Bummer (or the one that got away)

[nate_dennis]

So I'm on holiday with my family right now. We were visiting her family in the Austin area. I did a craigslist search and came up with a Fostex R8 .... in San Antonio. I know most people here prefer the Tascam/Teac units. But I suffer from proximity disorder . . . I don't live in near proximity to anyone else making music!!! So when I found this listed for $225 I called him. I talked him down to $175 with two reels of tape (used) and a take up reel. According to him this was his second R8 and he only bought it to transfer some old tapes to digital, so the heads were in excellent condition. I was stoked!!!

However my Grand Father in law was admitted to the hospital the day before and had taken a turn for the worse, so I volunteered to stay behind with the kids so the "real" family could visit him. No one returned until dinner time and I couldn't make the trip to San Antonio to make the deal. Well. I figure that since Teac/Tascam units are so popular, I should be able to score one of these relatively cheap. Oh well . . . such is life.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Wow!

I bought a used R-8 back in the mid 90's and paid $1200!

Used it for a year and resold it for the same money.

Unbelievable how the bottom has fallen out on this stuff.

Cheers!

 

[sweetbeats]

Nate, I commend you so sincerely for tending to your family instead of choosing the gear. You must realize this already: specific family needs and opportunities often don't repeat themselves. They come, and they are gone. Gear opportunities will repeat in some fashion. I know how it feels to miss a real deal and it sounds like you had one there, but you totally did the right thing.

BTW, those Fostex 1/4" 8-tracks can sound really great. The transports typically aren't quite as robust as the Tascam units in a couple areas, but they've got pretty good user support. Parts are a little harder to come by compared to Tascam stuff, but then again you aren't going to find a Tascam 1/4" 8-track except in the 388 and you'll be hard-pressed to find one in any really decent shape under $300. Plus the 388 record/repro head is the real bane because they are really hard to come by, whereas I think there were a lot more Model 80's and R8's that hit the marketplace so better chances of scoring a parts deck or used parts on those.

Somebody tell me if I'm off my rocker.

BTW, how is your grandfather in law doing?

 

[jjones1700]

I believe there is also a Tascam 38 posted on Craigslist in San Antonio for $200, with rolling rack, DX4D units, and some tape.

Sorry to hear about your grandfather-in-law. You did the right thing by tending to family first man. Gear will always pop up, you just might have to wait for it. I have an RSS feed from Craigslist for most of the listings in Texas so if there is something you are looking for, let me know and I'll keep a lookout for it.

 

[grimtraveller]

You know you did the right thing.
So does your family.
Chances of a lifetime are no longer as rare as hens teeth.
You never know just what's around the corner.
So keep your eyes open (and your wallet shut !)