Tascam 234 Slows to a Halt During Playback / Record

bgates1983

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Apr 4, 2011
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Hello!

I recently inherited one of these machines and it seems to be having some trouble with the play/record drive system. The unit had been sitting in an attic for some time when it was given to me so the heads are naturally very dirty but surprisingly, the belts look brand new! The deck can fast forward and rewind without issue but whenever I try to play, the speed begins to play at ALMOST full speed, but gradually slows further until it stops. Of note is that when it stops, it also shuts off the record function, if active. It’s just like pressing stop, but without actually doing so. Is this likely to be a motor? What am I looking at in terms of difficulty and cost to repair a problem such as this? I’m really looking forward to getting this running, albeit as cheaply as possible.


Any input is appreciated. Feel free to email me at bgates1983@gmail.com