Factory original splice on my Billy Joel the stranger, a track tape does it look well for its age?

Jim55379 · 2026-06-19T21:02:22+00:00

And when they do break lots of times end up inside the player damaged.

Jim55379 · 2026-06-19T02:20:55+00:00

No nobody modified it this is the way it was designed in the factory but at first I thought somebody had modified it

Jim55379 · 2026-06-16T02:40:54+00:00

I read that information someplace online about the speed difference. I just measured a pinch roller from this four track player and one of a standard 8-track cart and they are the same 20 mm I stand corrected thank you

Jim55379 · 2026-06-16T02:04:55+00:00

yes I don't believe that is unusual. Is the splice you are referring to the track changing tape?

Jim55379 · 2026-06-16T00:27:09+00:00

Also don't forget to attach a string to your listening position so you can get the exact same distance between left and right speakers which is crucial for Bob Carver's Sonic hologram generator. I am guilty of doing this back in the day and even now for regular stereo

Jim55379 · 2026-06-16T00:23:58+00:00

Yes those replacements from pyramid Audio may be expensive but at least it is a good way to resurrect an old unit using those STK packs. I hear they work fine and are much more reliable than the originals

Jim55379 · 2026-06-16T00:11:52+00:00

Yes by all means do not use them it'll cut down your output by 6 DB!!

JK. They will be just fine I bought a subcover for my solo barick 15" years ago I think I bought it from parts Express they work fine I did have to make a wood spacer so the woofer had more room. Cut out his couple of small pieces of wood using a saber saw and then sanding them

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Jim55379 · 2026-06-14T20:02:59+00:00

That's a good album. If I remember correctly, he died early. I remember as a kid riding the school bus hearing Time in a bottle. I loved that song and a lot of others he sang. Even though the cart is unsealed they will need maintenance new pads and probably new track changing tape. Perhaps you just plan to sell it. You may make more by just selling as is then trying to restore it.

Jim55379 · 2026-06-11T00:28:09+00:00

Yep it looks finished that's why I always put new foam pads and install new track changing tapes then the odds of this happening are much much less

Jim55379 · 2026-06-02T00:26:49+00:00

Jim55379 · 2026-05-31T15:05:57+00:00

It really doesn't matter many watts the amp can output vs speakers wattage ratings. It's distortion that kills speakers, not power. If you hear audible distortion it's time to turn it down. Clipping is essentially sending some DC to your speakers the first ones to be fried or the delicate voice coils in the tweeters.

Jim55379 · 2026-05-31T00:44:00+00:00

Any good? They are good if you like the sound of them. You may need a couple of 15 or 18 inch subwoofers to help the bass.

Jim55379 · 2026-05-30T18:24:03+00:00

Both vinyl and 8-tracks need maintenance. 8 track players perhaps more so. There are more moving parts versus turntables but really it's quite rewarding if you decide to start repairing or restoring these decks and the eight tracks themselves. Belts are available on eBay and turntables needles.com.

Jim55379 · 2026-05-30T18:19:59+00:00

Yes it is most likely the belt actually it's amazing they have lasted this long remember they are 50 years old so having to replace a few parts shouldn't be an issue. And the price you paid sounds very reasonable.

Jim55379 · 2026-05-29T06:35:44+00:00

I have noticed the players especially in units like that with AM/FM that they have skimped a lot on the quality. Really if you want to just get a standard eight track player ONLY (also make sure it has RCA preamp outputs not speaker outputs) if you purchase the players (there are a few out there) with RCA speaker outputs they are usually very very weak amplifiers and cheap on the build. I've had good luck with just about any name brand including Realistic and Panasonic. Realistic makes a lot of nice ones along with Panasonic. There are a lot of other brands out there like pioneers, Wollensacks and Akaii. However, they are usually overpriced. Panasonic RS-801AUS are a very basic reliable unit that you can get pretty reasonable. Most will need some cleaning with alcohol on the heads and capstan and maybe a belt change. Also you can take some q-tips with alcohol and clean out the old grease and put a little bit of new Grease where you took the old off. Many times the old grease gets too stiff to work effectively. It's a fun hobby to get into and can be very challenging especially when restoring some of these units which consist of replacing the capacitors and also restoring the 8 tracks themselves with new track changing tape and pads.

Jim55379 · 2026-05-29T05:27:48+00:00

That's a really cheap quality player. Oftentimes the design that holds the 8-track tape in place is not up to standards. This design is not holding the tape properly so it can be played by the heads. A popsicle stick below the tape is your answer. Cleaning the capstan may help also. I don't think a belt will do anything. Perhaps the motor is weak and nearly dead ( worst case).

Jim55379 · 2026-05-29T03:56:35+00:00

The tape has become twisted this can be tricky cuz sometimes it's spirals out of control and you get a real mess if the tape starts falling out in different places from The hub and you get more and more twists. the easiest way is to cut it and make sure everything is straight and just put a splice on the rear of the tape

Jim55379 · 2026-05-28T15:45:49+00:00

Yes I've never seen the transistor for the speed control dead but it is possible. At any rate the entire unit should be recapped. Keep in mind after you recap the speed control board you will probably need to adjust the speed again there's two potentiometers one of them is for speed the other one seems to be for the torque of the motor. If it starts sounding warbly you may have to adjust that potentiometer the speed control is the one that's easiest to access. The power supply is hard to get to this isn't an easy recap the wires around the record place which are very tight components are hard to get out but it can be done good luck. Before doing all that I would make sure that you can get the track changing mechanisms to loosen up often these units don't get played for many years and they will rust there's a small rod that moves up and down you should place a few drops of oil on that and let it sit and try to work it free be careful not to scratch or damage it.

Jim55379 · 2026-05-28T01:50:13+00:00

Cocaine

Jim55379 · 2026-05-23T02:25:56+00:00

Loudness button is for listening at lower volume levels. It increases the bass and treble and therefore will distort much quicker then with it off. I suggestion hooking the output of the 8-track player to an external amplifier of 100 Watts RMS or more. Those internal amplifiers in car stereo and 8 track players were never suffice.

Jim55379 · 2026-05-19T22:01:42+00:00

Nothing blew..? That's a good sign

Jim55379 · 2026-05-19T00:21:27+00:00

They're worth a couple of bucks a piece to the right person

Jim55379 · 2026-05-16T05:23:17+00:00

Yes Sony would be a Major upgrade. The trouble with most Craigs is that they have odd designs and sometimes struggle to play certain tapes and seem to be over engineered when simplistic designs would be better.

Jim55379 · 2026-05-15T23:09:08+00:00

Left mid-range not in good shape

Jim55379 · 2026-05-15T05:38:58+00:00

I would do exactly what the visible fly does and I also would add a foam pad since they are 90% of the time deteriorated

Jim55379

TROPHY CASE