Akai M9 Reel to reel GARBAGE

[@Abruzzo333]

I have an Akai M-8 in good working condition. It's a tube amped deck and it sounds amazing to my ears. When I first got it from my dad about 6 years ago, it needed a little bit of work from a local repair shop. The guy told me that some of the old pot metal parts inside were deteriorated much like what's seen in this video. Luckily he was able to have the necessary replacement parts machined. Hopefully it continues to function for a long time to come.

[@soulslip]

Awesome, i have a minty one which hasn’t had the cams break yet, luckily, but only a matter of time I am sure. Luckily as well, I was able to source some newer better made replacements and will purchase those very soon to have on hand. I am also planning on converting the headstack to 1/2 track 2 track as well as convert the inputs and outputs to balanced xlr.

[@Cocedren]

I've watched this video twice now. It just makes me laugh in disgust that someone actually tried ( and succeeded ) in selling this for anything above $5. The fact that you had to take this piece of nonsense apart to discover the absolute disaster underneath is a shame. I have never seen anything quite like this in regards to lack of function. I've repaired many Akai machines and this is the absolute KING of nightmare scenarios.

[@tough213]

This is a huge shock to me I have seen machines that need repair of this model but those real tables have the post broken off and this unit looks like it was very neglected and abused I have a 4000ds and mine was a gift from my dad when I was 12 and that was in the mid late 70's it can be used for arts that are similar to the 4000ds. Many akais are using this mechanism but when they work they are amazing units . Thank you for sharing this happy holidays

[@12voltvids]

The guy that bought this bought it as a "parts" machine. One look inside explained why. Looks like the reel tables were robbed and broken ones put on it. When the owner returned to the seller, the seller said "well I sold it to you as a parts machine.

[@tough213]

@@12voltvids I think that the guy go a helping of bait and switch or the seller did not tell him the truth about the unit e vay is good as long as you are very careful and do lots of research

[@12voltvids]

One word Ebay. "Vaveat Emptor" (Buyer beware)

[@MrAletube]

just for fun,Akai tape decks were used by Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple as a preamp,even if you can't repair the recording part,you could sell it to guitarists looking for the ultimate vintage sounds.

[@TheGuitologist]

This one looks like solid state era. Still might be fun to experiment with.

[@rickallen8158]

I think you are being far too critical with this machine; it is obviously a heavily used/misused machine. Akai made this unit as consumer grade machine, not a professional one and the price reflected that. You are pointing out small things like loose screws which hold on dials and commenting that they turn endlessly when you as a repair person, should know it is a simple matter of tightening them, a worn pinch-roller is nothing to point out as being part of a bad machine, they wear out, just replace it. Also, you should know that the motor won't start till the micro switch is engaged by the shut-off lever adjacent to the pinch roller. I have several of these vintage akai/roberts units and they are not "garbage", if they are treated right and serviced, cleaned, lubed, etc., they will last a long time for a home consumer, which is what they are designed for,,

[@nevellgreenough404]

Headwear is the bane of the cross-field bias system.I remember folks who owned these in their day and they were constantly fiddling with the bias head to try to get some kind of recording performance from it. As the record head wears the distance to the bias head increases resulting in loss of bias. The machine's lifetime was only a few hundred hours due to soft heads. Today.... junk.

[@senorverde09]

Hence my saying, "With Akai you cry"

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

I really don’t think 🤔 the tape head should have so much wear, even with all the miles. This was probably due to the customer playing this in dusty conditions, playing dusty tapes, or poor quality tapes. If I were you, I’d tear this unit apart for every magnet 🧲. They had permanent magnets 🧲 behind the VU meters, and motor. The erase head is also a magnet 🧲. Some of these reel to reels had a fan, but I’m not sure 🤔 if the motor was permanent magnet 🧲 or not. Your friend, Jeff.

[@12voltvids]

This went to the dump years ago.

[@joeblow-tp6gz]

Does the M9 engage the motor without the tape tensioner, past the pinch roller up like its engaging a tape??

