How to properly maintain a tape machine...NOT!

  • Thread starter Thread starter miroslav
  • Start date Start date
Wow, assuming the owner is a heroin addict using Ampex 456? :wtf:
 
That guy's been trying to sell that machine for a while now! He had it listed a couple of months ago for a gee note.

And he also claims not to know anything about the machine...typical. :rolleyes:

Cheers! :)
 
If he'd wanted to deceive would he post those very clear macro shots of the SSS caked heads?
 
Tim Gillett said:
If he'd wanted to deceive would he post those very clear macro shots of the SSS caked heads?
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I don't believe anyone here stated the seller was willfully attempting to deceive. After all, his record shows 8999 transactions with a 99.5% positive feedback rating. So he's obviously a full time pro ebayer who probably sells all kinds of items besides tape machines.

But, his description is telling. He's saying he has no means of fully testing the machine, (no tape) and is saying its an as-is sale. He also says nothing about any money back if its not as you hoped for when it arrives. So, yeah, there's pictures there to show an experienced tape machine user that the heads , guide posts, lifters and rubber is heavily worn. But does it pass sound reliably? No one knows. Will an inexperienced tape machine user know that the heads are heavily worn? Probably not. And the seller isn't expressing an opinion on that wear.

Basically, the seller is saying just enough to cover his ass and leaving the rest of it up to your expertise to make a semi educated guess.

So its a $750 crap shoot, plus shipping. Plus re-lapping and new rubber at minimum. Not exactly a great deal as such.

Cheers! :)
 
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Ghost, he may be feigning ignorance but we have no way of knowing that.
 
He's got plenty of overpriced NOS sticky shed 7" Ampex 456 to test it with, so him saying he didn't have any tape is one statement proven to be false. Yes I agree... "Untested" often really means "Tested but didn't like the outcome" in eBay seller lingo.

Holy hell some moron even bought one of his tapes. 1/4" Ampex 456 on 7" inch reel from the sticky-shed era for $34.99 each plus shipping? WTF? Don't drink and browse eBay. LOL

*NEW Ampex Grand Master 456 Studio Mastering Audio Tape | eBay
 
Tim Gillett said:
Ghost, he may be feigning ignorance but we have no way of knowing that.
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Are you affiliated with the vendor? :confused:

Beck has essentially proven the dude is a liar. He has tape and could have tested it. But he lied and said he didn't and couldn't.

You're backing the wrong horse here, Mr. Gillett.

Cheers! :)
 
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Looks like this guys sells a lot of junk, could have very well just picked it up somewhere not really knowing what it is. I'd hope that if he knew anything about this machine or machines like it he would have at least attempted to clean the heads before taking pictures to post in an ad???

He does know what to take pictures of though....suspicious
 
Bguzaldo said:
Looks like this guys sells a lot of junk, could have very well just picked it up somewhere not really knowing what it is. I'd hope that if he knew anything about this machine or machines like it he would have at least attempted to clean the heads before taking pictures to post in an ad???

He does know what to take pictures of though....suspicious
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ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhxactly!
 
Beck said:
He's got plenty of overpriced NOS sticky shed 7" Ampex 456 to test it with, so him saying he didn't have any tape is one statement proven to be false. Yes I agree... "Untested" often really means "Tested but didn't like the outcome" in eBay seller lingo.

Holy hell some moron even bought one of his tapes. 1/4" Ampex 456 on 7" inch reel from the sticky-shed era for $34.99 each plus shipping? WTF? Don't drink and browse eBay. LOL

*NEW Ampex Grand Master 456 Studio Mastering Audio Tape | eBay
Click to expand...

Well he wouldn't want to break the seal now! It'd be worthless!! oh....wait
 
Bguzaldo said:
Well he wouldn't want to break the seal now! It'd be worthless!! oh....wait
Click to expand...

:) LOL

On the other hand this seller may be one of the many clueless people who've never heard of sticky-shed. Under all that crap on the tape path from the sticky-shed tape he used to test it (of what the former owner used) could be a perfectly functioning machine. For a person to think they have a bad machine is one of the most common conclusions when dealing with sticky-shed tape. It can be a good thing for those who understand it. You could get a steal because a machine may have sat for a long time, thought unusable by the owner. In many cases the heads and tape path are well preserved... much better than if the machine had been in use. Of course the nice thing to do (Right thing to do) would be to bring the owner up to speed on the sticky problem, but IMO only if he/she is a fellow analog enthusiast. This guy is obviously just a seller of whatever. In a case like that I'm happy to take the "Broken" :) machine off their hands for a broken price.
 
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