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I just spent ages writing a repair thread, but it deleted. Upshot was: easy to fix walkmans, bargains to be had on eBay with patience, eBay is mostly landfill. Major technical questions on tapeheads.net, but everything else is cleaning and belt changing.. if you get a really small screwdriver set, isopropyl alcohol and cotton buds, a Sony wm-d6c or aiwa hs202mkii, a load of records and some blank tdk sa90, you’ll have a good afternoon.

Edit - rough guide to best Walkmans http://www.tapeheads.net/archive/index.php/t-11015.html

Edit - my new nakamichi bx100 arrived today so I thought I’d update this post a bit. I got it off eBay for under £100, not a single scratch on it and it has proved my point that even shit tapes sound fantastic on these decks. All the common parts are readily available, there is a healthy service infrastructure for Naks if you’re not confident. And now I have now managed to restore one complete wreck (Sony wm-fs1), one semi-wreck Sony Wm-DD and a 70s tape/radio!

I bought a really rare Sony walkman and the seller lost it in the post, sent it to the wrong person and then couldn’t back.

So I now have a Sony wm-d3 and a Aiwa hs202.

Still annoyed though.

maxlevel wrote:I just spent ages writing a repair thread, but it deleted. Upshot was: easy to fix walkmans, bargains to be had on eBay with patience, eBay is mostly landfill. Major technical questions on tapeheads.net, but everything else is cleaning and belt changing.. if you get a really small screwdriver set, isopropyl alcohol and cotton buds, a Sony wm-d6c or aiwa hs202mkii, a load of records and some blank tdk sa90, you’ll have a good afternoon.

Edit - rough guide to best Walkmans http://www.tapeheads.net/archive/index.php/t-11015.html

Edit - my new nakamichi bx100 arrived today so I thought I’d update this post a bit. I got it off eBay for under £100, not a single scratch on it and it has proved my point that even shit tapes sound fantastic on these decks. All the common parts are readily available, there is a healthy service infrastructure for Naks if you’re not confident. And now I have now managed to restore one complete wreck (Sony wm-fs1), one semi-wreck Sony Wm-DD and a 70s tape/radio!

You're doing the Lord's work, max - highly inspiring.

My dad bought a Fisher stereo system back in the early 80's when I was a kid, so I grew up with a CR-120:



Those glowing analog level meters were my favorite thing about the entire stereo rig. I was shopping at Mississippi Records here in Portland a few years ago, and they had a black CR-125 on the shelf, and I did a triple-take as I had never seen that model before. It was priced at $75 USD, and I should have just bought it, but I wanted to see what they were going for. Of course, I went back to buy it later and it was already gone. I am tempted to pick one up again just for the nostalgia of watching those levels bounce.

deafmetal wrote:My dad bought a Fisher stereo system back in the early 80's when I was a kid, so I grew up with a CR-120:



Those glowing analog level meters were my favorite thing about the entire stereo rig. I was shopping at Mississippi Records here in Portland a few years ago, and they had a black CR-125 on the shelf, and I did a triple-take as I had never seen that model before. It was priced at $75 USD, and I should have just bought it, but I wanted to see what they were going for. Of course, I went back to buy it later and it was already gone. I am tempted to pick one up again just for the nostalgia of watching those levels bounce.

Do it.

I'm not a huge tape head, but did have the urge to get a deck back in my life last year with all the great cassette-only releases coming out...including our own album ha!

TECHNICS 630
Lots of really neat features on this bad dad, came in excellent condition and working very well - haven't even needed to change belt yet.
Feature: sliding 'airlock' perspex window, which dust-protects the business end of things.
Feature: horizontal top-loading cassette transport, with 'periscopic' viewing mirror. This allows you to look down into mirror once cassette loaded, and read label!
Feature: Very large, illuminated VU meters.

Also features Technic's patented HPF Head System - highly polished ferrite head, which apparently goes much easier on the tape and has exceptional magnetic characteristics!

Damn, some nice pictures above!

@Max: love that Nak! Always wanted one (the Dragon of course...) but I went the Beocord route.
@Deaf: always love analog glowing VU meters!
@ScoJo: I want that deck! Never really looked at Technics for a tape deck. But that tape carry mechanism looks brilliant.

