I really liked your editing and love watching someone figure things out on old R2Rs. I’ve restored several 30s series of Tascams R2R recorders. I just did a 34B where half of the machine’s guts were missing. One huge tip for the OP if he does another, or anyone else for that matter, but when replacing belts on these or working with the capstan or headstock, lay the machine on its back. Remove the four screws and put the flywheel off to the upper left by the left motor table. This way, you are not fighting gravity so much. This also helps when putting back the Teflon washers on all rollers and them appropriately seating. After removing the faceplate, with the machine on its back, I can have the belt replaced (as long as it’s not goo) within minutes. Also, to remove the flywheel, if you look inside of it three holes on the flywheel, there are three screws you can remove. This allows the whole assembly to come out, allowing you to pull the flywheel easy with a pliers. You could also just remove the flywheel itself by losing the set screws on the shaft and using a puller. I was amazed to see the plastic buttons survive the Acetone bath, but you also mentioned isopropyl and water being in the bath? I use Acetone on plastic, outside of an ultrasonic cleaner, things start to melt. Good video throughout. Loved watching it.

I had to do exactly the same as yourself back in 2018... and felt bad when I realised that I should have made a video! Well done... had the same problem of the belt disintegrating into liquid tar, coating lots of parts... such a joy. A few days cleaning it up, a new belt, and it was working great. Fab machine.

WELL DONE on the video man! Just finished up with my Tascam 38. Someone hastily installed the channel card brace at the factory (Since this was the first time we ever opened it up) and discovered hairline fractures through one of the channel cards where we had intermittent metering. Discovered a fracture across 3 traces where the brace goes into the notch. Little solder up and fixed. Continued to remove main interconnect board (NOT FUN!) and re-solder about 600 points with professional soldering station. Just hooked it up and WOW! What a machine indeed!! Works LIKE NEW! If you have intermittent / non-working channels I strongly suggest checking all channel cards at the "notch" area on the top edge. If you hold the boards up to a bright light, you can see the cracks across traces. The bottom interconnect board is VERY DIFFICULT to remove and reinstall, but with careful labeling and position indexing, it is possible.

@soulslip

6 ай бұрын

I have a Tascam 48ob and had to move the unit in my rack over closer to my mixer and i “felt/heard” the channel cards “move” slightly when i slid the unit and shortly after, channels 3 and 5 went down... 😢 i am pretty sure they just need to be reseated and I do have 8 spare channels but still... lost a session... any ideas? Re-seat them...?

@m1dwestmale

6 ай бұрын

@@soulslip Yes... CAREFULLY reseat the channel cards and make sure not to get them off by 1 pin. Do 1 card at a time, and examine them with a bright light on 1 side to check for board fractures.

Hi DV, these are great videos, I’ve learned a lot from them. I’ve just bought Tascam 48 which needs a little work but I’m looking forward to the project. Keep the vids coming please.

This is an excellent machine, very good and sophisticated mechanically and electronically, I have been very attentive to the entire repair and you have done a wonderful job, now, about TASCAM, why in 1/2" does this brand use a pulley to drive the steering wheel? I cannot understand this, the belts are good in the sense that they transmit less vibrations to the shaft and the tape, but it is a totally unnecessary added factory problem when the correct thing is to mount the shaft in the same motor and you eliminate parts and risks of disasters. Very good video.

Careful with Ampex 456... sticky shed contender # 1☝️

This is really useful, thank you! I’m recommissioning my Tascam 58, which has XLR ins & outs and I’m sure they have a lot in common, so this will be very helpful. 🙂

@bolttracks

3 жыл бұрын

Same here, just scored a 58 in great shape and will start cleaning and calibrating everything and replacing the pinch roller this weekend.

that belt costs $13- i got a Tascam 388 last summer for $35 and it had the same molten drive belt. but my pinch roller was fine....i love this thing

THANK YOU

"That is a f****** molten mass of belt", classic.

Hello great video, I have recently aquired a 38 and have a problem with its tape guides being worn. Is it possible to rotate the two guides right below the middle record head? Or would they have to be replaced?

Intristing !

I finally got one of these gems, FWD & RWD work but it drags in Play. Any suggestions?

what do you use to lubricate the parts? what do you use to lubricate the motors specifically?

I have 2 TEAC 80-8's. Trying to decide whether or not to restore

Hi there, appreciate the video. Would you mind sharing what kind of oil did used to lubricate the metal parts and what kind of abrasive paste you used on the capstan spindle?

@DaveElectronics

11 ай бұрын

Hi! The oil was just some regular fine oil (the one for sewing machines). As for the abrasive paste I can’t remember the brand, but it’s a multipurpose fine grain one that I’m pretty sure you can easily buy at you local hardware store.

Great work! Nice machine, I find it odd to place the fuse bank where they did. In the future I have a Sony R2R to work on, never worked on one before. ~Jack, VEG

@DaveElectronics

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the nice comment! Can't wait to see the Sony R2R! Those are such great machines! Dave

My tascam 38 heve problem, can you help me. When play tape speed too fast. But when i push variable speed so tape speed normal.

