Reel to Reel

Maintanence:

Mr. Fixit. If you have some tools (nothing special), some fixit experience, you can do most or all of it yourself.

I haven’t needed to work on one of mine or my sons (4 total) in years (except normal head/capstan rollers clean/oil). I can do anything physical to them, but nothing electronic. These Teacs are built like tanks, the old grease and old belts turn to glue. 6 screws the case is off. Remove all the junk, new lithium grease, new belt, the brakes need to be adjusted, the height of the reel decks need to be raised/lowered to align the tape with the heads and avoid the tape rubbing on the reel edges.

Not always needed, but when apart I take the motors out, apart, clean moving parts and electrical contact points, lube, back together. Mark their screw positions and pay attention before removal and disassembly, just careful common sense.

resistor adjustors for ff and rewind speeds, tape tension for fwd and rev play speeds, ..... like an old carburetor idle speed and fuel mixture: one effects the other, take your time, wait, tiny adjust, wait ..... you will get it. also, like a carb, you make the adjustments while it is running.

I find heads stay aligned, and I have even replaced the entire plate with pre-mounted heads with success. Alignment perfection needs a professional. Worn heads can be found or re-conditioned.

Sony at one point brought out a Beta VCR that could lay down a near-CD level response if used to lay down 2 chan audio only....

Worked well enough for me to let go of an A77 Revox; the blank 10" were a splurge to get and filled up too fast at 15.5...

The Sony did do that, tho'.....and shortly after, the VHS format 'won'....

The only 'revenge' (of sorts) was that VHS got DVD'd... and the story continues with D2D.....and streaming, and file types, and....

...not even mentioning the cassette era, although we've got 2, a 'single' Nak and a 'double' Yamaha deck....and 'bout 130 cass's....

You can chase the 'bleeding edge' of the tech d'jour...
But all you're going to get is splattered... ;)

...but I'm just an optimistic cynic 'bout this sort of progression......

bbarten  -  Do you want to tinker, or just enjoy?  Many Audiophiles seem more focused on the process of how the music is reproduced than the actual music.  As an engineer, I suffer from that too. In the case of R-R, it is first and foremost a mechanical medium, and just like turntables (or sports cars, or a person's social life) it takes constant maintenance and attention to detail to keep working properly. 

From your comments on cost, you may be a bit like me, and not about to drop 10 grand on a whim.  I happen to have and love middle of the road R-R decks.  I've had probably a dozen over the years, and still have a stable of 4 Teacs that will be re-woken in the months to come. My Sony, Panasonic and even the Wollensak will get refurbished as time allows.  Unless you are like me or probably     
elliottbnewcombjr, R-R may be more trouble than it is worth, but like having a classic car, it is a matter of time, money and love. In fact, you might do best with a love triangle - a deck that really appeals to you, a good LOCAL tech to take care of your new love when it gets sick, and YOU.   Think of any tape medium as more like a pet - you have to understand its needs, exercise it, and get to know its idiosyncrasies well or you will both suffer.  

There are lots of forums that can offer help.  This one tends toward the high end, but not exclusively so, as demonstrated by the responses to this thread.  I won't recommend any particular brand because R-R decks are imposing pieces of equipment that demand attention, just like floor-standing speakers. They have to LOOK right to fit into your space.  There have been some good brands mentioned already, and just like buying a car, going cheap may easily result in your getting eaten alive with unexpected maintenance costs.  Again, that's where a knowledgeable friend or a good local tech can be your best guide (after this and similar forums, of course...)

My personal experience has benefited from watching what is popular on fleabay, checking the actual "Sold" prices of things that catch your eye, and then come back and make a few more "whadda ya think about..." posts here and elsewhere.  You can help others help you if you share what you think is "reasonable", what features you are looking for (quad prerecorded R-R tapes of any kind are essentially unobtanium for anyone who cares about costs), and for equipment this old, repairability and availability of parts is a major consideration.  R-R requires care and dedication, so if you are really only looking for a brief hookup with your high school crush, you may be better off just savoring the memories.  Either way, good luck!

Another strong endorsement for open RTR. My audio system is considered by many as exotic and end game in a dedicated 2 channel listening room. Because I was at a point of only modest improvements.in SQ with new hardware and vinyl re-releases, I thought to explore RTR. Four years ago, I started with an Otari MX5050 and upgraded to a fully restored Studer A810. The enhanced SQ was startling. RTR is relatively expensive media. I record and playback at 15 ips. The selections are limited — mostly jazz and classical. Their album equivalent in tape is $250-$500. Blank tapes for self recording are less costly, but not inexpensive. But in comparison to the source album, a well recorded tape at home sounds much better. There’re now several small domestic and international firms doing quality restorations.