[@jasonhawkins4528]

yes i see its not worth fixing, beyond economical repair, great machines, i use to have an akai vcr, and that wasn't much cop so thanks for the great vids

[@bones007able]

The weakest link on these Akai's the pot metal cams ....they do make printed replacements , got them for my 1710 that had the same problem

[@12voltvids]

Apparantly the japanese had not perfected aluminum production. Their early cast aluminum engine blocks had issues as well.

[@svogel54]

I am the original owner of a Tandberg 9100xd that needs CPR the unit stoped working after many years storage. Are you accepting more projects?

[@zx8401ztv]

If it was a rare or a valuable version then it might be worth fixing, but it's not. It's a plain boring looking device too, no reason to spend any money on it.

[@12voltvids]

zx8401ztv The only thing this has going for it is the cross field recording which dramatically improve the high frequency recording at the slowest tape speed. It boasted up to 13 kHz at 1 7/8ips which is better than most r2r manage at 3/4. Most fall off well below 8khz on this slow speed.

[@SDsailor7]

The reel table spindles look like they are broken they should be higher to hold the reels even in the horizontal position plus they need to be able to hold the rubber holders that secure the reels.The cams can be repaired if all the pieces are there I have the 1722W and the cams where brittle so I used JB weld to give them a coat and they are holding fine.I have recently picked up an M-10 which is one step higher than the M-9 I was surprised that the cams look new, no wear at all.Same thing with the heads they look brand new!I liked your explanation on the use of the bias head.Cheers

[@shaun5427]

I have had this machine but it was the next model down They are not good with today's sound the bass distorted on playback do not record from minidisk on something like this , the playback sound had gone

[@tomdewey9907]

I agree 100%; totally not worth any more of your/one's time on this tape deck. I wonder what the owner paid for it?

[@12voltvids]

He paid 50.00, not a lot, but more than it is worth.

[@shadowshop1]

hi i have had aa bad cam in a akai there was someone in the eu i think i was germany making a set of cam i saw them on the german ebay i was looking for one for a mates akai there is away of making them.

[@rodwhite9643]

Cool videos !!!!

[@bones007able]

Yup.. I have a 1710 the pot metal cams in these are junk... mine is a parts machine now because of it....

[@12voltvids]

My 1710 cams are failing. I don't use it for that reason. Last time I operated it they still worked but I imagine they will crumble soon. I don't have much use for reel to reel these days. I have a nice one in my living room system on display but it isn't even plugged into the amp these days.

[@bones007able]

@@12voltvids well I did find asite that makes replacements for these machines... All 5 cams for 80 bucks... Not sure if machine is worth it

[@12voltvids]

@@bones007able Actually a 1710 probably is worth it, because it uses a tube amplifier and it sounds really warm. I would spend 80 bucks for parts to fix mine. Mine still works, mind you, and I am not currently using it because like my other vintage tube gear I do want to preserve it. Just like the 6 antique radios I have. Fully restored and working great, but I don't run them much. Plg them in once in awhile to show them off working, and then unplug them and just keep them as show pieces.

[@romealzoomalan5653]

Don't worry about it that's oj

[@joseph395]

Repairman: if you look closely, *points random tool at the dark place where the camera can’t view*, you can see theirs a piece missing.. Me: 👀, oh… is that a bad thing?

[@pomietlo24]

how can the most obvious be so hard.

[@tinicum54]

1 glance, POS. Not the old Akais

[@maxxsmaxx1901]

I am sure you are not good at repairing M 9 s. Just leave it alone before you make it worthless

[@tinicum54]

LOL, It needs more RAM and a PCI express card.

[@xray111xxx]

No the reel table spindles are snapped off. These are not so good. Basically garbage. Later Akai like the legendary 635 and the GX-747. Crossfield tech was a temporary stupid idea. No machine later needed that nonsense. Nothing exciting about that technology. You are right. Sell him one of your Sony's.

[@RoughJustice2k18]

All I can say here is that the owner of this unit got screwed big time. "Caveat Emptor"

[@teacfan1080]

I can't believe the guy who bought this didn't ask to see if it worked. I suppose maybe the guy wanted a reel to reel really badly and just took the gamble. I'm sure it could be fixed, but that would probably be a 10 part video, each 2 hours in length. Those heads had a deep enough trench in them anyway.

