Help with buying a second hand tascam...

J

JohnDeacon

New member
Hi, Im just starting to get into a little home recording and I'd like some advice so I dont get ripped off.

Whats a good second hand price (preferably in ££'s) for a 424 MK II Tascam Portastudio?

(I know i asked this in the other forum but there was no reply and im kind of in a rush to get an answer).

Regards
David
 
Yo Deacon of Deacons:

Unless you really know from whom you are buying a 2nd hand piece of gear, buy NEW.


I'll bet that right after Xmas there will be even lower prices on the types of gear you want.


I have this very good Tascam 488 8 tracker in my basement. I replaced it with an MD8. It's in great shape but I'll probably give it to one of my brothers or nephews.

Some members here do well buying used; I prefer new.

Green Hornet







:D :D :p
 
Yo Hornet!

You say you've got a 488 that you're going to give to your nephew? That's pretty sweet of you. However, if you're interested in selling, then "hold the portastudio" for just a second. I just got off another board (the TASCAM site, under the "portastudios" forum) on which I was trying to give advice to a guy in London on how to get a 488MKII, since that's what he really seems to want. He says he can't find one over there. Pop on over and see. His ID is "Blocker."

I don't know if it's cool to do this sort of thing on this forum, but what the hey...



Bruce in Korea
 
2nd hand tape machines can be a problem because the heads wear out. You have to know that hasn't happened before you buy one.
 
I prefer new gear, but I've also done pretty well with used gear buys.

A good price on a used 424mkII would be ~$220 US.

IMHO, every unit is different, but the 424mkII is new enough, that you may find used 424mkII's that are mint or near-mint, and have very few hours on them. I think we all know of at least one aspiring musician who bought a 4 tracker and never used it. Also, IMO, on older units, it's the rubber belts that are likely to wear out first and require servicing, not the heads.

The new 424mkIII sells for ~$400 US.

New gear choices are a little limited, but used gear choices are many. I prefer new gear, but I'll buy used gear, for the right piece of gear, at the right price, and I've done very well.

;)

DA
 
yea

I can see what your saying about buying new, the thing is im on a limited budget and cant afford the £300 for a new tascam...

And the 4 tracks for £100 brand new must be rubbish..musnt they?
 
$100/4-track, Rubbish? No, not necessarily.

...but the 4-tracks you'll get for ~$100, F/I, the Tascam MF-P01, is a very limited, low-end unit. The Porta02, for ~$150, is a cut above the MF-P01, but still low end. The mid-level unit is the 414mkII, retailing for about ~$250-~$300. The 424mkIII, for ~$400, seems a bit pricey, but it's got a lot of features, and is top-of-the-line for Tascam 4-track Portastudios, and well worth the money.

-Just to put it in perspective, the 424mkIII sounds pricey at ~$400, but the original 244 retailed for over ~$1000, back in the early '80's. The current price/performance you get in the new Tascam 424mkIII, is almost unprecedented, and again, is well worth the money.

You may find better pricing on used, but decent quality gear. No doubt.

As I said, I do prefer new gear, but choices are limited, and I will buy the "right" piece of used gear, for the "right" price, if you know what I mean. Repeating myself again, but I've done very well with used gear purchases.

If you're locked out of a "new equipment budget", then deals abound on used gear, over at Ebay. Check it out.

;)

/DA
 
if your budget's that limited a secondhand Tascam 424 might well be the best option. I saw two Mk IIIs in the Sound on Sound online reader ads. One was £125, the other was £150. You have to remember though it's Buyer Beware buying this way.

FYI you can turn your PC into a multitrack recorder for less than £50, though you then have to spend more money on gear to get your instruments recorded onto the PC, e.g. £50-£100 for a cheap secondhand mixer.
 
I wouldn't suggest buying a used tape machine. Unless you know the person and then I still wouldn't recommend you purchasing the unit.

You would be better off by just using your computer.

spin
 
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