Best Mid Tier Vintage Cassette Player to Work On And Repair Yourself???
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Bruno Primas
Super Member
I've had good experiences with NAD 2 head decks. (The belts will be melted, but changing them isn't that hard.)
Okke 70s
Super Member
A bit more actually mid-tier perhaps are the popular JVC's from the late 70's. Like the KD-A5 or the KD-A33 for instance. Very solid, exceptionally nice to work on and sound quite well. Can commonly be found for a hobby-friendly price. Here in W-Europe there are also many Akai's in that genre (I'm a fan). Although they are a bit more difficult to work on. But in the US they appear to be less common and more expensive. If your "vintage" era extends into the late 80's then a mid level Denon gives you a great bang for the buck. They have different models there, but I believe they are all built on the same base.
penmarker
Active Member
Tascam 122 (MK1-3) are direct drive with 3 head versions.
Tascam 112 (MK1-3) are belt drive with 2 head versions.
122 MK1, MK2, and 112 MK1 will have more adjustment steps requiring several calibration tapes.
122 MK3, 112 MK1 and MK2 will have less adjustment steps due to platform updates.
Both are somewhat modular because they need to be able to be repaired/parts replaced quickly in a studio or workplace environment. Both can run 24/7 with little maintenance, but will scale up in performance when properly restored.
Tascam 122 will be expensive either running or broken, but will be worth your time. 112 is more affordable and more running units.
Updated platform models usually suffer from broken C gear which requires exact replacement but fairly easy to source. A few years back there were still factory belts for 112 but i'm not sure if they're still available.
Bonus point is they sound pretty good.
Teac cx-350 is pretty easy to work and sounds ok not too hard to find either