[@marcoalfaro6313]

Another great video, i was hopping to see how to clean up this M-9. I was paid for a job with this RR over 30 years ago. I use it all the time for about 10 yeras then put it away and last week i brought it up and stared using it and plays great and I dont have the wear on the heads as this one . all of my nobs are sticky and valume some times it cracks I need to keep looking for a video on how to properly do a good clean up thank you for your videos

[@ianyates7742]

I know I am late to the party but all the parts are available for that m9 it just seems to he dislike for akai perhaps it’s not high end enough for him

[@robertdavis5714]

Old and thrashed, have never seen VU meters like those old specimens. Looks like a $20 EBAY special.

[@babakashtari6470]

I have one of these , it was passed on to me by my father, I remember listening to classical music with it when I was a kid. My dad used it for films and advertising he used to do. Everything still works on mine apart from the counter and one side of the amplifier channel. But finding someone who knows how to repair one these is not easy.

[@MVVblog]

I had fixed my Akai that have one of that cam destroyed by itself over the years, simply replacing the cam with new one that i find on Ebay kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooCndWumZrBjhqMm18s Anyway that M9 do not worth a fix, too bad condition.

[@bobbova8708]

unfortunate that a lot of the old Akai machines used this type of tape transport .the play/rec knob has a pot metal cam that just tends to dis integrate over time.nice video showing the short comings of this design.

[@RODALCO2007]

Good video. I have a M9 also which is mechanically sound but works on one channel only. Haven't had time to look at this recorder yet. The metal fatigue is a well known issue.

[@riverhuntingdon6659]

Someone at work had an old AKAI like that, with the same mechanics. It was in a different black leatherette wooden case. Two miserly non-standard shaped 5x8 1W speakers were fitted one each side. The lefthand control spindle was snapped off, it was brass I think, and the mechanism within was shot just like your casualty, bits of cam everywhere. Common fault I was told at the time. It went to the dump, and that was 20+ years ago. Too fiddly to repair, no spares available either, it came under "I'm good but not THAT good" ! I too would recommend people to steer clear of these and other cloned makes. Otherwise, you may find you've paid over the odds for junk.

[@soulslip]

Luckily these days people have made replacement cams with better metal as well as other hard to source parts. I have a minty M8 and it works great atm. I am ordering new cams soon but currently have had a blast recording lush synthesizers and guitars and it’s the exact sound and tone I was looking for. I hope mine works for years to come. I might pay for a total recap someday and some other upgrades

[@audiobuff77]

At 7:30 it sounds like an adding machine. That's the sound of the repair bill going up :)

[@robertgunner624]

Soon as I saw the old M9 I thought bet the cams are buggered :-) I worked as Tech for Akai in Australia as my first job after school. Did my apprenticeship with them. Even then most of the cams were already unavailable (this was mid-1980's). My late Dad had a GX-4000D. He used it to make soundtracks for family super-8 movies. Can't remember if it used cams or another method to interlock. He bought it before I worked there but I was able to fix it for him when the front end transistors died (2SC945's from memory) and give it a service. Not in the industry any more but nice to see guys fixing quality gear. Thanks for sharing.

[@12voltvids]

I believe the 4000 uses pressed steel cams. I know the 1710 uses these aluminum cans as well and my 1710w they are getting to be in bad shape. I was in the business from 83 to 03 and left to go work for the phone company. I just do it now to help people out and make videos to teach others a little about consumer electronics. To pass on what I learned because many of the d guys that did this are no longer around and without someone to show how these things work nobody will be able to learn and fix these things.

[@robertgunner624]

@@12voltvids Yes. It's a shame we've become a throw away society. Again really enjoyed the video. Thanks

[@joligrunlaub3412]

All 3 motor reel to reel tapedecks of Akai are very good. The spindels on this machine are not as manufactured.

[@abhishekmallik1194]

I also gave up on my M-10. These machines are just not reliable. Sometimes play would stop, and sometimes record. All because of some slide and wafer switches. Even after cleaning there is no guarantee that they will work. And the noise just won't go. Mechanically its built like a tank, except for the cams as stated in the video.

