Why I no longer accept Deck related work

[Superduper]

From time to time, I do accept some very narrow specific jobs, such as rebuilding tonal control boards, and other tasks that I have a good sense of what is involved and the time investment required.

But when it comes to tape decks, after 50 years, most decks now have a potpourri of problems that are unpredictable at best. Have you ever taken apart a deck for a simple rebelting, put it back together only to realize you forgot something, so you do it all over again, only to discover it's not working right and ad naseum? Then you wonder how are you ever going to get paid for all this time you've invested? So the request always goes, it just needs a simple rebelt jobs, to which in the back of my mind, I KNOW that decks can often end up being a huge black hole and in the end, it's inevitably regretful.

If you have about an hour or so of time to pass, watch Marks video here, which I think many of you will find some of the things interesting and familiar.

 

[Transistorized]

I'm the same way. The only way I would do repairs is if I purchase a broken machine and then fix it in my own time. Then I could turn around and sell it for a profit. But fixing stuff for people, no thanks.

edit - That cassette mech was crazy ridiculous.

I've never trusted ANY listing that says - Only needs belts. Yeah...right!

 

[Superduper]

I've never trusted ANY listing that says - Only needs belts. Yeah...right!

I agree. But not just from for sale items. It’s my feeling that while a few very simple tape decks can often be reincarnated through belts alone, that phrase “just throw some belts on it” is used way too casually these days. Most finer decks are significantly more complicated than that and are generally very sensitive to even slight changes to friction, torque, electrical issues, lubrication, wear and wobble, material characteristic changes, etc. of which many of these are now possibly factors, I’d say likely even, after 45-50 years of age. 20 years ago, I felt quite confident that belts and cleaning had a moderately decent success rate for restoring a cassette deck. These days I wouldn’t dare quote a job unseen and sometimes, you just don’t know if a deck is fixable or not until you’ve already invested the normal process in time, and thrown money at it to discover that it’s simply no longer repairable. And no, I don’t have a lathe and stock of nylon to make my own parts from scratch. So if it’s an unobtainable part, I ain’t making one to fix it. For that, I guess you’ll have to mail it to Mark in England.

 

[TMR]

My issue is the brittle plastic parts.. where 99% of them are irreplaceable.. i mean sometimes you can find a 3D part of some of the most common gears that fail in a cassette mech.. but if not your S.O.L. you could by a parts box.. but if that part in that box is also a goner than you are now sitting on 2 dead decks.. i have a Sony CFS-99 in mint condition.. but the deck has brittle plastic issues.. so i cannot fix it sadly.. nowadays i just Bluetooth mod it.. to give it a second chance.. i'm also looking into battery modding them with lithium-ion cells.. i have the parts.. we are moving soon and i'm going to have my own work area.. just to repair boomboxes and old receivers.. really looking forward to it..

 

[Hajidub]

I hear ya. I only buy old Nakamichi stand alones and normally just wait in the queue for my technician (usually a year or more). Happy to pay and ship because the outcome is amazing every time. Boomers are something I think of an added bonus, if found cheap and broken, and those I do myself because I don't expect fidelity, though they'll always have a place in my 1980's heart, its like a McGlockin' song.

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

I'm just starting out & have lots to learn but one thing became painfully clear. I bought a bag of cheap chinesium belts & tried a couple & the Wow & flutter from a cheap belt is quite stunning to behold. It's a lucky thing that Turntable Needles is a reputable supplier of good audio quality belts. Another thing I learned quite recently is that a good test tape is crucial for dialing in the pitch, although you can get quite close by ear. I checked some decks I tuned by ear & with lots of patience, comparing a digital source to a recording, I can consistently get within 15hz of 3000 when compared to a test tape. I do understand the test tape is only as good as the equipment it is created with, but you have to start somewhere, as far as a reference. Also, get some good synthetic machine oil to lubricate the capstan spindle sleeves, motor spindles etc. Only a drop will do you & alot of times will free up sticking spindles, according to my limited experience.

The lesson: Your deck, no matter how well built or sonically excellent is only as good as the belts you use to restore performance. It is the weakest link in the chain so don't cheap out on belts. You'll regret the haphazard & inferior results, every time. loL!

 

[Transistorized]

The lesson: Your deck, no matter how well built or sonically excellent is only as good as the belts you use to restore performance. It is the weakest link in the chain so don't cheap out on belts. You'll regret the haphazard & inferior results, every time. loL!

You are exactly correct. Some decks are more lenient than others. For example: If they have a weighted flywheel versus a plastic flywheel, etc.. It gets even worse when you start getting into walkmans. In addition to belt quality, you can literally get a tiny dust particle in the groove where the belt rides and it will cause W/F issues.

I have a brand that has worked great for me when it comes to belts. The brand is called DeckTech. I have gotten some of the best quality belts from them for my walkmans. W/F in the ballpark with stock. When it comes to pinch rollers, I use FixYourAudio online.

To add to the confusion about belts, not only do the shoulder, thickness, width and outside diameter matter, so does the elasticity on some decks. Especially the decks that move a pulley for Fast Forward and Reverse. They require a belt that stretches to accommodate the movement without getting too tight and keeping proper tension.

 

[RoZyBoom]

Those Sony decks are well designed for belt replacement. I appreciate that they thought about this detail in their mech design. Although that CFD-5 deck is an adventure.

I agree with this assessment. I do my own rebelling for myself for pleasure and as a learning experience and an exercise in patience. I do not want the extra work to solve other people's unknown issues or potentially fix their botched repairs either.

It seems that perhaps his is just like the hobby. The desire to repair these things is fading. Each has to fend for themselves. I think it also makes for an argument that we should get to know the boomboxes we like the most and be able to service them. Self-maintenance! ...in all respects.