TSR-8 -- can you fry inputs?

[lilcapn]

so i've had this tape machine for about 8 months now, have yet to complete a song on it. i KNOW it's a good machine, it just seems like it's one thing or another.

just had a tech give it a once-over check up and fix a reel table issue that was causing tape to scrape against the flanges.

so i re-hook it back up, record one track of acoustic guitar, no problem. then i go to add vocals with a C1 through a meek pre and

PFFT

no signal getting to the machine -- well at first there was a kind of distorted, ass-like sound coming through, but now i can't even get that to happen.

i've tried diff. mics, cables, preamps, etc, even tried going directly from the patchbay pre out to the rca in on the back of the tape machine; nothing.

help!

btw, it plays back the tracks already recorded just fine.

thanks...

 

[lilcapn]

update

this morning it works.

what the..???

are their fuses that don't BLOW but just slowly burn down?

 

[Sennheiser]

That is called a thermistor, but I don't know if your deck has those. I don't have a schematic for the TSR-8.

It could be a relay sticking. The 38-8's are widely known for this, but I've not heard of it happening on the TSR-8.