[Rich R]

Ok folks.

I have the opportunity of an almost brand new Tascam BR-20 Open Reel
Recorder being offered for £500, little used in original box with operators
manual and service manual. I'm sure you all know its a 1/4in 7.5/15ips 2
track.

I'm just soliciting opinions on this machines performance from those who
have experience of it, and do you think £500 is an acceptable price to pay.

Thanks
Rich

[Rick Ruskin]

On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:52:24 GMT, Rich R
wrote:

Ok folks.

I have the opportunity of an almost brand new Tascam BR-20 Open Reel
Recorder being offered for £500, little used in original box with operators
manual and service manual. I'm sure you all know its a 1/4in 7.5/15ips 2
track.

I'm just soliciting opinions on this machines performance from those who
have experience of it, and do you think £500 is an acceptable price to pay.

Thanks
Rich



Seems high to me. It might be worth half that amount.


Rick Ruskin
Lion Dog Music - Seattle WA
http://liondogmusic.com

[Tobiah]

Rich R wrote:
Ok folks.

I have the opportunity of an almost brand new Tascam BR-20 Open Reel
Recorder being offered for £500, little used in original box with operators
manual and service manual. I'm sure you all know its a 1/4in 7.5/15ips 2
track.

I'm just soliciting opinions on this machines performance from those who
have experience of it, and do you think £500 is an acceptable price to pay.

Thanks
Rich



Just curious, but why would you want to use tape for anything?
£500 pounds does seem high, unless you have a nostalgic desire
to own this thing.


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[Scott Dorsey]

Rich R wrote:
Ok folks.

I have the opportunity of an almost brand new Tascam BR-20 Open Reel
Recorder being offered for £500, little used in original box with operators
manual and service manual. I'm sure you all know its a 1/4in 7.5/15ips 2
track.

I'm just soliciting opinions on this machines performance from those who
have experience of it, and do you think £500 is an acceptable price to pay.

The bad news is that this is not a high-end recorder by any means, and is
maybe a step below the broadcast machines like the Ampex 440.

The good news is that they are a lot smaller and more convenient than a
440, which makes them worth more than they otherwise would be. People want
small equipment these days.

The better news is that they ARE available in new-in-box condition. For the
most part, analogue recorders are worth whatever their heads are worth, so
a machine that has brand new heads with no (or hardly any) hours on them is
worth good money, while the same machine with bad heads is worth nothing.

$500 seems fair for the machine just because the condition is so good. If it
were me, I'd pass it by, but then I don't mind putting some work into updating
an older machine. Lots of other people do.

Oh, and DO verify that it really IS in good condition, of course.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

On Sep 12, 3:52 pm, Rich R
wrote:

I have the opportunity of an almost brand new Tascam BR-20 Open Reel
Recorder being offered for £500

That's an opporutnity? The BR-20 is an OK machine and if it's in good
shape it'll probably last a long time. But whether it's a good deal
for you depends on what you'll be using it for.

An Ampex AG-440 (or maybe it's easier to find a Studer where you are)
is a better machine and though you're not likely to find one in almost
new condition, you're likely to find one in good working condition.
And I can tell you that it will be much easier a few years down the
road to fix an AG-440 or find someone to fix it than to fix a BR-20.
The Ampex is a lot simpler, has fewer hard-to-find parts, and a good
support group. I think that the BR-20 was selling for over $3,000 new
here in the US before it was finally discontinued last year and you
can bet that you'll pay an arm and a leg for parts if you can get them
at all.

I think that £500 is too much to pay for a recorder like this today.
Not that it isn't a bargain compared to the original price, but it's
just too much to have invested in something that will probalby become
an orphan before you're ready.

[Paul Stamler]

"Rick Ruskin" wrote in message
...

I have the opportunity of an almost brand new Tascam BR-20 Open Reel
Recorder being offered for £500, little used in original box with
operators
manual and service manual. I'm sure you all know its a 1/4in 7.5/15ips 2
track.

I'm just soliciting opinions on this machines performance from those who
have experience of it, and do you think £500 is an acceptable price to
pay.

Seems high to me. It might be worth half that amount.

And only if the heads are in good condition.

Peace,
Paul