Tascam 388 Problem

[ocduff]

Hi -

I just picked up a nice 388 on Ebay. It got here in one piece, no real shipping damage, although I'm sure it got knocked around a bit.

This is my first reel to reel - and I'm talking with the seller, as I'm having a problem that I hope some of you an help clarify, or help direct me to someone who can help.

The problem is this:

The unit will rewind and fast forward tape, but it will not Play, or Record. That is, when I press FF and RW, the reels move as they should. When I press play, the buttons light up, I hear a click of engagement, but the reels don't move - sometimes they twitch a bit, and I can feel them vibrating, but they won't move. Tape is not pinched or caught, and is properly fed.

Otherwise the unit seems to work and is very clean - was just curious if this a belt issue, or something else. I would think the motors are working.

Also, the #4 track light/guage is not functioning. Anyone know a good online dealer for parts, etc? I have a manual, but know nothing about these things!



Thanks in advance - look forward to using this forum often!

 

[cjacek]

First a bit of advice: Never, ever, ever, ever buy this type of gear sight unseen and shipped. That's a really bad idea.

Check the belt first and report back.

Is it that the VU light is not working or the actual needle as well? It is a royal pain in the ass to actually change the bulb or get into the VU meter itself, on the 388. If it's only the light that's out but the meter otherwise functions, leave it alone.

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[ocduff]

Hi -

Well, too late for that. I bought it, now I'm asking for help. Thanks. I talked to the seller before hand - I took a risk, as there just haven't been any available locally for too long. Couldn't wait. Bought a clean one on the bay.

It's just the bulb that's out on meter 4. I did a search, sounds like a PITA. I'll leave it, although it will bug me.

Is checking the belt as simple as removing a few screws on the faceplate? I have the manual but it's not entirely clear to me. I think I'll probably just replace it while I'm in there. Anyone know a good source for these?

Also, isn't the Play belt the same as the RW and FF belt? So then, wouldn't the Play function work then?

Thanks again for the response - much helpful at a time like this. I know I'm like the 4000'th guy to post this type of "Hi, I just bought a 388 and it's broke" haha.

 

[A Reel Person]

...

The belt is accessed by flipping the unit over and removing the bottom cover.

It's not too serious of a problem.

Tascam Parts will sell you the belt, (323)727-4840.

The reel motors are separate from the capstan drive and belt.

The bulb could have been damaged from a little bump in shipping.

Nice.

 

[ocduff]

Thanks folks - and yep, that's the exact unit I got. Nice research skills!

So I flipped it over, took off the back panel. Belt is brand new looking. Super clean in there. The belt is not gummy or brittle or cracked. Perfect. Everything looks well connected.

So next I would suspect the capstan motor, since the belt is okay?

If I understand correctly, since the RW and FF functions work, then the reel motors themselves are OK. Also, does the Play function not use those motors? Only the capstan motor is on when Play is engaged?

So for now, the belt checks out - I'm going to be checking connections. All the fuses in the top panel looked good - I guess I need to find which one drives the capstan motor, maybe check that out some more. But all passed a cursory visual inspection, which I know means nothing. I may just get some new ones, pop them in to rule that out.

Thanks in advance for any directions you guys can give me. I know this is a lot to ask but it means a lot - would like to get my studio up and going by June or so. I want to make sure this thing is in spec, and want to learn all about it I can. The heads show no wear visually. It really is nice, would be a shame to give up on this thing.

Thanks -

 

[A Reel Person]

Yes.

You have to make absolutely sure the tape is threaded correctly. The tape should go under the headstack and tape lifter, and between the capstan and pinch roller. To thread the tape wrong would be a common mistake.

A quick verification of the capstan/motor/belt is to (with tape unloaded) lift the right tension arm up about an inch. When the right tension arm lifted, the capstan should spin CCW. If you hold the RH tension arm up, the unit is fooled into thinking tape is loaded, and all transport functions should work properly, less the actual tape.

BTW, first make sure that the capstan/belt/motor/flywheel spin freely by hand. Sometimes it will just freeze stuck from lack of use, but can be freed by turning by hand. Also verify the freely moving up/down motion of the pinchwheel and lifter assembly. You have to make sure the pinchwheel moves entirely up to contact the capstan when the Play button is pushed.

Checking the fuses is an excellent idea. Older fuses can get damaged in a bump, just like the lamp filaments. You must remove at least one end of the fuse from the circuit and Ohm-out the fuse to verify it's good,... reading as near to "0 ohms" as possible. (Removing the fuse entirely to test is fine). Any significantly higher reading than 0 (or just a few milli-ohms) or open circuit would indicate a bad fuse. If you don't have an ohm meter, then replacing each fuse with exactly the same type would be a suitable troubleshooting technique.

