Yamaha K960 Cassette deck with dbx is broken lets fix it

[@gorgemusic]

Wow. I loved this old deck and hung on to it even after it quit working. I took it to a pro repair facility a number of years ago. The took it apart put it back together charged me a hefty survice fee and said it couldn’t be fixed. Still I couldn’t part with it. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to finally just get rid of it but before doing so did a little more investigation. That’s when I found your video. I took it apart and sure enough all that’s wrong is just the disintegrated gooey belts. I’ve located belts on eBay and I’m going to tackle it. If this works out I’ll one happy dude. Thank so much

[@jmi5969]

Nice deck - I have the Japanese domestic version of it (kx-1d). It's where I found the most unusual thing found in a tape deck - a nest of Asian yellow longhorned beetles. The evil creatures that kill North American forests but, fortunately, can't survive in my country. So, there was a big blob of cotton, about the size of the power transformer, and three starved beetles still clutching onto the wires. The belts (factory original, presumably) were loose but fairly solid.

[@12voltvids]

I hope you gave them a send off.

[@Barbarapape]

The dreaded black goo left by the old belts is horrible stuff to get rid of. IPA does a good job, and leaves a clean surface for the new belts to grip on. Yamaha made some good decks in the early years, sadly it went downhill with later designs due to cheap motors and decks. Excellent tip of using a guitar tuner to check the speed with. Have a great Christmas and New Year.

[@jmi5969]

26:30 - There is no wonder that there's no Dolby C. This deck and the Technics RS-M270x were rushed into production to beat Ray Dolby's new system (which would become Dolby C). With the CD launch imminent, the industry needed some magic snake ointment to extend the life of the cassette format. How about a new super-duper noise reduction? Enter Toshiba Adres, JVC Super-ANRS and dbx Type II. The dbx company managed to sign up Panasonic, who would design the low-cost AN6291 dbx IC. But it won't be released until 1982, so in 1981 Panasonic and Yamaha took these large dbx-designed NR boards and transplanted them into their existing (and already outgoing) two-head models. A few months later Sony, Hitachi etc. rolled out new Dolby B/C chips, and the war was over. Dolby had the whole market, and the dbx never took off, although Panasonic supported it until 1987 or 1988.

[@BoB4jjjjs]

Interesting, but how did they expect to compete with CDs?

[@professorvoluck9311]

It has DBX and a signal to noise ratio of 100db. There is no other deck ever made with better SNR. Not Dolby C or Dolby S.

[@enricoself2256]

The best way to remove melted rubber is using ammonia based detergent: the ammonia liquifies the rubber and clean it off neatly.

[@ACBMemphis]

Very nice deck, and interesting to see a professional repair video - thanks for all the tips on removing belt goo! I replaced the original clear bulb on mine with a green LED, to more closely match the look of the other LEDs and green meters.

[@12voltvids]

Not according to the keyboard experts that haven't a clue. Probably in their 40s and still living in their parents basements. Johnny shithead ls likely one.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

I had the black version of this one model lower with no DBX... it had a heavy glass face - I assume that one is like that..and it overall weighs a ton.. a beautiful unit. thanks for the video - was very educational.

[@Dutch-linux]

the tapes i used and still use are the That's MR-X pro and TDK MA sublime quality tapes

[@ElectoneGuy]

Look at the quality of that flywheel - Yamaha even drilled out sections to achieve a perfectly balanced wheel - impressive stuff.

[@12voltvids]

The quality goes in before the name goes on! Wait a minute, wrong brand. Nevermind.😁

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

dude WD40 is amazing for that application - I use it for getting grime off many things including price stickers on old LP albums..works great and dries away with a hair dryer on the paper. It works WAYYY better than "Goo gone" - another option is Electrical contact cleaner but that's expensive option -but have used it in pinch to remove old crusted crap.

[@KirksAudioSanctum]

I love Yamaha cassette decks. I have two and they sound fantastic.

[@technixbul]

Wow that deck sounds really nice and clean and noise free

[@12voltvids]

This deck just turned 40. Looks pretty good for a 40 year old.

[@Luke-san]

Was just about to write. 1981 and it looks really awesome and futuristically clean.

[@12voltvids]

@@Luke-san I beat you to the punch.

[@Luke-san]

@@12voltvids Haha, well I wonder if they had a amplifier, tuner and ..... hey 1981, no cd-players yet, same range or look. What a time to be alive back then. I still remember going to a HIFI store in 1982 with my father and listening to a Philips cd-player playing Roxy Music's Avalon cd. In those days we would also check if the recording was DDD. ... sigh, getting old.

