recommending him to anyone I know!Thanks Ed Deb read more

I bought a Sears Silvertone in working condition where the radio and turntable both worked. I was listening to it just fine and had a whole bunch of records lined up, but all of a sudden it stopped working. Never thought that there was someone so close to my home that could fix it for me. For a very low and reasonable cost Ed fixed it upon arrival. He is so personable and even gave me a fix on how to get rid of the itch from all my mosquito bites. He is the best! read more

Update: Worked with Ed on my record player in 2015 and my record player is still functioning great. Quality work...again, you get what you pay for. 6/2015 Ed is GREAT!  He knows his stuff and it's evident he loves doing it.  He fixed my Webcore and it sounds great.  I'm guessing it was difficult to fix and find the parts so it took over 6 weeks to get back and it cost over 200. But people who know about this stuff are hard to find and he is upfront about everything. Great guy and the garage is awesome. read more

I will never deal with this company again! Rude salesman Mike. Rude manager. Don't care about customers unless you want to pay 1000 more for a fridge they said would fit no problem after I measured and sent pictures. Instead of offering a comparable product they didn't want to send new and said I need to pay 1000 more! Not good during quarantine guys! Best Buy will have my business with a better fridge anyway! Be aware of this rude company buyers read more

Ed is the greatest. He took my vintage 1960 era Harman-Kardon tube receiver/amp into his shop and after a brief turn around he handed me a stereo amp that pumps like new. There was no fm section in the unit..he fixed that. He fixed the tuner, the volume control which was all over the place and turned a basket case into a great sounding unit. Reasonably priced too. Thanks ever so much Ed! read more

I have been there 3 times, and just recently took a Vintage Pioneer amplifier (circa 1974, model 828) and my dad's Dual 1264 (circa 70's as well) there. I just got preliminary damage for the most recent repairs (the Dual, in particular), and in spite of a new Audio Technica direct drive with bells and whistles being the same price, you can't bring classics back like this beaut once they're gone, so I gave him the go-ahead). Getting to this point only took 2 business days, and he thinks he'll be finished in two weeks. Previous history: Trip 1: Sony PS-LX5 turntable with muted (severely attenuated), distorted output after random time. Found the problem in the muting circuitry which gates output when mechanically queuing up the arm during automated operation. Took a few weeks to get to this conclusion and resolution; $150 out the door and the unit is good as new. Friend is thrilled with the unit. Trip 2: Technics SL-QD33 turntable with jammed auto mechanism. Couldn't manually move the arm from park to play. Coke had also obviously been spilled over buttons. Took it there, thrilled to see he had a parts machine of identical make/model. Found the vast majority of the deck was shot, some failures were identical to the parts machine, and parts were unavailable, so nothing could be done. $30 for the diagnostics and I let him keep the unit (after checking with my friend who got it for free from his brother anyway). Trip 3: In progress (see above). As others have said, the garage is packed with lots of vintage gear, he is obviously enjoying the vinyl revival and people have appreciation for history and are aware things aren't made like they used to be anymore. You see cabinets with the all-in-one style tuners, turntables, all driven by tubes and archaic wire harnesses, which with love and care are all brought back to prior glory. A friend of mine affirmed that the proprietor (Ed) had a business for decades and built a solid reputation. It's neat that word is out he does this and people are supporting his cause (and he ours). He's old school, printing invoices on a dot matrix printer, using a pacbell email address, but he gets it done if you're patient. How he gets his parts and where I can't imagine. Dual (lots of those there!) went bankrupt in 1982. How is he getting me my lever replacement, the parts for my start/stop mechanism, a needle for my Pickering XV15 cartridge/D400 stylus, and what he says is a factory belt? read more

First of all, he is not out of business, just relocated. Call the number here, it is correct. You won't regret it. I took my vintage Dual turntable to him after another place did not do the work I paid them for. Ed did a great job with my turntable--it's better than new! The work was done when he said it would be, and he actually called me when he said he would. How rare is that nowadays? You can tell he has a passion for what he does and honor in how he conducts his business. Plus his garage, with all of its old electronics and old tunes playing, reminds me of sitting and watching my dad while he worked. :) read more

