at some point, I just want to know that everything is right.
Yeah, I know that feeling. So much that I've already contacted Jeff Jacobs and I hope to, at some time, buy one of his machines and have it directly sent to Doc.
Nevertheless I have an RS1500 down here in Mexico that I intend to start working on myself following your path as well as Doc's. I would eventually like to do the upgrades and it would be fantastic to have access to the improved brake pads, tension roller springs, tension roller ABEC bearings and a few drops of the proprietary lubricant for the pinch roller bearings.
I'm not thinking about going around BH's business. I would expect, however, that a significant part of the upgrade cost is the tech's salary. Add both way shipping (and duties in some cases) and BH could come with a kit that would maintain the dollars profit per machine at significant savings to the suscriber (hey, we need to save to pay for the 2008 subscriptions!).
I recognize that our machines won't get 100% equivalent to Doc's ones but maybe with time we will get better. Also I wouldn't expect a detailed set of instructions but a simple bullet point list of what goes where replacing what. There's already the Technics service manual and this forum could be the place to share techniques (not Technics!) and experience. And ,of course, we have you Steve to write down and post how you do it!