Tascam 34B heads, guides, lifters

timkroeger

timkroeger

Custom Title User
Hey there,

I posted in tascamforums some days ago and figured there are not so many people around who actually read the analog posts anymore... So I'm goning to kind of repost my issue here. I find myself more and more attracted to analog recording so I have bought a Tascam 34B 4-track. I have read a lot about head wear, maintenance and setup and am looking into acquiring an ATR-60/16 soon. I bought the 4-track only because I had a tape lying around with some recordings I did back in '96. I didn't know anything about recording or reel to reel back then but now at least I know where to look and learn und have the resources to do this as a hobby. So, before I throw myself onto a 16 track machine and it's setup, I want to get the best out of my 4-track and learn how to service it.

Ok, that was the background. I have put up a site with some photos taken from the heads, guides and lifters and would like to ask you to take a look at them if you have some time. I am quite concerned about the left guide and the lifters. I read about turning the guides so the wear faces away from the tape, but that would raise the tape and I don't know it the head is worn too badly for that. I don't even know how to turn the guides and if that would make sense at all. What do you think? Is there anything else that's not looking good?

The second thing is, I think the lifters are a bit loose. Is that how they are supposed to be?

Cheers,
Tim
 
The wear on the left side, up to the play head looks even top to bottom so it's not too bad all things considered. The wear on the play head and right guide post is not linear top to bottom and this is due to the the play head being out of mechanical alignment, the wear doesn't look too severe so you could just leave well enough alone all together if this machine is not going to be seeing heavy usage.

If the machine is going to be used a lot, then you might consider getting a proper mechanical alignment done to even out the wear on the right side or if you've got some mad money laying around, get the heads re-lapped and the guides and posts rotated, followed by a full calibration of the electronics.

The play in the lifters is normal as these items do move in and out by design and the only real concern should be if they lift far enough out when in a fast wind mode so that the heads are not coming into contact with the tape and wearing down prematurely and that they're not so loose that they feel like they'll fall right off in your hand. I have a 38 and it's lifters do have a bit of wiggle room to them and operate completely normally.

Cheers! :)
 
Thanks for the info, the machine is not going to be used a lot, just from time to time, so I think, I won't do major surgery on it. The lifters lift the tape far enough out, so that's ok, too. I am going to replace the supply reel table assembly though, as it is quite wobbly. The take up reel table assy is fine, but the supply is quite bad. I hope it's not the motor but just the base / table assembly as it was discussed in some other threads. I found out it is still possible to order the table assemblies and break felt thingies. Even in Germany. Nice. I'll keep you posted when they arrive and if the replacement fixes the wobble.

Best
Tim
 
It's great to see these pics and know there is advice and mutual support in this area for 34b owners. I just got mine and it's not working at all at the moment. I'm in the process of replacing the capstan belt and when that's done I'll be able to assess the worn heads/guides situation. But for sure, the heads on your machine look evenly worn and repairable. The ones on my machine look absolutely shocking. I'll post photos when I can. I'll need all the help I can get on this.
Keep the faith
Stewart
 
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