[@gregorymacholl3087]

I used to have an m9 reel to reel had lots of bad issues similar to this I now have a recently serviced Sony TC 650 just had mine serviced new belts as well the Akai reel to reels are junk like you said these are garbage machines

[@buffplums]

I wonder what the sellers description said? “Well it worked ok last time I switched it on… might need a little TLC “ … price £500 ONO …

[@paulwilk69]

Hi , I've just purchased one of these machines and yes the cam has disintegrated ( I only bought it for £5 ) you can now get replacement cams and I was hoping for a video on how to take off the control arms to enable me to replace the cams .

[@redemptusrenatus5336]

What a shame. On the bright side, you've got a reel to reel load of parts to repair another one. Owner could either buy another one and keep this for parts or actually part out this machine on ebay and use that money to buy something else.

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

18:25 There's probably a good few hundred machinists on yt that can easily repair a broken metal link/lever/what-have-you of this sort very easily and probably even make it stronger than the original for a moderate cost. Few things are beyond repair. For most, it's a matter of cost and convenience vs time taken. The Akai m9 has great collectors' value. Even with worn out head and other parts, it's well worth bringing back to at least working condition in my opinion. How close to original spec it can be restored is only a question of how much money the owner wants to pour into this thing.

[@12voltvids]

Which in this case was none.

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

@@12voltvids As is quite often the case. In such cases, the best course in my opinion is to bite the bullet and flog it back on ebay/gumtree etc. with an accurate description of the problem. You lose the money you paid for transport and a chunk of the resale value but there's a higher chance it will end up with someone who has time and money to fix it - although there's always a chance they will scavenge it for parts. It's a shame a lot of these recorders get taken apart for their amps (which are nothing special) to be sold separately. I often wonder when I see these amps whether the people that buy them know what they're buying or if it is just another fad they get suckered into following. Anyway, it was nice to see a bit of the inside of this machine and get to know some of its weak points - very useful for prospective buyers and restorers.

[@mf_rat]

@@12voltvids It's sad, I just saw replacement playback cams for £15

[@jasonbrindamour903]

Smart decision to send it back. This thing has rabbit holes written all over it! Anyways, the amp fuzz sounded like it was a bad contact on one of the switches. I love all of your vids and thanks for sharing them for all of us.

[@FindLiberty]

Looks identical (to my recollection) with transport used by Roberts R-to-R brand name. lol, edit: yes you pointed that out 2 minutes into the video...

[@bobsbits5357]

hi i had a 2 inch spool hit the reel table on my RS 1700 of came the part that holds the reel i am a tec so i did fix it in the end had to pull the motor to bits and drill out the steal part where the rest is break of and turned down a new part out of brass so beware carry heavy tapes around

[@GaryHB57]

I picked up an M9 that worked, but the electronics were noisy. I bought cheap on Ebay another M9, untested, for parts and it had the same busted-up cam as the one in this video. I was lucky that I could make a "cam-transplant" to the Ebay one, and it works and actually sounds very good. I recommend the M9 for sound, but it obviously could break at any time. Too bad they used such a weak part in it.

[@12voltvids]

Akai had a lot of bad transistors in a lot of their decks too.

[@TheGuitologist]

Cue the comment from the guy who has his own repair shop and wants to have a go at fixing it. ;)

[@12voltvids]

Knock yourself out Would probably cost 100 bucks or more to ship this beast

[@Hi-Tech-Ray]

It's really sad to see how some people could rip people off. Ironically I had a chat on the same subject of buying things on E-Bay with another youtuber earlier who works on Technics 1200 turntables that knowledgeable people are the ones who should buy at a very reasonable price and from sellers who offer returns only (low-ball the seller if you could)! Many sellers on E-Bay state "Untested" to protect themselves against buyers opening up "Item is not as described" cases against them! It should be concluded that knowledgeable professionals or those who are in the craft of repair and restoration projects or even wish to strip down for parts are the only ones who should buy "untested" items of this sort and low-ball the seller to what they think the item is worth if the offer the "Make Offer" option! I myself have even contacted seller who don't have "Make Offer" options in their listings telling them that they're not going to get what they list the item for and even told them what I would offer them for it! Most of the times they would let go for my suggested offer and there are times that I watch the item sit on e-bay and sometimes they relist and I contact them again with the same offer or even lower! If you buy on E-Bay, buy smart!!!!!

