Alright--- I just picked up a ReVox G36 r-to-r...

...for an **exceedingly** reasonable price (!) and I haven't fired her up yet, for a myriad of reasons-- the biggest one being that I don't have a variac, and I'd like to wake her up **slowly**....

The biggest attaction was the great amount of affection that I've seen expressed by other owners of the machine, and that it seems guaranteed to spread its warm "tube-y" goodness into my heart, once it's up and running...

The serial number on this is over 70,000, which I'm told makes it a "Type III"... this seems like a good thing, but I' must confess, I haven't read up enough to be considered well-versed on the functions of my new little bundle of joy... so, I'm about to go off and spend some time with the owner's manual...

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that it needs at least a bit of service and adjustment-- I do know that it'll probably need a new capstan, since it seems to have been manufactured with the one that works on a current comprised of the standard European 50 cycles/sec., rather than the US standard of 60.

Anyone have any words of wisdom, as I get my feet wet with this?-- it very well may need some new tubes, also, which I assume means NOS, but whose flavor (Telefunken's..., Mullards..., etc.)?

Thank for any help (and hopefully, words of encouragement!), folks!!

-Kevin

 

Like this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1945758535

http://translate.google.com/transla...?q=Revox+C36&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=G

I've never heard one but I'm sure it will sound nice. Be prepared for the belts to be brittle, time to buddy up with a ReVox collector/enthusiast!

I'm still waiting for this one:

http://www.studer.ch/images/27alarge.jpg

 

Ja, dat's der vun, Chollie...

...but at less than half of **that** current price.

Belts, eh...? OK, noted.

Any preliminary maintenance I should run first? I assume a good swabbing of the tape path would be in order, but is there anything else I might want to look for?

Signs of excessive wear on the head assembly? How would I know how much is **too** much? Or is that something that only a listening test will reveal?

Questions, questions...

..still seems like a pretty cool machine, though!!

-Kevin

 

Do you know where it came from or the last time it was switched on?

The belts are usually the killer on these machines. They dry out and then snap like rubber bands. (Don't worry, there are Revox nuts who have new parts).

The heads? Well, play something and see. If it sounds good, yer in! Look at the head gap through a strong lens after cleaning. How much wear is on there?

 

Unfortunately, I don't have any info on when it last saw service.... the seller, who gave me the serial number figure, evidently didn't use it either... prior to the sale I asked whether it had the lid (not pictured in the sale illustration) and AC cord (since I didn't see it either, I assumed it was detachable)... he indicated that it **did** have the lid (always a good sign), but that he didn't have an AC cord for it. Well, fair enough, I think- I can replace that easily enough, if it's not a proprietary connector.

Well, I just **now** dug out the manual and found out that the input/output area has a plastic cover over it-- so I opened up the panel and not only saw the "missing" AC cord (hardwired, of course ), but noted (to my delight) that I actually just bought a model that's set up for 117 volt/60cycle USA current-- so it appears that I may not have to get that capstan assembly after all!

After I swab her down, I may gingerly try to start her up-- I'll find an expendable pre-recorded reel and use that for my initial experiments...

At least now I know not to freak if something doesn't turn properly-- I'll check the belt before I assume that it's a bad motor...

Thanks for the tips, Steve!!

-Kevin

BTW - what a **beautiful** Studer you're looking for...!!

 

Yeah, swab the heads and fire it up. It won't blow up or anything.

I figured it was a "North American" model.

Any idea what type of valves are in it? Do you have a tube tester?

 

No tester, unfortunately...

...and I haven't had a chnce to crack it open yet to visually check the tubes, but I'll do that tonight, after I look over the tape path and head assembly. When I find out what's in there, I'll let you know...

Again, thanks for the words of encouragement!

-Kevin

 

No, I didn't buy one. I'd like to "run into" one somewhere though. I doubt they made it to America. It just looks neat!

 

Yeah. I doubt it though.

I have one of these:

http://users.senet.com.au/~poneill/Ampex_351-2.jpg

Beautiful portable 351-2. I've mastered a lot of stuff on this sucker!

 

OK - here's the tube list....

... the ReVox requires the following:


4 - 12AT7/ECC81
1 - 12AU7/ECC82
5 - 12AX7/ECC83
2 - 6GW8/ECL86


As for what's in there right now... well, let's just say I have the United Nations of tubes.... (Hungary, Japan, UK, Korea... you get the idea)

(In all fairness, it **does** power up, though-- lights, meters and the whole bit.)

I'm guessing that the 12AX7s should be replaced with Telefunkens, and the 12AU7 with a Mullard (since Steve thinks the Tele AU7s are too "slow"), but what about the 12AT7's and the 6GW8's?

Also... two of the 12AX7's are shielded, but the metal sleeve is pretty tight around each of the current tubes... any solutions on how to gently work it off, in order to replace them?

Thanks for the help, folks...!

-Kevin

BTW - the tape path was-- let's say, **definitely used**... it took 6 swabs to clean out the extra oxide!!

 

Wow, that's a big giant tube monster.

Don't worry about the tubes in the recording circuit (unless you are planning on doing recording obviously). I just use my Ampex for playback, so the brand of tubes in the recording section don't matter to me, as long as they are good.

It's the playback tubes that will count the most. Judging by your UN of tubes in there, I'd say the thing was in use quite recently.

Use a little liquid goup on there to loosen the hum guards. Heck, can't think of the name of that stuff in a spray can WD-40 or a silicone spray--sparingly.

Play a tape on the sucker already!

 

Steve H.:

I'll pick one up tomorrow, I promise...!!

In the meantime, though-- here's what the innards of one look like...

...."big giant tube monster" is right... and I can hardly wait to hear it!!

-Kevin

And thanks for the advice, Mr. Graham-- believe me, I'm heeding it... I've seen something analogous happen with video tapes, and I'd hate like hell to screw up something irreplaceable.

 

Well, looks like the great experiment will have to wait for a little while... because it turns out that I have FF and REW, but no PLAY function...

The motor doesn't seem to engage at all (at least there's no torque or tension that occurs when I hit the button), although I can hear a flywheel (or a motor) shifting gears when I attempt to change the speed.

If there's a belt underneath from the PLAY motor that leads to the drive shaft, it's possible that's what's gone bad... the upper belt (just under the plastic facing) is fine-- and of course, works for FF and REW...

So for the moment, I'm stumped, but I'll give the problem some more thought... it may that a visit to "the shop" is the best alternative.

-Kevin