This is meant as a parallel to the thread I started about Nakamichi cassette decks. But unlike that thread, I know who I'm going to take at least the first repair to: Andrew at "Funktionaltech" (www.funktionaltech.com). I'll post again here to let people know how that goes.
Background: In the early 1970s I had a number of Revox A 77s including a high-speed model (i.e. 7-1/2 and 15 ips) and two that had built-in Dolby "B" noise reduction. Very, very good-sounding decks. I was living in Cambridge, Mass., and there was a gentleman named Scott Kent who had a set of custom circuit modifications for the A 77 which improved its dynamic range by several dB. He became a friend with whom I spoke rather often. I still used these decks even after I got my Nagra IV-S. The heads on Nagra recorders are rather soft, and especially at 15 ips the Revox decks, with their Studer playback heads, had flatter, more extended low-frequency response than the Nagra. So even the tapes that I recorded on the Nagra got played back on a Revox for best results.
Fast-forward 45 years or so, and I now have a large number of old open-reel recordings that I need to transfer to digital. I still had three Revoxes from the old days--see photos of one of them below--but when I tried the two that are half-track, one didn't work at all. The other one I was able to get working after I scraped some contacts clean--but then after I'd transferred one reel and was a few minutes into the next one, its speed switch failed, and the capstan started spinning at high speed uncontrollably.
Today I found out to my sadness and dismay that Scott Kent had a serious stroke two years ago, and another one two weeks ago has rendered him unable to speak or even swallow. He doesn't want to be hooked up to a feeding tube. My father-in-law and a beloved aunt made this same decision in recent years; it means that he will now have only a few weeks to live at most. This is a person who made many wonderful recordings himself, and was a good friend. Even if no one else here knows him, I want to "say his name" and express my respect and gratitude.
Meanwhile I could probably still use my Nagra, but I don't want these Revoxes (Revoces? Revoxim?) to become useless hunks. I looked around, especially on www.tapeheads.net, and found praise there for "Funktionaltech"'s work, so I will try it and see.
--best regards
^ I can't help with the recorders, but I am very sorry to hear about your friend.
https://reeltoreeltech.com/?fbclid=IwAR3sWzdvvFAS2Dvgp0wVLvju6SnTFlPw9E74UtN3RGTFf1Hk0JozUKCzwI8
He's in Canada and a friend (full disclosure) but he's one of the best techs in NA working on reel to reels.
Tell him Chris B sent ya and he will hook you up.
he does have a US po box and can ship from there as well
He crosses regularly as part of his business.
Quote from: DSatz on October 16, 2020, 03:37:37 PM
Today I found out to my sadness and dismay that Scott Kent had a serious stroke two years ago, and another one two weeks ago has rendered him unable to speak or even swallow. He doesn't want to be hooked up to a feeding tube. My father-in-law and a beloved aunt made this same decision in recent years; it means that he will now have only a few weeks to live at most. This is a person who made many wonderful recordings himself, and was a good friend. Even if no one else here knows him, I want to "say his name" and express my respect and gratitude.
Quoting this bit so his name gets repeated. Condolences about your friend.
Quote from: heathen on October 17, 2020, 10:05:38 AM
Quote from: DSatz on October 16, 2020, 03:37:37 PM
Today I found out to my sadness and dismay that Scott Kent had a serious stroke two years ago, and another one two weeks ago has rendered him unable to speak or even swallow. He doesn't want to be hooked up to a feeding tube. My father-in-law and a beloved aunt made this same decision in recent years; it means that he will now have only a few weeks to live at most. This is a person who made many wonderful recordings himself, and was a good friend. Even if no one else here knows him, I want to "say his name" and express my respect and gratitude.
Quoting this bit so his name gets repeated. Condolences about your friend.
Sending love to Scott Kent.
Just as an interim follow-up: I have two half-track Revoxes that require service. I took one to "Funktional Technologies"--its transport controls had gone wild, and a distinctly inappropriate smell came out of the recorder within a minute of turning it on (which I suspected was electrolyte from a leaky power supply capacitor). I explained to the technician that I'm interested only in reliable playback. He estimated the repair in the high $400s and I accepted.
From speaking with him and emailing back and forth, I think that he knows what he's doing. While it's more than I would like to pay, it's less than it might have been, and I've asked him to proceed.
Quote from: seethreepo on October 16, 2020, 07:33:55 PM
https://reeltoreeltech.com/?fbclid=IwAR3sWzdvvFAS2Dvgp0wVLvju6SnTFlPw9E74UtN3RGTFf1Hk0JozUKCzwI8
He's in Canada and a friend (full disclosure) but he's one of the best techs in NA working on reel to reels.
Tell him Chris B sent ya and he will hook you up.
he does have a US po box and can ship from there as well
He crosses regularly as part of his business.
I follow him on Facebook and love his bench photos! He actually shows people the problems and solutions.
Heard many good things.
Quote from: edtyre on October 27, 2020, 02:43:03 PM
Quote from: seethreepo on October 16, 2020, 07:33:55 PM
https://reeltoreeltech.com/?fbclid=IwAR3sWzdvvFAS2Dvgp0wVLvju6SnTFlPw9E74UtN3RGTFf1Hk0JozUKCzwI8
He's in Canada and a friend (full disclosure) but he's one of the best techs in NA working on reel to reels.
Tell him Chris B sent ya and he will hook you up.
he does have a US po box and can ship from there as well
He crosses regularly as part of his business.
I follow him on Facebook and love his bench photos! He actually shows people the problems and solutions.
Heard many good things.
I want him to post here but he's super busy he works by choice like 50 hrs a week. i actually met him taping Metallica in 1997. He mostly gave up taping but we remain friends as he still likes to go to shows.
A couple of people have written to me about the (now) late Scott Kent; please see https://www.classical-scene.com/2020/11/02/scott-kent/ .
--best regards
So sorry to hear about a loss of such a great person!