[mcp6453[_2_]]

On 12/15/2018 10:42 AM, Mike Rivers wrote:
On 12/15/2018 8:50 AM, mcp6453 wrote:
I really want a nice reel-to-reel deck for playback only. While I have
Tascam 32 that is not bad, it's not a great machine. Some time ago, I
inquired about a rebuilt ATR-102 from ATR Services. They replied that
the "archival" version is $15,300. What? Is there something different
about the archival version? The last I heard they were just under
$10,000.

Times are tough all over. You could get an "archival" Nagra 4S freshly
refurbished by Nagra for $25,000. Once people realized that analog tape
decks were getting scarce, they rapidly became more scarce.

You really don't need an ATR-102 for playback-only. It's really a
mastering machine, and the transport is kind of fussy about tape, not
ideal for playing back tapes from a 50 year collection. Best to leave
those for people who really want to mix to tape. If you're going to be
setting up a preservation and archiving business, you might want to look
for a Studer A-810 or Sony APR-5002. They're nice, gentle machines. Be
sure, though, that you have a source for well-paying clients. But if you
just want to listen to your old tapes, get your TASCAM in shape and
enjoy it.

I was going to suggest that you look for a Revox PR-99 but a quick check
on eBay shows a couple for around $7,000 - entirely unreasonable!Â* I saw
a couple of Revox A-700s for sale in Europe for about the same price in
today's dollars as they cost in mid-1970s dollars.Â* It's practically a
Studer. There's still hope for an Ampex AG-440. Someone has a 440b on
Reverb for $2200, pickup-only in Brooklyn. It's not the gentlest
machine, but it's a fine playback machine if the heads are in good shape
and everything is properly aligned.

It looks like unless you get a beater or get very lucky, a pro-quality
studio 2-track tape deck is going to cost around $5,000. I asked Mara if
he would be offering a playback-only JH-110 at a lower cost - he said
he's considering it, but really, since the electronics are record/play,
the only saving would be the record and erase heads and the time to
align the record electronics.

You'd have better success if you invented a time machine, went back 10
years, and scarfed up a few tape decks.

I'm not looking to start a business. It's all for personal use.

Back in the day, the MCIs (as I recall) were advertised as having the
best transports. At NAB, they offset the supply and take-up reels, and
the machine played without any wow or warble from the setup. Some
machine, maybe the MCI, had such a good transport that you could put a
3" reel on the supply and a 10-1/2" reel on the take-up side, and it
worked great.

That's what I want. I'm willing to pay $5,000, but $15,000 is too rich
for me.