buyer returned a vintage hifi audio 'defective' cassette deck ???

[@reubensylvester8818]

what a painful buyer, appreciate your patience in dealing with him 🙂

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@reubensylvester8818 thank you !

[@AudioGuyBrian]

He was probably playing a pre-recorded store-bought tape that used to be in his car during the Summer, baking in the heat for 20 years under the driver's seat. Then after playing the tape 300 times in his car's Pyle Cassette deck, he put it into this optimally tuned and overhauled deck and guess what. The shit tape, sounded like shit.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I also suspect a ‘less than optimal’ tape 😎

[@Ejlectronics6]

As a fellow cassette deck serviceman, I appreciate you making the video. I mainly work on studio based cassette decks, Portastudio's, rack gear etc but I've had various people that have no idea what they're doing. The most relevant story I had was a guy, older musician, who had a Portastudio and used it a lot to record tapes back in the 80's. I didn't know this before sending it out, but he wanted the machine to playback his original tapes. This is where a lot of back and fourth messaging happens. He didn't realise, and I tried to explain, that the tapes he was playing were most likely aligned differently to the machine I had provided. Like you, and every other serviceman, we use alignment tapes for our adjustments. I told the buyer he could make his own azimuth adjustments but in the end he said his prenotion of owning a tape machine again from the 80's was soured and returned the machine. I have a feeling something similar happened with this machine and the buyer, that he was playing his own tapes that he recorded on a DIFFERENT machine with lesser accurate specs.. hence all the inaccuracies. The fact he didn't even know he needed to CLEAN the heads after use also displays a lack of education in the field of tape. I rarely have these type of customers, an education in tape is normally needed these days as with the revival of vinyl.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Thank you for your kind words , When i started doing this (again) i knew ‘some basic knowledge’ was ‘lost’ , i did this in the 80s and 90s for various big brands , in and out of warranty repairs , daily for at least a decade but the knowledge was common and decks were tampered with less than today But you gave me a good idea and that it to add a printed piece of paper explaining the basics and that previously ‘self recorded cassettes’ may not sound 100% as their previous deck may not have been aligned properly whereas this one is

[@Ejlectronics6]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Disclaimers are the way to go. I sell mainly on eBay so I always have it in the description, but additional manuals and even a small written document about tape and how to look after your machine is a great idea. A lot of people seem to forget these machines are getting on now, possibly 40 years! so its good to remind them.

[@jakefiersing]

Recorded on a nakamichi deck may sound worse played back on other brands .

[@vidtech2630]

​@jakefiersing or vice versa , recently , I've made some recordings on a 3 head deck on a TDK SA , from a quality source , and it sounds exelent on my both , of my 3 head decks , but it sounds a bit " boxy" on the BX-150. I'm a bit surprised...

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@vidtech2630 did you replace the orange caps on the bx-150 ? that may make a huge difference (specially around the dolby circuits) old caps may bring down channel seperation etc

[@DioDreamer]

nothing wrong with this deck, just a user problem.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I agree ☝️

[@MrTorbjorn22]

Rong user

[@TTVEaGMXde]

If only one cassette does not play properly, it is definitely the Tape Deck's fault🤣

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

thats what i was thinking as well ;-)

[@johnmarchington3146]

I was surprised the buyer didn't think to clean the heads when he found that cassette where the B side seemed to lack high frequencies. I enjoyed your video.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Thank you ! I suspected a dirty head when the buyer mentioned he only used type I tapes but at that point i already knew what the buyer wanted to return it so i kinda gave in and decided to take the deck back

[@johnmarchington3146]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair From memory, type I tapes tended to shred more oxide than type 2 and 4 so the heads need to be cleaned more regularly.

[@musicnerd72]

Wow! I could feel my own blood pressure rising as you were reading out his emails! Clearly he's someone who "thinks" he knows what he's doing. Instead, he screws it all up and blames everything and everyone but himself... 🤬

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

thank you ! somethings are just not worth it , choose your battles wisely ;-)

[@giuseppelavecchia775]

Purtroppo ci sono tante persone che non sanno nulla di queste cose,non se ne intendono,e vogliono mettere le mani in cose che non gli competono,andando a rovinare le calibrazioni,che prima erano giuste.posso dirti che a me ne sono passati a fiumi di registratori completamente starati dai proprietari,combinando casini con i trimmer!.amico ottimo video,sono felice che hai ripristinato il setup,grande!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

thank you so much ! grazie mille !

[@glynnetolar4423]

I've done that kind of thing in the past. Difference, I own up to my missteps.

