realligning tascam 388 heads when removing mount

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ianbernacett

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Hey I couldn't find a sure tell way of asking this but I unscrewed head mount without actually removing the heads off the black metal mounts they're attached to (I wanted to put straws on tape lift since my tape lifts are worn in.)

Should I be worrying about realigning or anything for that matter? I didn't actually unscrew the heads from the black metal piece it's mounted on just lifted it up to slide straws on the lifts.

I can't tell from actually listening back if anything changed but I've always like knowing the technicalities concerning this machine.

thanks,
 
If you just removed the head block (I think it goes on with 3 Phillips head screws) and didn't touch any of the head mounting/adjusting screws, it should not be necessary to align it. The erase head is fixed on the 388 and the R/P head only has azimuth adjust screws.

You can usually rotate the guides on Tascam machines by grabbing them with a pair of needle nose vise grips and turning 90 degrees or so - however you must either grab them near the bottom (on the 388 you'd have to take off the deck cover plate to do this) or wrap them in some strong material (John French says to use leather) to keep them from being scratched/gouged by the vise grips where the tape will contact the metal.
 
Yeah I just talked to a certified tech down here in Florida he said they straw idea is terrible so I have no choice but to rotate them myself bought me some good needlenose vice grips couldn't find a fine piece of leather but electrical tape might work. For all the people using the straw method apparently using plastic will charge your heads with static but that's just what the guy who relaps my tape heads told me.
 
so I was finally able to rotate the tape lifters for those of you who want to try this you literally need to take the heads off and the plastic cover which the reel sits on as well as the transport get a good grip with the vice grips under where the tape touches the lifters. After pussy footing around it the whole leather duck tape deal which didn't work for me. I ended up just putting a small piece of electrical tape on the vice grips and yeah the metal on metal contact basically worked I got to turn them. I would've like to have done a cleaner job.

Here's the catch now when I playback previously recorded material like an old tape it sounds like the tape is playing on the wrong speed not necessarily warped sounding but out of tune almost especially on quieter sources. I checked record playback and everything reads pretty even.

either way I must've done something I know the tape heads on the 388 are fixed and I didn't touch the screws above the heads just the ones to get it off the mounts.

any help appreciated
 
Have you tried a test tape/frequency counter? Recording something and then playing it back isn't likely to show any speed change if it's out because they will both be the same speed...
 
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