Tascam 388 wont play

[388woes]

388 help cont..

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.

/DA

Reel,

I had the same problem, only I was not transporting my 388, I just went to press play and it didn't. Sure enough after taking off the bottom panel the belt had come off. I put it back on and it worked again ... for a day, lol. It came off again. I'm wondering if the belt if simply too worn/stretched? (looks fine to me, like new) but who knows? Could there be another reason it keeps coming off all of a sudden? I tried sourcing a new belt to no avail, I'll have to order one from Tascam but before I go and do this I want to make sure all bases are covered and be sure there isn't another reason it keeps coming off.

Thanks for any help,

Dan

 

[388woes]

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?

Hey Lowfi,

How did you make out? I have the same problem. Belt looks fine but keeps coming off.

Dan

 

[Herm]

The belt can look fine but after time they stretch. Just get a new one.

 

[388woes]

The belt can look fine but after time they stretch. Just get a new one.

Thanks Hern. Guess I'll have to wait another 4-6 weeks to record! And I have the next week off and had it all planned

Why does UPS owe you $700? They damaged a $500.00 projector of my brothers, left it in the rain and wouldn't pay.. until my brother finally went over the heads of the phone reps and called some big wig at the company. He got a check for the full amount three days later.


Thanks again,

Dan

 

[A Reel Person]

Guys!

Gosh,... I was offline for a week,... so,...

Herm, thanx for the quick support!

Guys, the belt may stretch beyond it's normal service life, fall off, be set back on,... fall off again,... & that's a clear indication the belt is stretched, worn & shot. It needs to be replaced.

I don't have the exact measurement of the 388 belt, but I will make an attempt to get it within a reasonably short time.

But, the 388 was a $3000 recording platform originally, of topnotch design and quality not matched in the world of self contained 8-trackers. Just cut to the chase, call Tascam Parts & pay the $12, or whatever it costs, and do it. Quit looking for the quick fix or cheap way out. It's worth $12.

I could just say, to the best of my recollection, the 388's belt is 12.5-12.6" total length, appx 1/4" wide, and appx .5mm thick, HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT ABSOLUTELY VERIFIED AT THIS TIME, TBD, AND NO WARRANTY IS IMPLIED ON MY PART, NOW & UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

A Tascam belt may cost $12 + shipping, or a generic belt may cost $3-$4. Either way, it's worth it.

Thanx for your epressed confidence in my presence, and I'm always willing to help. I've been tied up for a while, & am trying to get back on track. I PROMISE, at my next soonest convenience, I'll find the belt I was using for 388 repair,... I believe I even have an authentic brand new TASCAM belt somewhere, and I WILL CONFIRM these measurements, ASAP.

The belt is shot. You cannot always tell by just looking at it. It loses it's elasticity, and is stretched beyond it's service life. It needs to be replaced at that point. It's not rocket science.

Hang in there, and I'm with'ya, that I'll always love & never leave my 388!

388's rule the 8-track school!

Thanx again, I appreciate that you'd even care to ask me of my expertise, and I'm always willing to help. I'm catching up on stuff currently.!!!

 

[A Reel Person]

I'll just answer for Herm, at this point, as I understand it,.. if I may:

His seller used the "UPS-Store" to pack his item, which was inadequately done and then badly damaged in shipping.

On the turnaround, Herm found out that the "UPS-Store" is not directly affiliated with "UPS" itself, and UPS does not warrant anything that "UPS-Stores" pack or send. Herm was left holding the bag, with no recourse.

Watch out for that one!!!

 

[388woes]

Gosh,... I was offline for a week,... so,...

Just cut to the chase, call Tascam Parts & pay the $12, or whatever it costs, and do it. Quit looking for the quick fix or cheap way out. It's worth $12.

Wasn't looking for a cheap fix, just didn't want to wait over a month to record! I ordered the belt and a reel table as one of the fins is broke so I figured this was a good time to take care of it. Is this an easy replacement? How do I go about changing it?

As long as I have your attention, what's your take on the Tascam 38-8 as compared to the 388? I owned a 38 years ago but only for a very short time as I was young and dumb and needed the cash so sold it after only about two weeks time. I remember recording acoustic guitar on it and loving what I heard on play back. I know of a 38 that can be had for $200, new heads a year ago, everything up to spec and working. I figure I can just use the 388's mixer with it. Does the 1/2 format of the 38 make a big difference compared with the 388 to your ears? Don't get me wrong, I'll never ditch my 388, but change is good too.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[A Reel Person]

Dan,... yes,... & sorry for being so blunt!

Ordering the parts from Tascam is the right step to take, in most cases.

The replacement of the 388 belt is easy money. You'll have to find a soft surface where you can turn the 388 completely upside down, & remove the bottom cover, entirely. It's like child's play to replace the belt. Eh,... for a very strong child, who can lift a 90 lb unit! Tip: tape the plexiglass cover down on the 388, to prevent it from flopping, pinching you or breaking.

The 38 is an awesome reel deck. The sound quality is much better than the 388, and especially so if you can get the [2] DX-4D dbx units to go along. It's a huge and clearly noticeable boost in fidelity over the 388. However, the 38 is just a reel and comes less mixer, as you know. The upside is that you already have a 388, which is the most topnotch mixer in it's vintage class of Tascam gear, and you may very easily adapt the 388's mixer section to support the 38, along with it's normal duties supporting the 388. The small caveat, is that you'll need something like the Tascam M-1B 8x-line mixer, to use as a cue monitor from the 38,... lest you produce a terminal feedback loop on the 388/38 subsystem, which is undesirable. A few bucks extra, eh? Maybe $50-$65 for an M-1B, & on a good day maybe less. Try it! The 388/38/M-1B is a dynamite combo, that will boost your fidelity into orbit!... while still being streamlined to be considered a "compact" system! I'd go for it, for sure. Eh,... wait,... I already have that!!

Any time. Just ask. Good luck.

 

[388woes]

Ordering the parts from Tascam is the right step to take, in most cases.

The replacement of the 388 belt is easy money. You'll have to find a soft surface where you can turn the 388 completely upside down, & remove the bottom cover, entirely. It's like child's play to replace the belt. Eh,... for a very strong child, who can lift a 90 lb unit! Tip: tape the plexiglass cover down on the 388, to prevent it from flopping, pinching you or breaking.

Thanks Reel, you da man! However, I was talking about changing the reel table not the belt, sorry I didnt' make that clear. How do I go about this?


Thanks for the tips on the 38, I think I'm going to go for it!

 

[A Reel Person]

Oh,... wow! Big difference!

I realized I didn't address the reel table replacement, but then got distracted.

Okay, it's accessed by removing the inner plate that covers the reel deck area. That is done by removing the plexi cover, by pressing against the spring load mechanism, & lifting out at a slight angle. Then, you'll have to remove the left and right side-sashes, plastic pieces above the deck. Then, there are more screws that hold the actual plate down, as well as removing the rollers & anything else that would appear to impede removing the reel deck area cover.

Before I removed the reel table, I'd recommend measuring the height as accurately as possible, and noting it down. Then, if access permits, it would be great if you could mark the exact position of the reel table on the shaft with a marker, but that's not a sure deal, 'cause the clearance to do so will be minimal.

Anyway, after having determined how high the reel table sits, you would remove it with what I assume would be two set screws on the shaft. Reassemble and set in reverse order.

If you have the manual, do a quick check about reel table height and setting, if any.

Thanx.