DuB-EnG: Worlds Best 1975 Cassette Tape Deck - NAKAMICHI 600

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DuB-EnG: Worlds Best 1975 Cassette Tape Deck - NAKAMICHI 600 - Service Repair Review Restoration

Рет қаралды 13,291

Күн бұрын

40 Year old NAKAMICHI better than DENON, ONKYO, AIWA, SONY, TECHNICS - The Nakamichi 600 Teardown, a look inside, Servicing, Replacing the drive belt, Cleaning, Degaussing, Demagnetizing / Demagnetising tape heads, Aligning, Adjusting levels, setting Chrome and 70us vs 120us bias... MPX and I.M. Supression... I hope you love this video... It's taken weeks to make!! I loved making it!

Пікірлер: 93

@donaldsangster2512 3 жыл бұрын

I have been keeping one if these alive for 35 years. Built like a tank.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

I may ... sadly ... sell mine... at least I know it’s been really well serviced!!

@donaldsangster2512 3 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering They are fantastic machines. I need to do a torque gauge setting on it. Do you have one, I realise UK to NZ is a long way.

@RUfromthe40s 24 күн бұрын

one that never was driven in a war?just the first

@JackBealeGuitar 3 жыл бұрын

What a great bit of gear. I love the look of this era of hifi (and the sound)

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

it’s a real beast... solid old school construction... I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked on eBay and they are selling for 4 or 5 hundred quid!

@knockshinnoch1950 Жыл бұрын

My dad had this deck back in 1976. It was an awesome piece of equipment that looked like it belonged in a professional recording studio. It was a solid unit.

@DubiousEngineering Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing! - Yes, an absolute MACHINE milled from billet aluminium! :-)

@TRONMAGNUM2099 3 жыл бұрын

Stunning quality. Always great content on this channel.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy it!... Thanks for your encouragement Tron! ... Cool name BTW

@DesmondsDonders 3 жыл бұрын

I had one of those, mainly used it with head phones in the barrack block but occasionally through a BIG amp and speakers

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

you must have had some money back then! ... I just looked on eBay and these are going for £400... can you remember how much you splurged on yours?

@DesmondsDonders 3 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering LOL But I had loads of money when I first joined the RAF, not because of what they paid but the job I had before LOL cannot remember what it cost but it was a present for getting of of basic. (Square bashing).

@genghisbunny 3 жыл бұрын

Fabulous decks. My dad has a '92 Nakamichi deck which is so clean and accurate in sound. It's an auto reverse that actually ejects and spins the tape to the opposite direction.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

I heard of a nakamichi that self calibrates ... I had no idea they existed 3 months ago... now I want all of them! I hope the week is being good to you so far!

@genghisbunny 3 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering so far so good, Hope you are well also,

@getzapped313 3 жыл бұрын

That's the 505, fantastic deck

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

I’ll look that up!!!

@RUfromthe40s 23 күн бұрын

that was a nice deck when released i was always turning the side of the cassette as it worked perfect while it last, RX-505, there was a 909 special edition but only saw it once as there was also a Dragon special edition

@Error42_ 3 жыл бұрын

How we've fallen. From brass locking nuts to crappy little plastic clips! It's really well made and you got some good close up in this one.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Error!! ... I'm in love with this machine :-) Everything just feels like it could last forever... That said, one day it will need a re-cap... thats going to be a lot of hard work!!

@JamesE707 2 жыл бұрын

If I can add this comment too - I love decks from this era, why? They are often built like tanks, and the circuits are generally understandable and repairable, no silly and hard-to-find ICs to source. Although that's not always the case. I have 18 decks in my collection/restoration - yes, I must be (nearly) mad! LOL

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

OMG a proper cassette machine machine lover,!!!

@MisterBurtonshaw 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic video, great machine. My little brother found one being thrown out... it was in very good condition and almost worked.. the grease on a little pivot (capstain pivot?) had seized, I cleaned it and put a little dab of something on it and it works. I have suggested he gets it serviced, properly, that's a little beyond me. The only problem of note with it is that if you activate the test tone, it stays on... switch is, I'd guess dirty.

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

Ahhh yes, you can buy cans of spray on switch cleaner... or take it apart and use some silicone lubricant!

@MisterBurtonshaw 2 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering Audiogold in North London service them, and are trustworthy. The chap suggested taking it there rather than posting... a charge of about 300 quid should be expected, to be fair to him, he also said 'if it works, just enjoy it until you get problems' as he accepted the servicing cost is considerable... they sell them once serviced for the best part of a grand!

