Tascam 388 not playing

[EDAN]

Hello,

I stored my 388 for the past year (boxed in a dry area) and took it back out to put it through it's paces yesterday and it powers up but when I engage any of the buttons/functions the tape just moves a 1/4 inch and just stops. I put a new belt on last year and it's still on. Any ideas?

Thanks,
EDAN

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Is the tape threaded correctly?

Are you using an older tape that is suffering from sticky shed?

After that, check the fuses accessible through the top of the meter bridge panel.

If that's fine, you might have a bad, (thermally defective), transistor in the motor control board.

Good luck!

Cheers!

 

[Beck]

That happened many years ago with a girl I knew. A little time away can be good, but a year is too long.

Leave it on for at least 24 hours and try again. If the same problem it could be anything that Jeff mentioned.

Generally when you take a vintage machine out of storage you should give it time to acclimate to room conditions… temp, RH, etc. Then turn it on and leave it on for several hours before testing or calibrating.

 

[MCI2424]

Hello,

I stored my 388 for the past year (boxed in a dry area) and took it back out to put it through it's paces yesterday and it powers up but when I engage any of the buttons/functions the tape just moves a 1/4 inch and just stops. I put a new belt on last year and it's still on. Any ideas?

Thanks,
EDAN

You will have to check a bunch of things, but first check to see if the capstan motor is turning. If it is not, the tape will not move. Also, use a new tape as sticky-shed binder problems cause this. Contrary to popular belief, a take up reel motor does not "pull" the tape across the heads. The capstan motor does. The take-up reel motor only catches the tape that is fed by the capstan motor.

Good Luck