• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Tape deck lust... (sigh) any format

Chad Michael

Chad Michael

Dissonant Rhino
What tape deck do you want, so bad that it is haunting you?

But then you pinch yourself and think I already have too many decks.

I'm going with the Pioneer RT-1011, it just warms my feelers.... (so much love for my Teac, just thinking it would be cool to have RTR upstairs and downstairs)

1011.jpg
 
Register to hide this ad
I have mine.
My elder brother who passed far too young at 61 in 2012 from alcoholism, worked for the first TEAC importer in U.K., Acoustico Enterprises in 1970. He and my other brother, bought our parents a TEAC AS200S amplifier, AT200S FM Tuner and, in 1971 a TEAC A-7030 GSL R2R, which I loved. I still have the amp and tuner, but as some point after he lost another job through drinking and the 7030 disappeared, so we could only surmise that he sold it.
After Steve passed away, nostalgia kicked in and I really wanted to get a 7030 again, to get the whole original TEAC kit back together and fortunately, in June 2013 one, which looked amazing, came up on eBay. I’d put a maximum bid of £500 and won it.. for £160. Unfortunately, after I’d paid for it, the seller knocked the deck and that broke off the RH reel table spindle. I thought this should be an easy replacement (how wrong was I?!) and the seller refunded me £20. For that I bought a battered TEAC A3300-10, which had been used in a pub for donkeys as background music, thinking the reel table would fit and of course it was completely different. I finally found one for sale at Openreel.net in Japan and got it for £12. The deck is museum quality. I had the complete history of the deck, including the sales invoice. It belonged to the sellers Uncle who served in the Royal Navy. He bought it Mauritius in 1974, shipped it back to the U.K, where it was used for playing music for a few parties and in 1976, he was recalled to sea and the deck was then stored in the box in a bedroom. It was never seen again until his niece inherited it. So this is my lust deck.
 
I’m a man of simple needs when it comes to tape:

IMG_6433.jpeg

Pioneer CT-F750. Doubt its on anyone’s “want” list, but does what I need as far as tape goes and looks nice with the rest of my gear.

Picked it up several years ago for not much more than the price of a pizza.

Was also fun to tear it down and R&R it.
 
for the consumer the Pioneers were good machines, though a Revox B-77 was better. But it had fragile switches and push buttons. The big Technics with the closed loop drive was spectacular but keeping them running could be a pane for sure. In fact all tape machines require daily maintenance when used. Daily cleaning. dusting, and demagnification is essential if you plan to keep your tapes. Throw out all the Grands Master back coated Ampex tape. Stay with TDK and Maxell. I gave up on tape and was finished by the early 2000's having remixed and dubbed them all to CD. DAT and cassette tapes were either tossed or given to friends. I think I only bought a 1/2 dozen pre-recorded cassettes. I made dubs from pre-recorded tapes and LP's for the automobiles. Other wise the three Nakamichi were used to make copies for friends. The 550 was used to make live recordings of narrow gauge and main line steam locomotives.
 
Wanted this Marantz SD-45 MkII back in my late teens , which wasn't hugely expensive back then ( around £200 circa 1988 ish?) but still waay beyond my student budget, having just assembled my first hifi system a couple of years before. The recently bought Aiwa AD-F350 was still working well after 2 years so couldn't justify the upgrade. I think it was mostly the look of the blue meters that I lusted most and the sliders on the Aiwa were not as nice as a good old fashioned rotary rec level pot or balance knob.
Fast forward to early 2024 and I saw one for sale after a casual ebay browse. Despite having acquired a few cassette decks along the way I thought, heck why not ?
It needed a new belt and a minor repair to the door eject retaining tabs that stop it opening too far.
Once sorted, I'm glad I picked it up. It's a nice sounding machine with simple ergonomics and decent (for the period) ballistic meters.
Also pictured is a Technics RS-M270X which I've always loved the look of , and , finally found one in decent condition several years ago . I guess the only thing I'd want to add now is an Akai GX-95mkII....but Having had a pair of Akai GX-52 for while...I can lust the GX-95 without feeling I'm missing out too much.
 

Attachments

  • Dsc09725.jpg
    Dsc09725.jpg
    112.5 KB · Views: 16
  • 4733.jpg
    4733.jpg
    113.5 KB · Views: 13
Last edited:
The unicorn: Supposedly one was made for review. At the time, (early 70's) was supposed to be Superscope's response to Sony trying to drop the import license of Sony decks.
I also lusted after the big Crown Reels at the time - CX-800 series especially. Almost got a Big Teac 7010...unfortunately mobility was an issue then. (It's hard to own a big reel to reel and live in apartments...)
Marantz 7700 Taoe Deck.jpg
 
Ampex 351 was a Grand old machine. It was rugged and all you had to worry about were the edge connectors on the circuit boards and tubes getting noisy. I used Telefunken tubes when available. Nothing else performed as well. I had a 354 because I needed stereo. I preferred the 300 decks for ease of editing. I had a 4 channel 300 machine where the deck was taken from a Ampex tape duplicating set up and used a belt driven capstan instead of puck driven. Had much less flutter and rumble. I used two modified 354 electronics to save weight and space. I built my own travel case set up for making field recordings. And used a small furniture dolly to move it around. For a brief period I had an AG 350-2 and an AG-440-C -4. I really preferred the 440's and the old 300's over the AG 350's. They had an edginess to the sound I didn't like. I always wanted a MR-70 and later of course an ATR 104. But that was a lot of money and digital was coming quickly.
 
I made basement tapes overdubbing myself on guitar on a Dokorder 7140 (now have an 8140 working and the 7140 needs fix) but the deck that haunted me at that time, and ever since, was the Dokorder 1140. Well I finally found one I could afford. One of the few pieces of gear I would allow in The Cave even if not working (they just look so cool), and it was about 98% non-working.

I fixed most of the problems when I found and reconnected a big internal plug that had separated. Woohoo! Hopefully I will get the final repair steps done.

20250105_203346.jpg

I plan to make new oak front and side panels also.

Is this a "quality deck"? Most would say no, but it's what I wanted, so I am happy with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom