Another R2R Newbie

Akai66

New Member
Hello to all of you who have dived into this world of reel-to-reels! I have been a registered member for a little bit, but had to take a hiatus. Hence, my belated greetings to the site.

I inherited an Ampex 601-2 with a couple of Ampex 620 powered speakers and a BIG tape collection of rare and peculiar recordings that were right on target with my musical tastes......and it was off to the races! A crash course in vintage tube amp circuitry and the fun of resurrecting the deck transport. All to unlock the wealth of the reels. I never thought I would delve into the R2R world, but here I am! I knew nothing about the technical aspects of vintage audio restoration until I started learning here and on other sites. To all, thank you!

THEN I discovered the concept of tape formats and, in turn, discovered that half of the hundred or so reels I initially inherited (more have been added since) were quarter-track stereo. What to do?? Enter the Akai X-355. I affectionately call that one Godzilla. However, Tokyo is not burning yet. The machine presents some interesting problems, but I loved the vibe of the machine when I first encountered one, and it is also a solid, S-O-L-I-D deck with good engineering and spoken well of by everyone that I have seen or heard mention it. So, I bought two! One to restore and one for parts. It is a breeze to work on from a basic reconditioning perspective, except for the capacitors. I never fired up the Ampex deck until I had recapped it, and the same goes for the Akai. I seek the experience and wisdom of those contributing to this sight to help me put the Akai into primo shape.

I also have a 1957-vintage Fisher 500-C with an Acousti-craft Hi-Fi speaker cabinet loaded with I-Don't Know-Yet that I am targeting for refurb. I grew up with these. So naturally......

It would appear that, by sheer virtue of circumstance, I am on my way to building something of a miniature museum of vintage audio equipment! Yow!!

Special thanks especially to Dave in VA for his personal PM help with and extensive commentary and photo sets of the X-355 and to Eclectik for more useful info on this machine in their posts. Eclectik, you probably have the grooviest avatar I have seen online. Warhol and Austin Powers had a Love Child.....and there he is...

--Me :blah:
 
Outstanding! You're in it now, you can't escape:idea:. Enjoy, dig in, hang on! Lots to learn, have fun, &...Welcome! :bigok:
 
Hi Akai66 and welcome to AK!! Awesome introduction and far out gear!!:thumbsup:
Enjoy your audio journey!
 
Outstanding! You're in it now, you can't escape:idea:. Enjoy, dig in, hang on! Lots to learn, have fun, &...Welcome! :bigok:
Yeeesss! Alice pursuing the elusive rabbit! I will no doubt meet many interesting characters along the way--like Alice! As an aside, my cat Caramello who I lost back in '06 was nicknamed Boo Boo; or just Boo. Your avatar struck me. Nice memories of my little friend.
 
Yeeesss! Alice pursuing the elusive rabbit! I will no doubt meet many interesting characters along the way--like Alice! As an aside, my cat Caramello who I lost back in '06 was nicknamed Boo Boo; or just Boo. Your avatar struck me. Nice memories of my little friend.
My avatar guy is the latest in a string of winter strays who stuck around. A feral wild man when he showed up during the '16-'17 winter, he's now a house pud-pal along with the other 4. Name's Mauser. Boo is one of my nicknames, as is catman, for obvious reasons, hence the moniker. Cats rule, dogs drool! Do ya a favor, adopt another kitty (or 2). And yes, there are some characters on this site, but that's what makes it so worthwhile, I can't go a day without it!:thumbsup:
 
Hey Catman! I will make sure that my Chihuahua/Jack Russell Terrorist (that is NOT a typo), also known as His Majesty, His Highness, etc., etc. does not see your post!:no:
The Royal Person would be GRAVELY offended! LOL!
 
Chiwawa /jack Russell, I'll bet he's a real pisser! Them jacks usually have the attitude far in excess of their size, good for keeping things interesting, right? Be careful to not step on the little shiite!:p
 
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