Cassette Deck Repairs.. YES… oh YES I can do these. Google will have sent you here… and you are in the right place..
I have, since the 70’s been fixing all types of tape deck. I therefore have thousands of spare parts and the experience to fix almost any deck. It is a rare skill and I seem to be one of just a handful of guys now with the ability to do and love of these decks. We have taken on doing most of the Nakamichi decks in the UK now and get all the top models of Sony, Akai, Technics and the like.
I do indeed fix dozens of cassette machines each week now… BUT just remember I’m only fixing them, I need to reign back the enthusiasm a little…I’m not making them brand new again ! They’re like old classic cars.. that have sat unused for 10+ years.. and without many new parts available now you can’t always get them perfect- particularly if they’re very worn. The cheaper decks wear quicker and were used harder- so its generally the better decks that come out of this pretty much like new and not the lower end.
Note: Please state what your expectations are when you contact about a machine. You may just want to play a few tapes and are not too bothered about record.. or want to use it to make some mix tapes…. or make studio level master tapes for the next big group… so I sort of need to know this.. as more time and cost is needed to get it to the latter…and you might just want it to basically play for eg.
NAKAMICHI cassette deck repairs. Now the manufacturer doesn’t have a UK repair facility, we seem to have taken on most of the repair work. I can fix most faults on most machines, but some are quite unreliable. I’ve seen 400+ in the past 3 years alone so have a wealth of experience on all their decks and have sorted more than 40 Dragons- , ZX7, ZX9 CR7 etc…some in a horrendous state!.
You may also have heard our Sept 2020 Radio 3 Andy Kershaw show interview about my speciality of fixing old Sony WMD6C Walkman PRO cassette recorders.. Click Here for more detail on this model. That’s not all models of Walkman I do……just the Pro D6
1960’s – 70’s cassette Decks . SILVER cassette decks etc. Lots of troubles on these early machines. Overcomplicated, yet Poor drive power and rewind speeds, stability and average recording/play quality. Most will run again but you need to love it to want to spend what it will need. If you’re happy to have it going again.. I”ll try. But bear in mind we might only get so far.. some functions may never come fully right… recording… meters etc.
1980s-90s black ‘modern decks’. Yes most of these can be sorted and will work great again.. just watch though for auto-reverse ones as the head gears can break. Twin decks, particularly the plasticky ones can be a lot of work and double the cost too. All need belts, and their mechanisms stripping, cleaning and lubing.. after which I can give them a full calibration to get them back to A1 if they can.
So..yes SONY, JVC, TECHNICS, AIWA, PIONEER etc…I do all these and most Reel-Reels and sometimes 8 tracks too.
Not a full list by any means and I’ll add to this as I find time…
Any decent black tape deck, I can service and align/calibrate to get both record and play back to spot on (assuming heads/mech not too worn)
AIWA cassette decks. Yes I can usually fix all of those.. ADF400, 600 800, ADF810 etc. AD-F660 770 & 990 and the twin decks..ADWX717 929 etc … but bear in mind there’s twice the work on twins. (NOTE! AD-6900 NO. whilst it is a top model- its just about impossible to change belts or work on due to the way it was constructed. I’ve 3 here to play with one day- so for now it’s no…but fingers crossed. )
SONY TC-K511 TC-K611S TC-K870 and others from that series. I see dozens of these and can get them all going…. The mechanisms are all quite plasticky… and yet still have to run like a clock.. but I can get them all back spot on as they were really nicely made.
How much will it cost? I’m often asked.. A minimum service is like £60 + belts/parts used. These all have fiddly mechanisms and like a clock , need careful sorting out, so single decks typically £80 all in… (Twin decks will be £100-£120) Some that need new 3D gears or modern pinch rollers- add £10 a gear / roller… (some Technics have 4 belts, 2 gears and all 4 rollers to replace- like £80 in parts before you start)
Calibration… I always setup for the 3 tape types and speed…but can do a more critical setup for best performance on recordings if you require. Maybe add ~£30
OLD SILVER CASSETTES/ top loaders. Whoa there… So these are a real pain. Lots more belts and little tyres and clutches. Every one you spend several hours..so they’re not cheap.. lets give an idea of £100 to sort these. I fix em, run em then an hour later some other fault shows up… pull em apart again, fix em again… you get the picture? A fair percentage just won’t come right, don’t sound bang on any more… and will be more unreliable, which I don’t want blamed on my work. Many of the cheap ones weren’t designed with more than 3 years working life… and here we are 35 years later wanting them back in showroom condition… just can’t happen I’m afraid. I look at each on its merits and give it a go… but only 50% make the grade on average.
With 40 years experience, I’ve seen just about every Make & Model of cassette deck…and essentially grew up with them. I’ll have a go at any Tape deck and have a very good success rate… but cassette mechanisms are the toughest to get spot on…many tyres, belts and pinch rollers…all of which once over 20 years old will be like chewing gum. And a thousand fiddly parts, think of a clock mechanism.. but made with a lot of plastic instead!! Some are really awkward to get right once worn out. And they do wear out as unlike a clock , they were only designed to work for 2 or 3 years… 10 at the most. So a fair percentage just can’t be economically got going.. or if they can…it takes me hours & hours to get right.
Cassette Heads… wear out, or get dirty from the oxide on tapes clogging them up. If your deck has done many miles, the sound will go dull as a channel has physically worn into the heads top surface. (inspect with a torch to see for yourself).
New heads are rarely available, though I have an impressive collection of spare mechanisms that I can rob for spares…see pic..
We do offer a Mail order repair service- Contact us first please to discuss, then send your repair to our 92 Manchester rd address, packaged suitably for transport. Companies like Interparcel.com are good to find cheap ways to collect/deliver for around £15-20 each way – a safe way to transport goods IF PROPERLY PACKED !
