Hello Hello.. proud owner of one of these beautiful machines.. The Machine I have is in near mint condition and has been working perfectly and sweet for about 6 months .. I have been noticing minor issues regarding: Idler Wheels for the 4TR, 45RPM wont engage, Dirty Fader Crackle ...

i have been using it to record old LPs into ProTools on my PC .. and have done 30 so far using this machine ..

So what made me post this lol?

well I had been gone for the weekend and just sat down to turn it off and put my headphones on and the power switch seemed to have become really loose.. followed by some crackling thru the speakers and smelled a little smoke .. I understand these Consoles are old and may need a better cleaning then I can provide but I wish not to let this beautiful piece of Equipment go ... I will post pics of the unit..

does anyone have any suggestions on where to start.. I have located a place in MI that sells the Idler Wheels however a local shop here in Chicago can make their own.. my Main concern at THIS point is the power switch .. the power is ON.. but I have the machine unplugged in fear that the Circuit underneath the face plate is now FRIED .. I sincerely LOVE this CONSOLE and DO NOT wanna part with it ..

I have been quoted at around $300 for the Idler wheels and Cleaning of the tape heads and recalibration.. the Reel-to-Reel has working in all settings except for 7.5ips.. i did notice that it WOULD engage on 7.5ips with a little help .. i assume its bent (the arm its attached to) a little..

and the last thing it with the Capstan Wheel.. i noticed it grinding against a thing metal bar obviously attached by springs on both ends .. the fix was easy to think of but i don't want to remove any springs.. in fear that I would not be able to put Her back together again...

THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME AND ATTENTION

In your position, I'd take it to a reputable shop, despite the size of any quote they may give you.

This is no job for a novice, and if you insist on discovering that the hard way, it is extremely likely that you'll cost yourself far more than the shop will charge you.

Be advised and best regards ,

Larry

I am definitely NOT trying to fix this myself and understand that I probably should not attempt it.. it was working FINE.. for 6 months.. i even had the Reel-to-Reel recording,FF,RR, and Play.. I had removed the face plate just to SEE the mechanical inner-workings and to locate the sounds i had heard (capstan grinding on little metal bar on backside of R\R and why it would not engage the 7.5ips)...

I am just trying to find parts and or local repair shops in the Chicago-land area... and at least get a quote over the phone .. most places I have called say the unit is to old..

The "rocker" power switch is loose as of last night and for starters I would like that fixed .. however i'm worried that damage to the board (if any) would set this unit back more than $300 (calibration and cleaning of heads).. how expensive (ballpark estimate) should it be to get it back to original condition..

-Idler Wheels
-Capstan grinding fix (it just needs a spacer to allow free motion)
-Power Switch
-Rear Left leg
-45 RPM not engaging

I'm 30yrs old and have a nice range of LPs so I assume anyone with information on this product maybe my elder and I am not a vintage techy but understand that these Boards are relatively simple in design compared to electronics now days.. I also understand that this unit is at an "oddball" wattage ..

any information would be great and grand send me a message if you would like to see pictures of it ... I have the:

Original Mic x2 (working)
Headphones (not working)
ALL ORIGINAL PAPER WORK including warranty
"chuck" to access the 4TR

I know this was a few years ago but did you ever fix the issue? Just recently got myself a 4tr-990 and trying to get in touch with someone who has gone through the same experience