When you've gone thru these things above, then and only then would I endeavor to CAREFULLY remove and reseat the circuit cards onto the motherboard. These cards seat onto at least 10 individual pins on several different connnectors, each, so extreme care is required to reseat the boards onto the motherboard pins correctly. There are circuit card guides notched into the metal framework, so it's not so much like brain surgery. Sometimes you may think the cards won't come out, but they will come straight out if you pull hard enough. Like I said, this is going deep, so I'd reserve reseating the cards until after checking the simpler stuff.

When the Play/Rec function is engaged, the R/L reel motors do activate very slightly to keep proper tape tension, but it's basically the action of the pinchwheel contacting the spinning capstan that moves tape.

Your problem doesn't seem that serious, and you seem to have a fairly good handly on t-shooting, so hang in there. You'll be up and running WAY before June. There's no reason to panic or give up on a 388 just out of shipping with this type of problem. Most things can be fixed by starting at the most simple things and working upward.

Tape threading can be tricky for Newbies, so verify that first with the manual (if available).

Good luck & pls report your progress later!

 

[ocduff]

Thanks for your detailed response. I've followed all your steps (minus removing and reseating circuit boards) and have had not change. Here's what I did.

1) Ascertained capstan motor and pinch wheel are moving freely.

2) Checked belt. New.

3) Removed and checked each fuse with an Ohmeter. All were within specs you mentioned, about .4-6 Ohms each. All visually checked out too.

4) Removed tape. Lifted capstan arms, and could get both L and R reel motors to spin. Pinch wheel engages properly, but does not spin on it's own. Will spin freely by hand.

5) Tape is threaded per manual (which is very vague on that subject). I've run the tape, from L to R. Under L capstan, then over L wheel, then under/below/outside of tape head and tape lifter (tape rest on lower side of tape lifter), then between pinch wheel and metal pole, then over left wheel, under R capstan, and up to outside of R reel.

So is there a way I can safely apply voltage (even a 9V battery) to the capstan motor to verify whether it is working? This seems a logical next step before pulling delicate boards out. Although it looks like I may be doing that too! Honestly, I can't imagine a motor got bumped enough in shipping to ruin it. I would suspect a loose wire perhaps, or loose connection elsewhere. But would be nice to know whether the motor is working. Also, I'm not ruling out the seller - although a nice guy - isn't full of it and knew it didn't work!

Thanks again for your help - can't even imagine what a Tascam place would charge for this basic troubleshooting. Lord knows I've done too much of it in my 31 years! These units seem so well built though - the circuit boards do look rather delicate, however!

 

[A Reel Person]

By chance are you in Orange County?

Tascam's just up the I-5, off Slauson. If it requires service, I'd highly recommend driving it there. If there's actually a blown motor drive transistor, they may charge you $100-$125 to fix it. Basic checkout is appx. $65, but counts toward the repair if you opt for that. These are numbers I gathered from Tascam Service years ago, so they're approximate.

If you're not local, then it's a tough call, but I'd not recommend boxing/shipping this unit again, lest it comes thru transit in even worse shape.

I don't know outright how to test the capstan motor in isolation, but IMO they rarely burn out. If anything burns out spontaneously, it's usually a drive transistor.

If you can't discern what's wrong thru what you've already done, I'd still recommend removing and reseating the cards.

Also check the power supply voltages, themselves. If you're missing a critical voltage, you know certain things won't work. I've not memorized the voltages, but check the manual. An easy check point is on the fuses, but there may be other useful test points if you look hard enough.

... "It works okay. Okay meaning it works fine. I'd not say it works great, 'cause I don't like using hype. If I say it works great, and the buyer says it works just okay, then I look like an ass" [para]. ...(Sounds like the seller's legit and NOT trying to pass a lemon off on you).

A bump in shipment can jostle the cards loose just enough to cause problems, and I've seen that first hand, even though those cards may seem tight when trying to remove them. It's a multi pin motherboard and any of a hundred pins can be tarnished or making partial contact, or no contact at all.

There's not much more to say right now, but hang in there!

 

[cjacek]

All great advice / info from Dave (A Reel Person) but I'd bet my left nut that this thing has a PCB fracture, somewhere in the machine. I've seen that happen quite easily during shipping, even without apparent external damage. Honestly, this and every one of those recorders, or vintage gear for that matter, shipped in the typical fashion, goes through 6 foot drops, repeatedly and on every corner and damage during handling has become epidemic, rendering a very large % of those beauties fit for the trash bin, as parts units or a nice DIY project for the brave. Unless it's boxed (in sturdy styrofoam) and strapped to a wooden pallet, forget it. If eBay sellers don't want to do that, then move on. Don't believe most 'cause they sure as hell don't know how to pack.... and have no idea that sending any other way, other than palletizing, is never a good thing.

