Ideas!!! Tape starts with highs then goes low...

[baddboybill]

So when I hit play for a few seconds the highs are nice then they just plop and all you hear are lows.. Any ideas I'm thinking maybe a bad cap :-(. I've already cleaned and demagnetized head plus my second deck sounds perfect

 

[BoomboxLover48]

It looks like the motor is hesitating to take load.
It could be due to problem with the commutator/brush or there is a wheel or bearing in the transport giving some frictional resistance.

 

[baddboybill]

It looks like the motor is hesitating to take load.
It could be due to problem with the commutator/brush or there is a wheel or bearing in the transport giving some frictional resisatnce.

Royce it plays proper speed, its sound, just no highs only lows. It starts off playing highs then drops and only plays lows. Motor at proper speed

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

Have you played around with the alignment screw for the tape head yet? My 8989 I sold to Jorge89 did the same thing & I adjusted the alignment screw until it sounded right & after that all was good & sounding great. Too bad I borked the cassette trying to fix the record feature.

 

[baddboybill]

Have you played around with the alignment screw for the tape head yet? My 8989 I sold to Jorge89 did the same thing & I adjusted the alignment screw until it sounded right & after that all was good & sounding great. Too bad I borked the cassette trying to fix the record feature.

Usually that is for left/right adjustment not high/low. But I can try and turn to see if there's a difference. But like I said when tape first starts to play you can hear both highs and lows both channels then after a second or two highs drop down

 

[Ken]

Yeah, sounds like an azimuth adjustment screw. Or a tape transport problem of some kind.

'What brings up the tape head? Is there something preventing it from getting into position? Sounds like you're really up to the elbows in one tonight.

 

[baddboybill]

Ok it was Azimuth. Usually this only causes problems on one channel but I'm back in business. Thanks guys

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

Ok it was Azimuth. Usually this only causes problems on one channel but I'm back in business. Thanks guys

I figured it would be. It was the same on my 8989. It would start out sounding normal but after 2 seconds of play the tape would shift off center & sound muffled with no mids or highs. Glad it worked out ok.

Cheers!!

 

[baddboybill]

Well it's fully fixed its better but I think it's bad cap like I originally posted. :-(

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

Well it's fully fixed its better but I think it's bad cap like I originally posted. :-(

huh? didn't catch your meaning...sorry. Did the azimuth adjustment clear it up or no?

 

[baddboybill]

I'm still adjusting Azimuth trying to find best spot

 

[baddboybill]

Well I literally had to adjust it all the way out to get same sound as other deck. But seems good now. Thanks again

 

[baddboybill]

Thanks guys she is playing great. This is box I just worked on. My CEC OL7540.

Bad Boy Bill

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

no problem. Keep us posted as to whether it was a permanent fix or not. After playing with mine, tapes worked great for good after that & mine had the same behavior before I played with it so hopefully, it solves it for good. nice CEC btw. I saw 1 with both decks working sell for almost 200 on the bay, just recently.

Keep it boomin'
Cpl

 

[BoomboxLover48]

Bill, Do you see any depression from wear If you look on the head surface where the tape glides?

Try another tape. Sometimes the pressure pad under the tape goes bad and don't give a good contact.

 

[baddboybill]

Bill, Do you see any depression from wear If you look on the head surface where the tape glides?

Try another tape. Sometimes the pressure pad under the tape goes bad and don't give a good contact.

Head is clean, actually super clean especially since its cheaper unit but it is up top which is better than at bottom. Could be tapes too but I just played one side and no issues. So hopefully she's ok

 

[baddboybill]

no problem. Keep us posted as to whether it was a permanent fix or not. After playing with mine, tapes worked great for good after that & mine had the same behavior before I played with it so hopefully, it solves it for good. nice CEC btw. I saw 1 with both decks working sell for almost 200 on the bay, just recently.

Keep it boomin'
Cpl

Yeah I almost bought a unit last week because it had original manual but didn't have funds. Luckily guy who sold it made copies of manual for me and I just had it printed at office max I also tried to buy a NIB unit 4 years ago but it went for over $400. Man I wish I had funds this was the box I had as teen a walked the streets jamming to Def Leppard, Ozzy, AC/DC and many more

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

Bill, Do you see any depression from wear If you look on the head surface where the tape glides?

Try another tape. Sometimes the pressure pad under the tape goes bad and don't give a good contact.

Head is clean, actually super clean especially since its cheaper unit but it is up top which is better than at bottom. Could be tapes too but I just played one side and no issues. So hopefully she's ok

Well, if you got through an entire side of a tape & no issues, then you're good to go. If you pop another tape in & the problem comes back then the deck isn't keeping the tapes from shifting around when you engage the play mach. & you need to look further for physicial causes for the tape shifting around, not electrical.

 

[baddboybill]

Nope tried 3 tapes and plays fine now

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

Nope tried 3 tapes and plays fine now

Cool...don't forget to test record out too. Make sure you can record from radio or line-in & it sounds the same on playback, for speed, sound quality, etc.

BTW, I hear AIWA decks are the best for sound & stability. Is that the case or can you even hear the difference. I have little experience with collecting & just starting out.