[@BIG.ART.LONDON]

this is one of the reasons I gave up selling electronics on eBay

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I still find that 99.9% of the buyers are good people

[@johanvantoor9663]

Thanks for the extensive video. I appreciate your patience with this customer. When recording the audio head, I see a trace of wear and scratches. In my opinion, this audio head needs to be replaced. If the front mirror is smooth and shiny, it is less likely to become dirty.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@johanvantoor9663 ideally it would be relapped however its still within specs

[@andrewhaines3259]

I had similar issues with some vintage speakers I sold. The buyer claimed they were defective. Another seller contacted me to say the buyer had done exactly the same to him so I was able to challenge the buyer who dropped the complaint. Why are people complete tossers when buying stuff off ebay. I would have told this buyer that as he had adjusted the equipment himself it becomes non returnable!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

i thought about it , but for me it wasnt worth the trouble , he send it back on his dime, i issued a refund which doesnt cost me much (€12 shipping)

[@alanmaier]

This issue is why I stopped selling on eBay. Too many bogus returns, often simply stealing a part such as a remote control or compatibility issues between what I sold and what the buyer would use it with... which makes it "defective". I have had items come back that were still sealed, yet the buyer used "defective" to get free shipping back.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

i havent had to deal with dishonest buyers , just some 'less well informed' ones and those are a minority luckily !

[@aussie8114]

You are to be commended for your business sales practice 👍🏼

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@aussie8114 thank you for your kind words , i am treating others how I would like to be treated

[@captaincolumbo7860]

I was an audio engineer for years. We called this type of person a Phantom dabbler.... The guy probably realised he could not afford the deck, so made up excuses and made adustments to secure a refund,

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@captaincolumbo7860 also a possibility!

[@Bus2000]

Before cleaning the head I liked to see (hear) how the sound was and compared with the results after cleaning. But there was nothing wrong with this deck. The buyer did not know how to use a vintage deck.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Weird thing is , he has several but i suspect one or all are now ‘off’ from the standards

[@xnonsuchx]

So the user had a bunch of tapes recorded on a crappy deck and wanted to make a good deck crappy too just to play those bad tapes???

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

you come to the same conclusion i have !

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

I bought a cassette deck from E Bay last week that was checked out and tested as working. When I plugged it in and turned it on the transport was dead. Also, the right Vu meter was jumping around uncontrollably. The seller paid to send it back. You have to be careful about buying tape decks on E bay. I have now bought two tape decks that "tested good" that had serious problems right out of the box. One sent back and the other one a like new Tascam I am going to have repaired if possible as I can't figure out what is wrong with it. One tape deck a Sony I bought worked fine for about two weeks then had belt slippage. Which can happen in older tape decks. I was expecting it at some point but was a little early. So I don't mind replacing the belts as otherwise it works great.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

40-50 year old gear can be a hit and misss , luckily there are still techs "out there" that can repair and service , thank you for your comments !

[@janisliekne2688]

I think after the request to help with the adjustment should have been immediately voiced, if he wants to let him adjust and no refunds later, or let him return immediately.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Ebay allows returns no matter what , so i may as well try to help the buyer

[@andypalm7061]

This is why I will never sell any of my Sony ES units on eBay . I worked to hard to restore those units. Modern buyers don't understand these devices,and I think many people are to emotional about a time they "missed" and start buying tape systems they just shouldn't own.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I lot of ‘common knowledge’ has been lost indeed , there are now generations that don’t understand how to connect and record this equipment. I am starting to feel very old 😎

[@EasternSurvival]

Just supply a test cassette (any random music tape) with your decks so that user does not blame your product.

[@kay110]

This is one of those people you will never please! I've had those customers as well.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Sometimes its just easier to take the deck back than fight with an unhappy buyer

[@mikepanchaud1]

Nice video. I'm not sure if you know, but another way of setting azimuth using a scope is to use XY mode. Connect left to chan1 and right to chan 2 . Select XY mode on the scope. A signal on left deflects the display left/right, and a signal on the right deflects up and down. The correct azimuth should be a 45 degree line and is very precise. Your method is precise enough for a cassette deck though! This XY method also shows how 'stereophonic ' the audio is, and can be quite hypnotic, especialy on e.g. solo instruments in a cathedral. Sine waves of differing frequencies produces Lessijous figures. Years ago at the BBC we had vectorscopes set up like this, as they would instantly show phase errors, if the line suddenly flipped the other way.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

thank you ! i sometimes use the x-y method (lissajous) to quickly verify the phase and see if i am not 180 degrees off, and i mainly use the L R method as i feel its easier to understand for potential novices that are watching

