Help with Grundig Amp/Tape Deck & Akai Reel to Reel

[coaltrain]

hi folks

i currently have the following gear at home:
- Grundig V 5000 amp
- Grundig CF 5500-2 tape deck
- Akai GX 630D reel to reel deck

all these items were purchased in the early 80s by my friend's father, a fighter pilot with the IAF. tragically, he was killed in the line of duty a few years later, while serving as a test pilot in b'lore. the gear has never been used since, and has been sitting in it's original packing all these years.

recently, my friend tried to resurrect the system and got in touch with a local hifi enthusiast. unfortunately, he's told her that the system is not worth fixing and that she's better off getting a new one. hence, she's decided to part with the gear.

i would like to call on any vintage audio buffs in b'lore to take a look at the equipment and see if they'd like to purchase it. as we have no clue about the value of these components, i am not treating this as a 'for sale' thread. the idea is not to make a quick buck. rather, to try and get these beautiful machines to make music again, and make some genuine music lover very happy!

please note:
- i will not be able to ship these out of b'lore.
- if you're new to hifi, you won't find a cheap deal here. these look like serious pieces of kit that need an expert's attention.
- the open reel deck comes with 9 reels of tape, but there doesn't seem to be a blank take-up reel

if you'd like to inspect the gear, please drop me a pm. personally, i'm rather excited at the prospect of listening to an open reel deck. they were a major part of my boyhood hifi fantasies!

cheers

 

[baijuxavior]

Please post some pictures.

 

[coaltrain]

here's one i took of the akai with my phone. will post some better pix later.

 

[reubensm]

here's one i took of the akai with my phone. will post some better pix later.

Gosh!! that's a beauty. Would have loved to lay my hands on it. Does it power up? What are the symptoms? Sure the belts may have perished but something must light up, right?

 

[coaltrain]

Gosh!! that's a beauty. Would have loved to lay my hands on it. Does it power up? What are the symptoms? Sure the belts may have perished but something must light up, right?

it sure is, reuben. and it looks even better when the vu meters light up!
so far, all i've done is switch it on. since i've no idea on how to work reel to reel decks, i haven't tried loading up a tape. i did, however, gently run my finger over the pinch roller and capstan. both seemed to be free of any deposits.

am also enclosing a pic i took this morning of the grundig tape deck. switched it on and the meters, counter and tape window backlight are working. though it does make some noise while rewinding/fast forwarding.

 

[rud3dawg]

Yup the amp does look sweet !!! wish I could witness bringing it back to life LIVE in person !!!

P.S : Although am late . my condolences to your friend for loosing her father...Am sure since he served for India he must ve been one awesome of a person :: RESPECT::

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

reel to reel | eBay

This may give you a feel for pricing.

 

[sachu888]

Hi Coaltrain,
Nice looking amp and RTR.This thread may help you Restoring a Pioneer RT-909 Reel-to-Reel - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums

Regards,
Sachin

 

[reubensm]

Hi Coaltrain,
Nice looking amp and RTR.This thread may help you Restoring a Pioneer RT-909 Reel-to-Reel - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums

Regards,
Sachin

Actually Sachin, the second picture is of the Cassette Deck. The V5000 amp should look something like this:

http://motxam.interfree.it/immagini/v5000.jpg

 

[reubensm]

Thanks, have a quick question. You mentioned that the equipment was not in working condition and not in repairable condition (as suggested by the audio guy). Were you referring to all 3 pieces of equipment or just the R2R? I'd definitely like to buy the R2R if its in working condition. This particular R2R came in 3 models, a dolby, non-dolby and a 4-track version. The one which you have is the non-dolby 2-track version (which is equally good). Also, have you given the pricing some thought? Asking as a lot of us work with budgets. Thanks and regards.

it sure is, reuben. and it looks even better when the vu meters light up!
so far, all i've done is switch it on. since i've no idea on how to work reel to reel decks, i haven't tried loading up a tape. i did, however, gently run my finger over the pinch roller and capstan. both seemed to be free of any deposits.

am also enclosing a pic i took this morning of the grundig tape deck. switched it on and the meters, counter and tape window backlight are working. though it does make some noise while rewinding/fast forwarding.

 

[entsurgeon]

try ebay to get current value of these models. if you get any new old stock prices they are the best indicators as your system is a nos itself. get an idea of repairing cost to arrive at its final value. as a tip~ non working stuff electronic or automobile would not command good value. you better get it repaired.
last but foremost.. if i was her i d rather have treasured this for senti reasons. anyway. .. to each his own

 

[coaltrain]

@ reubensm
the audio guy had only checked the amp and deck. both seem to have some issues, though i've not checked them out myself.
the r2r was not checked, hence all this head scratching on my part

regarding pricing, i've already received some pms from interested parties. guess i'll need to do some online research, as suggested by some helpful members here, before i can safely venture a quote.

btw, you're right about this being the non-dolby model. i have the user manual, brochure and service/parts manual in pdf form. pm your mail id and i can send those across to you.

 

[coaltrain]

@ entsurgeon
the decision to part with all the equipment was taken by my friend's mother. i can only guess that, after 25 years, she felt it was time to let go.

reminds me of a line i once read:
when the cup is empty, fill it.
when the cup is full, empty it.