[@2626sylver2626]

I do the same 😁😂

[@EdgarsLS]

I've doubted you not fixing some things, but this one I agree has reached end of line

[@rwj777]

I own a Roberts 1725 reel to reel player with a tube amplifier and a Lear Jet 8 track player built-in.

[@jmgraydz]

Seeing as it's all metal... you shouldn't be repairing things..... nor condemning them. It seems you can't fix anything just swap parts.

[@12voltvids]

No customers don't want to pay to fix this crap. I can fix anything but I am certainly not doing it got free. You are like the other trolls and keyboard warriors that think everyone is rich and has endless funds to fix this old crap and will throw endless money at it. In reality it is proven that those at the lower end of the intelligence scale are the ones convinced that their 40 year old equipment is worth remortgaging the house to repair. I'm in Canada. We are intelligent. We know that this old shit wasn't that good to begin with and the new stuff is so much better and cheaper. So when an old unit breaks we get it checked to see if it's something simple. When it's something major we move on to the newer better stuff. Lots of reel to reel machines that are being given away. Why spend a couple hundred on fixing an old beat up machine when a quick search will find one for next to nothing. I have about 12 reel to reel machines all working that cost me nothing. It's not repaired because the owner doesn't want it repaired. It was like that 40 years ago and things haven't changed.

[@ClarkXDupont]

Like Basil F. said to Manuel: "Throw it away!!!"

[@benters3509]

This is junk. I hope he didn't pay a lot for it. I would not have bought this model anyway. I bought a 4000DS MKII on ebay for a little over 300 bucks, and it is absolutely immaculate, so you can get good deals.

[@RODALCO2007]

Just checked my Akai M9. The spindles are supposed to have the long sprockets which you pull out and twist 60° to lock the reels. Doesn't need those rubber caps to hold the reels in place.

[@channelsixtysix066]

If this thing had a proper 3-head arrangement, with separate record and play heads, instead of a record/play head, there wouldn't be any need for this X-field head. It didn't get very good performance ratings. Such a huge machine with only capacity for 7" reels.

[@jrmcferren]

I'm only 10 minutes in, but my question is, did he buy it from somebody in a former Soviet country (Ukraine, Russia, etc)? I've seen stuff (cassette boomboxes) being listed from that part of the world on eBay for a premium yet the cosmetic condition is so poor and it usually isn't working they would have to pay me money to take it.

[@adriancressy8363]

the poor guy who bought that machine really got RIPPED. That machine is a mess! The White switch is in the AUTO position. Tape must be loaded for motor to run

[@Musicradio77Network]

That was kinda sad. My Akai 1721W has the same control mechanism as the M9, but still runs pretty well with no issue, and the motor still runs and works really well. This one is a beast and it's not worth repairing due to the broken pieces.

[@12voltvids]

I have a 1710W also with the same mechanism, and my cam is starting to fail. For example when you put it in play, the lobe that is supposed to lock the FF/REW knob is broken, so it is possible to put it in rewind while still in play and streeeeetch your tape till it snaps.

[@Musicradio77Network]

12voltvids There were many other videos on the Akai M9, and many of them still works perfectly, and it’s a solid state, not tubes. Check other videos about the Akai M9 that are in working order with no problems. To get back to my Akai 1721W, the fast forward and rewind still runs well, but sometimes, it slows down before it reaches the end of the tape while fast forward, so I have to lift it down and lift it back up and it will work well. The cam looks fine, but none of them are broken.

[@SpeakerFreak95]

What is that little CRT displaying the time and date? How did you build that?

[@12voltvids]

It is just a little TV displaying the time that is generated on an old Blackberry phone.

[@flyentity]

I was wondering too. Thanks for answering that one.

[@theotherchannel2279]

The 4000 series AKAI's are rock solid. I have one and the only issue is they need to have the transistors replaced. That is what gives you the amp noise. Mine has it I have yet to do them, but as you can see it is in excellent condition. the 4000 series does have better reliability the switches are revised. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5_GZqOVnNmImac

[@Tocsin-Bang]

Make a good doorstop. There are repairs that are worthwhile and those that are not. If this were a rare model maybe. It looks like a not bad bit of design initially, let down by some poor quality materials, probably a cost-cutting exercise.