[@Dutch-linux]

@@Luke-san yes the good old days and always checking if the cd was DDD i remember that like it was yesterday the days where audio equipment was still real audio equipment not the mp3 compressed stuff and stupid smart phones ... that is why there is no more quality audio gear for the home anymore ... sad very sad

[@12voltvids]

@@Dutch-linux And if it was AAD it was to be avoided as you knew it wasn't going to sound any better than the over compressed over eq vinyl or cassette version. ADD was a little better.

[@TomandAmyinthePI]

I had a black K-960 back around '82 or '83 when I was in the service- Great Deck! Later I had a Teac Reel to Reel also

[@stevenmann9769]

Looks like a very nice deck. Well worth the TLC

[@m80116]

A good test for pinch roller is a 90 minute TDK D tape or equivalent with the almost fully loaded take up hub. If one unit is able to pull that kind of smooth and thin tape without fluttering the roller is fine. Anywhow... since most are the usual 13x8-6mm with 2mm hole jobbie worth less than 2 bucks each at this point in time the they should all be replaced. Since some may wonder: even pinch roller bearings must be lubricated or greased depending on the roller's bushing.

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

Im tempted to find a casette deck. Been noticing a few decent units for sale recently.

[@patrickjmorgan]

The rubber stuff. Anyone on here that is or was a Lift engineer will tell you that many of the lubricants used do not shift easily, yet, when you are servicing or repairing, you were expected to leave things clinically clean- but the Firm never gave us any materials/cleaners to do it.You will have heard of 'em! Well, I was re-roping one saturday in a posh office block in Park Lane london and all the floors were locked off, no where to wash except the Directors facilities- because we obviously needed access to overhead gear. Rope lubricant on marble sink and gold taps....Yep, Monday- I was told to call the Boss.......

[@revolvingtoto007]

I alway's love those sticky belts 😂 😂

[@12voltvids]

You can have them.

[@SergeVANable]

Just got one for myself on FB market. Looks like the same issue with belts!

[@Synthematix]

Dave I would use nitrile gloves, constant hand exposure to oil will crack your skin

[@12voltvids]

It hasn't for 40 years.

[@mattm8641]

Ya..I've been using a little acetone to get goo belt off..it works instantly and evaporates..just have to worry about plastic parts getting to much acetone on it.I have to try wd 40... Lava soap is also great on my hands and scrubbing goo off of removable gears...with a toothbrush.

[@BoB4jjjjs]

I had Yamaha equipment for 20 years at least, no problems, except the pots on the amplifier were always needing cleaned. I didn't have trouble with any belts. Mind you they are still around somewhere, so no doubt the belts will be mush and the pots will need cleaned. I had a direct drive turntable, it hasn't turned for 12 years, so any lub' grease will be like gue now. :-(( I also had a Dual cassette deck, yeah. They tried to sell me Bang & Olson crap, they sounded fine but low powered and full of gimmicks! Thankfully, I refused to buy it, just as well, I would never been happy with it. I had other stuff as well, all given away.

[@ElectoneGuy]

I hate, hate, hate belt goo. It gets on everything. Avon Skin-so-soft also works (smells nice too).

[@catman58]

before I went to technical school I used to work on cars I would use transmission fluid to clean the grease off my hands, the fluid would keep my hands nice and soft too

[@12voltvids]

Baby oil works great and isn't toxic like tranny fluid.

[@catman58]

yeah well my hands were already full of grease so couldn't get any more toxic than that@@12voltvids

[@12voltvids]

@@catman58 True. Back then nobody used gloves. Thats why you saw old mechanics walking around with half a kidney. I shouldn't joke about that because many died too young from that sort of things. Dire straights even had a song about it, "industrial disease". Lots of nasty things workers were exposed to caused all kinds of nasty cancers 30 years later.

[@GerardPinzone]

That's a good tip about the WD-40. Have you ever tried acetone?

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

acetone works but way too caustic

[@GerardPinzone]

@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 It can dissolve some kinds of plastic, but the parts shown seemed like metal. In fact, you can use acetone to clean VCR heads. I wonder if it would have dissolved that mushy belt quicker than WD40?

[@12voltvids]

@@GerardPinzone Don't have acetone handy. It will work too.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@GerardPinzone It's a good question ! :) Have a happy holiday !

[@mircokester9210]

The Idler was often a problem

[@zx8401ztv]

Hell that belt goo is horrible, ive used wd40 to get nasty goo off the hands. Works really well. Nice to see they put there name on the pcbs. we know who to blame now 😀 The smart phone is handy for taking snaps of the wires or odd mechanisms, a god send if everything goes tits up lol. The tape window light looked crappy, not worth fixing. Hopefully your frend will appreciate it.

[@directrix101]

Was that a square belt that you used?