@colingarner6175 3 жыл бұрын

I remember when that deck first came out , the press weren’t that impressed ! I still love nakamichi decks and have one myself .

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

I still have tis one, but am thinking about putting it up for sale soon....

@BenScarboro 3 жыл бұрын

That is a lovely bit of kit, so well made and "easy" to work on.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

it continues to bring a smile to my face! ... Hope you’re well Ben!

@JamesE707 2 жыл бұрын

There are two decks I would love to own from this era - the Nakamich 600 II, and the lovely Sony TC-177SD. Both mint of course!

@stevenburke1728 2 жыл бұрын

I love this deck. Got it with my Nak One Rack hooked up to NS 1000's!

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

Love mine too... just a solid deck!

@avroflier 2 жыл бұрын

Got one myself sat in store. Previously had a pair of Tri Tracer 1000's which were stunning.

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

I absolutely love this device!!!

@Kumimono 3 жыл бұрын

That was a nice rendition of "Bicyclists on Bad Weather" at the start. :)

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

You superstar!! ... One door closes and other DOORS open :-). Needs more guitar!!

@Asriazh 3 жыл бұрын

That was a nice looking, solid machine with lots of metal. Chunky! Oh, btw,, Your tapedecks speed might be off, since you recorded the 400Hz testtone on the deck itself, so it of course plays it back at 400Hz. To see if the tapespeed is accurate though, You'd need a tape with a testtone that is recorded on a deck where you know the speed is accurate, then You'd need to play it back on the Nakamichi and see if theres a frequency variation, then adjust the speed of the motor accordingly, if needed. I love Stereo gear from the 70's. I don't think todays gear will still be useable after 40 years.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

I need a calibration tape... that would also check the head alignment too... I may well invest in one now I have an epic deck! I hope you’re having a great week! all the best! H

@haroldclark4485 3 жыл бұрын

Could only afford the 500, but loved it to its last day which I think was only ten years ago, about the time my audio equipment got a little too good for it. One time in the 70s it needed work and since I was already driving to LA I brought it to the then headquarters. They took it in and asked me to come back the next day and it was fixed for no charge! It seems the Nakamichi name is now at the lowest end of things at Walmart, sad.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

Oh wow! - They still sell Nakamichi in USA? - I need to go to Walmart again!! I loved that place when I lived in Chicago :-) - Thanks for sharing Harold!! Take care and have a fantastic weekend mate!! :-) Howard

@haroldclark4485 3 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering please don't get too excited. I saw mainly headphones and they were very cheap. The Wikipedia page tells a bit of the story of Niro Nakamichi and his efforts after his company was bought out. He never gave up creating.

@getzapped313 3 жыл бұрын

@@haroldclark4485 yep....the story of akai holdings is a very sad one, nakamichi unfortunately took a hit becuz of that transaction

@mikekoernich7372 3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating to watch. I wonder if you could restore my JVC top loader from the same era. It's a lovely sounding machine just a bit temperamental.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

There’s a strong possibility Mike! Pop me an email and let’s talk... HowardLJTaylor at gmail dot com

@geeza1964 2 жыл бұрын

own one of these babys and a 60ii and 500 amongst others

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

They are lush!!

@geeza1964 2 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering I do need advice 1 VU bulb has gone are they easy to replace for the nak 600 thanks

@philiprowney 3 жыл бұрын

15:00 - Wow, it's the sort of thing a 'hacker geek' like me would have on all 'pro' tape drives. Self calibrating flutter adjustment... [ looks at his 1981 Dual brand tape tape and thanks the Cats of the 'net he can get a full schematic for no money ]

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

thank the lucky stars for the internet... half the vintage kit I own has cut diagrams in pdf online :-). ... must admit, love this device... sounds fantastic!

@user-iq4xs2xj4e 2 жыл бұрын

Потрясающий аппарат!!!👍

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing deck!

@user-iq4xs2xj4e 2 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering i agree!)

@paulb4uk Жыл бұрын

Nakamichi always made great decks though they can be quite complex ,i would love a dragon but way out of my price range .The late tdk sa with the blue graphics on them are made by Imation in the later years a lot of companys out sourced there cassettes .cassette comeback is a good channel if you want to find out about cassettes and how good different tapes are .

