Recommendations for reliable service of Audio Research or tube gear near Wisconsin?

The Ref 3 should be fine for many, many more years to come. I wouldn’t worry about it especially since you’re not too far from them if you wanted to make the trip and shipping probably not too bad. Not to discredit a quality tech, but a preamp to that caliber I would send it back to ARC regardless and not take a chance on it. Have the tubes checked if you can, and when the time comes, spend the little extra and buy new tubes from ARC or make sure it’s a trusted seller if you go elsewhere. 

I can tell you to stay away from a well know shop in Waukesha. They will strip parts from it use a can of compressed air and charge you $500.

https://soundsclassic.com

  Small, mom & pop place, 
tell them what you want, and it’s done.    It’s small, congested, seems like a dirty little hole in the wall.
    They do great honest work.
they h ave done my amplifier, and my neighbors old Sansui, which he thought was toast.


 

The Ref 3 should be fine for many, many more years to come. I wouldn’t worry about it especially since you’re not too far from them if you wanted to make the trip and shipping probably not too bad. Not to discredit a quality tech, but a preamp to that caliber I would send it back to ARC regardless and not take a chance on it. Have the tubes checked if you can, and when the time comes, spend the little extra and buy new tubes from ARC or make sure it’s a trusted seller if you go elsewhere.

i agree w adg101 100% - a ref3 should go back to arc to work on

op you are in wisconsin, not santiago chile

ARC gear is very serviceable, either at ARC or any competent tech. ARC has also always made schematics readily available - in the old days, the full schematic was included in the back of the user manual.