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[chrisgixer]

Remember them?

Rubbish I know, but this particular cassette player is attached to a Sharp gf 777 boombox. Typical 1980s geto blaster. Massive power output to go with the massive size and worth in the region of £500 quid to collectors.

The cassette player is a bit muffled quality wise. What can I do? Will a cassette head cleaner do more harm than good?

[Radar]

I used to dip a cotton bud in an alcohol based solution and then gently clean the tape head - did help a bit.

I don't see a head cleaner doing any damage but if it is old it might just place more dirt onto the head

[Kevin Wood]

Chances are the head is out of alignment (or a mechanical failure has made it so). Or the recording you're playing is so old it has degraded.

I've got a Sharp ghetto blaster as my garage radio. Saved it from the skip a few years back with not a mark on it. Don't think I've got a tape to try in it - unless there's one lurking in my CCR2006.

[Kevin Wood]

Blimey! Just googled it. That's a proper rasta radio.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Remember them?

Rubbish I know, but this particular cassette player is attached to a Sharp gf 777 boombox. Typical 1980s geto blaster. Massive power output to go with the massive size and worth in the region of £500 quid to collectors.

The cassette player is a bit muffled quality wise. What can I do? Will a cassette head cleaner do more harm than good?

Sell it to a wealthy rastafarian.

[MR MISTER]

Try the cotton bud with meths trick, and try and get hold of a decent audio tape to test it with.

DON'T start fettling, or you'll knacker it. Give it to someone who knows what they're doing cause it's worth saving.

[chrisgixer]

Blimey! Just googled it. That's a proper rasta radio.

It is indeed. A beast. As long as me arm. ...and the radios quite big too!


(Stop groaning at the back )

[bigegg]

Blimey! Just googled it. That's a proper rasta radio.

It is indeed. A beast. As long as me arm. ...and the radios quite big too!


(Stop groaning at the back )

That's what *he* said 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Don't use meths as it leaves a residu, I decent alcohol or aacetone product is needed, lack of treble is usually head alignment, easy to adjust with a screw driver

[MR MISTER]

Don't use meths as it leaves a residu, I decent alcohol or aacetone product is needed, lack of treble is usually head alignment, easy to adjust with a screw driver

Well you do it for him cause the ham-fisted bastard will damage it.

[dad1uk]

One side of the head should be held by a small screw and a spring, this is the one you adjust the head with.
You can not hurt anything by adjusting it but it may make a huge difference to the playback!

[AndyRoid]

One side of the head should be held by a small screw and a spring, this is the one you adjust the head with.
You can not hurt anything by adjusting it but it may make a huge difference to the playback!

You can do physical damage if you go too far, and it will definitely make a difference if you don't get the azimuth correct.

Chris, use isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud to clean the tape head.
Given the age of the unit, it probably would benefit from a proper service and clean up.

[chrisgixer]

Don't use meths as it leaves a residu, I decent alcohol or aacetone product is needed, lack of treble is usually head alignment, easy to adjust with a screw driver

Well you do it for him cause the ham-fisted bastard will damage it.

Aah was I a bit rough last time.

[zirk]

Meths and cotton buds will be fine if you cant get your hands on the proper Alcohol stuff, used to use Meths all the Time on 2" Studio Machines and again when I was at Laskey's and Comet's moons ago.

On Cassette decks, push play without a Cassette in, dip the Cotton Bud into the cleaner pull some cotton off slightly from the bud (making it bushy) then catch it on the rolling pinch roller(s), the cotton will wrap itself around the pinch roller pully whilst its running and give the rubber roller a good clean for about 30 seconds then pull off.

Heads, look for tape wear across it, where the tape will run across it, if its not worn, just clean it, if its worn there fairly easy to replace.

Azimuth alignment shouldn't have moved, as the adjustment screw should have been locked down with varnish or lock tight, if it does need adjusting, idealy done with Dolby Test Tape and Oscilloscope, or a White Noise Tape and adjust by ear.

Belts and Clutch, replace or if there ok whip the belts off and clean with meths an then a good scrub with fairy liquid in your hands, dry, check for cracks, long time unused bends and replace, clutch, check operation and its not dried up, re grease or replace if needed.

   

[AndyRoid]

Remember them?

Rubbish I know, but this particular cassette player is attached to a Sharp gf 777 boombox. Typical 1980s geto blaster. Massive power output to go with the massive size and worth in the region of £500 quid to collectors.

The cassette player is a bit muffled quality wise. What can I do? Will a cassette head cleaner do more harm than good?

Sell it to a wealthy rastafarian.

They'd have to be obscenely rich, if memory serves me correctly a set of Duracell batteries (10x D cells) would last around 3 hours max in those when playing tapes.