[@MsCori76]

That looks like it’s definitely gone past it’s use by date! The brand says it all too as Akai are crap, their cassette players are cheap & nasty too with cheap flimsy components & parts that break so easy. :(

[@tacofortgens3471]

Wash my hands on that 1 for sure

[@crushingalldeceivers]

What a piece of JUNK! But we have all been there at some point. Maybe, just not quite that bad.

[@shadowshop1]

i got hold of a akai x355 with the arms the audio side was ok 50years old there was a bang from the power unit i think a wire came of before you plug any unit's in i allways check the inside if you buy reel to reel you got to know your gear

[@The8TrackChap]

The heads are shot anyway.

[@Musicradio77Network]

My Akai 1721W that I used to have had the record/playback head which was shot, because it works on the right channel, and the left channel doesn’t. That was the big problem with Akai decks. So I decided to wait and get another reel-to-reel machine, thankfully, I got my Panasonic reel-to-reel tape recorder which is a model RS-765US and it works after I did some minor repairs, and it’s way better than the Akai and Sony. It has 3 speeds instead of 2, and it has a 1 7/8 IPS for slower speed and it can record up to 4 hours on 1200 ft. reel, 8 hours on 1800 ft. reel and 12 hours on 2400 ft. reel on both sides, and it can be used for Old Time Radio shows when recording at 1 7/8 IPS and for voice recording as well.

[@shanecody1737]

That is just a well used machine. It probably played a lot of music, before it turned into a little kid's toy. Thanks for the video.

[@IPushHard]

Hmmmm... Sounds like a problem repair and maybe a little too much coffee. : )

[@70zenboy]

You can buy 3d printed cam sets on eBay for akai units. Easy.

[@jasejj]

A machine does not get this broken without human interference. Slagging off Akai for alleged unreliability achieves nothing - your customer is the victim of fraud here.

[@12voltvids]

Generally Akai has been very reliable. I have 3. A very old 1710W, a GX260 and a 4000. Many however had this cam breaking issue. It is widely known issue.

[@12voltvids]

A. Dog The broken cam is a widely known issue that affected thousands of akai and Roberts machines. Just ask any r2t service techs. Just because you may not have had the failure. Both my machines that use a similar mechanism are fine but I have seen this problem many times in my career of electronics repair and not all were abused. Some just broke sitting there. It was a crap alloy that was used and it became brittle. I forget the name of it but it is not solid aluminum. It was a magnesium alloy if I remember and it just crumbles for no reason. I am not putting down akai as they made some great tape recorders. They did how ever have quality issues with many. There are many our there with this part that haven't failed and I always say they are one click away from disaster as they can break at any time. Mine has partly cracked on my 1710 so I retired that old deck.

[@jasejj]

12voltvids I was referring really to all the other faults with this machine. It looks like a parts bin unit that's been sold on when no longer of any worth to the previous owner then packed badly and thrown at the next poor schmuck. If the only problem was the cam this machine might be salvageable. I'm sure a specialist could rebuild the thing, and at near 50 years old all bets are off for part longevity.

[@12voltvids]

Lets count the faults I found. Pinch roller cam, cross field head bracket and cam frozen, speed switch broken / shorting to cabinet, preamp noisy,, right volume control just spins forever, rec/play head badly worn. Pinch roller worn to nothing. Missing capstan sleeve, so it would only do 1 7/8 and 3 3/4 in this state if it worked. Capstan belt likely bad from sitting all those years, both reel hubs broken. Even for parts machine, the parts that people want to restore another one are the ones broken on this one.

[@jasejj]

12voltvids Yup. Kind of my point ... someone has been swapping parts with crap to allow them to pass off the totally shot one, full of busted parts as 'untested'. Seller wants stringing up quite honestly.

[@HDXFH]

Shame it's facked, this thing is clapped out

[@Musicradio77Network]

If not, stick with Sony, Concord and other brands, don’t use Akai.

[@12voltvids]

Akai had big problems with those pot metal cams

[@Musicradio77Network]

@@12voltvidsThankfully, I got my Panasonic RS-765US off of eBay, and it works like a champ. I put a new belt on the rewind switch, because the original was broken, and fixed the left channel on playback using one of the bias oscillators and it does work perfectly. I chose Panasonic over the Sony and Akai tape recorders, because it has a much better quality and performance overall.

