Akai 4000DS MkII Problem

[Walter R]

I’ve had this tape deck for many years and haven’t used it in a very long time. I tried it recently and it plays prerecorded tapes just fine but won’t record. The record light comes on but the VU meters don’t move and there’s nothing on playback. I checked the input signal with a scope, it’s fine. Any suggestions where to start? I haven’t cleaned the heads in a long time, but I don’t think that would cause the dead VU meters.

 

[62vauxhall]

2SC458 transistors.

A GX4000 I bought a few years ago had a record or playback issue. Can’t remember which. Google searching the problem led to learning of the so called “bad Akai transistor”.

In the case of my deck, there were fourteen 2SC458 transistors installed, with blackened legs. Replaced them all and the problem went away.

I have since run into those transistors again on two other Akai tape recorders, both with playback and/or record problems. Replacing those transistors cured them too.

 

[titanstats]

2SC458 transistors.

A GX4000 I bought a few years ago had a record or playback issue. Can’t remember which. Google searching the problem led to learning of the so called “bad Akai transistor”.

In the case of my deck, there were fourteen 2SC458 transistors installed, with blackened legs. Replaced them all and the problem went away.

I have since run into those transistors again on two other Akai tape recorders, both with playback and/or record problems. Replacing those transistors cured them too.

Yup, expect it on virtually all Akai decks, transistor legs go black and no they no longer function properly.

You probably want to take off the head cover and deoxit the hell out of the track selector switch first though — after all these years almost none of them work without being cleaned.