
sweetbeats
Reel deep thoughts...
Sometimes I just don’t know…I consistently and routinely peruse a number of online marketplaces for a wide range of audio gear and instruments. I have all sorts of projects that remain unfinished. Granted I have something of an excuse since my life is really busy with family and day job demands, but I can’t stop looking. I’ve become really selective. Lately it’s cassette portastudios. It has to have good potential to clean up, and the transport has to be non-functional in one or more of several ways. That way it’s cheap. I’ve worked on enough of these by now over the years I pretty much peg what needs fixed before I even buy it. Anyway, I buy one, clean it up, fix it, play with it a little, and before long sell it. The latest is this Tascam 488mkII I picked up…$150. Not the best price. Headblock assembly wouldn’t engage the tape and would start hopping up and down, and capstan wasn’t spinning. So I figured it needed a capstan belt and the headblock motion assembly was either broken or partially seized up. I drove a couple hours round trip to pick it up. Not my best purchase. But I meet the guy and the unit looks super clean under the dust and grime, everything is there. This is what I look for. And I don’t know what compells me to do these things…I was right, just needs a new capstan belt and I disassembled the headblock motion assembly, just needed new lube and the primary gear spindle needed polishing…works like a charm now…capstan belt $11 shipped. Pinch roller is in beautiful condition. Looking at the capstan shaft and heads I don’t think this thing was used much at all. Everything is in really nice shape. But I have to tear it all apart, DeoxIT the switches and jet out the faders with Faderlube…literally wash the top panel with soap and water…like…it’s not gonna make it sound any better. But I can see the clean surface past the scunge and so I have to get rid of the scunge.
I don’t really understand myself.
I don’t really understand myself.