Cassette tape transplant

[NAD613]

Awhile back, I mentioned that Scotch brand cassette housings from the early 90's were noisy. I had forgotten about that until a couple weeks ago when I recorded onto a Scotch high bias tape I still had in the wrapper. It howled a great deal while FF or RW the tape.

I decided to do a tape transplant to another cassette housing. Not wanting to ruin a perfectly good TDK or Maxell, I went for an old Certron I had. I know, it's bottom of the barrel, but I didn't recall ever having one howl or whine in a tape deck while I was FF or RW-ing it. It turned out OK. Sure, it sounds like a cheap tape FF & RW-ing, it's no Maxell XLII-S, but it's better that the Scotch housing, which was the whole point.

Oh, and there were no problems with playback, either.

[Rat44]

Never hurts to try to make a silk purse out of a pigs ear.Good way to salvage old tapes.Wish I could pull that trick on my wifes 8-tracks.

[NAD613]

Another thing; when you put the housing back together again, don't tighten the screws too tight. If you do, it will quit rewinding when you get near the beginning of the side; it will just get slower & slower, then come to a stop.

[koltrast]

Best place for the Certron tape is the bin. I have ONE Certron tape and the tape surface resembles sandpaper, definitely not good for any deck.
I only keep this one for sentimental reasons, it is the 'master tape' of a live recording I made in the 70's. It's been copied to other formats now, but I just can't get myself to throw out the original.

[Web Police]

I have done the transplant quite a few times. I have subbed Triad tape shells for other tapes shells. I remember one instance where I had some tapes that had distorted from being left in a hot car in the sun. I swapped the tapes and reels to a new shells and they played fine ever since. :yes:

I save any tapes that have been eaten and use their shells as donors.

[ampegdan]

I recently transplanted a .25c copy of the Stones' 'Sucking In The Seventies' to a new Maxell UR shell because the metal plate under the pressure pad was rusty and the tape squealed. I felt so...cheap.

[NAD613]

I recently transplanted a .25c copy of the Stones' 'Sucking In The Seventies' to a new Maxell UR shell because the metal plate under the pressure pad was rusty and the tape squealed. I felt so...cheap.

Oddly enough, the metal plate & pressure pad of the Certron were in fine shape. I got those Certron tapes in the economy el cheape 3-pack at WalMart 15 years ago, just to see what they were like. The tape wasn't the best, but it's nice to know the housing is somewhat decent in case I need to do another transplant.

[jayk]

five years ago, i did the transplant thing with about 300 of my up to 35 year old cassettes. i bought a bunch of 5 packs of maxell reg. bias c-60s or 90s, they're cheap, throw out the tape in them, and put the old tape in the new shell.

works like a charm, breathes new life into the old tapes.