[@alynicholls3230]

Those demagnatizer tapes work I have a tdk one like yours running that in a deck before sale is a good idea sometimes My deck sounds muddy after alot of play so I clean the heads and test it if it's not perfect I use the tdk and it usually does the trick. Running g 40 year old tapes is what was at fault not your fine deck nice work mate. Wish I could pick up a deck like that loads around but they don't record well playback is fine seems no-one knows how to set up decks to record well given up trying now and just sold em all I now use one of those sony recorders meant for journalists it makes perfect tapes on all tape types my deck in the stack just plays back. Sad really good video.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@alynicholls3230 thank you for your kind words sir !

[@denniseldridge2936]

I think it's clear that the buyer's own tapes that he'd recorded previously were out of balance. Once he'd acquired a good quality deck that would show just how out of adjustment his previous deck was it threw him for a loop lol.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

That is what I suspect as well , but its hard to convince people that what they have and what they’ve been using might not be correct

[@denist7085]

You have big patience. Some people expect 40+ years old decks with 40+ years tapes to sound better than new and have warranty behind 🥶

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@denist7085 thank you !

[@Silent-Lucidity]

Hi Sir, I haven't gone through all your videos yet, but I was wondering what software you use to tune the decks and where you recommend purchasing the tuning cassettes.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

this is the software i use www.anaxwaves.com/NAKT100/ and this is where i bought my tapes (he ships worldwide) www.ebay.de/itm/176013927759

[@rhen1215]

I do a ton of walkman and deck repair. The amount of incompetent buyers drives me nuts. I now do no returns.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@rhen1215 i feel your pain ! And completely understand where you are coming from

[@j81851]

I gave up on eBay for significant purchases years ago. I gave up as a seller over a decade ago. eBay has gone in all in the pot for the buyer. The seller is left naked and exposed. So the seller is always wrong. The buyer is always right, regardless and eBay will give away your money for little or nothing in the way of an issue. This customer was a mistake from the git go and has played the eBay policy of "protecting the buyer" regardless. Right, wrong or indifferent. Avoid eBay, it's a shame as I remember a time when eBay was a great place to shop. Not now.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@j81851 sadly there arent any good selling venues left

[@khawajajodat8763]

I think the buyer has a double mind and wants to replace it with another deck so he made excuses....Anyway it sometimes happens. But I'm greatly impressed by the honesty of the seller...

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@khawajajodat8763 thank you for your kind words

[@drdolby1585]

The HP Roth tapes are absolutely fine for calibration. I did all mine with that.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

agreed , the roth tapes are good for initial setup , only for W&F check i use my own tapes as the roth tape has much higher w&f (0.05-0.06 vs 0.02 on my own tapes , but as long as you have a known w&f % its easy to deduct)

[@icajanez8748]

The problem might be test tapes you have. Because i have 2 sets of them and they are little different in azimuth , so small correction in azimuth give not bad but no good sound and records are not good, check that .

[@manzanaresantonio]

I have 47 decks now, 45 of them bought from Ebay. Some decks were not perfect and I tried to help the seller with their permission to let me fix it up and they worked. I am afraid to sell any of those decks as I am afraid I'll have to deal with one of those weirdos that don't know what they are doing or scammers that like to steal parts!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

99.9% of the people out there are good and decent people

[@manzanaresantonio]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Yes Sir, I agree. I always look at the sellers or buyers rating, so you know who you are dealing with. One question, do you have the right to cancel a sell, if you suspect that the buyer is suspicious or has very few reviews?!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@manzanaresantonio i dont believe you have that right , i do believe you can cancel a bid while the auction is active

[@manzanaresantonio]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Thanks a lot for your reply!

[@jacob_larsson]

How do you connect the deck to your computer to measure wow and flutter? Anf what software do you use ? Br Jacob

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

hey jacob , the software is the NAK T100 analyzer software you can download , you can use it direct with a 3.5mm to rca cable or the behringer uca202 interface so you can connect the deck to a usb port and then the software

[@holgers5216]

I own a business building custom tube audio gear and I have walked away from potential sales a few times. A gut feeling I guess, just by communicating with the prospective client I get a feeling that this would be a right royal pain in the ass!....and it is best to just walk away. I am not THAT desperate for a sale!!! 😉 If you happen to get a similar buyer again, maybe send him the calibration data/screen. I know, a bit of a pain, but maybe do a screen shot of each calibration and keep those for a while after the sale. Then if the buyer questions it, e-mail him those screen shots.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@holgers5216 good idea , i hoped putting repairs and adjustment of each deck on YT would help but he insisted on regulating himself , but youre right regarding some customers