When I went to the address it was a house. The business was in the garage. The garage was not too clean or too bright and filled with old turntables and consoles that looked like they were bought at a consignment store. All bad signs but Ed did not seem concerned about working on my DENON 887 top line receiver. He said give me a week as he took my $30.00. Three weeks later the quote was $255.00. When I said what's wrong he said solder joints on the main board. I needed to think about this and asked if I could come by and get it. He told me it wasn't there? I could get it in a few days. I asked him to be sure to write on the receipt what was wrong. When I finally picked up the DENON there was no description of the problem. When I asked for it he wrote "bad main board". I questioned this and his reply was you have bad components on the board. I asked him to list them, thinking that if I decided to have the repair done he could pre order the parts. Ed refused to provide that information. I asked why and his response was: "you paid for an estimate, you have one". I feel like I avoided a scam and his 30 day labor warranty would have been worthless. read more

Ed is the man, I have a vintage 1960s turntable he brought back to working conditions and explained how it worked. Didnt charge an arm and a leg neither. Will definitely be bringing more work to him. Nice fella also. read more

Big ups to Ed! My turntable had a broken rca plug, but Ed was able to solder a new plug in a matter of minutes. The sound is excellent with no hum. I couldn't be happier on the job he did. A go to repairman for any DJ or turntable enthusiast that needs their equipment repaired. read more

He's a cash only business running out of a garage. Took my tube amplifier here. No itemized repair statement. Did not provide me with replaced parts. Claimed to have done a complete power supply rebuild, not the case. Opened up the unit to find that 4 small parts had been replaced and very sloppy soldering. Charged me over $300 for the repair. Unacceptable and predatory, don't take your equipment here. read more

If you have a piece of electronic equipment and you want to take it to an honest great person this is your place. Ed took care of me great with customer service, you just don't find this type of business anymore. I highly recommend and will go here for absolutely anything that has a plug attached to it. read more

I have a JBL SA 600 for which I had lost the removable power cord. After four months of futile searching for a replacement (This unit was built in 1969 and has unusual two prong outlet), I took the unit to Mr Bartolo to see if he could replace the power outlet with one that would fit current power cords. This could have been an expensive "repair". He knew the make and model of the power socket in the SA 600. He went into his treasure chest of old parts and came out with a power plug that fit the power outlet, saving me a repair bill. He not only saved a repair bill but this allows me to sell this unit for over $900. It was unsalable without the power plug. Thanks Ed read more

I was having trouble getting a new belt on my vacuum cleaner today. As I was determined to vacuum this morning, I decided I HAD to have it fixed ASAP. I was going to drive our vacuum down to my husband so he could do it for me (though I remembered him having to really wrestle with it last time) but decided to drop by AB&B electronics (corner of Irvine Blvd + Newport)(caddy corner from Ruby's) to see if they could help me. The shop was absolutely empty when I walked in, and a nice older man (yes, even older than me) was behind the counter. I asked him if he could help me get the new belt on - it was quite a tight fit and no room to get my hands in to work. I had gone in there thinking he might have tools that would enable him to do the job quickly. Unfortunately, he didn't. But, he worked and worked on it (about a half hour) until he got it on. He wouldn't let me pay for it, but told me that next time I needed electronics repaired (or a watch battery) to come see him. I thought I'd go a step further and let you all know about his kindness - my way of paying it forward, I suppose. Anyway, I hope you'll keep him in mind (he's been in business for over 45 years - he was in Larwin Square for over 20 years, and now over 20 years in this spot.) (You learn a lot about someone while you're holding a vacuum cleaner for them). - BH for my friend LP read more

I brought a 1970s Dual 1242 turntable in to Ed. My turntable wasn't working at all. Ed not only brought the old boy back to life, but now my turntable plays better than ever. Most people won't even look at a Dual! I couldn't recommend Ed more highly. This was a great experience, and I've been listening to wax every since. read more

Wow! Mr. Bartolo really helped me with my ancient Memorex CRT TV w/VHS built-in. The TV set is over 25 years old and serves as my backup 'wake-up' alarm that is pre-set to a nice TV station that beats hands-down the traditional alarm clock on my nightstand. So I have a vested interest to maintain this faithful old workhorse. All of my other TV's are digital but have no auto-alarm (wake-up) feature. I was reluctantly forced to pay for satellite TV in the Analog to Digital conversion, but had to due to living in a condo with no really good TV reception and HOA rules prohibiting outside (the attic) TV antennas. After 25 years, the picture tube started bleeding around the edges and static interference started being more pronounced in low volume settings. I brought the TV to Mr. Bartolo who confirmed that the picture tube was going bad, there are no spare parts available but he'd try to eeek out a few more months of TV viewing for me without so much visual and audio interference. A few minutes later, a few adjustments and the insertion of a dampening device, my TV was restored to a much better state than when it had brought in for examination. I am so grateful for this extension of time as I start in earnest the search for a TV with wake-up feature. Thanks Mr. Bartolo! read more