I'm contemplating purchasing a older Reel to Reel deck and have been perusing the usual places like ebay and reverb. It seems there's a lot of non-functioning decks for sale (some at fairly high prices!) and a lot more that "Works, but for sale as is" or "Worked when I put it away 20 years ago". Along with others that have been gone through and cleaned, new belts installed, heads demagnetized, ect.
Any advice on the better buys and makes? I think I would rather spend a little more initially on something that has already been overhauled and working rather than something I would wind up spending the same (or more) on a unit I would have to have overhauled, and possibly even finding out I bought something that's beyond repair.
I'm seeing a lot of refurbished Akai Reel to Reels that seem to be decently priced, and a few Teacs..I'm sort of leaning toward one or the other of these, particularly a Teac, since they're brands I'm more familiar with. Others I might be interested in would be something by Marantz or Pioneer. I'm hoping for something good in the $200-$400 price range.
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
Any advice on the better buys and makes? I think I would rather spend a little more initially on something that has already been overhauled and working rather than something I would wind up spending the same (or more) on a unit I would have to have overhauled, and possibly even finding out I bought something that's beyond repair.
I'm seeing a lot of refurbished Akai Reel to Reels that seem to be decently priced, and a few Teacs..I'm sort of leaning toward one or the other of these, particularly a Teac, since they're brands I'm more familiar with. Others I might be interested in would be something by Marantz or Pioneer. I'm hoping for something good in the $200-$400 price range.
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!