Beautiful TASCAM 48 currently on eBay ... MUST READ!!

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cjacek

cjacek

Analogue Enthusiast
WHOMEVER WILL BID ON THIS THING, READ CAREFULLY!

Guys,

This is the tops (along with the 58 and the ATR series) when it comes to 8 track 1/2". (No, it's not my auction and I'm not affiliated in any way to the seller).

http://cgi.ebay.com/TASCAM-48-OB-PR...ryZ41480QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This thing looks virtually unused (as judged by tape path wear) and I'd easily pay TWICE over what a 38 goes for. It is for this reason I must warn the potential bidder to either pick this recorder up in person (even a longish drive) or INSIST that the seller box this thing properly and STRAP IT TO A PALLET and ship freight. This is no joke. IT WILL GET DAMAGED OTHERWISE. I'm especially wary 'cause this is the exact seller who, last year, sold me a mint TASCAM 22, which was damaged in transit. To my horror, he still describes his packing methods as per the exact way my unit was packed. Styrofoam panels on each side, no matter how thick, will NOT save this recorder from repeated 6 foot drops.

Guys, again, insist on having it packed and strapped to a pallet. Do your part, even if you have to help with the process but do so if you plan to bid on this thing. I'm telling you again, that chances are overwhelming that this beautiful (and rather rare) recorder will get damaged if it ships another way.

If the seller is not helpful, just tell him to box it up, using the methods he describes and YOU arrange a freight company which picks up the box and straps it to a pallet and ships it to you. Whatever it takes, get this done.

Good luck.

~Daniel
 
portauthority is good at smashing these things to pieces. I've heard from more than one, including Daniel. Kinda sad thinking that in a week or two it will be living below... :mad:
 

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That's right, Tim and I'm really pissed, not only at many sellers out-there but buyers, especially those who know better. Those that do not, I pray they'll find this thread or info about packing / shipping disasters.

A lot of people don't know about the ins and outs of what happens to a package when it is sent and that's a shame. Lack of information is a terrible thing. It's a wonder gear gets through without any apparent harm.

eBay, IMHO, is the best and worst thing that could have happened.. The best in that it's really one of the best sources of most everything out-there, especially as it comes to hard to find vintage gear but worst that sellers, with the intention of either unloading their possessions or just cashing in, will ship all those beautiful machines, which, in more than half of the time, will succumb to punishing handling and outright destruction, anywhere from minor to major damage. These usually end up as parts machines or, sadly, get passed along to another, unsuspecting buyer.

That these machines are already in short supply, especially the low use, mint examples, is a battle on its own but now we have to contend with shipping disasters, which happen more often than anyone ever hears about, is just plain sad.
 
I totally agree.

A couple of years back it happened to me too: a beautiful Tascam Midiizer MTS1000 (tabletop unit) and IF1000 parallel adaptor (19" unit) where shipped to me inside the same box, on top of each other with just a piece of plastic between them...

The sight when I opened the box was horrible: a lot of buttons were broken off, others had big cuts, paint was damaged, LED's scraped off, parts lying loose inside the box...

It had never crossed my mind that people with a love for technical stuff would be so stupid to ship like that (it came from a video post-production studio). But it was also me that was stupid or naïve to think that, I guess.

Finally we made an agreement and I got a part of my money back, so that was OK but still... better think twice and play it safe.


Greetings, The Niz.
 
Money or ability to pick this item up in person. Few have both. I live in Orlando, so it'd be super easy for me to pick this up.... Too bad I won't have the cash this 48 ends up going for! Ha.
 
analog aaron said:
Too bad I won't have the cash this 48 ends up going for! Ha.
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Heck, put it on your credit card and worry about it later. ;)

One can always make more money but another 48 in this condition, local pickup, is a rare thing.
 
cjacek said:
Heck, put it on your credit card and worry about it later. ;)

One can always make more money but another 48 in this condition, local pickup, is a rare thing.
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My Credit! Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha ha ha....ha........ha......sniff.....pause................wimper.............sob....sob...........sob...........:(:eek:
 
It's right up the road from me a bit. If it came with a couple of DX-40 units I might be tempted if only to transfer some of my old masters to digital. I could drive there and pick it up. I'll pass on the statue though.
 
Richard King said:
It's right up the road from me a bit. If it came with a couple of DX-40 units I might be tempted if only to transfer some of my old masters to digital. I could drive there and pick it up.
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Unless you want digital quiet (ugh), the TASCAM 48 is a very, very quiet machine. In fact, it has similar specs, for S/N ratio, as some half tracks, including the 22, 32, 42 and 52 and some Otaris.
 
.... 'cmon you Floridians! Pick this machine up and lets end this misery! :D
 

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Questions

Anybody in Florida want to pick it up for me and ship it to me should I win it:D For a fee of course!
 
Guys, just as not to go off track here... My original intention was not to pimp this particular machine but rather do everything possible, in words, to warn the potential bidder / winner of this auction. Point blank, it WILL get damaged if you will not insist on additional strapping to a pallet.

Another important point to make is that it's not only about this seller, 'cause shipping companies don't care who they deal with. MOST sellers don't know how to pack and when they do, I still would want them to strap it to a pallet. That is the only way you'd minimize shipping damage, because you have now eliminated the most horrible handling methods, which include horrific drops from conveyor belts and people who handle these boxes. Any method has risks but boxing and strapping to a pallet is the safest. Another, yet even safer but costlier, is having the actual box crated, on all sides.

..but, as not to be completely anal about it, strapping the box to a pallet, strikes a nice balance of safety vs cost. Incidentally, that is also the very way these recorders arrived from the TEAC factory.
 
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I've only shipped one reel to reel on a palate and it might have been overkill.... double boxing usually gets the job done for just about anything. Then insure it for way more than its worth. arrange with the guy that the point of sale is at the delivery, and if it arrives damaged to get your money back no questions asked. pay with your credit card and have that in writing. that way if it gets destroyed in shipping its his fault, not yours.
 
Just as an FYI, if you pallitize it and/or crate it and pallitize it, use a full size pallet and use an actual freight company for transport. More often than not when I was working at DHL, anything that was attached to the small pallets would be separated for "convenience" purposes. I was rather appalled at the fact that some drivers would do that just to make it "easier" to put in their van. I'm not sure how UPS and FedEx are about that, but it's definitely not worth the risk if you ask me.

If I could afford one of those machines, I would definitely pony up the additional $100 to $200 to have something crated/palletized and freighted to my door.;)
 
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