[@rupe53]

Years ago, well before lap-tops, I made a series of test tapes on high end machines. My source was those early test records with tone bursts and tone sweeps.... then compared left to right channels. I also did some timed recordings at various lengths where you could run a stopwatch and figure tape speed. Yeah, it was a DIY approach, but it worked well enough to get the playback lined up. Once that part was ok, we'd run test recordings then compare that on playback. 95% of the time if the playback was ok then the record was also ok.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I had it a bit easier in de 80ies , I ordered test tapes from the manufacturer 😁 no stopwatch needed But everything is getting scarce so i am relying on people with that seem to know what they are doing for azimuth tapes and on my quartz locked DD drive reference deck for speed

[@rupe53]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair We're probably close in age. I was learning these tricks circa late 60s and started doing it with open reel machines, as they were being handed down. (old gear from the radio industry) Had a buddy whose father worked for Audio Tape so free samples were plentiful. At times we'd pull a measured amount of tape across the room and mark it with foil sensing tape or white splice tape and do the math with one of those new pocket calculators. (new at the time) Much easier to time with the visual clue.

[@dubdoodle7191]

Recently I got a keeper high end deck - Teac V-8000S that has an unusual issue. Issue Description: While recording 5kHz it's showing 0dB on VU's in Tape monitor // But during playback it's about 2-3 dB below 0dB on VU's. Why is Tape monitor while recording showing VU meters at 0dB, but when played back it's less than 0dB ? Wouldn't you think tape monitor while recording and playback would be exactly the same on the VU's ? Thanks !

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@dubdoodle7191 thats weird as tape monitor shows whats recorded on tape while recording and should be exactly the same as normal playback of the same piece ? I’ll have a look at the manual but i cant think of anything from the top of my head

[@GaryH-pw9cm]

I have a Tascam CD-A 550 MK ll cassette deck with a similar problem. Low output and low record even though the Vu meter level looks fine. The tape really is low as when put in another deck it is low. Also a pre recorded tape in the Tascam plays low. Even the CD output is low. Just low all way around. Strange.🙄

[@jaroslavlikar6741]

Hi can you please share Germanys casset maker / market sites or name ? I am searching for such a test cassets . Thank you so much for your kind help.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

sure, here you go www.ebay.de/itm/176013927759

[@JimmyRJump]

Hey, Northneigbourlander. Stumbled across your channel through my "Home" feed on KZbin and I appreciate what you're doing. What's your seller's name on eBay please? I will surely have a look at what you have to offer since I'm in the market for buying a decent deck again. Cheerio kameraad.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@JimmyRJump howdy neighbor! Most decks dont make it to ebay 😉 they are sold quite quickly, but if you drop me an email : [e-mail] i can share what i have or you can share what you are looking for ?

[@steven6692]

What type of software do you use on the laptop.?

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@steven6692 nak t100 , link to the software is in the description of the video

[@steven6692]

@cassettedeck-walkman-repair ok thanks!!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@steven6692 you’re welcome!

[@lizichell2]

Ebay messer following the classic pattern

[@Jammerk40]

I remember when i first bought my Sony deck both machines were off on speed and to get them in speed i used a pre recorded tape and a cd player with the same music sorce and play them both to get the deck into phase. To do this its best to use headphones. Then you start both machines and adjust speed until both sound sorce blend together.. this is called phasing. Anyway that is how I did it.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

thats indeed a good alternative way of doing it as long as your source tape is a known good and accurate tape. the phase tuning can be quite acurate as all string instruments (bass, guitar etc) are tuned that way

[@bertheeren7992]

@14:55 it looks there is a level difference between L and R at 10Khz even after setting the azimuth.

[@brianjames6890]

Hi, first time to watch your upload. You sound genuine to me and everything you did certainly looked the business so I can only think the buyer was off his trolly. I have a problem with my dvd would you be willing to give me some guidance if I was able to send you a video clip of the fault please? The fault is that the DVD whilst playing makes a clicking noise. I understand if you are not interested in helping me. Regards, Brian

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@brianjames6890 thank you sir , i am always willing to assist, just drop me an email at : [e-mail] and i can see what i can do from a distance

[@bdwatkins2001]

everything you're describing is a result of sticky shed syndrome, as in a deteriorated tape. as a professional archivist I work with deteriorated tapes quite regularly

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@bdwatkins2001 that is very possible , Thank you for your comment

[@bdwatkins2001]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair if there is deterioration, the tape will get sticky and would certainly cause the speed issue. and the tapes don't get sticky evenly either, there are certain parts of the tape that can play fine and then others are so sticky the deck will stop. sometimes it's chemical deterioration or sticky shed syndrome, the other issue with cassettes is the lubricant can dry out, there's a procedure for that outline by the KZbin user Anadialogue.

