As the title says, I'm just browsing online for 1970s cassette decks.
I am completely new to the area and have no personal experience with them.
Online, its a situation where you have to buy it before you try it.
Basically, the only criteria I have are: availibility, in working condition, and price.
Anyone have any tips?
I am completely new to the area and have no personal experience with them.
Online, its a situation where you have to buy it before you try it.
Basically, the only criteria I have are: availibility, in working condition, and price.
Anyone have any tips?
Welcome to the forum! 😀
Based on my own rather limited experience with vintage cassette decks like the Pioneer CTF-1000 deck vs later decks, performance is generally better and parts very slightly easier to find. There are working decks for which you will pay a premium.
Based on my own rather limited experience with vintage cassette decks like the Pioneer CTF-1000 deck vs later decks, performance is generally better and parts very slightly easier to find. There are working decks for which you will pay a premium.
Look for Nakamichi and you will not be sorry, although I should mention quality dropped in the latest models.
I went through several models and I still have my CR-5.
They have great heads (the 3 heads models are the best), calibration tools and most important dual capstans, so the tape does not deform.
I went through several models and I still have my CR-5.
They have great heads (the 3 heads models are the best), calibration tools and most important dual capstans, so the tape does not deform.
Some from personal experience:
- do not believe anything the seller says or writes - most probably you will encounter hidden defects.
- do not buy equipment in bad cosmetical condition. Restoring internals is possible, restoring the looks is usually not worth the effort;
- recap is most probably necessary, thorough cleaning of switches is even more probable need.
- most probably you need to take the mechanism apart for cleaning and lubrication (and belt change).
- if you intend to use the deck for recording then most probably you can well-tune it for just one type/brand of tape.
Of my own decks I tended to buy two of the same model - one sold as broken (and cheap) for training purposes.
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This, even if it's sold as "recently refurbished", "fully working" or similar. In fact I'd make sure to get a model for which spares are available and I'd probably buy a belt kit (or two) to have just in case. On that note, I've bought a couple of times from these chaps and I've been happy with them (they're located in Portugal): https://webspareparts.com/
The practical problem with these kits is that the belt dimensions may deviate from the originals. They will work usually ok unless the target is set for maximum performance.
That may indeed be a problem, the only way they can produce these now is to take measurements from an actual deck (those guys say they have 500+ of them in stock) and figure out what the size of the belts was, which is never going to be exact (old belts, even if in one piece, are generally stretched and not much use as a reference). Having said that, the two kits I bought from them for my Denon DRM-710 and Yamaha KX-393 have worked flawlessly.
I have been mostly successful with these kits but one kit had the main belt too narrow. Width was ca 1 mm less than the original one and due to that the belt slided to the "barrel" edge when stopping the play. So when it started play again there was an audioble "winding up" second before the belt resumed its position in the center. Luckily a generic replacement belt was available from other sources.
Worn tape heads - the heads can be worn out. All tape heads wear out. Some heads wear quicker, some last a long time /Akai - GX, Nakamichi/. The GX heads do not wear in the normal sense. My first cassette deck was JVC KD-A3, absolute rifle🙂! But... the heads wore out. I traded my JVC in for a Akai GXC-715D /black panel/ and... again - FIRE🙂! If you can afford buy Akai GX-F90, buy it. I've had such a Akai. Great sound, great dynamics - something real! I still regret breaking up with him....
We were selling these in the late 70s. The cheapest Nac smoked the priciest of the competition.
I would not consider anything else.
dave
100% with you, I did not want to extend my praise of them; but some features were unique, and they make a HUGE difference.
You got accessible gear to adjust azimuth and variable bias fine tuning, having three heads to hear in real time the tuning with the incorporated oscillator allowed the user to get the most of the tape used.
You got accessible gear to adjust azimuth and variable bias fine tuning, having three heads to hear in real time the tuning with the incorporated oscillator allowed the user to get the most of the tape used.
I guess we should consider what sort of device should be the first gear for a new kid in block. The high end ones have best features, no doubt, but should they serve as a starting step? Especially when one would need to start some sort of renovation that brings along quite some risk of breaking something (been there, done that).
But three heads and two capstans I would consider a "must", adjustable bias is important only if you plan to record something.
What else is the use of a cassette deck than recording live performances?
(OK, in the 70's we borrowed LPs from each other for making own copies, but those times are gone).
(OK, in the 70's we borrowed LPs from each other for making own copies, but those times are gone).
I still have a ZX-7 which I'm sure doesn't work anymore after decades on the shelf, but remember vividly setting the bias/head azimuth before recording. Nak made it so simple to do. I would occasionally spring for metal tape for say a DD LP. I've a couple DD LP's that I have played less than maybe 10 times and I'd credit that to those metal tape transfers. But boy I think about what I paid for that deck in today's dollars and just gasp at my young self.
What would qualify as "live performance" nowadays?
But to answer your question - I would rather use them for listening to originals recorded during the past half century.
I looked at some of the various decks suggested in this thread and some others. While I wish I could afford a Nakamichi right now, they do seem to be out of my budget unfortunately. =(