I picked one these up locally for $20.00, a bit dusty, but not all scratched and gouged. It's 3 motor, 3 heads. The R/S reel table wouldn't spin. I removed it and the drives and the brakes work. I couldn't get the reel table on without creating some kind of bind after about 1/3rd of a revolution.
I installed 3 .0480 washers between the table and the drive unit and the bind is gone. I'm concerned about changing that distance. Will the tape guides keep the tape in position since this is for the take up reel? I did a quick head cleaning/demag and threw in a tape and she's playing well. I'm sure it's a middle of the road machine at best, but for $20.00 and a 10 minute drive I had to throw a bid on it. Need to get in and clean up the output pot, and replace the counter belt. It has a normal and specia; tape switch, so I assume that's for chrome tape? Any idea on what the SOS and Echo functions are? I see no pause switch, so I guess you have to start recording on the fly?

I've never had my hands on one of these machines, but I beleive that this was the little brother to the TC-650s.

The SOS = Sound on Sound. This was a feature for "bouncing" tracks on the machine so that you could record one channel, then another, and lay down one part after another in Mono. I doubt that very many people ever used this feature.

The Echo feature is a way of creating an echo by feeding back the output to the input and taking advantage of that short delay from the record to the play head to create a "slap echo" effect. I used to have lots of fun doing this as a kid.

Your bias setting has nothing whatsoever to do with "chrome" tape. Chrome tape was largely a cassette phenomenon (ok, there was "EE" reel to reel tape for a short while, but that's a completely different story).

Hi bias on a reel to reel machine means Low-Noise High-Output tape. Low or standard bias meant mostly some super ancient ferric oxide formulations. But what you think of "normal" bias tapes on your cassette deck were actually roughly the same formulations as what was called "high-bias" on a reel to reel. Confused yet? :D

In short, the whole bias terminology does not map well between cassettes and reel to reels. This is probably why when they finally did introduce a "chrome" tape formulation for reel to reels in the early 80s, that they called it "EE" instead of high-bias.

Good info, thanks. Would I use the special setting if I recorded, or played back on something like a Maxell UD 35-90 tape?

Good info, thanks. Would I use the special setting if I recorded, or played back on something like a Maxell UD 35-90 tape?
This setting is for Maxell UD 35-90, Scotch 207 Sony SLH-180 (not recommended because it sticks to the heads.)
The height of the take-up reel needs to be adjusted such that when the deck is in play, the tape is centered between the flanges of the take up reel. The reel table is held in place with 2 allen set screws and you loosen the set screws and adjust the table to the correct height. On most decks you can get to the set screws either from the top of the deck by removing a panel, or you have to remove the transport from the cabinet and get to the screws from the top or the side. Sony provides access holes in the side of the chassis on some decks. The washers you put in are not necessary when the reel is adjusted and attached correctly. From what I have seen of this deck, it is a very nice deck, definately not middle of the road. Great find!

If this had dropped in my lap, I would very definitely oil the motors and capstan, and treat all switches and controls in the signal path with Caig DeoxIT D5.

Sony reel-to-reels are notorious for the amber-colored grease which gradually changes into bubble-gum.

Fred Longworth
StereoTech Classic Audio Repair
http://www.repairaudio.com

Thanks Fred & Doc. I do plan on doing some PM to it, but didn't want to expend much time or energy on it until I verified the transport worked. So far, the shims are doing the job, the tape is in the guides and seems fine. Should be able to get in there this weekend and see if I can adjust it properly.