Do NOT bid on this TASCAM 388

[cjacek]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tascam-388-1-4-R...QQcmdZViewItem

Two main issues which would not make me touch this thing with a ten foot pole:

1. Seller says "tape heads re-lapped two years ago". Either the 388 was beat to death or maintained badly or both. To really wear down the heads to the point of needing a relap on the 388, with it's max speed only 7 1/2 ips, takes an enormous amount of usage time, many thousands of hours.

2. Seller says the 388 has "phantom power for condenser microphones". This is untrue and I emailed the seller with this issue and he was less than interested what I had to say. He did not make the neccessary revision. Did he perhaps make modifications to this unit ? Unlikely but if he did, he's obligated to disclose I think.

Guys, the 388 is a great machine but don't bid on this one. It's not worth more than 50 - 100 bucks, picked up locally.

~Daniel

[esotericality]

relating to me looking into a reel to reel, I almost thought about bidding on that!! I need to find out more what to look for when searching for a recorder!!! ill browse through previous posts and other internet stuff, not to waste anyones time!!

[cjacek]

The seller made a late "correction" on the phantom power issue but I can't believe the current bidding price. Why are people shelling out that amount of $$ on an obviously very, very well used and heads beat to the ground unit ? Obviously many have little understanding what they are bidding on. This is insane!

[A Reel Person]

$560 is a premium price, and it will surely bid higher before bidding closes.

It does look near-mint in the picture, and the description is accurate, except the phantom power thing, but he makes an honest correction/retraction of that item. The issue of the heads having been relapped is often seen as a positive attribute, and that may be what's supporting the higher bid price. $560's not exhorbitantly high yet, anyway.

I think we're somewhat spoiled with seeing 388's go for $299 or less in some circumstances, and the lowest 388 deal I ever witnessed directly was $120/needs work, which I performed the additional work and calibration for an additional $80, (local pickup deal of someone I met off this board). So, I know a guy directly that got a 388/repaired/calibrated/pickup deal for $200, and you just can't beat that with a stick!

I just don't think $560 is all that high, as I myself have done better and worse, depending on the day. The intrinsic value of the 388 surely supports a $560 price tag, and I don't have a problem with that. Lower is better for the buyer, but.... y'know.

[cjacek]

I hear what you're saying, Dave, but we both know the life expectancy of the heads of a well maintained 388, it's perhaps in the 5000 hr minimum category. I really have a hard time recommending a unit which has had that many hours on it, regardless if it looks mint or not. The motors, moving parts, power supply and electronics have most likely been beat to the ground. I'm not saying they don't function well but I'd be shakin' everytime I'd press "play" on such a high use unit. Also, new heads from TASCAM alone cost near a thousand CND.

[cjacek]

Winning bid: US $800.00

[A Reel Person]

Now, that is high!

[cjacek]

What's even more scary is that much lower use machines go for way less.

[cjacek]

I also wonder in what horrible condition the tape lifters, guides and rubber rollers are after 5000+++ hrs of usage, if these were not replaced.

[cjacek]

Also, we have to be realistic that the 388, tho well built and highly appreciated by yours truly, was not meant for the rigors of life such as that of professional generation gear. While 5000 hrs on an Ampex ATR, for example, may require only a relap and perhaps a head change, these types of machines will pretty much last forever with round the clock usage without blinking. I don't think the 388 fits into this category. So while a relap may be a positive attribute for the pro decks, I'm not so sure about the TASCAM. I think it's a negative.

[Beck]

$800.00

That must be a record.

[A Reel Person]

"purchased but never used - NIB 388" go for about $1200, about 4 years ago!

[The Ghost of FM]

Originally Posted by cjacek

Winning bid: US $800.00

I think if I ever choose to sell off some of my gear, I will pay you a commission to condemn my items publicly...to increase the re-sale value!

Just kidding with you, Daniel.

I agree that this machine though pretty on the outside may be quite ugly inside and may well end up costing the buyer hundreds more in additional maintenance to iron out all the bugs.

