Similar Listings

Huntington Beach, CA, United States
$2,199.99
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Originally $2,500, now $2,200 ($300 price drop)
Asheboro, NC, United States
Originally $1,599.99, now $1,449.99 ($150 price drop)
Asheboro, NC, United States
Originally $1,599.99, now $1,449.99 ($150 price drop)
Huntington Beach, CA, United States
$2,099.99
Salina, KS, United States
Originally $3,250, now $2,250 ($1,000 price drop)
Price Drop
Studer D780
Used – Very Good
Wheeling, IL, United States
Originally $2,600, now $2,340 ($260 price drop)
Nutley, NJ, United States
Originally $3,650, now $2,675 ($975 price drop)
Loxahatchee, FL, United States
Originally $1,995, now $1,650 ($345 price drop)
Austin, TX, United States
Originally $3,599, now $2,299 ($1,300 price drop)

Vintage Studer A80 2” 24 track tape machine. One of the best sounding tape decks ever made. 

This guy needs a little TLC. It was last in use around 2000 and it has been in temperature controlled storage ever since. I ran some basic tests on the machine yesterday and here’s what I found.

The tension on the right hub is very loose. Tape spills easily. I’m assuming this is a fairly simple fix as it feels purely mechanical. 

Despite the tension issue, I was able to get the transport running by using my hand to help compensate. All transport functions work normally. The machine plays, rewinds, fastforwards, and stops as it should. I was able to play some tones but only about 8 channels were showing audio. All cabling from heads appears to be fine (I took cables from channels that weren’t working and tested them in modules that were working and they were fine). I strongly suspect that this machine simply needs to be recapped and have the tension adjusted or possibly a part related to tension on the right side replaced and the new owner would have an amazing machine for very little money and a little tech time on the recap (which would be pretty simple on this deck since the cards are all modular).

I’m including the remote/locator but it will need some work. Unlike the deck itself, the remote was stored elsewhere where it, apparently, wasn’t cared for very well. Several buttons are stuck down.. It did light up when I plugged it into the machine but didn’t seem to be fully functional. I’m sure it could be brought back to full functionality but I didn’t mess with it for long.

The record head on this machine was replaced with a brand new one by JRF Magnetics about 2 years before the deck was taken out of service and the heads were also relapped and aligned at that time. The deck saw very little use those last 2 years and has been in storage ever since. The problems that exist (needing to be recapped and the tension issue) are both basically a result of the machine sitting unused for all of these years. 

Please feel free to ask questions! I’m happy to cooporate if a buyer wants to have this shipped so long as buyer makes all arrangements and pays shipped directly. 

 

Reverb Buyer Protection

Reverb has your back if your item is lost, damaged, or doesn't match its description. Simply report any issues within 7 days and we'll help you get a full refund.Learn more about Reverb Buyer Protection.

Listed6 years ago
ConditionFair (Used)
Fair condition gear should function but will show noticeable cosmetic damage or other issues.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • A80
Categories

Somewhere Recording

Cleveland, OH, United States
Sales:23
Joined Reverb:2016

Reverb Gives

Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music.

Carbon-Offset Shipping

Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments.

Oops, looks like you forgot something. Please check the fields highlighted in red.