Important!: The laboratory discontinue the partial repairs of cassette and reel tape decks from the JAN 2021. From JAN 2023 we support only full restoration process! We cannot process international request outside EU and cannot process machines more than 30 kg weight (the international sending of heavy parcels and machines from Bulgaria is limited!). For more details for any particular models you can look at the end of this post. The full restoration includes:
- New lights for VU meters and LED lighting modification;
- New lights for buttons;
- New pinch rollers based on Athan (or any other by request)
- Replacement of the bearings of the machine (Timken / US) or any other by request;
- Replacement of the heads (by customer request) or heads relaping;
- Replacement of the trim-posts;
- Replacement of the Aluminium and Tantalum capacitors (using Panasonic FC, Elna Silmic II and Nichicon BP – green series);
- Replacement of the Orange PP caps (Nakamichi issue);
- Replacement of Tantalum capacitors by request;
- Replacement of IEC power supply connectors and XLR silver connectors to prevent oxidation problems;
- Replacement of power supply capacitors;
- Oxide cleaning of contacts, switches and sockets;
- Oxide cleaning of the IC pins on sockets;
- Replacement of relays;
- Removing old grease and placing new grease into the mechanism;
- Replacing the belts and the rubber idlers;
- Head adjustment by using original test tools, test tapes and M-300 gadget;
- BIAS, LEVEL and EQ adjustment for any particular tape (supplied by the customer)
- Fixing motor issue – rebuild DC and AC motors and also capstan motors;
Full restoration for specific models:
(Prices valid from Jan 2023!)
In most cases the old machines needs of full restoration including full recap, new good quality belts, bearings, pinch rollers, dust cleaning and new lubrication. We make that in the lab and the cost for common known models is fixed (including the quality belts, parts and electronic components). Then the machine is tuned with original test tapes and gets one week test period in the lab. You can find your model as follows (it does not include the shipping cost and the cost for new heads). Sometimes the pro studio machines require specific components like tachometers, new capstan motors or broken air pots, lens, plastic knobs or legs, etc. All these components are additional (not included in the listed total price) because in most cases they are in working condition:
Domestic cassette decks:
- Tandberg 3014A/3004, TCD-910, Revox B710, B215, A710 – €1900;
- Alpage AL300 – €1700;
- Alpine AL85 – €1800;
- Akai GX-F91 – €1900;
- Dual C840 – €1500;
- Nakamichi CR-7, ZX-7, ZX-9 – €1855;
- Nakamichi Dragon – €1999;
- Hitachi D5500/D550M/D3300M – €2100;
Reel to Reel tape decks and pro studio master tape recorders:
- Studio R2R – Otari MTR-10 / MTR-12 (including improvement mods) – €3000;
- Studio R2R – Otari MTR-15 – €2600;
- Studio R2R – Otari MX-55 (including improvement mods) –€2400;
- Studio R2R – Studer A807 – €2500
- Studio R2R – Studer A810 / A820 – €3800
- Studio R2R – MCI JH16-24 and JH-24 (24 track 2″ tape machine) – €15’500;
- Domestic R2R Technics RS-1500 / 1700 series – €2300
- Ordinary 2 ch (stereo) R2R (Akai, Pioneer, Philips, Revox, Dokoder, TEAC, Tascam, etc) – €1900
Recalibration procedure:
If you have good working machine with no electrical and mechanical problems and the only required procedure is to adjust it, then you have to do the re-calibration procedure. The adjustment includes heads tuning (height, tilt, azimuth, etc.), tape speed adjustment, playback and Dolby levels setting, bias settings and recording level settings. This procedure is done using precise test equipment and its cost is €69 for cassette decks and €99 for R2R decks . The procedure does not include other electrical or mechanical interventions to the machine. Re-calibration of pro studio machines like Sony APR series, Studer A807/810/820 and Otari MTR15 cost €189.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.
Additional information
The repair of cassette & tape decks is complex process. These machines consist of electronic parts and modules, also a mechanical parts. Both needs to be serviced. The most common problems in electronics are the old capacitors (especially Philips and RIFA) and ICs, oxide contacts, bad switches and bad soldering. All of the capacitors need to be replaced with good ones for best final results. After that the machine must be calibrated again with reference test tapes and precise measurement equipment. Sometimes this procedure is not so easy and always require disassemble and disjoint all of the units.
The mechanics need new belts and new pinch rollers. Sometimes the motors need to be replaced (or restored), too. The cost of these new (NOS) parts is not too small. For example a replacement belt kit for Nakamichi Dragon is $80 to $90. Good capacitor kits for these decks is also the same price.