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[ocduff]

Hey Guys -

Thanks again for your responses. The seller is a nice guy - not sure he knows a lot about these things. And I called him twice to confirm he'd pack it well - paid $125 to have him ship it, wrapped in nothing but a card board box, no shipping signature, and left at my apartment door out in the elements. Needless to say, I've spent about 8 hours fooling with this thing. I'm pretty upset as I paid a premium for a clean working unit.

Now, it seems like I've done all I can with the unit - I'm in North Jersey, not far from NYC. The seller has tentatively agreed to pay to have the unit repaired. It was insured, but really, there's no visible damage to the box. It simply wasn't packed right, as UPS claims will confirm.

It's really gotten down to getting my money back. This thing is DOA, it was sold as working - it's the seller's responsibility to get it here in one piece. I don't sell a $500 guitar, wrap cardboard around it and ship it out. And as far as whether it's a lemon or not, it's his word against mine. Bottom line is it arriveed DOA.

Needless to say, I feel like an idiot - I talked to this guy twice, for 15 minutes, about how to pack it well, to specifically avoid this kind of issue.

Dave - thanks again - I'll pull the circuit boards if you give me specific instructions. Then I think it's either off to the Tascam repair, on the seller's dollar, or it's time to talk turkey with him.

- Owen

 

[A Reel Person]

Owen,...

I've had a few 388's shipped, and they came thru basically okay, but there can be issues and occasionally unmitigated disasters. If u wanna go fishing for horror stories, you'll find them, and several of them my own, but I'll not bore you with the details. I'm not sure I'd peg it at 50% loss or damage from shipping, but the jury's still out on that! The more you buy, and the larger the gear in question, the larger is your exposure. Take that advice when buying audio from out of town. Cjacek and I had a meeting of the minds on this issue long ago, and though I feel he's a bit more black/white on the issue of shipped vs local, we're fundamentally on the same page. Right Daniel? I try to buy locally off Ebay whenever possible, but occasionally calculate risk on some gear pending shipment. The smaller the gear, the easier it is to ship, no doubt.

Funny story, but Daniel and I are tight. Originally, long ago, Daniel (cjacek) came to me for advice on home recording, like so many others have done in the past. I got really involved in counseling him on my admittedly slanted point of view. The punch line is that eventually we ended up watching the same gear, and ultimately ended up bidding against each other! Aaaggghhh!!! Leave it to untimely or unread emails or contact, when we ultimately both pulled the trigger. He outbid me by like $80! Finding out on the turnaround that I jacked his street price by 80 clams, I promptly turned around and reimbursed him in USD$, for my Canadian analog brethren. Since that debacle, we've been the tightest of online friends. Daniel in the pursuant years has way surpassed my own expectations of his growth in expertise as a techy type and home recordist. I told him one day, [para] "I feel like I've launched a ship!". A true but little known story that dates back many years. Remember that Daniel?

I'm on this board daily, and though I don't post as much as I used to, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. There's plenty of expertise and tips that have yet to be offered from other experienced members.

In fact, I wanna see all 388 users find a happy ending, or beginning, whatever the case may be.

Post updates if/when u get a chance!

Thanx! Best of luck!

PS: We've often had the discussion here of who's culpable for audio gear disasters, and it's shared by the seller and the "system". Cost of packing alone does not determine quality, nor does 15 or 30 minutes of instruction guarantee that the seller fully conceptualizes how to properly safeguard such a bloated beast from shipping disasters.

'Nuff said!

 

[cjacek]

Yup, Dave and I are indeed tight. He's a good guy, actually the best! He thought, influenced and helped me a lot. Ahh, yes, the good 'ol times... I do remember it all.

Owen, I hope you resolve the 388 situation asap, in whatever way it happens.

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[ocduff]

Thanks again guys - I'll post an update. It really would be a shame to toss this thing in a dumpster. It is super clean inside and out.

The seller, a top notch guy, and I have discussed a course of action - 1) he wants to file a claim with UPS (he believes it to be shipping damage, and covered under the $500 insurance he got). 2) He's agreed to let me get an estimate to repair the unit at a Tascam center, and cover the cost within reason.

So I have no idea what prices should be - is it like a $60 per hour labor rate, or more? I guess I'll find out! Thanks again guys - you helped steady my nerves on this. Lesson learned about this sort of thing - and really, had he boxed it as requested, things would have been fine.

We'll see what UPS says. And what Tascam says - looks like there's one in Newark, near me.

- Owen