[@12voltvids]

@@Musicradio77Network Akai is shit. I would take teac or Sony over any akai reel to reel.

[@Musicradio77Network]

@@12voltvids Or the Panasonic where they made a lot of reel-to-reel tape recorders, and that beats the Akai.

[@12voltvids]

@@Musicradio77Network I don't think i have ever seen any Panasonic branded reel to reel. I was told that they were rebadged teac but have never worked in it even seen one in the wild.

[@PRSRECORDS]

If the 7 1/2" capstan sleeve is still there it is worth $30.00

[@alexispieltin9379]

The main issue here is the electric hazard! It's irresponsible to sell such machine with such a lethal risk... I appreciate the time you took to list all the mechanical problems, and suppose this Akai has also electronic problems. It was finally a relatively well constructed and designed product, and has probably worked fine for decades intensively (heads are really worn out). But you clearly list that this one is beyond a reasonable and economical state of repair. Some say it's always possible to design a new 3D printed Cam and so on, but many other parts are way much difficult to replace, and a simple pinch roller is a potential nightmare! Rebuilding such complicated machines is perhaps more difficult than rebuilding an automobile, their production was limited in quantity and time, there is no spare parts available for at least 30 years... and you can't find a generic replacement head for this specific machine, that was sold max a couple of years one the early 70's. And their actual value is low, as far as audio geeks have not popularized the media, as they did for the vinyl!

[@12voltvids]

Right. Reel to reel are making a comeback, and for many people it is just for the look. That old Teac 4 track I have for example, With a pair of 10.5 reels and tape that unit will look so cool next to my tube amp.

[@waynemckinnon1238]

We'll, not a surprise really. Thanks Dave, this one is doa! What I learned: don't buy in low light or if you don't really know much or if you're in a hurry. You have saved many items for me but this one really, sadly, must be put to sleep..."sad face."

[@12voltvids]

I figured it was beyond repair before even looking due to how that play lever was operating.

[@bassblaster505]

May i note that there's not even any comments yet and there's already a dislike

[@12voltvids]

Yup, thats the troll in Florida (where else) that dislikes every video. A person with serious mental issues. I just overhauled a Sony TC630 today as well and will edit that one tomorrow.

[@12voltvids]

Well I just took steps, and reported him for threats and harassment on my channel. Lets see what youtubes does to a cyberbully. I am a content partner,and make google lots of money, so I think I have a little more clout when I file a complaint than some nut job with a computer.

[@kaseymorgan9595]

I don't think its against KZbin's terms of service to dislike a video.

[@daverhodes382]

Kasey Morgan Nobody said it was. Threats and harassment however are different matters.

[@ronniezzzz]

4 dislikes now

[@groovechampion1462]

Haha what a absolute wreck!

[@12voltvids]

Big wreck

[@umajunkcollector]

Heads are shot, worth more as a doner, lotsa good parts.

[@dannybahar5423]

Sony is way better

[@Musicradio77Network]

And so does the Panasonic.

[@wendellporter4810]

the potmetal breaks easy i used to have new pieces machined with steel

[@1959Berre]

Wow, that's an ugly beast. How can anyone design such a monster?

[@sergiu1624]

Looking at your picture, I think it's from your time, so you shouldn't wonder.:) I think it's from the 50's or 60's, with tubes and a power amplifier.

[@davidgeltz7604]

Sometimes you need to know when to walk away. More trouble then it is worth.

[@romealzoomalan5653]

12voltvids have you tried to make the part yourself using 3d printer

[@12voltvids]

Romeal Zoomalan Why does everyone always suggest a 3d printer? No I have not tried to make the part. First I don't have a 3d printer and never will. 2nd even if I did where am I going to find the cad drawing for such a part. Since the sample is fubar there goes scanning it and 3rd have you ever tried a 3d printed part yourself? I was at a shop a few years ago where they had one and had printed out some samples. One was a crescent wrench. A working crescent wrench and according to the guy that ran the shop he claimed it was as strong as a metal tool and was inviting people to try it to tighten a 3d printed nut and bolt he had going through a couple of holes in a metal brace on a shelf. I asked if I could try it. Opened it up a bit and put it around the edge of the shelf and put about 20 lbs of pressure on it and it snapped in 2. My reply. "So much for it being as strong as a metal tool". This is a high stress part with the full pressure of the pinch roller spring on it. There is a reason the metal one crumbled like it did. Stress. So no a 3d printed part will likely fail quickly but if you want to try I am sure I could ship you this piece of junk.

