Pioneer RT‑2022 (RTU-11 + TAU‑11) -- [EXCELLENT!!] + Serviced ($300!): Rare Complete Example w/ Covers, Cable, Original NAB Hubs, Original Take-up Reel -- Collector‑Ready

If you’re here, you already know the RT‑2022 isn’t just another Pioneer deck - it’s the outlier. A very rare outlier at that.

The one they built when the engineers still had the authority to overrule the accountants. The modular transport, the TAU‑11 amplifier/control unit, the field‑ready covers… this was Pioneer’s last attempt at making a machine for people who worked with tape, not just listened to it.

This unit is the kind collectors wait for because it checks the boxes that actually matter:

Full factory cover set with latches - almost never seen intact, and essential to the 2022’s original concept. Even routinely missing dust caps are there!!

Cosmetically excellent: no rash, no bruises, no excuses.

Now - this is NOT a New Old Stock unit. There are very minor imperfections on the case; there is some (barely perceptible) patina of time. The rear cover has been re-sprayed (there were some scratches when I got it), but you will not notice it unless you look...

The recent work included:

• Playback audio circuit
• Servo driver
• Right and Left channels of the amplifier
• Auto-stop adjustment
• New on/off light
• Lubrication and demagnetization of the heads

The chrome pieces are in excellent condition, with limited superficial pitting on some of the latches. Trim pieces are straight and bright. Very clean inside (see the 'nudie' pictures); what you see in the hi-res pictures are MICROSCOPIC dust particles. Very little if any corrosion; the heads are very good.

Includes:

• Connector cable - without it, the TAU‑11 is just décor (and good luck finding one)
• Original (not some knock-off) Pioneer NAB hubs
• Original (not a Chinese knock-off) Pioneer take-up reel
• Freshly serviced by a pro tech - (invoice was $300)
• Extra 10.5" TDK reel with tape (pre-recorded) - $75 "value"
• Three interconnect cables from that era

The 2022 has a presence that’s hard to describe unless you’ve lived with one. With the covers off, it has that unmistakable “broadcast‑adjacent” Pioneer look -- purposeful, overbuilt, and slightly eccentric in the best possible way. With the covers on, it becomes a piece of industrial sculpture from an era when even utilitarian gear had personality.

If you’re looking for a collector (museum?)‑grade example, this is the one you buy and keep. If you’re looking for a platform to actually use, this one has already had the work done. And if you’re looking for a complete 2022 with the covers -- well, you already know how rarely they surface.

IT IS A COMPLETE SET - with everything that you need to dive into the vintage HiFi right out of the box.

Selling only because I’m consolidating the collection and keeping the decks that fit my current aesthetic direction. This one deserves a home where its industrial character is appreciated.

Regarding the price -- this was top of the line, the most expensive open-reel decks Pioneer produced at the time. The cost then (1976) was $1,250 -- equivalent to $7,120 today, if these were still made.

So - a minor bargain... ;-)

Please have a look at the pictures and the video - it is in an excellent condition for a 50-year old unit.

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Perhaps you can find it listed elsewhere for less (and I have seen them go for MORE) - but, in my case, you would be getting a thoroughly checked-out and refreshed unit with no stories.

NOTE - the IRS now forces sellers here and elsewhere to pay taxes; expect prices to go up!

See the feedback; I don't buy items to flip - it's not a source of income for me (especially when you consider the Reverb fees), no matter what IRS would like to think. These are "rescues", something I enjoy doing.

It will go out well packed and fully insured - most likely through Reverb Safe Shipping (their coverage and customer service is very good) or UPS Ground directly (fully insured) - given the weight, it's not cheap but is WELL WORTH the surety it brings. I have shipped aplenty (and had many shipped to me - so I know what NOT to do). It will be shipped insured. So - this is going to be a sizeable package when all is said and done - I am not making money on shipping.

A standard disclaimer:    While the unit is fully operational to the best of my knowledge, it is being sold "as-described" because some folks here and on other platforms harbor peculiar misapprehensions about how a 40-50 year old piece of vintage electronics should look and function.   At some point, you would want to replace the belts.