I joined the 388 family

[peopleperson]

My 388 just showed up. I can't find a single thing wrong with it so far. I know there's already a lot of good info here in the forums on this machine, but what can anyone here recommend as far as cleaning and maintenence that I may wanna do before I get rolling.

Also, tape recommendations?

[hotel2tango]

388 have got to be the greatest 1/4" 8-tracks ever made. they are just amazing. as far as cleaning goes just de-mag and clean the heads often and you'll be fine. i know tascam recommends 407 tape but 457 is a little better. i've been using 499 a lot lately. i know it's wrong but it sounds so good. you get much less hiss and much better high end.

[peopleperson]

Hot...Yeah, I'm seeing 457, 499, and GP9. Anyone know the difference between 499 and GP9?

And why is 499 wrong? Is the machine made for 457?

[hotel2tango]

it's becuase the 388 is designed for tape of 1mil thickness.499 is 1.5mil.it could put more stress on the machine.but like i said it does sound better. as for gp9 that's a great tape to but i haven't used it on my 388 as it's hard to get on 7" reels in the uk.

[fellwinter]

Will www.tapeworld.com ship to the UK? They sell it all, and I have purchased from them in the past. I live in Canada, so they do ship internationally.

[hotel2tango]

thanx, i'll give them a try

[cjacek]

It's not only the thickness of tape that counts. I would NOT use 499 or any other tapes which are not what the 388 is setup for and this includes bias, which is important. When dbx is engaged, there in NO perceptible hiss no matter what tape you use. With the wrong tape, however, you may get certain frequency bumps with a tape which is not biased for the 388. It does not mean it's accurate then. I would strongly argue for the following tapes: Maxell UD 35-90/Maxell UD 35-90B, Quantegy 407, Quantegy 457. Failing those, a slightly thicker (but bias compatible) tape Quantegy 456 would be ok. The only issue, that I take into consideration, is that the tape thickness (1.5 mil for the 456) is a bit harder on the 388 and the automatic spooling is affected. It could also be argued that the thicker tape wears heads faster.

As for cleaning/maintanance: I would NOT demag until you have great knowledge as to how to perform this most delicate task. Also do the cleaning after eash session. This involves 99% alcohol, cotton swabs (or cotton pads) and going over the entire tape path (excluding the rubber parts). For the rubber rollers, if they're still in good shape and grip the tape well, just use a lint free cloth dampened with water, making sure the excess is squeezed out. Treating the rubber with RBR from www.craig.com would be a good idea but that should only be done once in a blue moon.

~Daniel

[peopleperson]

So, I should be looking for 1 mil tape?
Im having a difficult time locating any of those Maxwell reels you speak of, any suggestions?

Also, is Ampex 457 the same as Quantegy 457?
It looks like I may have to revise my tape world order.

Thanks big time to everyone for the advice.

[cjacek]

Originally Posted by peopleperson

So, I should be looking for 1 mil tape?

Preferably, yes.

Im having a difficult time locating any of those Maxwell reels you speak of, any suggestions?

Do a search on ebay for "maxell ud 35-90" and you'll always find huge supply of these. Although no longer made, the maxells are arguably some of the best 1/4" open reel tapes around. They never go bad, thanks in part to whale oil lubricant.

Also, is Ampex 457 the same as Quantegy 457?

I would stick to Quantegy as pre early - mid 90's Ampex formulations may go bad. They're basically the same tape but the Quantegy is reformulated to last without any "sticky shed" problems. Tim (Beck) wrote extensively on this a while ago. Perhaps he'd like to clarify and add a thing or two.

~Daniel

[peopleperson]

Very cool. HUGE thanks for the information. I really appreciate it.

[cjacek]

You're very welcome.

[cjacek]

Oh shit, that should have been www.caig.com and not "craig". I'm a dumbass. Sorry.

~Daniel

[cjacek]

Hey, they opened a forum! http://www.caig.com/caigbb/

Cool!!