I have a Marantz 5020 deck--great shape in all aspects EXCEPT it plays too fast. I've noticed that a few of these decks listed on eBay over the years have the same problem. What's the wrench in the works with these? Is is an easy fix?

1. Welcome to AK!
2. Not sure what was wrong with them, but even back in the late 70's, a friend's brand new two-speed SD 5000 ran fast as well. :dunno: Going to have to look on the back of the capstan motor or perhaps on a circuit board for a speed adjustment pot.

Tom

Is the speed always fast from the time you power it on to after playing
it for awhile ?

My AKAI deck had a leaky capacitor across the motor windings
which would cause the speed to get progressively slower the
longer it played. Replaced the cap and all is now well.

I've never noticed it slowing down after a while. I guess...to be honest...I've never played it long enough because I can't stand listening to it for too long. It's like playing a "33" at "45."

Like OvenMaster said, there should be a speed adjustment pot either on a circuit board, or inside the capstan motor. To adjust it precisely, you should have a test tape and a frequency counter or oscilloscope. If these aren't available, you could probably get by by just slowing the speed to your liking.