[Help] Repairing A Sony Tapecorder Mdl.101

mrtn400

New Member
I've been lurking here for a while now and I finally have a reason to post. :)

My grandfather gave me a Sony Tapecorder 101 (like in this video) a few years ago, I messed with it, and set it aside not having a use for it. I now have a use.

I want to get it in working shape so I can record my band's practices and gigs so we can go over things the next practice. Why use the old broken tape machine you ask? If it would work, it would be really easy to use: set up the tape, plug in a mic, hit record.

I'm pretty sure playback works, (Well, at least last time I messed with it, it did, but I don't have a pre-recorded tape to try on it.) but I'm having problems with recording.

Edit: I've concluded that playback is the problem. My tape isn't blank. :worried:

If I set it on play it doesn't pick anything up (not even tape hiss), but if I set it on fast forward or rewind and push the tape into the head I hear music/singing/talking that sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks on helium. (No, it definitely isn't the noise caused by tape hiss going at super-speed.)

Does anyone have any idea why this could be happening? :sigh:


I plug in a mic or wire in my stereo, and while recording the VU meter is going off with the sound coming in, but when I go and play it back, nothing comes out but hiss.

So now I pop it open and the first thing I notice is that it uses two tubes (Matsushita Electric Ind. Co. Ltd.; one 6AR5 and one 5M-K9). Right now I'm hoping that one of them is just burnt out (since that would be an easy fix ;)), but I don't know how to tell.

Would these tubes be a part of the recording path (the thing's a jumble of wires crammed together)? How can I tell if the tubes are in working condition?
Should I just replace them anyway, since they're 50 years old?

Do you guys have any other ideas about what specific part could be broken?

Thanks ahead. :thmbsp:
 
On some early Sony's--you had to hold down the record button (usually red) while you turned the play lever to record a tape. When you did that usually a record light would come on to show that the record circuit was engaged.
 
I would say after 50 years the tubes are definitely due for replacement (though that doesn't mean they are actually bad at this moment).
 
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