[@roasthunter]

I sold a ghetto blaster on ebay years ago, the buyer asked to return it as he decided he didn't want it afterall, I said no you can sell it on if you don't like it, I sold it because I don't want it. Fortunately I never heard from them again and they didn't try pulling a scam like claiming it doesn't work.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

This was very similar !

[@JamesE707]

One good reason why the seller should state that - Under *no* circumstances should the bought deck be opened within a defined (by the seller) time period, no refund will be issued. Problem is - there are so many strange characters out there - both sellers and buyers. BTW, another potential issue is that - a buyer can potentially return another non-working deck (same model number) as part of a scam, so be aware!

[@DoubleMonoLR]

I don't think that would help, people that are dishonest would just do it anyway and say they didn't. Likewise it would look very suspicious to write that, personally I would be suspicious if I saw that in a listing - as it could be used to hide damage or poor parts inside.

[@adriangreen6462]

The only problem here was the buyer, you certainly get them , 😅

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

i still believe 99.9% of the people out there are decent folks

[@markianclark9645]

Be nice to get you to set up my Kenwood twin deck KX-W4020..I've been using it on and off for a year or two..since i switched it out with my other Technics single deck..one transport is a little noisier mechanically..both sets of belts were changed..I guess some grease on all the moving parts would help..it's a budget deck and it's over 30 years old....that single deck Kenwood after your testing would be a great swapsie..

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Where are you located ? If in europe i’d be happy to help

[@lawrence.porter]

Why didn’t you check it before you cleaned and took it apart?

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

because i knew the buyer had already "adjusted it" , i saw very little reason to confirm what he already told me he did

[@atruceforbruce5388]

Did they already have the same deck and bought yours to swap out the guts and return you his broken deck?

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I was afraid of that as well but everything is the same as when I shipped it out , nothing was replaced or missing

[@stevesstuff1450]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair : Always log, or photograph the serial No. of the items you sell; then you'll be able to tell if the buyer fraudulently returns a different item... 😉

[@zvonkoveleski2786]

Great work sir. But I hope you use screwdriver made of Non-ferrous metal when you do azimuth adjustment(s)

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Yes i do (ceramic philips) and demagnetise once i am all done

[@Trance88]

Jeez. Whoever bought this deck blamed the deck and not his BAD TAPES. *slaps forehead*

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

yup !!

[@ronwenger5133]

What is your EBay ID so I can see some of your for sale items.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

for now i only ship to europe as the shipping costs get prohibitively expensive for shipping outside europe www.ebay.nl/usr/dracha3

[@mistermikeanson]

Nice deck. Shame your customer didn't appreciate it!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Indeed !

[@drmindbender8616]

Do you service DAT recorders ?? I presume by your accent you are in Holland

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I have done a few DAT’s , if you drop me an email we can discuss ?

[@anthonygarland1403]

Do you fix cassette radios I have a big radio. It's a Clairton. Need cassette belts for both decks. And the cassette door is stuck it won't open

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Sometimes , but since i am in europe the shipping might be prohibitively expensive

[@Seiskid]

I've no idea why that deck got returned. Def think the customer adjusted azimuth. Its out, but not by much. He's probably adjusted it for a pre-recorded tape or a tape he's made at home.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

the azimuth was indeed slightly off , i doubt you could hear it on pre-recorded factory tapes , but if it was slight off in one direction and you have a recorded tape thats recorded on a machine thats slightly off in the other direction you can probably hear it . anyay , it fixed and was bougt by someone else . thanks for your comments !

[@markcraven8386]

Obviously sufficient since it returned to you intact but outwardly that was a very haphazard packing job from shippers end. My opinion. Now if you could just instruct me how to repair either my Akai GXC 730D or my Aiwa M 250 cassette decks, I would die a happy man.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@markcraven8386 its a box made and meant for shipping hifi equipment, just a different brand , i shipped it out a bit different (different inserts) but it came back unscathed (luckily indeed)

[@robinsonsoto8471]

Very impresive.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Thanks!

[@outfield1988]

Glad I found your channel.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@outfield1988 thank you ! And welcome 🤗

[@qbitsday3438]

Hi Sir , do you have SONY FH7 Vinyl player .

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

sorry i dont

[@jacobcaron2280]

What is your ebay? It's not linked on your KZbin

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Typically i only sell in europe, otherwise shipping ($100) get too expensive most likely

[@dimitarlazarov2094]

Please don't ban me before you read my first comment. I used to be one of the big restorers and sellers of vintage gear in the UK.Compact cassettes being that old really can clog heads in less than four runs of a tape. I'd recommend cleaning the heads with IPA, but not pinch rollers every time they use their decks. Also I'd never recommend A customer to intervene with the calibration of any of the parts. Never demagnetise a single"two" head cassette player. When recording onto a tape the heads demagnetise due to the higher bias going through the head. Always demagnetise the "3" head arrangement. And please never trust a buyer. I have been burned so many times. If any of your seals have been tampered with: No money back guarantee. Hope it goes well for you. PS level indicators can be adjusted by using a sine wave generator to check their accuracy. A lot of people like to see both of the levels act equally. It's a stereo source, azimuth can be completely wrong on the tape and taes can have a continuous edge fold due to having been listened to or recorded on bad equipment. If I were you I'd get it back before the seller put their greasy fingers inside and I would have sold it to a decent one. Sorry if I had made a lot of punctuation and mistakes but I'll not go through the comment before I post it. I do it on a mobile phone and my eyesight is not as sharp as it used to be

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Why would i ban you ? Youre basically describing what i was taught by the japanese designers and manufacturers 35-40 years ago when i worked for them

[@johnkendrick7304]

I would not have taken that deck back after that guy is taking it apart. Also completely unreasonable. Sounds just like a kook to me

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

these days ebay doesnt give sellers much choice sadly , even if they open it up and screw with it (pun intended) you're obliged to take it back

[@Truthall]

if it was tapes the guy had recorded himself on another deck and then plays them on this deck, any issues with the levels will more than likely be on the other deck and will follow the tape. They will make any deck sound off (pity he didnt provide you with one of his tapes :). This is a case of someone knowing enough to be dangerous...good job.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

thank you !

[@joeprete7424]

Did you refund him? Who payed the shipping?

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Buyer paid shipping

[@joeprete7424]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repairyou are a seller, I would buy from!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@joeprete7424 thank you ! And of course i refunded the buyer , that goes without saying

[@musicstevecom]

Pretty good W&F, I also use The Hanspeter Roth calibration Tapes (HPR) But I found the Azimuth tape (The one I received 5/2024) were about 150 to 180 off (Out of phase) compared to the A.N.T

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

thats pretty bad (150-180) ? if you compare to a good pre-recorded tape can you determine if the roth or ant cassette is better ?

[@musicstevecom]

They are good tapes, Their are not many option out their "GlennLab" "A.n.t" Not selling right. Which cost a lot more than HPR

[@sinistan1002]

ebay has made it harder on sellers unless you are one of the big guys drop shipper etc. on there. I once sold a NIB never opened cpu I had not used yet and the buyer claimed it didn't work, ebay made me refund them if the buyer showed they returned it. Well it turns out it was attempted fraud, buyer waited until the last hour of the deadline to return it, and then posted a fake tracking number from an entirely different state that I shipped it to. After opening case with ebay they finally came out on my side. But it was a pain and this is why I no longer want to sell anything on ebay especially electronics

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

i still believe 99.9% of people out there are basically decent people

[@ohger1]

I was an ASC for Denon. Those decks were junk when they were new.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

luckily its not a denon deck ;-)

[@ohger1]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Makes sense, the box lasts longer than what came in it.

[@domfjbrown75]

What's wrong with Denon? Got a CDP from 1984-5 still going strong and a DRW-760 twin cassette from 1989 doing the same. Plus playback on both is excellent...

[@marcump]

I have an AKAI GX7 cassette deck that has been stored and needs refurbished; can you repair it for me? I’m not a flake like that guy.. i just want it working again. I bought it new in 1984 any cosmetically it looks new still.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I can service it and repair if needed , but since i am in europe it will probably only be financially viable for people in the EU to send it out to me ?

[@bartlanestuart9050]

The player is good😊

[@rafacq]

How can I find your sales in eBay?

