Tascam 388 wont play

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milk_meat

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I'm a total newbie when it comes to tape machines. I recently bought a 388 and I loaded the 1/4 " tape (456) into the machine but when I press play nothing happens. I'm able to rewind and fast forward but as soon as I press play nothing moves and a little noise starts to come out of the machine and it gradually gets slightly louder. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Did I maybe load the tape incorrectly?

-X
 
It seems like i'm loading the tape correctly from the pictures you sent me to.
The tape is not new but it looks to be in pretty good condition. I don't hear the noise anymore and I checked the capstan pin and it is rolling. In fact, I believe it's the only thing moving when I press play. Any suggestions??
 
I finally got it to play BUT the only way I can get it to play is to manually move the Left TENSION ROLLER up. Does anyone know why I might be having to do this to get it to play? Thanks
 
The back tension from the left reel should pull the arm up. First make sure you turn the right reel to take the slack out of the tape when you load it.

I recommend you get a new tape before you go any further. Many Radio Shack stores still have reel tape, which is just fine for testing. If you know of a store that carries Quantegy 456, then get that instead.

Older 456 usually has some level of sticky tape syndrome. You can't tell by looking at the tape. Many a good machine has been dumped by the owner for lack of this knowledge.

It could be something else, but try this first to avoid a lot of time and frustration.

:cool:
 
Beck, you-da-man!

I got this Newbie up & running on a private email.

It was a tape threading problem.

You covered all the points I covered, too! Great minds think alike!

Thanx for referencing my thread. He must not have scrolled down to the bottom, where the "correct" threading pix were.

He's fine now, & I'll probably visit him in person tomorrow, for a little in-person 388 tutorial and demo.

Thanx!!
 
same problem

hello,
i am having the same problem with my tascam 388. you said you helped this person work out their problem through PM and email. wondering if you could somehow do the same for me. i know this thread is old, but i didn't see any reason to start another.

thanks
lofipower
 
It was a tape threading problem.

If I recall, he'd threaded the tape on top of the tape lifters, so when they activated, it pinched the tape up between the record and play head. :eek:

This may or may not be your problem. ;)
 
i dont think it is.

the problem really is that i jumped into rethreading without taking my time. i had kinda died down on my recording fever and decided to pick it back up today recording some local bands this week. according to your threading diagrams, i am threading correctly (completely under the tape headstack assembly). but for some reason, it just wouldnt play. i tried everything and was a bit embarrassed trying to prepare to record this band. i don't really know what it is. i did have to take it on a bumpy car ride, but i'm under the impression that the 388 is quite the tough machine. I don't know what to think. i suppose i'll take some pictures tomorrow. i just went back to the board and started looking for this thread. the problem is exactly the same though. wont play, but it can FF & REW.
 
Bumpy car ride?

In that case, I'd suspect the belt has slipped off.

If you raise the RH tension arm, the capstan should spin CCW. If it doesn't, the belt's come off or is defective. The belt may be accessed by removing the bottom panel. :eek:

/DA
 
hmmm. i'll have to look at that. its certainly a possibility. as soon as i can get one of my friends to help me get it out of my car, i'll take a look at it. by bottom panel do you mean on the actual bottom of the machine, or under the whole place where you put the tape with the reels and all.
 
The very bottom cover.

.................... ;)
 
Okay, that was the problem

I opened up the back and sure enough the belt was not connected properly. I'm assuming that was my problem. The solution looks easy enough, but i don't want to take any chances and screw the back up not totally resolving me problem. I'm posting pics so you can see what i'm dealing with and tell me the best way to do this.

thanks alot,
lofipower
 

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another pic

heres an up close pic
 

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The belt was obviously loose,...

enough to fall off under it's own weight when taken for a bumpy ride.

It's probably best to source a new replacement belt and replace it. You'd have to loosen and partially remove the flywheel bracket, just enough to sneak the new belt over the flywheel. :eek:
 
finding a belt

how exactly would i go about finding a belt to fit the 388 better than the existing one. Its hard to find anything online about the 388, much less a specific belt for it. Should i just try to find one at like an auto repair shop. If so, how do i measure the belt to make sure i am getting what i need?
 
The easiest way...

is to call Tascam Parts, @ (323) 727-4840.

Or, the DIY method, is to remove the belt, & measure it's total length, then source a belt that's slightly smaller, as the original belt is stretched out. Eh,... at an electronics component store, or anywhere they have replacement belts for VCR's & the like. ;)

If I get a chance to dig up & measure one of my spare 388 belts, I'll post the length. TBA. :eek:
 
i called tascam...

they have it in stock, but after tax+shipping it would be $15 which is kind of ridiculous for a small piece of rubber. If i could get the measurements from you or measure it myself i might venture out to find a store that would have that type of stuff rather than pay the $15, but if i can't find anything i'll probably contact tascam as a last resort.
 
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