[@peterc2373]

indeed wrong belt he used

[@Thanson199415]

I need a main belt for a Yamaha K-520. I can’t even find one on the internet, I was able to get a universal flat belt kit but they all sucked ass and had severe wow and flutter “china”

[@12voltvids]

That's the problem. They don't make the wider belts anymore. Guess whose fault that is? It's not China. They will make what people buy. The last generation of gear to use belts used the thin ones. The Japanese stopped making belts as did the Americans because people stopped buying replacements.

[@Jammerk40]

Oh yes you will hate me but did ya tie wrap the wires back up? I'm sorry I'm a neat freak! OCD just a bit!! It's a nice deck!

[@12voltvids]

Why do you think I never show stuff going back together?

[@somebodyx]

You could have used a white Led and a resistor to replace the bulb. Works with AC too. Running it at 10mA drives nicely the light diffuser

[@12voltvids]

Sure, but the buy isn't paying for that. He was in a band and has a bunch of demos that they did all recorded in DBX. Just wants to play the tapes to digitize. If it was mine I probably wouldn't even bother changing it because I just don't care. Not like I sit there and watch the spools turn.

[@ctrlzyx2]

Thanks for offering an option for someone who might be trying to restore a unit to as close to original as possible. I understand 12voltvids works to a budget. But I would want the light fixed while it was apart. Part of the charm of this vintage gear is the lighting.

[@12voltvids]

@@ctrlzyx2 9 out of 10 won't even notice that it is burnt out. If someone asked for the light to be replaced, I would replace it, and charge for the part and my time to go and get it, or for the cost to get it delivered. I don't stock all these light bulbs in the various voltages. Meter lights, yes they will normally be replaced, but the light behind the tape most don't want replaced, and that goes back to the days when I was working full time. When giving an estimate, I would note if the bulb was out and ask if they wanted it replaced. Even it is was just the couple of bucks that the bulb cost, 9 times out of 10 they said no. They especially said no when the unit came in for something unrelated to the transport, so there was extra labour to change the bulb. Used to change them for warranty work and that is about it. I don't know where you are, and people have endless funds, but here where houses cost 1.2 million for a tear sown shack, people just will not spend money to fix old electronics. They want it fixed for next to nothing or they will just buy something else. I got out of the business 18 years ago because there was no money in it anymore. Many shops stay in business from the estimate fee they charge. Every unit that comes in they charge 95.00 before they pick up a screw driver. They estimate very high hoping the owner will walk because they just made 95 for doing nothing. So they will quote on every last thing that can. Needs a full recap, 5 special light bulbs at 5.00 each, you get the picture. The odd customer will take them up and the rest say forget it. Many will tell this certain shop to recycle it for them. They fix it and sell it for big bucks in their retail store.

[@somebodyx]

@@12voltvids Well, back in the day decks were consumer products and you got all the cynics around. These days there are many collectors around who cherish and fully restore such machines like antique cars. Its a whole different ballgame.

[@705johnnyboy]

windex is my goto spray for tape belt goo

[@catman58]

I tried gloves but couldn't get the feel for stuff, it would get in the way and rip a lot. today cars are a lot cleaner than they were then

[@12voltvids]

Especially electric cars. You just have to worry about that invisible monster that can grab you if you touch the wrong thing.

[@catman58]

@@12voltvids I own a hybrid and I open the hood and I wouldn't even know where to start looking for trouble, that's one reason why I got out of fixing cars cuz it got too difficult with all the electronics. Used to be I could tell what was wrong with the car just by the way it felt or what I heard

[@peterc2373]

totally wrong belt you put on the motor/flywheel !

[@blackimp4987]

please what kind of wf40 are you using? they have many different spray like that

[@12voltvids]

Just the regular stuff in blue can

[@blackimp4987]

@@12voltvids oh I didn't your answer and I asked you again. Thank you

[@12voltvids]

@@blackimp4987 blue can. Regular stuff.

[@catman58]

most of the weight was the transformers the ones I have huge transformers

[@lesterm23]

I have same type

[@metingokbulut837]

🇹🇷💯👍

[@jasoncoleman4476]

I have the same tape deck with the same issue? Would you be interested in repairing it? Please let me know your contact info via a private message if you would please. Thanks!

[@jasoncoleman4476]

I did take off the broken/burnt up belts and cleaned the rollers.

[@12voltvids]

Contact me by email.

[@jasoncoleman4476]

@@12voltvids what’s your email address? Trying to find it on your profile.

[@12voltvids]

@@jasoncoleman4476 it's on the about tab

[@catman58]

all that technology in the unit fails for a dollar belt

[@12voltvids]

Direct drive too expensive. A few decks did it and they were really expensive decks.

[@catman58]

@@12voltvids I have a couple of Sansui dubbing deck switch still work from the 70's, but that's probably because a really expensive then, about $800 US They also had some weight to them

[@12voltvids]

@@catman58 this one has some weight behind it. Just got in a Technics rsm275x so will look at that one today i think.