My new TEAC A-1250 S - Dirtiest machine ever! (RESTORED PICS)

Mark_71

Member
I have never owned a R2R and hadn't planned on getting one. But I love tape and have many quality cassette decks, most I've serviced and fixed myself. Some recent health issues made me need a new project to keep my mind busy, so there was my excuse. The owner of a record store offered me my choice of a bunch of old R2Rs that were all in disrepair and hadn't been touched in decades. I picked up a TEAC A-1250 S for $20. There was a Telefunken too, but I didn't like the look (horizontal deck).

I planned on getting an AKAI, but I've worked on a TEAC cassette deck (650) and found it to be really well built. I've downloaded the manuals. Next step cleaning and some disassembly. It is one of the dirtiest machines I've ever worked on. No idea what all those white spots are, but they don't just wipe off with a wet towel. Want to see what 45 years of dust looks like?

Check out the BEFORE pictures. I'll post AFTER pics when I'm done. I've already ordered a pinch roller and a new capstan belt. And I've got a few pre-recorded reels for testing. Powers up and lights work.

Feedback and guidance welcome.

Description
The TEAC A-1250 is a semi professional tape deck for stereophonic and monophonic recording and playback with automatic reverse. It offers operating speeds of 7-1/2 and 3-3/4 ips.

Specifications
Track system: auto reverse, 4-track, 2-channel, stereo/monaural system
Motor: 2 x reel, 1 x capstan
Reel size: 5 or 7 inch reel
Tape speeds: 3 3⁄4 7 1⁄2 ips
Wow and flutter: 0.08% (7 1⁄2 ips)
Frequency response: 30Hz to 22kHz (7 1⁄2 ips)
Signal to Noise Ratio: 55dB
Total harmonic distortion: 1%
Crosstalk: 60dB
Input: 100mV (line), 0.3mV (mic)
Output: 0.3V (line)
Dimensions: 383 x 440 x 203mm
Weight: 17kg


BEFORE PICTURES

IMG_7425.JPG IMG_7422.JPG IMG_7421.JPG IMG_7415.JPG IMG_7414.JPG IMG_7413.JPG
 
The TEAC A-1250 is a semi professional tape deck....
HUGE OVERSTATEMENT !!! IMHO

"semi" professional. :) That's HiFiEngine talking. Just looking at the size of this you can tell it's a consumer deck. Pretty solid, thogh. Small profile, but still 38 lbs. All I did was clean the dust off and clean the heads with alcohol and I tried a basic test. I powered it on, threw a reel on, and was surprise that it played. Original belts I assume. Even the counter belt worked. At first the left channel was out, but that came on after a few seconds.

I'll replace the belts and maybe the pinch roller when the parts arrive.

The one problem I noticed was that the right take-up reel seemed to make a rubbing noise as the tape spooled on. I could see that the tape was hitting the side of the reel. At first I thought it was a noisy motor, but now I think it's the reel. Seems like a lot of people complain about this w/ R2R players. Some said it was warped reels. I have a metal reel on order. The ones I have now are cheap plastic ones that have been sitting on that player for decades.

No way can I have a player making any noise, very distracting unless the music is up loud. Maybe that's just me, but when I was at a store that specialized in old audio equipment, they demoed some R2Rs, including and AKAI, and I could easily hear the motor or tape rubbing on the reel on every single deck. When I asked about noise, the owner said that's normal for any old R2R. I just can't believe that.

The A-1250 S has a screw on each reel holder that's supposed to set the reel height. I haven't messed with that yet. Going to wait until I try another reel before I change the factory adjustments.

So far it's partially disassembled. Cleaned everything, CRC contact cleaner, DeoxIT, Brasso on the front metal plat and spool holders to get those white spots off, 3 drops of oil in each motor's oil tube, and replaced the old grease w/ white lithium grease. Waiting on parts now.
 
The A-1250 S has a screw on each reel holder that's supposed to set the reel height. I haven't messed with that yet. Going to wait until I try another reel before I change the factory adjustments.

This is a common problem with reels that are bent out of shape or warped. The procedure for adjusting the reel height is included in the service manual which is available for free download after registration from HiFi Engine (https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/teac/a-1250s.shtml). Here is a screen capture of the procedure that is in the manual:

Teac A-1250S Reel Height Adjustment.jpg
 
UPDATE - The TEAC A-1250 S restoration is done! Pics attached.