@scojo - love those massive meters. Can you switch between VU and peak? I’m sure I read somewhere once that the bbc patented (their broadcast patent book is fookin massive) the speed at which a VU meter stick returns to zero! because if the stick returns too fast it was sending people to sleep. So the gentle ‘return to rest’ is very deliberate, and also gives peak readings a real noticeable upswing.

#nerd

I’m an audio engineer, these things please me

maxlevel wrote:@scojo - love those massive meters. Can you switch between VU and peak? I’m sure I read somewhere once that the bbc patented (their broadcast patent book is fookin massive) the speed at which a VU meter stick returns to zero! because if the stick returns too fast it was sending people to sleep. So the gentle ‘return to rest’ is very deliberate, and also gives peak readings a real noticeable upswing.

#nerd

I’m an audio engineer, these things please me

Well, there's a toggle switch that has settings for PEAK CHECK (In / OUT)? Always wondered what the heck that was!?

Bit annoying on that front actually - only the left meter is currently in operation. Not sure how much effort it would take to diagnose/fix the right one....my mild OCD manages to turn a blind eye quite honestly ;)

ScoJo wrote:

maxlevel wrote:@scojo - love those massive meters. Can you switch between VU and peak? I’m sure I read somewhere once that the bbc patented (their broadcast patent book is fookin massive) the speed at which a VU meter stick returns to zero! because if the stick returns too fast it was sending people to sleep. So the gentle ‘return to rest’ is very deliberate, and also gives peak readings a real noticeable upswing.

#nerd

I’m an audio engineer, these things please me

Well, there's a toggle switch that has settings for PEAK CHECK (In / OUT)? Always wondered what the heck that was!?

Bit annoying on that front actually - only the left meter is currently in operation. Not sure how much effort it would take to diagnose/fix the right one....my mild OCD manages to turn a blind eye quite honestly ;)

Whadaya know - that seems to be exactly what it is!

And, quite randomly, since the last time I played a tape....BOTH VU meters have now sprung into life!

It's a good day.

Been trying to play my D3 in the car. Lovely bit of kit, but I accidentally had the pause switch on and i did an entire commute pissed off because I’d have to fix it. Pause switch is a huge deal, it’s an entire circuit dedicated to pausing/stopping record mid-mix. But I didn’t see it! It made a horrible grinding noise.

So here’s my D3. It’s a little hissy as it need a good clean. You can see the tiny pause switch right where your pocket would rub

That's dead sexy. I'm in like with your Walkman.

Its a beauty! Here’s a size comparison. The aiwa is totally wonderful sounding also

Well, you know I love that D6 and I've always wanted a DD in legit condition, but I have to confess that, until recently, I was not familiar with that Aiwa. I may have to scrounge for one of them in the new year.

Well you won’t be disappointed at all if you get a good one, or maybe a average one and get it sent to one of the specialists for a tune up. The real advantage is the auto reverse, it’s taken for granted now with portable 50gb players but there is an art to flipping a tape in traffic which perhaps should be lost to the ages. It’s also got the DSL system which is pretty stunning and it really is pocket size compared to a DD.

Some of these Aiwas are totally stunning design wise, straight from the fashion catalogues. I love my one but there are some real crackers out there

Very cool gear @Max

So I’m still having trouble with eBay about the ‘lost’ Walkman above. The PayPal resolution centre is soul destroying, is this what we have become as a species?

Anyway, I bought this to cheer myself up https://www.walkmancollective.com/produ ... tte-player

Last two photos sealed the deal.

maxlevel wrote:So I’m still having trouble with eBay about the ‘lost’ Walkman above. The PayPal resolution centre is soul destroying, is this what we have become as a species?

Anyway, I bought this to cheer myself up https://www.walkmancollective.com/produ ... tte-player

Last two photos sealed the deal.

That is a badass machine, Max.

Very nice one @Max. Love the leather cover!

Cheers fellas! But I can’t see a play button. I may be going mad

maxlevel wrote:Cheers fellas! But I can’t see a play button. I may be going mad

Isn't the play button in this case the double arrow button next to the REV/FWD buttons? One for each side?

I think FWD is the play button for the present side of the cassette & REV plays the opposite (reverse) side of it. The double arrow buttons are the rewind & fast forward.

It is as Bub says.

It’s arrived... but i was out when the postman called... levels of excitement are fairly high

Edit - holy crap it’s here