Let the buyer beware and high praise to you, Daniel for helping the prospective buyers out there to do just that.

Cheers!

[cjacek]

Aw.. shucks... Thanks Jeff

[MCI2424]

Originally Posted by Beck

$800.00

That must be a record.

No. $2 is a record, $800 is absurd robbery.

[cjacek]

Originally Posted by MCI2424

No. $2 is a record, $800 is absurd robbery.

Ah, good to have you back my friend ..

[stegdump]

Yeah, 800 is a LOT.
Got mine for $100, I think the guy wanted to get rid of it. First time I put tape on it, it would'nt play. Pulled the bottom of and put the belt back in place. It has probably less than 100 hours too.
Picked up the remote for $60 on ebay, close to what I paid for the whole machine.
See ya,
M

[pbergo]

It seems like prices on this stuff might be creeping up.

Hmm, maybe there is a trend of folks who have gone all digital and now realize that they're missing something.

[pbergo]

I've kind of had my eye out for one of these units myself.

Would it line up with my M320?

That would look cool.

[GemSmith]

Makes me feel pretty good about having just paid $550 shipped for a mint 388 with 200 hours on it (most of which were playback, and I trust the guy I bought it from as a 'friend')... unit even came with the punch in/out footswitch and owner's manual. I was very pleased to unpack it yesterday to find that it made it through UPS shipping from California unscathed.

I think the 388 prices DO seem to be trending upward, probably for a number of reasons... I think pbergo hit it on the head, in that guys like me that have gone all digital are realizing that 'something is missing.' Not only does all-digital recording sound sterile in comparison, sonics aside, it really takes some of the fun out of it (for me at least)... The 388 seems to be THE perfect machine for a home-recordist looking for an all-in-one solution beyond a cassette-based deck to get into or back into analog recording... At least that's what I found appealing; it makes the cassette units seem rather pedestrian, yet it's far more affordable than stepping up to something like a 1/2" rig (higher price of the deck itself outboard mixer, patch cables, higher tape costs, etc.).

I would be willing to bet that with their growing popularity, the Black Keys singing the praises of the 388 doesn't hurt either... Their sound and style is very accessible, and that inspires people to do what they do (myself included).

The 388 is a unique analog production system, and a scarce resource... over time that has to mean prices will go up as the demand increases.

Though $800 DOES sound pretty darn high for that well-used specimin on eBay... I hope it works out well for the buyer!

[A Reel Person]

$550/shipped with low hours, pedal & manual is a good deal.

[superbeatballer]

One other thing. The ad says you can plug your instrument directly in. While that may be true, there is no d.i. capability on this machine, unless I'm mistaken.

[A Reel Person]

Often times I've used a 1/4"(f)-to-XLR(M) adapter to plug my 1/4" instrument lines directly into the XLR-MIC/preamp stage (on the 388),... and used TRIM for boost, accordingly.

Either way you slice it, you may plug your 1/4" instrument lines directly into the 388, and it handles it quite well, with no ill effects.

[themaddog]

Originally Posted by A Reel Person

Often times I've used a 1/4"(f)-to-XLR(M) adapter to plug my 1/4" instrument lines directly into the XLR-MIC/preamp stage (on the 388),... and used TRIM for boost, accordingly.

Either way you slice it, you may plug your 1/4" instrument lines directly into the 388, and it handles it quite well, with no ill effects.

I think that you can use the trim control even when using the line input. I'm not completely certain on this, because I can't remember for sure, but I definitely know you can do this with the Tascam 2516 mixing console.

-MD

[A Reel Person]

The 388's Line-Ins bypass the Trim control,... which prompted me to use 1/4"-XLR adapters to route the 1/4" line source thru the XLRs.

Other higher end Tascam mixers have a separate Trim control on the Line and Mic inputs. I know my M-520 does,... but I'd not be sure about the M-312 without checking it first. The 2516 apparently also has a Trim control on the Line inputs.