Take a look at the top thread to see how filthy this machine was when I got it. I cleaned it with alcohol, used Brasso to clean up all the shiny metal, replaced the rusted screws, sanded clean the heads of screws I couldn't replace, repainted the TEAC head cover plate, removed every bit of dust from the interior, DeoxIT and electrical contact cleaner on appropriate parts and boards, removed excess flux, replaced capstan belt w/ one I bought online, cleaned pinch roller w/ CAIG rubber renewer (not too much), cleaned heads and parts the tape touched with alcohol (they still need some work), cleaned up the faux wood sides, and replaced the power cord with a brand new one I also found online. I added oil to the all the motor tubes, to the capstan, and I replaced the grease w/ new white lithium grease (2 places). I had to adjust the reel height to prevent the tape from rubbing on the take-up reel - that worked perfectly. The reverse play works, but I'm not crazy about it. The little arm the tape wraps around on the right side jumps a bit when playing in reverse, but it's more of a visual problem, than a sound problem. I didn't replace any caps. Maybe some other day. No soldering either. The old TEAC just worked.

I tested a 7 1/2 Joan Baez tape and it sounded great. I was surprise how good it sounded compared to the R2Rs I demoed at a store. Once I adjusted the reel height and removed the rubbing issue the machine is quiet, you can't even hear the motor. I'm not planning on taping stuff, so I haven't tested the recording, I just like playing old pre-recorded reels, and they are surprisingly expensive.

TEAC1.jpgTEAC3.jpg
 
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Looks it's been stored (rather than used) for long, long time - which is good. What is the state of heads?

cheers,
 
If the guide arm jumps then there's probably something sticky on the tape that's catching it. Could be an old defective tape, could be something that was spilled onto the reel and left a sticky residue or it could be a piece of adhesive tape that oozed out glue onto that one spot and it keeps hanging up as it goes by. Clean the whole tape path again (especially the guides) and try a new tape.

Very surprised this machine didn't need pinch roller linkage service. Nearly all of these machines have sluggish pinch roller linkages that won't snap into place when the play button is hit. Usually the linkage has to be disassembled and the old grease removed, the pivot point needs to be cleaned and the grease replenished to get the linkage pivot point working properly again. This is just due to age, even if the machine was never used it usually has to be done. Great if yours isn't acting up. Please forget about caps, just enjoy it!
 
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If the guide arm jumps then there's probably something sticky on the tape that's catching it. Could be an old defective tape, could be something that was spilled onto the reel and left a sticky residue or it could be a piece of adhesive tape that oozed out glue onto that one spot and it keeps hanging up as it goes by. Clean the whole tape path again (especially the guides) and try a new tape.

Very surprised this machine didn't need pinch roller linkage service. Nearly all of these machines have sluggish pinch roller linkages that won't snap into place when the play button is hit. Usually the linkage has to be disassembled and the old grease removed, the pivot point needs to be cleaned and the grease replenished to get the linkage pivot point working properly again. This is just due to age, even if the machine was never used it usually has to be done. Great if yours isn't acting up. Please forget about caps, just enjoy it!

I am playing some pretty old tapes. That guide arm only jumps when I play it in reverse. Forward exhibits no issues. But these are old pre-recorded tapes from the early 1970s. I'm not the original owner so I have no idea how they were stored, but I'm surprised at how many musty reel boxes I get. I cleaned the guide arm extra well and it did not jump the next time I played it, but did after a few reels so I guess I should just make sure it stays clean. The guide arm seems to move quite freely.

As for the pinch roller, I did buy a new one, but decided to keep it as a spare until I'm positive that it needs replacement. I used CAIG rubber renewer and it cleaned up pretty well. It didn't seem too hard or shiny. I couldn't determine if it was easy to pull off the old one without destroying it, so rather than take a chance, I decided to keep it on until it causes issues. I'm kind of a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" guy. Plus this is my first R2R so I'm afraid of breaking something.

Interestingly, if I over-tighten the brace that holds the flywheel on, that seems to inhibit the pinch roller linkage, i.e. it doesn't move as freely and wouldn't snap into place when I hit the PLAY button. I did replace some of the grease that was under a few of the moving parts (there was already a little grease thee), but I did not disassemble or do much with the pinch roller linkage service. I saw it was held on by some type of clamp and I didn't want to mess with it in case I broke the clamp. I only figured out that over-tightening the flywheel brace caused a problem because it worked fine before I took the flywheel off and then got "sticky" after I put it back, so I experimented with millimeter margins until both the wheel was stable and the pinch roller moved smoothly again. You could feel that it was "stuck" and getting pressure from some where, but as soon as backed off a tad with that brace, it moved just fine.
 