You can see some photos of the test equipment of the laboratory. We use precise test and measurement equipment, also test tapes to ensure for the good final results – laboratory test equipment.
Till the beginning of 2023 we can engage only with full restoration process and avoid any partial repairs!
Prices for service varies, but the cost per hour depends on complexity. You can see some original invoices from Nakamichi. The prices from the firs one is in GBP (England), the second one is based in Germany (prices are based on euro).
As you can see, the labour charge from the first invoice is about 360 GBP, which is about €450. The same charge from the second invoice is €168. These cassette decks are extremely old, so in most cases we need to change all electrolytic capacitors, all orange PP caps. Typical replacement cost is €5 per piece (not including the price of the capacitor). 
The mechanism need to be fully take to pieces, cleaning and lubricating and rebuilding again. These actions depends on the complexity of the machine and takes about 45 hours (for the Nakamichi Dragon) and 80 or more hours for complex machines (for example Nakamichi ZXL1000, Hitachi D3300, D5500, Aiwa 6900, Euming FL-1000, Alpage AL300, etc.). The labour cost of the LAB2104 is €49 per hour.
Part 1 – partial rebuild procedure: (Discontinued from Jan 2021!) The lab team can rebuild and repair most of the cassette and tape decks. The repair prices (valid from January, 2016) excluding the price for belt kits and electronic components are listed down. The component kits adds additional cost to the repair procedure:
- Nakamichi Dragon: €180 plus additional cost for rollers, belts and capacitors;
- Nakamichi CR-7E/ZX7/ZX9: €120 plus additional cost for belts and capacitors;
- Nakamichi BX300/ZX5 /LX3/LX5 /CR3/CR4/482/582: €95 plus additional cost for belts and capacitors;
- Alpage&Alpine AL300/AL80/AL90/ Dual C844: €149 plus additional cost for belts and capacitors;
- Sony TC-K81, TC-K790ES: €95 plus additional cost for belts and capacitors;
- Hitachi D-3300M, Pioneer CT1250: €210 plus additional cost for belts and capacitors;
- Hitachi D-5500: €250 plus additional cost for belts and capacitors;
- Revox A77/B77: €115 plus additional cost for belts, capacitors and electronic components;
- TEAC 32: €100 plus additional cost for belts, capacitors and electronic components;
- Technics RS-1500,RS-1506, RS-1800: €250 plus additional cost for belts, capacitors and electronic components;
- Akai GX77/620/630/747: €132 plus additional cost for capacitors and electronic components;
- Sony TC-765: €165 plus additional cost for belts, capacitors and electronic components;
- Kenwood KX-1100, Technics RS-B965/RS-B100, Yamaha KX-1200 : €95 plus additional cost for belts, capacitors and electronic components;
- Aiwa AD-F660/770/880: €98 plus additional cost for belts, capacitors and electronic components;
- Tandberg TCD 3014/3004: €101 plus additional cost for belts, capacitors and electronic components;
- other brands & models – please contact us;
Part 2 – pinch rollers and belts: The service belt kits can be found on e-bay. The kits can be delivered by the customer or by the lab team including the extra price for the shipping cost. Some close prices, including the pinch rollers as follows (you can find the kits on e-bay): price information was valid for 2015 and may be different now)!
- €84.45 for Nakamichi ZX7, Nakamichi CR7, BX300, ZX5, RX303, 480, 481, 582, 670, Dragon;
- €89.45 for Sony TC-K81, TC-KA7, TC-K790ES, etc.;
- €67.85 for Akai GX-747, GX635, etc.;
- €79.45 for Akai GX75, GX95, etc.;
- €145.99 for Rebox A77/B77;
- €95.75 for Tandberg TCD-3014A;
- €212.05 for Technics RS-1500/1506 (two ATHAN pinch rollers with bearings);
- €139.90 for Sony TC-765; Teac X1000, Teac X2000
- for other brands & models, please contact us or search on e-bay;
Part 3 – electronic components: The price for electronic component kits depends on model. You can find some examples for most common decks, like Revox A77/B77, Akai GX620, etc (price information was valid for 2015 and may be different now).
- €55.89 for Akai – models GX-635, 636, 620, 625, 630, 230 255 270;
- €89.89 for Revox A77;
- €94.10 for Revox B77;
- €67.50 for Nakamichi (orange cap disease plus electrolytic capacitors);
- €83.25 for Hitachi D3300 & D5500 (electrolytic capacitors plus transistors and ICs);
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.