Well you all know i am a bit crazy, well i think this seals that thought completely.
Today on a road trip up north to once again see my new grandchild, i picked up this on the way home.
2 track, high speed machine.
Ready to play them master tapes, and hopefully make some for myself.
I don’t need it, i probably won’t use it much, god knows where i am going to put it, but here it is.
Off to my mate to give it a good going over and set up, and then we will see what it can do.
Cheers dunc
Sorted the pic out
Beautiful. I‘m sure I‘m going to go the same way, but to a Revox PR99.
I looked at the PR99 loads of times, but finding a decent one with good heads is a real problem. Even ones at over £3K had heads that are almost knackered.
As the heads on the revox are soft and wear out quicker, this has harder heads with double the life span, plus it was much cheaper.
But good luck finding one, just be careful.
Reminds me of when I was still a small child in the end of the 70’s, back then people used to have these.
You and me both.
Halcyon days…
Well its in pieces at the moment.
It’s very dirty in side. It going to get quite a strip down, quite a few things replaced like all the adjustment pot’s, cap, etc.
But my mare is loving it, and i am very lucky to have a mate like him.
It will come back very different i know for sure.
I have always been impressed when I’ve heard reel-to-reel at shows, notably the huge setup at one of the Scalford Wam shows which was superb.
But if I’m entirely honest with myself, the draw for me is primarily how they look and how they move: amazing!
Agreed.
I’d be almost just as happy owning it and looking at it
; ) lol
I totally get this … I bought a portable DAT deck nearly 30 years ago (!GULP!) just because I loved the way that the mechanism unfurled to eject the tape. 
Well it’s certainly in lot’s of bit’s now.
It was a right mess inside, very dirty, and even some damp damage.
But my mate Vic, is pulling it apart and going through it all.
It needs a far few caps as they are over 20% out.
New rca plugs as well just look at them below.
Obviously all the switches and pots are being stripped down, cleaned or just replaced.
Plus the normal de grease and then re grease.
But lots off new parts ordered.
But this does give a very good insight to what is needed with these old machines.
Even if they work, they are more than likely in a very poor stat inside.
But with the right guy on the job, things can be turned round.
After the boards got cleaned, just new component’s yet to be fitted.
This is just the audio side, many more boards to do yet.
It’ll be worth it once it’s all pristine and working again…
Looks like your mate Vic has some serious skills Duncan!
: )
He repairs stuff like this as a hobby.
Amp’s, tape decks, turntables, you name it he will repair it if he can.
He also has all the right gear to do it correctly and more importantly the knowledge.
It will come back so much better
Unfortunately vintage gear requires repairers and restorers of a similar vintage and they are a dying breed. There is a guy here in Sweden who is a vintage gear repair specialist specialising in valve amps. He is 85 now and maybe one of 2 or 3 in the whole of Sweden (the others are of a similar age) who has the tools and the spares but most importantly the knowledge. None of the EEs who have graduated in the last 40-odd years learned anything about valves so aside a few who are self-taught that knowledge is about to die out completely.
Well, progress is certainly coming along nicely. There are a few small issues to deal with still on the audio boards/section, but almost there.
My mate vic is doing a Stella job on it.
I also managed to pick up some nice 10.5-inch metal reels, plus 7 inch with some very old recordings from the early 80s. From the bbc,broadcast over FM, and its live concert recordings from the likes of OMD, howard jones, thomas dolby, Alison moyet, etc, etc.
Over 100 hours worth, and a bargin price.
I just wanted the metal reels, but certainly can’t get rid of these recordings as you will never find it, as i tried.
Also treated myself to something very special for my reel to reel, and if you come to the maverick show next sunday you will get to see and hear this special thing i have bought.
Unfortunately my reel to reel won’t be ready for the show, but the exact same model, my mate vic owns will be there, and being used at certain times throughout the day.
Cheers dunc
Borrowed an old machine from my mate vic.
This is a 4 track machine. So I’m listening to these 40 plus year old recordings from the bbc.
At the same time recording them on my elcaset so i can play them again once the 4 track goes back.
So it’s going to be a quite a few hour’s ahead doing these. But great fun doing it, plus listening to these groups from back in the day.
They are all live recordings that the bbc did back in the day, fantastic stuff.
Cheers dunc
More pics from today, but the audio boards are all done now. So a good clean, new cap’s, pot’s, etc. Just the source/monitor switch to fix.
So vic has started on the rest now, and what a mess it is in. I am surprised it worked, but it does go to show what you might find in a machine that’s 40 plus years old.
Anyway i will let the pic’s do the talking.
After a clean up
The rest obviously will be getting the same treatment as the audio boards. As he can spot a few blown caps, but each will be getting checked or replaced.
You’re staying fully digital next weekend though, I take it Dunc!