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

i typically only sell in europe as shipping get prohibitively expensive for most people ? but this is my ebay : www.ebay.nl/usr/dracha3

[@rafacq]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair ​​⁠ Thanks for your reply. You have a new subscriber! I have a JVC KD-V6J that needs work. I ordered the service manual. I have to get courageous and replace the belts, then see if I can figure why there is no sound on the left channel! If you have a little time, any suggestions will be appreciated!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@rafacq i am sure you will do great ! If you run into issues while working on it (take many pics or video while doing it) drop me an email with some pics and i can see what i can do from a distance , my email is on my channel : [e-mail]

[@rafacq]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair I just ordered the belts and they shipped from Portugal so it will be a few days before I can start working on it. Thanks so much!

[@rafacq]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Thanks. I saw your Kenwood KX-7030 you are selling. Looks very nice. Wish I could buy it! I wonder how it compares to my JVC KD-V6? I searched for your sale items on my ebay app in the US and it doesn’t show any of your sale items. Shipping is a sad story. Some sellers here are asking very high shipping charges even when shipping within the USA. Some as high as US$90, when others only charge US15. Any chance you could check how much would it cost to have it shipped to Dallas Texas? It looks in very good condition and clean.

[@outfield1988]

I would love to have a Denon cassette deck.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@outfield1988 they are out there just looking for some TLC and be brought back to life

[@outfield1988]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair I love old electronics. I wish I could get the health kit receiver my dad build in the early 70s.

[@outfield1988]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Iam working on an old heath kit . It starts playing then the motor slowly stops turning. Can’t figure it out.

[@MidnightRambler1964]

Yup and now its gone!! Amazing how people have no clue about basic maintenance!!!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

a lot of common knowledge seems to have been misplaced in the last few decades

[@andrewstewart8704]

Makes me wonder if the guy just wanted to use it to record his old tapes and then just return it with a list of complaints.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

you know what ? i would honestly hope so , digitize your old tapes and store them in the cloud somewhere , i just did the same with very old tapes where my wife just learned how to speak as an infant , and if you tell me thats what you want it for and are willing to pay for shipping i'll lend you the deck , and send it back when you're done with it

[@andrewstewart8704]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Nice tape find for your wife, I bet it was exciting to find. As far as someone using me in that situation, the next channel adjustment would need to be done with an endoscope because it would be shoved so far up their arrrrrrr. never mind.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@andrewstewart8704 LOL!!

[@alanrkanter]

Likely his old deck did not record properly.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

this old deck records perfectly , watch my other initial video on it where i show the recording

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

Clearly he should leave things alone. he has no idea.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

That was my end conclusion 😎

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

Buyer probably ordered another deck to screw up and torture seller

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

lets hope not !

[@outfield1988]

Just got done with a gooey Walkman repair.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@outfield1988 i hope you wore gloves 🧤🤣

[@outfield1988]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair No just got done with hot water and dove soap.lol

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@outfield1988 if it works it works 😎

[@noelg3384]

I would think his amplifier balance is off and he tried to adjust the cassette deck to make up for it.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Very possible !

[@dtracy03ss]

These Decks need Maintenance, they were no Different when they were NEW. It's not a No Maintenance piece of Equipment and never were , clear back to the late 70s and 80s. I have top Quality Tapes from the 80s and 90s and Some are not a good recording, All Tapes are not Created Equal, have a Pioneer CT-A9X, and have had friends actually ask me what CD we are listening too!! But not all pre recorded tapes are good!

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

completely agree , some people ave forgotten what it was like "pre-digital"

[@АлександрКобылкин-м5е]

Есть такая поговорка. Лучше с умным потерять, чем с дураком найти. Похоже это Ваш случай 😮

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

Thank you!

[@JoseGarcia-oo4mc]

Excelente

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@JoseGarcia-oo4mc Gracias 🙏

[@AndrewNeilBaird]

Question. Do you think Nakamichi enthusiasts are weirdos?

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

i think some Nak's are overrated and some other TOTL decks from other brands can be equally good , and some enthusiasts are taking it a bit too far in their dedication (how that for politically correct ? ;-) but there are dozens of decks out there that are equally good and reproduce the source just as well or sometimes better because they dont use the typical nakamichi 'sound color' and are mechanically much easier to service and with mechanical , NR and other specs better than most NAKs

[@AndrewNeilBaird]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair have you seen the Tascam 4 trac deck that was out in the 80's ?

[@marxman00]

Great vid but you need to do the azimuth first ..otherwise all the other settings will be wrong

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

azimuth was done checked and locked in the previous video in this video i checked in (should be in the vid ?) and was found correct , and i moved on to other checks

[@marxman00]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair how did it become uncorrect for you to correct it again at the end ? perhaps there is a mechanical problem with the head assembly. I love tape systems because they caused the need for solid state digital.. and here we are ..glorious isnt it !

