Not vinyl but still analog...

[Mighty Favog]

Re: Yamaha K1020 cassette deck.

The last time my K1020 saw the light of day was when it being put into a box for long term storage some 8 years ago. Back then the FF/RW was nearly nonexistent, it was putting 45 deg creases in otherwise expensive and getting harder to find blank cassettes and the speed was getting a little shaky. I had a new McIntosh MVP841 on the way and there was no room for both units so the McIntosh won out the space.

FF to 2-days ago: I don't know what possessed me to do this but I dug out the Yamaha that was stored in a McIntosh MC1201 box in the basement just to see what it would do and if my memory was correct.

The FF/RW wasn't completely dead and the TDK MA90 that was still in there had the tell-tale creases too. Opened up the case and took off the front door, got out a bottle of 91% alcohol and a new extra large box of Q-Tips and started goin' at it. The flywheel belt felt a bit light in tension and the pinch both rollers were still coming out gray after both sides of 10 or 12 Q-tips.

Tried a tape in there just to check out the FF/RW speed. Better but not great. I also started to hear a rather intermittent light knocking sound from inside the unit that was commensurate with an audio drop-out. Almost sounded like a skipping gear tooth. Did a little research and I found on-line a post I made years about it . Then removed the back plate of the tape bay to find the idler lever and tire (a hard thing to reinstall and not come in contact with the REC/PB head). Hit it with the Q-Tips just like the pinch rollers and flywheel belt. Not as dirty but then again, the tire isn't that big either.

Put in another tape in and things were a bit better. The FF/RW speed was just about up to what I would have expected it to be. But definitely better still. Play speed was even getting more stable.

The more I played it the better it got, but it still isn't perfect. Even made a new recording to a new MA90 tape (Joni Mitchell’s Court & Spark) from a CD through an equally as old Carver TL-3100 (still going strong) and went to go eat dinner. Came back, the tape was done and it was now time to check the condition of the heads. It sound much better that I expected. The only thing wrong was that the Carver Receiver MX-R150 I was using has seen better days and I'm sure the crossovers in the near 30-year old Technics R&B Series SB-7's needed tending to as well. That explains why the highs weren't as crisp through the right channel even after swapping out the RCA's left for right.

So my big question is do I spend the money by getting the pinch rollers and idler tire renewed by Terry Witt at $35 each and obtaining a new flywheel belt? I can probably do all the R/R work myself. Just hope nothing breaks....

[jdandy]

Mighty Favog.......I say, why not? That isn't much money, and is worth the effort for entertainment value alone. My guess is it will be worth it.

[michaelhigh]

There's a site called Tapeheads, these guys are fanatics. They market their own lines of blanks...

[chessman]

Originally Posted by michaelhigh

these guys are fanatics....

And we aren't?