Serious problems with my Tascam 488

  • Thread starter Thread starter DamienC
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DamienC

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Hi everyone.

I've had my 488 for about 2 years now and I wouldn't trade it for anything (except maybe a MKII :P) but I've had some serious problems with it that have prevented me from using it. I was hoping that before I start calling places to get it repaired I could ask for some advice.

First of all, the headphone jack became flaky to the point where I would have to physically hold my headphone plug in a certain spot for me to be able to hear anything. It got progressively worse, and is incredibly frustrating to have to figure out how to hold the plug in place so I can record guitar parts and be able to hear what I'm doing. Any ideas why this happened or what I could do about it?

That's not even the more serious problem. After last using my 488, I was doing some cleaning around the house and put it under my bed. It was there for a month before I decided to pull it out to record something, only to find it didn't work. The unit powers up and the mixer section still works, but I think the tape motor (or whatever the thing is that makes the tape... work... is called. I just make music, I don't know these things :P). Tapes will not play, fast forward, or rewind. If I press any of those buttons, the unit makes a loud noise like it's trying to move but can't, then all three LEDs near the tape buttons start flashing. Obviously, I can't record anything or listen to my old master tapes.

Can anyone help? Tascam's website lists only one place in my area that does repairs, if that place can't help me I'm screwed. Thanks.
 
:cool: Headphone jack: plug the phones and check that its not wires connected to the phones plug.......

If you're satisfied with that, then see if you can stick a hard steel sewing needle with the sharp end bent 90 degrees and try to lift the metal contacts inthe phone jack. With the power off. Alot of times the contacts in jack get bent flat so that the contacts are not making any contact. You'll need a small/bright flashlight and a long darning needle or something to that affect....... to do this,also a straight needle may be needed too. Sometimes an eyeglass screwdriver may be needed. You ge the point, pardon pun.......


2nd problem sounds like a belt is loose/broken/off the drive wheel, you may need to take it to a certified tascam repair facility.
Is the cassette tape you're using in good condition, not bound up in any way??


da MUTT
 
Hmm... I'll try that thing to get the headphone jack working when I get home. Sounds like a good idea.

I have over a dozen tapes I used with it, and all do the same thing. They're all in good shape and not bound up or anything.
 
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:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

So I called up the only Tascam repair shop within driving distance.

Right off the bat the guy tells me that they won't do it and that I have to send it to Tascam, and that they will charge me like $600 for what is most likely a simple repair. I don't buy it for a second but this basically dashes any hope of getting my 488 repaired that I had.

I guess my 488 is dead for good. Anyone know a good place (besides ebay) to find another one?

I'd also be willing to sell this one to anyone daring enough to try to repair it. :P
 
Yo Damian:

Well, nothing is ever "really" dead. First of all, you are dealing with old technology -- I still have a 488 MKII in my storage area.

But, if you really want to get it repaired, you can call Sweetwater and ask for an estimate. They are big enough to be able to repair most any type of gear -- and, I know it won't be cheap.

So, instead of spending 500 dollars, why not get a Yam AW16 for about a grand and do everything digital? Including, burning your own CDR's.

So, make the call to Sweetwater and get an estimate if you want. But, I'd advise you buy a new unit. It doesn't have to be a Yam but my 2816 is a great SIAB. And, from what I read here and around, the AW 16 is another good buy.

Green Hornet
 
Well I've pretty much given up on repairs, I've been looking for a replacement for a while now. Watching a few 488s on ebay, hopefully I can snag one cheap.

I thought long and hard about going digital, but I decided it's just not for me. I'm really quite happy with my old 488, and I don't want to go through the hassle of transferring all my master tapes to a digital format.

And as for burning CDRs with my 488, I already can do that. :P I just run a cable from the line-outs of my 488 to the line-in of my PC's sound card and mix down to Goldwave, then burn the .WAVs. :D
 
If all that is wrong with your machine is a defective phone jack and a stretched or slipped off belt, any competent VCR repair shop should be able to fix it for under forty dollars,.
 
Well, the headphone jack is probably easily fixable, but I think the tape problem is more than a slipped belt. I took a look inside the machine (probably a bad idea, but I didn't make things worse :P) all the visible belts looked fine. The machine makes a REALLY LOUD grinding sort of noise when I try to play the tape, if the problem was a belt I don't think that would be happening.
 
As long as you were brave ebough to open up the case, do it again with the case opened and the unit powered up. Observe the action of the mechanism as you try fast forward, rewind and play. Use a length of rubber or plastic tubing as a stethoscope and determine where the grinding noise is coming from. After all, you sound as if you are going to abandon the poor thing just when it needs you the most.
 
YES! I fixed it!

No, I was not about to let my $300 investment die on me. :P

I opened the thing up and took a look at the big metal thing which holds the tape, then pressed play. I noticed that it looked like this little, white cylindrical plastic gear was trying to turn but was either not catching or stuck. So I unscrewed the metal thing and lifted it out and messed with the gears for a while, trying to figure out what was up. I looked at it for an hour or so, even calling my dad (a former appliance repairman) to help to see what the problem was.

I was about to give up when the problem hit me in the face like a ton of bricks. The gear was obviously not contacting the other gears, meaning it was not close enough. So I looked closer and noticed that the tiny metal rod that the gear was attached to normally sat in a small hole in the metal casing. I slid the gear back into place and threw it all back together... and IT WORKED! I am saved from having to buy a new one on eBay for $250+! Woohoo!

Now to fix that headphone jack problem... :D
 
:D CONGRATULATIONS !! DamienC. The headphone thing will be easier to do if you want to take it apart again.


da MUTT
 
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