Hi and thanks for the video:-) Where do recommend ordering belts from?

@DaveElectronics

4 жыл бұрын

Hi thanks for the comment! I usually order the belts and pinch roller tires from ebay. Usually you can find entire replacement kits where all replaceable belts and rollers are included

hi i gave worked on 8 decks i have fix up tascam 34 38 they are tanks dry solder points on the audio motherboard jumpers links dry up this can run at 7 1/2 there was 4 model made i am still a big fan of the 38

Great video buddy, I’m having the same issues with my unit. Where do you get parts from?

@DaveElectronics

Жыл бұрын

Hi! My source for replacements is usually ebay, in most cases you can find there essential new replacements (like pinch roller, belts, etc..)

Thank you for the video! I’m currently working on one of these and I’m not sure if the tape guide on the right is supposed to spin or not? either it’s not designed to spin or mine is completely locked up, I’m not sure. Any help would be awesome

@DaveElectronics

2 жыл бұрын

Hi! Yes, it should spin. You can disassemble it and clean the guide with some isopropanol ;)

@dancarr8185

2 жыл бұрын

@@DaveElectronics thank you so much for the reply! I was sure it spun but I still can’t figure out a way to disassemble it, does it spin within the arm that pinch roller is connected to? Or does the guide itself disassemble? Thanks!

@DaveElectronics

2 жыл бұрын

@@dancarr8185 So, to clarify any doubt (because now i'm not totally sure if i understood correctly what guide you're referring to). Facing the machine: both the most external guides are identical, they should spin and should move up and down (to keep the tension of the tape) You can disassemble those guides by unscrewing the top cap; The other guide on the left, that has a bigger diameter, should spin freely and remain fixed in place (it also can be disassembled by uncrewing the top cap); on the rightside (between the external guide and the pinch roller) there's a little guide that has a small diameter: that should NOT spin and it's fixed in place (and it can't be disassebles so easily). Hope it helps! :)

@dancarr8185

2 жыл бұрын

@@DaveElectronics ahh ok perfect yes it is the guide between the right tension arm and the pinch roller thank you you’re awesome!

Greetings, I am looking for the diagram of the Presto PB17F, maybe you can help me. If you know anything about this let me know, I will appreciate it.

Good mashine but the stiff pole strips the tape back turing ones save tape's back

Very nicely done ! Would you mind working on my beaten down 38 ? Jokes aside, how much do you think a revision like this would cost ?

@DaveElectronics

5 жыл бұрын

Hi, thanks for the comment! Well, the cost highly depends on the hours of work and if there's the necessity to replace stuff. Those machines are becoming quite "rare" and is difficult to find replacements. For example, just the pinch roller's rubber tire costed me 25 euros (excluded shipping), the whole pinch roller would cost something like 80 euros... My machine just needed some cleaning and alignment, i worked on it for a relatively short amount of time, so it would probably cost around 200 euros in a professional repair center (just for the work).

@DaveElectronics

5 жыл бұрын

Ps. The cost also depends on where you are.. here in Italy unfortunately this kind of work is quite expensive. I suppose in the US would be much cheaper...

@ariacomfort

5 жыл бұрын

Dv555 Hi ! Thanks for the reply ! I’m seeing much of the same problems you’ve encountered, the belt is gone, the pinch roller rubber is melted, with the addition that the NAB on the right and the plastic back broke during shipping. I’m in Switzerland, not many people work on Tascam’s here.. but I’ll try to find someone who does. Can’t do it myself, I’m lacking the knowledge and the materials.

@DaveElectronics

5 жыл бұрын

@@ariacomfort Belt and pinch roller are not a big deal, i don'know about the plastic back though... Hope you can find someone to repair it and get your machine working again! It's a really nice R2R recorder!

@ariacomfort

5 жыл бұрын

Dv555 started cleaning it up by myself today ! I cleaned the flywheel but had to take it appart. The little metal cover under between the baseplate and the capstan isn’t holding in place though once I got it back together. Know what’s up with that ?

hi to all out there i just done w0rking on 6 tascam 38 i have beware of dry solder on the rec button a ground runs in and out button one and the the led's will not come on if there dry solder on record button 1 i have 9 tascam 1/2 decks i pick up over the years my brother has helped me on the money side it's better to print of the parts you are working on as it save your eyes as my eyes are getting old tascam 30 line deck are ace parts are easy to get hold of beware tascam 44 80-8 are very heavy decks i love the 44 very hard to get hold of

I always wear work gloves when performing electronic repairs

hi to all don't forget the rubber sparer in side the fry wheel and the power rails to the 15- 15+ to the audio mum board be carefull when doing this had 23- 23+ killed all the audio cards i know the 38 models very well in the EU EXPORT one i had it of 19 years about did don't know till smoke came out of the power rail regs and caps i order new work around parts + - power 3 amp regs no need fof the old set up new set up works alot better

to all TASCAM 38 fans why R803 1.5K RES always burning out i have checked for bad things i re solded the audio mum pcb just in case i have 6 tascam with the same thing going bad all the time i put the same part in again