Greetings from RojoLand!

I have a similar jumpy-tension-arm issue with my newly-resurrected A-6300 (which had been sitting in my garage for 25 years waiting for replacement heads). On another site I was advised that one cause can be little grooves worn into the flanges of that guide by tape edges over the years, and they can catch on tape going in reverse very easily. I carefully buffed them out (need to do more of that) and got quite a bit of improvement. I'm also told that applying Nu Finish to the guide will help.

You did a great job on your A-1250!

Take care,

J. E. Knox "The Victor Freak"
 
Greetings from RojoLand!

I have a similar jumpy-tension-arm issue with my newly-resurrected A-6300 (which had been sitting in my garage for 25 years waiting for replacement heads). On another site I was advised that one cause can be little grooves worn into the flanges of that guide by tape edges over the years, and they can catch on tape going in reverse very easily. I carefully buffed them out (need to do more of that) and got quite a bit of improvement. I'm also told that applying Nu Finish to the guide will help.

You did a great job on your A-1250!

Take care,

J. E. Knox "The Victor Freak"

How did you buff them out? Was any compound used? I have all kinds of things at home, but not sure what would be the best to use. Thanks!
 
Congratulations on marvelous work to an excellent deck. The term "semi-pro" is certainly open to interpretation but valid on these line of decks when you consider the lineage and comparison to typical decks available to the consumer at the time. IMHO time proves this assertion.

Interestingly, if I over-tighten the brace that holds the flywheel on, that seems to inhibit the pinch roller linkage, i.e. it doesn't move as freely and wouldn't snap into place when I hit the PLAY button. I did replace some of the grease that was under a few of the moving parts (there was already a little grease thee), but I did not disassemble or do much with the pinch roller linkage service. I saw it was held on by some type of clamp and I didn't want to mess with it in case I broke the clamp

Please do go back to clean and lubricate the pinch roller pivot point. Past what you have already done you only need to remove 2 short #2 head Phillips screws which connect the activating solenoid plunger. Interestingly if these are not tightened to where the bracket rides evenly on the plunger it will also bind after the flywheel backing plate has been fully reseated. There's plenty of tolerance so it's only an issue if you are far to either side. I use a short stubby screwdriver with an easy gripping handle. Be sure to remove the side panel for easier access. Push firmly so as not to strip the screw head. Remove one but only loosen the other screw for the auto shutoff switch so it can be rotated out of the way.

The little arm the tape wraps around on the right side jumps a bit when playing in reverse, but it's more of a visual problem, than a sound problem. I didn't replace any caps. Maybe some other day. No soldering either. The old TEAC just worked.

My 1250 works well but I use the 2300SR more often. That model added an additional right side guide, presumably to assist tape guidance in reverse mode. I can't imagine in any case where pushing the tape would be as good as pulling it but with that trade-off aside it is still a convenience.

And you said it: "The old TEAC just worked".

Decks with servo controlled reels and tension arms would provide more delicate tape handling but at the cost of much greater complexity. Also, the fan noise at high speed on these series of decks is louder than I would prefer but not problematic. Otherwise these are great machines that have stood the test of time.
 
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Please do go back to clean and lubricate the pinch roller pivot point. Past what you have already done you only need to remove 2 short #2 head Phillips screws which connect the activating solenoid plunger.

Agree, it's best to go back and make sure everything is properly aligned and lubricated. Nothing should bind when the screws are properly torqued, if it does then the linkage is probably frozen and the entire internal pivot point sleeve is moving which is no good. The internal sleeve must remain stationary while the outer linkage moves to activate the assembly, so if it stops moving when you tighten it up it sounds like the inner sleeve is stuck to the outer sleeve due to old grease. Even if the pinch roller mechanism is working I would recommend cleaning and re-greasing the pivot point since it is such a common problem on all of these decks.

If you go back and take the linkage apart to clean it please be sure to note the lengths of the screws removed and where they went. If a slightly longer screw gets put back in the hole where a short one was supposed to go you will dent that beautiful faceplate from the inside out and it can't be undone.
 
Greetings from RojoLand!

How did you buff them out? Was any compound used? I have all kinds of things at home, but not sure what would be the best to use. Thanks!

