Thinking of Getting a Technics RS-1506

[Mike N.]

Hello everyone.
I have an opportunity to get a RS-1506. The only issue he knows of is that it is a little sluggish on the rewind. I read in this forum that it could be something with the brakes sticking a bit. My question is, if it is working thus far, how likely is it to need a drive motor or other part if it has been well taken care of? I have seen on Ebay that some of the parts can be pretty expensive..

 

[phantomrebel]

Hello everyone.
I have an opportunity to get a RS-1506. The only issue he knows of is that it is a little sluggish on the rewind. I read in this forum that it could be something with the brakes sticking a bit. My question is, if it is working thus far, how likely is it to need a drive motor or other part if it has been well taken care of? I have seen on Ebay that some of the parts can be pretty expensive..

Hi Mike and welcome to the forum. This is a great deck. The biggest thing to look for is the condition of the heads as it is near impossible to find replacements. Replacement brake linings are a common thing. I haven't come across discussion of a bad motor on them before. However, most all of these decks suffer from leaky capacitors after all this time. You can look for green legs on them on the various boards. I had all replaced on my RS-1500 which is probably my favorite deck in my collection. Tinman is one of the resident experts of these decks on this forum and hopefully he will chime in. Many owners on Tapeheads as well.

 

[Mike N.]

Hi Mike and welcome to the forum. This is a great deck. The biggest thing to look for is the condition of the heads as it is near impossible to find replacements. Replacement brake linings are a common thing. I haven't come across discussion of a bad motor on them before. However, most all of these decks suffer from leaky capacitors after all this time. You can look for green legs on them on the various boards. I had all replaced on my RS-1500 which is probably my favorite deck in my collection. Tinman is one of the resident experts of these decks on this forum and hopefully he will chime in. Many owners on Tapeheads as well.

Thank you for your input. I am no expert when it comes to one of these. I just remember my grandfather having a tape deck and I thought to have one would bring back some memories and things. Plus I have seen tapes on various sites and flea markets and thought it would be cool to have something to play them on...

 

[Mike N.]

Hi Mike and welcome to the forum. This is a great deck. The biggest thing to look for is the condition of the heads as it is near impossible to find replacements. Replacement brake linings are a common thing. I haven't come across discussion of a bad motor on them before. However, most all of these decks suffer from leaky capacitors after all this time. You can look for green legs on them on the various boards. I had all replaced on my RS-1500 which is probably my favorite deck in my collection. Tinman is one of the resident experts of these decks on this forum and hopefully he will chime in. Many owners on Tapeheads as well.

What would it cost to get one tuned up? IE recap it and make it worry free?

 

[phantomrebel]

What would it cost to get one tuned up? IE recap it and make it worry free?

About $300. Where do you live? I ask because I had to ship mine, adding another couple hundred to the cost.

 

[Mike N.]

About $300. Where do you live? I ask because I had to ship mine, adding another couple hundred to the cost.

I live just south of Springfield, MO
I am not going to be able to put that kind of money into one.. As much as I would truly love to have one... I just can't do that. It has been a dream of mine for a long time. I guess it will stay just that.

 

[phantomrebel]

Well, you don't need a RS-1506 to get into it (these are some of the more expensive decks). There are many less expensive routes to take.
What is your budget? I would think the RS would have been over $600 to start. There are many $60 decks out there. Keep in mind that pre-recorded reels typical cost more than their LP counterparts so it isn't a cheap sport, the deck is just the beginning.

 

[Mike N.]

Well, you don't need a RS-1506 to get into it (these are some of the more expensive decks). There are many less expensive routes to take.
What is your budget? I would think the RS would have been over $600 to start. There are many $60 decks out there. Keep in mind that pre-recorded reels typical cost more than their LP counterparts so it isn't a cheap sport, the deck is just the beginning.

I understand... However, due to the age of any of the reel to reels I'll find, I would probably be met with some sort of issue... Kinda like having a dog, you shouldn't get one unless you can care for it properly...I didn't realize. The RS I was looking at would have been a steal, he had something I wanted and I had something he wanted...

 

[Overexposed]

Hi. I just purchased an upper end Technics RS-1506 reel to reel that is in near mint condition. It was originally purchased overseas and has a European plug with a US adapter on the end of it. Label on the power cord shows 125v. Voltage selector on back is set to 110v. Looks like the unit works fine but there is a slight fluctuation in the speed, so the recordings sound awful. The last time I encountered this symptom was when I purchased a used European Technics SL-1200 turntable; even with a power converter, there was that fluctuation thing with the speed. Is it a frequency thing? I don't see a switch anywhere where I can change the frequency. What would happen if I changed the voltage selector to 125v like the label on the power cord shows? Is there anything I can do other than sell it overseas on eBay? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, O

 

[phantomrebel]

Hi. I just purchased an upper end Technics RS-1506 reel to reel that is in near mint condition. It was originally purchased overseas and has a European plug with a US adapter on the end of it. Label on the power cord shows 125v. Voltage selector on back is set to 110v. Looks like the unit works fine but there is a slight fluctuation in the speed, so the recordings sound awful. The last time I encountered this symptom was when I purchased a used European Technics SL-1200 turntable; even with a power converter, there was that fluctuation thing with the speed. Is it a frequency thing? I don't see a switch anywhere where I can change the frequency. What would happen if I changed the voltage selector to 125v like the label on the power cord shows? Is there anything I can do other than sell it overseas on eBay? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, O

The manual (which I recommend you download from HIFI Engine) shows the 110 setting for 110 or 115 VAC at 50/60 Hz and the 125 setting for 120, 125, and 127 VAC at 50/60 Hz. You can also run the deck off a car battery if you suspect your AC. You may want to check voltages coming off the power supply board. As mentioned previously, the capacitors in these decks tend to leak over time and can cause speed issues. I assume you've already de-ox'd the pitch control and other pots and things like the track selector switch on the head. One of my RS-1500's came from a gentleman that was serviced in Germany. Apparently they were sold on the base and quite popular. The deck has the same cord and adaptor configuration as yours and runs fine in Colorado on the 110 setting so I know it can work.