Odd Tascam 388 Question

L

l_tunaboy

New member
I'm new to the forums (and analogue recording) and have just acquired a Tascam 388 for very cheap. I've tested the mixer and everything works, but the transport controls do not.

When any control is pressed (FF, RW, Play) it will play for a second, and then stops. It seemed like similar problems others had was do to a fuse, but the continuity checked out OK on all of mine. The capstan belt is also intact and the shaft is rotating fine. I've also cleaning the tape path.

What I've just noticed is something odd. On the shaft that holds the left reel in place, the three tabs on the bottom of the shaft are missing. It seems almost like someone broke them off, as all three of them are completely gone. The right reel holder has them all intact.

I was wondering if this would cause the reel to not catch or something and be what is causing the abrupt stopping after the play button is pressed.

Thanks.
 
This seems a logical reason for the transport stopping. The 388, as most other reel-to-reel recorders, applies a small force to the reel motors when playing, so that the tape stays taut enough and follows the tape path without running loose and making "tape salad". So this is probably the cause of your play problems: When the transport control detects that the left reel turntable doesn't spin, it assumes the tape has run out, and so stops. This also explains the FF behaviour. It also explains the RW problem: The left turntable starts spinning, doesn't grab the reel, no tape moves, the transport control detects that the right turntable doesn't move, assumes tape has run out, and stops.

This was a clumsy explanation, but I think it may be right. If you're a little handy, you could try fashioning some kind of tabs on the reel shaft. The part needs to be replaced anyway. If you can get the reel holder grab the reel, if only temporarily, you will soon find out if this was the problem or not.
 
Thanks for the advice.

I tried making three tabs out of plastic and super glued them on, however the all broke off because I don't think I quite aligned them right. I then tried just one tab, and it stayed in place fine, however it still has the same problem. Also, of note, the reels both spin for the split second, with or without the tab I made.

This makes me think it might be some other issue. I was thinking it's possibly a dead transistor on the servo board possibly? I'm not sure which ones to replace if it is. Also, I'll probably just pick up some fuses just in case.

Any other ideas are appreciated.
 
I've been doing more testing and noticed that when there is no tape on and I lift the right arm (which starts the capstan like there was tape), the FF and RW functions work fine. Play spins for a while and then eventually stops. However, the moment a tape is loaded, nothing will work.

I'm also trying to figure out if it is a solenoid issue. When using the play function. The pinch roller solenoid and the break solenoid both engage when play is hit, but both of them quickly return to there original state.
When using the FF or RW, only the brake solenoid engages, but still only for a second. Is the solenoid supposed to remain in it's housing the whole time while FF or RW is happening (i would imagine so, as this disengages the breaks).

Is there any reason why the solenoids would disengage so quickly?
 
Those tension arms are linked to the servo control, which regulates among other things the motor speed and thus tape tension. If the arms are out of adjustment, which is not uncommon, the symptoms you quote may occur. There is an adjustment for the arm position under the top cover. This is detaled in one of my previous posts, but i don't know how to attach a link to an old post to this one. Seach by my name and "388"
 
Thanks Technoplayer.
I tried adjusting the tension arms, but with no luck. I lined them up as the manual (and other threads) have suggested, but it still does the same thing. I even tried other tensions and nothing worked.

One thing I was wondering while looking around is whether or not I'm missing a spring. I've posted a picture of the spot I thought it might be. The reason I'm wondering this is because I've noticed when watching YouTube videos or a working 388, the left tension arm will move quite a ways (looks like an inch or more) upwards before it locks down into place. Mine does not do this, regardless of the tension settings on the control/servo pcb.

I've also posted pictures of my pinch roller. It doesn't feel 'hard', but I don't know what to compare it with. The residue on it was also there from before and I've since cleaned it as well as the entire tape path (the tape hasn't shed that I can tell since I've been testing it).

Also, If anyone cares to look at the picture of the head, I don't know if it is in good condition or not, and I'd appreciate any thoughts.

IMG_9951.JPG

IMG_9956.JPG

IMG_9953.JPG
 
There is no spring missing.

Your pinch roller needs to be replaced.

Your heads look fine to me. Medium even wear. They don't appear to have been relapped yet so I would say they have a good amount of life left in them. Looks like your right tension arm might be set too low...you can see where the tape has been cutting into the bottom of the right tape guide, though the issue might resolve with a new pinch roller.
 
Any word on this? I'm working on a friend's 388 which, coincidentally, suffers from the same problem. I'll post more if I find out what's causing this issue.
 
Quick update: I took the panels off and had a look. To my untrained eye, nothing seemed to be really out of order. The belt was OK and all the springs were fine. Superficially, everything appeared to be working correctly, EXCEPT for the solenoid that moves the pinch roller and tape lifters. It disengages almost instantly. I don't want to mess around with it any more, though, because it's not mine to break :) !

The guy who owns this machine has an appointment with a local pro this Tuesday. Once he finds out what was wrong, I'll post back here.
 
Tascam 388

My Tascam is doing the same thing right now. I know this is an old post, but I am curious as to how you resolved the problem. Any reply would be greatly appriciated.
 
Replace the fuses in the top panel. Even if they look good, they may be shot. I had this same problem when I first got my 388, and it was the simplest fix I could have imagined. Hope that works for you too!
 
I had a similar problem, everything seemed to be OK but my 388 wasn't able to Play and FF and RW normally made the machine crash. My 388 was bought in the US and I live in Spain. I was using a power transformer to convert the 220v wall plug to the 120v the 388 uses. My problem was that my PT wasn't powerful enough (in Watts) to let the 388 run. I got a bigger PT and it ran smoothly after that.
 
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