We are reeltoreeltech.com. We work on all types of reel to reel tape decks and tape echo/delay units, from mono tube machines to large 2" 24 track decks. We generally have around 250 decks in stock, and are ATR and RTM tape dealers.

UPDATE APRIL 2026: Now that the tariffs on Swiss products is down to 10% from 39%, we've reduced the price of this deck down to a much more reasonable level!

We spent the better part of the last year working on and restoring this mighty Studer A80Mk IV 2" 24 track tape deck. It came to us from Ardent Studios in Memphis, a 22,000 square foot recording studio that has been around since 1966, and their list of client is a who's-who, from ZZ Top to 3 Doors Down:

As is typical with any reel to reel deck that hadn't been used in years, it needed a lot of work. Since Studers are known for shorting capacitors, we replaced all of the caps in the audio cards and on the transport cards, with name brand caps from Mouser and Digikey. No cheap no-name cap kits go into our decks! We also did the following work:

-recapped the entire deck, over 430 capacitors have been replaced in the audio card and transport
-replaced all exploding Rifa motor caps throughout the transport
-replaced the pinch roller
-replaced assorted bearings as needed with NSK bearings. Again, no cheap bearings go into our decks.
-replaced all VU meter bulbs
-replaced the 'record' and 'ready' bulbs with LEDs
-cleaned all selector switches with DeOxIt
-lubricated the capstan motor with the proper Studer capstan motor oil
-replaced assorted trimpots as needed on the VU meter boards
-resoldered feedthrough solder joints as needed throughout the deck
-replaced the 'cal' buttons as required on the VU meter boards
-replaced the fans, as one was noisy and one was missing
-cleaned the transport and tape path
-calibrated all tensions and other facets as per the service manual
-set up each channel for +3db with RTM 911 tape
-calibrated all channels within 1db of each other at 15 and 30 IPS using MRL calibration tape
-test run the deck for 20 hours.

All told, over 120 hours of work was put into the deck, which breaks down as: 80 hours to recap, 20 hours to calibrate, and 20 hours to correct all the tiny defects like intermittent 'cal' buttons that we found as we worked through the deck. The parts alone are worth around $4,000.

Included in the pix are 8 channels of screen shots from the deck. The first 4 are at 15 IPS, the second four at 30 IPS. The deck is ready to record, and with the work done, will last for years to come.

The deck will be crated, and shipped via truck. The price of the crate is included in the purchase price, shipping is extra. The deck weighs 600 lbs+.

Also note that because the value of the deck is over $2500, we will need your SSN or EIN (business number) for the deck to clear customs.