Reel To Reel Advice, What would be the Best?

Starrider1

Starrider1

Active Member
I purchased a Pioneer T-6600 recently and I really enjoy listening and playing the tapes. I bought 50+ 7 inch reels from a guy that was stationed in Germany in 1973. The tapes contain about 4 albums on each, Mountain, Led Zep CSNY, great classic rock. I want to purchase another reel to reel. Which brand and model number (TEAC, AKAI) had the best performance and will be easy to maintain and have serviced? What is your advice? Thanks
 
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Well, I like my 10 inch decks, The Akai is nice, the Technics is nice, and the TEAC X 1000 is really nice.
 
Try checking the sticky...

Lotsa suggestions there...The Akai GX series is well known for its glass-ferrite heads, which are supposed to last forever. I have a fairly bullet-proof GX-4000D that I picked up used for $30, and after dusting it off, cleaning and demagging the heads and lubing it a little, it's been perfect ever since. Now if only I could set up the record biasing correctly...:stupid:
 
I will vote for the Revox A77. A great deck, parts and service still available. A real classic workhorse.
 
Man, those decks you guys mentioned look beautiful! Someday I will have to grab one of those. The logic controls looks sweet.

How tricky is it to load the tape into one of these higher end models? I have a little Akai that I always forget how to thread the tape through.
 
great idea

shsulli said:
I will vote for the Revox A77. A great deck, parts and service still available. A real classic workhorse.
Click to expand...

OK, so you've got a Japanese deck, now try something with a different flare for style and performance: the A77 is a good bet and will certainly be a refreshing change.

Or if you want something completely different, a Ferrograph Series Seven. 8¼" reels, variable speed f-a-s-t rewind a FF, and unusual British-style good looks. It's not for everyone, but they can be had for a song, since they are so unknown on this continent...

Only pic i have with me (travelling) is lousy but it'll give you an idea.
 
Starrider1
Is your avatar a F18 superhornet--cool pic..:thmbsp:
 
I would go one step further than shsulli and vote for the REVOX B-77, still service and parts. The heads are now from Studer (the Pro brand witch owns REVOX) witch are famous for long lasting.

Off curse there are also the pro machines, they are starting to show at "human" prices. If you need some appetite go here: http://www.studerundrevox.de/
The page is in German, but put the cursor over one of the names (Studer or REVOX) then move down to Bandmaschinen, choose a model :)
 
F18 Breaking the speed of sound in the pic, Looks really good on video, If I can find the original in my avi files I will try to post it Great Comments from the Forum. I asked the only local repair shop in my area to service my Pioneer T-6600 and they said it was too old so I decided even though it works, I liked the format (you know, put on a tape that lasts 3 hours) and was going to purchase another open reel for my backup system (Sansui 9090DB) I have in my living room. Only thing is I want one that will last and I can get serviced if I have to. The Revox sounds good, If I can afford it. Seems like after all these years I have an addiction to vintage stereo equipment and have acquired more that I can fit into my house. I don't have a problem with it, but my wife may be wondering if one system per room isn't enough. Thanks for the info from everyone, it helps me since I have no previous experience with the R2R.
 
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If features matter more than sound to you, then both the Akia's or Teac's mentione would be a good choice. Although I would presonally avoid the GX-77 due to the overly complicated mechanism.

If the sound matters most to you, then I would recommend the Revox A77, B77, Tandberg TD-20A, or the Sony TC-765. The Revox A77 is nearly indestructable, although somewhat primative. The Tandberg is great too, somewhat more modern, but rather fragile. The Sony sits somewhere inbetween those two, and is actually my very favorite consumer speed machine, but these need a thorough once over by a tech to work well after 30 years.
 
Tascams are also worth a look. I got a 34B for $80 about 14 years ago and it seems to be bulletproof. It's easy to use and (relatively) easy to service.
 
Surprised no one has mentioned a Crown CX or SX series. These are simple machines made for offsight work where repair was not an easy option. Also, Ampex 35x series. Yes, early transorts but again really bulletproof. These were used in studios and designed for long term use. I've noticed we tend not to think too much about the US r2r machines here.

I have a Philips 4506 and it serves me well and even has a decent full preamp built-in so only need to add the power amp, tuner. phono, etc. Rathe unigue unit. Not as robust feeling as my old Revox but these and the 4504, same maching sans the preamp, seem to soldier on.
 
Take a look at the TEAC X-10R. User friendly and you get record and playback in both directions and it takes the 10.5" reels. Parts are available and not bad to service.

I also have a Pioneer 1020L that requires a little more TLC but can crank out that warm analog sound.

dbx noise reduction like a 224 Type II combined with a dbx expander like the 1BX III make a world of difference especially at the slower speeds.:music:

KOOL
 
I feel that the Pioneer RT-701 & 707 decks are good choices. I have both and do haven't had any problems with either of them. They are direct drive and do not use any drive belts with the exception of the counter. The counter belts are available from a seller on eBay for $9.00 USD for 2 of them, plus he includes instructions for installation. If you want 10.5" deck then the RT-901 & 909 decks are good choices too. There is also a seller on eBay who will completely restore one for around $300.00 USD which is a little salty if you ask me, but it tells me that parts and service are still available.
 
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