Classic Hifi Care

My sister found some old R to R tapes and I brought them back to have a listen. The best bet seemed to be an old Wollensak T-1500 I had bought from Goodwill some years ago. This one had been modified with a 4-track head. Only one of the 2 tracks is played through the amp; the other goes to an RCA jack for playback through another preamp. These were originally two-track mono machines.

Whoa, it still worked! It gave off a bit of odor when it started--probably because everything stored in my back room accumulates a bit of mold--and it hummed a bit for a few seconds as the filters reformed, but then it actually played back. The bearings need some oil but it was working. These were well-built, durable machines. Here's a photo.
Chris Campbell

I had a Wollensak cassette deck that I loved, and it worked forever until it didn't. It as model 4766. At that point in my life, I had no clue how to repair it and no time to learn to do it myself. I really do not know what I did with it, and like so many other electronic things I had back in the day I wish I still had it.

Bill

The T-1500 recorders were great sounding machines. I used it's ancestor for years, the earlier and less compact Revere T-1100.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/revere_cam_t_1100.html

That was a VERY popular R2R in public schools, I recall seeing many in the early 70s.

I have a Wollensak stereo cassette deck model 400, top loader. Its a beast, but still plays long after belts have melted or broke on the newer units. Not my picture though, I tossed all my store-bought tapes.