 

[reubensm]

@ entsurgeon
the decision to part with all the equipment was taken by my friend's mother. i can only guess that, after 25 years, she felt it was time to let go.

reminds me of a line i once read:
when the cup is empty, fill it.
when the cup is full, empty it.

Its always very nostalgic when a piece of audio gear has a history behind it. Sad that your dad's friend could not enjoy these to the fullest.

 

[reubensm]

btw, just thought of sharing some trivia with you about Akai R2Rs. This is something I remember my father telling me long ago. When one looks up the Akai R2R model number, if a "D" is used as a suffix, it would mean that the machine is a "deck" and would require an external amplifier to make it sing. If the "D" was missing, this would imply that the machine was an "ampli-deck" with an inbuilt amplifier and just needed speakers to be connected to it. This machine, GX630D has the "D" which signifies that it is a "deck".

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

Reubensm. This model is a 4track as per the user and service manuals. If it is in good condition it would be a great find.

 

[reubensm]

Reubensm. This model is a 4track as per the user and service manuals. If it is in good condition it would be a great find.

Yes indeed...if the pricing is right and fair and also, if the deck is functionally in good shape, i'm taking the dive. A lot would depend on functionality as R2R decks are mightly difficult to service and restore. Also, once these give mechanical trouble, they would never be the same again untill parts are completely replaced.

Although I don't intend to influence Rajesh, who has been extremely kind enough to send me all the information I have requested, my take for pricing would be (as I did with some vintage stuff of my father's which I off loaded on the forum)

1) See the level of interest of the buyer, is he going to keep the system or just play re-seller/broker. Does the buyer know what he is talking about. This is important gear of this kind has a special place in the owner's heart and finding a good home for it is also important
2) Keep in mind overall interest from genuine "cash-over-the-counter" buyers and offers received from them
3) Overall functionality, absolutely everything should be functioning well. Even if one button is stuck or something does not work, the value drops quite a bit
4) Cosmetic condition, if there are nicks and dings, the price drops drastically
5) If some part of the original kit is missing, (eg: take up spool, original cables, etc), the price can be effected
6) NOS (new old stock) does not warrant original selling prices. For electronics, especially mechanical gear, NOS which is boxed is likely to be in poorer shape when compared to gear that is in long term use. The reason is with the older generation components, component terminals tend to get corroded with the corrosion creaping into the housing and the interior of the component. This is especially the case with transistorized equipment (but not always the case) especially if the equipment is not packed and stored in a moisture, smoke and dust free environment. Rubber based components like belts and pinch rollers are likely to be in questionable shape after long storage
7) Availability of the equipment in the market of sale. If its not easily available and the demand exists, simple logic would suggest that the price increases
8) eBay pricing, however this can be used only as a reference. Same price cannot be demanded as the market is different and the condition of the goods may be different. Most R2Rs that demand the $200+ price tag are completely refurbished and as good as new (may not be cosmetically but functionally). Hence the actual pricing would need to be realistic
9) Freebies with the machine increase its demand value
10) I once attended an eBay seminar in California (just out of interest) wherein there was a session on how to price. The logic they suggested for pricing was after 4 years of age, the purchase price of gear reduces to half and thereafter by futher half for ever subsequent 4 years or age. This is an interesting concept but not applicable across the board of couse. This is why eBay India is not as successful as the US and UK versions as sellers in India are not aware on how to price effectively. The pricing on eBay India is hightly exhorbidant, most of the time.
11) Finally, intrinsic value...if the item is very rare and has a lot of prospective takers, the value automatically goes up (a good example would be the Yahama RD350 which currently sells at 3-4 times its original price)

Thanks, Reuben

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

Reuben, good points. TTs are good examples. A Garrard 301 sells for 1500GBP (enamel, oil, machine only) on eBay internationally, but in India around Rs40k, which would make it 33% of international price. And much simpler to get working than the murderously complicated reel decks. For a Revox, even a pinch roller can cost $35.

I would only take a deck which is in perfect or acceptable working condition. No ability to "restore". Besides, to what end? Tape project tapes need deck modding, are horrendously expensive (more than the decks at times).

I would buy a machine to record into for copying LPs that I can borrow into an unbroken 90 min sequence without losing the analog charm. And if I got lucky with pre-recorded tapes.

 

[coaltrain]

thanks to our wonderful govt, i have some time on my hands today! so, here are some pix that reuben had requested.

couple of points to note:
- guys, i have NO CLUE whether this deck works fine or not. there is no empty take-up reel, and even if there was, i'm not sure i'm the right person to take a call on how well it performs. if you know anyone who can drop in at my place to confirm its functioning, please let me know.
- there are 9 reels of tape in total. 5 are recorded, the other 4 are sealed blanks.
- going by the handwritten notes for each recorded tape, here are the artistes: paul anka, leo sayer, men at work, bee gees, the 3 degrees, barbara streisand, the shadows, pankaj udhas, shirley bassey and some classical.
- the deck is 100 - 240V, 50/60Hz

pix are as follows:
- with dust cover on
- without
- close up
- close up of pinch roller
- VU meters lit up
-

 

[coaltrain]

some more pix:
- back plate
- rear connections
- tapes