I used the thin edge of a half-round needle file, VERY VERY gently (too much and you can deform the flange), just enough to knock off the ridges. Even a stiff fingernail works to some degree. I got hold of some Nu Finish car polish and will give the guide a dose of that.

Take care,

J. E. Knox "The Victor Freak"
 
If the guide arm jumps then there's probably something sticky on the tape that's catching it. Could be an old defective tape, could be something that was spilled onto the reel and left a sticky residue or it could be a piece of adhesive tape that oozed out glue onto that one spot and it keeps hanging up as it goes by. Clean the whole tape path again (especially the guides) and try a new tape.

Very surprised this machine didn't need pinch roller linkage service. Nearly all of these machines have sluggish pinch roller linkages that won't snap into place when the play button is hit. Usually the linkage has to be disassembled and the old grease removed, the pivot point needs to be cleaned and the grease replenished to get the linkage pivot point working properly again. This is just due to age, even if the machine was never used it usually has to be done. Great if yours isn't acting up. Please forget about caps, just enjoy it!
Hey, first time R2R owner as of today. I have a teac A1250 (no s) and my pinch roller does not click into place. After loosening something (complete virgin here, even had to Google how to put a tape on, ha) in the rear I'm able to get it to click over by gently pushing it. My question is, do you have info on how to do a pinch roller linkage fix? Secondly, after manually clicking the pinch roller in place it seams to work except the music is extremely faint and I mean barely hearable on max volume. Any help would be so appreciated and I'd be very thankful. Thank you.
 
Hey, first time R2R owner as of today. I have a teac A1250 (no s) and my pinch roller does not click into place. After loosening something (complete virgin here, even had to Google how to put a tape on, ha) in the rear I'm able to get it to click over by gently pushing it. My question is, do you have info on how to do a pinch roller linkage fix? Secondly, after manually clicking the pinch roller in place it seams to work except the music is extremely faint and I mean barely hearable on max volume. Any help would be so appreciated and I'd be very thankful. Thank you.
I actually didn't mean to post that quite yet... After continuing reading I see what I loosened is the flywheel base. So I need to take the pinch roller linkage apart, clean and add new grease. Is there any instructions on how to do this? This machine is in imaculat cosmetic condition. It's not my first choice in an r2r but it's pretty and the price is right. Figured it good as my first one.
I can probably Google how to fix that since it appears to be a common issue. I guess my real concern is the extremely low sound when playing... I'm such a virgin I might not even have the right speakers... That's how lost I am but I catch on quick, ha.
 
Well well well.... Finally, it's almost midnight and I got this mofo (pardon my French) working... Even if it is some Ormandy orchestra playing, Im flipping pumped. I told you I catch on quickly, haha.
 
I actually didn't mean to post that quite yet... After continuing reading I see what I loosened is the flywheel base. So I need to take the pinch roller linkage apart, clean and add new grease. Is there any instructions on how to do this? This machine is in imaculat cosmetic condition. It's not my first choice in an r2r but it's pretty and the price is right. Figured it good as my first one.
I can probably Google how to fix that since it appears to be a common issue. I guess my real concern is the extremely low sound when playing... I'm such a virgin I might not even have the right speakers... That's how lost I am but I catch on quick, ha.

If you clean the linkage properly it will probably straighten out the low sound output too. Chances are the low sound level is being caused by stuck tape lifters (the guides that drop down and pull the tape away from the heads when the pinch roller disengages). The tape lifters are directly connected to the pinch roller linkage so even if you have the pinch roller kind of pulling up into place the rest of the linkage that retracts the tape lifters is probably still not pulling up all the way. BTW this will prevent the machine from erasing and recording properly too since the tape won’t be in full contact with any of the heads.

There are probably a million videos on how to clean and lubricate the linkage properly on YouTube and almost as many threads on it here in this forum if you do a quick search. Even if you get it to work marginally by lubricating the linkage pivot it still needs to come apart and get cleaned up to work reliably. The grease turns into adhesive over the years and it will fail again pretty quickly if you don’t clean it out of that pivot sleeve and replace it with some fresh white lithium grease.

One other thing to watch out for on that machine is the forward / reverse control lever switch. The contacts on that switch are kind of delicate and a they are a major PITA when they start going bad so it’s best not to use it unnecessarily. Use the buttons to starts and stop the machine and use that lever to select the direction only rather than shifting the lever when the machine is rolling, it’ll help prolong the life of the switch.
 
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