KLUDGE@AGCB7.LARC.NASA.GOV (06/08/90)
For those of you who have not been following the story, I purchased a Revox A77
about six months ago upon Steve Graham's recommendation. It cost me $50.
Needless to say, it had a couple of minor problems, but it was a respectable
tape deck, even though it had quarter-track heads. However, when I was in an
automobile accident in February, the tape deck was somwewhat damaged. It had
flutter problems, and one reel turntable was bent. Also there was a severe
loss of high midrange response on record, not to mention the extensive damage
done to my car. (Owing to the other person having expired insurance and my
insurance company refusing to pay for an accident that was the other driver's
fault, I have not yet been paid insurance. But then, it was a $500 car).
Anyway, I sent it back to Revox. They told me it would be ready in a month.
It actually took three, but who is counting? It came in its own foamed packing
carton ($34), nicely bound up in steel tape, and arrived on my doorstep when
I returned from work this evening. Along with it was a large bag of parts,
including the capstan, the pinch roller, a turntable, capacitors, a power
transistor (used for the motor speed control), bearings, screws, steel bands,
and other interesting mechanical things. Also some fuses which were not the
right amperage. They relapped the heads, and replaced all manner of parts,
for a $372 fee. It was a bit of a thrill opening up the foamed cartons and
the huge numbers of plastic inserts and bags, almost like getting a completely
new piece of equipment.
Even better, it sounded like a new piece of equipment. Startling. The case
was dented and scuffed, and there was a strange hole in the rear and chips on
the buttons. But it was clean and magnificent. I decided not to buy a DAT
machine after all.
Kudos to the Studer/Revox repair people, who treated a 20-year-old piece of
equipment as if it were the latest model, and made it sound just as good.
If not better. If anyone can make the record amp clip, I'd like to hear from
you. I've been trying... I can even put a line level signal into the mike
input and the mike stages stay fairly clean.
--scott
(who has dealt with Tascam, Tandberg, Ampex (r.i.p) and Revox, and has
been more impressed by the Revox folks than the others combined)