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@marxman00 i didnt correct it ? , i checked it and it was still correct after i adjusted it previously (in another video)

[@spoonlover1]

Where do you sell your decks what's your username?

[@KF-bj3ce]

A customer from Hell the least to say.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@KF-bj3ce he tried to adjust to his liking and sadly failed

[@mandymoo7406]

excellent video

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

thank you ! glad you enjoyed it

[@GPTtrink]

Excellent video. Also what I would recommend is to use a normal oscillioscope instead of a laptop, if you can of course. Good luck with repairs, I'm also a cassette addict and repair decks when I got time.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

i have several scopes and they perform as well as the software , the software however is easier and has more functions all in one ;-) so unless i have to trace signals on the pcb i exclusively use the software

[@gregbouchard414]

U do a rally good job on here keep up there good work on here keep up there good work on here keep up there good work on here

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@gregbouchard414 thank you 🙏 !

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

the original video is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/eanRkGaDj7WZgMk&

[@gordon3178]

I have tapes recorded on different system that have the sound different on the systems same goes to my VHS tape that have picture and sound difference between video recorders Only pre recorded tapes work ok So they must have tapes recorded on drsystems

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@gordon3178 there can be large differences between machines and how they sound indeed

[@TrevorsBench]

Ebay isn't a good place to sell refurbished electronics. Some buyers have high expectations because ebay sells them on all the buyer protection BS they have in place. It's become a poor place for sellers as they shift to buyer protection policies. Try a different mode to sell your gear that's not with ebay

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

I have a 25 year seller history on ebay , and 100% feedback , if you know any other sellers platform I’ll happily try that ?

[@TrevorsBench]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Try selling direct to your youtube viewers

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@TrevorsBench that feels awkward to me , like i am pushing my wares unto unsuspecting viewers or like "here watch my video but now buy" ? but maybe i am just awkward here ;-)

[@TexTom1981]

TDK is known for selling hocus pocus stuff?

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

as i said , they are *not* known for selling hocus pocus stuff ;-)

[@TexTom1981]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair wow, I did not hear THAT right! Sorry 'bout that!

[@jaapgraanstra281]

Hi Rene, where do you sell these cassette decks ?

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

here is my ebay account, due to shipping costs i have only made these available within the EU www.ebay.nl/usr/dracha3

[@jaapgraanstra281]

@@cassettedeck-walkman-repair Nederland. 😊

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@jaapgraanstra281 Nederland 🇳🇱 idd 😎

[@adaboy4z]

I restored a Technics M65 deck full recap, new belts, idler and minor adjustments. It had some scratches that where picture. It is the rack mount version. This guy contacted me few days later complaining about the pictured scratches, the rack mount holes appeared in was yanked out, the shipping cost was too high that he was robbed on the price. He claimed the feet where installed wrong etc.... Weirdest transaction I ever had. I don't know what his intentions where.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

can't win them all , and sometimes its not worth fighting over

[@garagemslzv8465]

tops

[@vancegosselin]

Are you a qualified electronics service/repair technician? Alot of these guys claim to be just that. I would never buy electronics from ebay as ppl have tampered with the settings, etcetera. Ebay has a bad reputation for this kind of stuff, just saying

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

it depends what you mean by 'qualified' ? if you are asking "were you trained in japan by the japanese technicians that designed these and had regular meetings with them in their european HQ' , yes i was ;-) and its also why i post video's , to hopefully show what you can do yourself and potential buyers can actually see whats been done to their potential purchase

[@vancegosselin]

My apologies, but a few years ago I bought a tape machine from ebay and it was tampered with DOA . Ended up junking the unit. This is why I am a bit cynical. I lost money and I don't deal with online platforms anymore.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

@@vancegosselin no worries , I mainly make these service and repair videos to hopefully assist the newer generation how to do it themselves, selling them on ebay is just so i dont end up with dozens of decks in my workplace and selling is not the main goal. But i will take them back if the buyer is not happy. This video is all about understanding if i maybe missed something during repair, which is always a possibility

[@joeyjustin6895]

HE HAD MANY BAD TAPES. OBVIOUSLY

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

That is a real possibility

[@Vintageelectronics2296]

He had degrading tapes to get that dirty no longer than he had it

[@paweljakalak4810]

But yet, you adjusted different potentiometers -so perhaps there was an issue.

[@cassettedeck-walkman-repair]

yes, i had to re-adjust because, as you could see in the video, the buyer "adjusted" the deck to his own preferences