[@coondogtheman]

Can't fix em all. This unit could be a good parts machine at least. Are the parts similar on all machines or is each unit different?

[@deropol05]

coondogtheman1234 I have 2 akai machines......yes stay away......just not worth it. Maybe I'll try a teac once I stop bleeding from the last gx400d repair.

[@jonvincentmusic]

Akai tape recorders are an excellent brand. You can't condemn them on the grounds of how well one of their machines has/hasn't survived half a century of abuse. Clearly it's absolutely f'kd having lived full life and then some. No one who built this thing before man even landed on the moon could even imagine it would still be around in 2018.

[@deropol05]

Jon Vincent whatever.

[@RobertKohut]

Can't win 'em all....

[@arttafil6792]

It’s FUBAR!

[@pablobaldomir9430]

The akai 1721w is a beter '' speaks beter an heads''

[@Musicradio77Network]

The Akai 1721W is fine, but I don’t normal used it on a regular basis, because of the issues including the rec-play head is shot, and the cams were pot metal, and it is going to be deteriorate overtime. Now I finally got my Panasonic RS-765US and it’s a much better R2R tape recorder than the Akai.

[@pablobaldomir9430]

Or 1721L

[@bones007able]

well at least you can keep it for parts.....lol

[@Musicradio77Network]

Or use it as a decoration piece, or a prop.

[@vdm54]

Не всё старьё - винтаж!

[@joed7185]

I'm going to pick up 4 reel to reel players today that I saw listed on craigslist. Guy wanted $90 for all 4 but talked him down to $60 for all for all 4. Kind of nervous because he says all probably need work but not sure how much though. I figured I'll take a chance. Here are pictures of them. If you could only choose one to put money into, which one would you choose? Which one is the better reel to reel out of the four? baltimore.craigslist.org/ele/6801349313.html

[@12voltvids]

They will need the mechanical linkage cleaned up. Grease drys up.

[@joed7185]

@@12voltvids Ok. Do you think the Sony TC-355 is the better one of the 4?

[@12voltvids]

@@joed7185 That I couldn't say without knowing what the others are. Most of those old sony models will need some TLC to get them working, but they are all very similar inside. I have 2 Sony recorders, a 2 head and a 3 head, and they both use the same mechanism. Some of them are quite complex when you get to the auto reverse models that use the head that flips around. I would avoid any of the sony auto reverse decks and stick with Akai. I have 3 Akai, a 1710W, 4000 mk3 and GX260D auto reverse. 2 Sony (models slip my mind at the moment, I would have to look in the shop) and a Teac 4 channel. To tell you the truth I really don't use them much, they are more for decoration. When I listen to music it is usually off my 200 disk jukebox, a mixed DAT tape or the radio. Just regular FM or HD radio. I don't subscribe to any streaming service. I did put a bluetooth receiver in my tuner so I can stream from my phone but I never do it. I also never listen to vinyl even though I have a great Thornes turntable.The vinyl fans will try to convince, but to my ears, on my equipment (all vacuum tube) into a great pair of vintage SB7000 speakers, nothing beats the sound of my DAT or CD player. Vinyl sounds compressed and limited, which it is. A good digital recording with proper dynamic range sounds superior.

[@joed7185]

@@12voltvids I know one is a 3 head not sure but from the pictures they look in good condition but looks can be deceiving. I figure $60 for all for isn't bad and theirs a good audio tech shop I can take it too. I'm using them for mastering tracks as I'm a musician/sound engineer and I want that warm tape saturation on my tracks. Yes all tube anything is great. I have an all tube pre-amp for my turntable. Thanks for all the help my friend! hope at least one is in working condition haha.

[@12voltvids]

@@joed7185 The nice thing about them all being Sony decks is there will be many interchangeable parts between them.