Tascam 388 Tape Shed Problem (Tracks

B

bmacca88

New member
Hello all!

This is my first post here. I joined today because of the excellent info when fixing my Tascam 388.

Everything is working great except this on tape playback:

Track 1 - VERY WEAK, muddy sound (lots of tape shed after a few plays
Track 2 - Stronger, but still a little weak
Track 3 - Normal
Track 4 - Normal
Track 5 - Normal
Track 6 - Normal
Track 7 - Weaker , but still usable
Track 8 - NOTHING

After a few plays, I look at the heads (which were cleaned before playback), and there is a TON of either tape shed or oxide (or something) on tracks 1 and 8 on both tape heads. Even when I clean it again and try and record, it is still very weak on Channel 1, and very very low signal on Channel 8.

Please help! If anyone can get in touch with @sweetbeats please let them know about this thread!

Thank you!

Ben
 
People use these small track formats and then complain when the problems they have are there. This is something you shoukld have been warned about with these kinds of machines. Further people assume the tape is shedding when maybe that is not the case. Run the tape through a few times with a cleaning cloth and collect out all the shed. If it keep on coming off then run some sandpaper strips through the stationary guides as cuts on these from tape will be like razor blades to the edge of a tape and it is the real problem not the tape. Once razor edge guides remove enough oxide from the edge of a tape then you will need to start again with a new tape that will shed just as bad and after a normal amount of shed then it is back to cutting more oxide off the tape. It ends up being a cycles you will be stuck with until proper action is taken. The sandpaper 400 grit I pull through guides cause the sharp edges to be reduced. There have been some heads when worn that have pole pieces sticking up and shaving tape off the surface. I had a TSR8 do that and after the heads were lapped by JRF and put back on they did the same thing. I kind of know what is happening but we don't know and answer other than new heads and there are none for the 388 I am told.
 
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