@DubiousEngineering Жыл бұрын

Wow! ... I'll ceck out cassette comeback shortly! Thanks for the top tip! All the best, H

@michaelwhiles5282 2 жыл бұрын

Once had the opportunity to buy a near minter fully working for £60...but didn't - what a mistake to make !

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

Wow! - I have no idea how much mine is worth now!

@RU55KI1 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video, thank you for making it. I have a question, in my 600 unit, when I put a cassette in and press play, after a couple of seconds it stops. I've changed the belt, but the problem still continues. Can you suggest what I could try next?

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

Use a volt meter and current meter to see if the motor is stalling, check all the cogs and wheels to make sure they are free running.

@gillfree2 2 жыл бұрын

Hello my friend excellent video. I have the same unit as in your video. The unit powers up but will not turn the tapes when hitting the play button. Needles bounce when I pop a tape in. Drive belt seems to be intact, any suggestions?

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

Check voltages are being applied to motor with multimeter

@gillfree2 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Sir

@guy4133 2 жыл бұрын

This is great. What size was the belt please?!

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

I think I used a ruler and read out the belt size

@cristobaldion 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting, I just opened mine and I couldn't find a single fuse. I believe the reason why it's located at such weird place it's because it was added a bit later on, and missing from the first serial numbers.

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

That's interesting to hear 😀

@jhelmuth87 3 жыл бұрын

I just picked up one of these off of marketplace near mint from the original owner. Upon first playback it’s playing the tape slightly slower than what’s actually recorded if I compare it to a digital file. Would that lean to needing a new drive belt? Or adjustment of the tape speed knob? Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

I’d do both John. Drive belt first and then re-check speeds ... out of interest what price was it advertised at?!? I’m interested to know what mine is worth!

@jhelmuth87 3 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering ok thanks. I followed along with this video to take it apart and I checked my drive belt. Looks original I think but it’s not brittle. Can you help me find a good replacement belt? Share a link to one you’d recommend? I paid $400 for mine shipped. There are recent sales on eBay for these clean but not serviced for around $300. Serviced for $400-500. This one I found is in better condition than most I’ve seen so I was fine with paying more. The seller told me it was 100% but obviously it’s not if the speed is a tad slow. I’m fine with replacing the belt myself. I think if I were told the belts were original I would have offered $300 tops. Oh well lol

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

@@jhelmuth87 Thanks so much for your info... so I re-watched my video and I think its a 3mm by 130mm flat belt. Check if they want diameter, radius or length! - I have no link to the purchase - sorry!! All the best and enjoy the new machine!!

@getzapped313 3 жыл бұрын

Lol, the 1000 was wayyyyyyyy better than the 600 and the 700 was also out 2 years before, Both of those are 3 heads that can hold up to reel to reel quite well The 600 on the other hand is a 2 head deck with no monitor function and on top of that is even more of a pain in the ass to fix than the 700

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

You certainly know your Nakamichi!!! :-) ... this unit is still quite lovely :-)

@getzapped313 3 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering def is but uh just get yourself a 1000 or a 700, and if you really wanna go balls out, check out the ZXL versions of those decks, ZXE in europe They are something to behold

@paddle_shift 2 жыл бұрын

05:45 Where do you get "Alcahol"?

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

Hahaha .. alcohol... duh

@screwedandchoppedtv 2 жыл бұрын

No pitch control?

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting right!

@sunsan997 3 жыл бұрын

良いっすね

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

It really is good!! - Thank you for saying hello!! Hugs to Japan!!

@jean-michel2489 2 жыл бұрын

Beware 90% of what is to be done has not been shown. A good dozen of screws and parts must be removed ( and re-fixed) so It’s “a little” more difficult than what it looks and not for rookies…

@DubiousEngineering 2 жыл бұрын

I also didn’t show a lot of the setting up of the bias controls which is even more of a challenge than unscrewing screws. If I had gone into full detail this video would be a couple of hours long! :-)

@MrBubbies543 3 жыл бұрын

Hi how fast do these machines run , thanks

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

They are standard speed - not high speed high bandwidth.

@MrBubbies543 3 жыл бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering hi it was just in comparison to reel to reel as I'm toying between the two , thanks

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

@@MrBubbies543 if your interested in this unit, let me know. I’m in UK

@Everythings_Adjustable 3 жыл бұрын

🛠👍😊

@DubiousEngineering 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks 🙏 sparky!! :-)

@RUfromthe40s 24 күн бұрын

AHAHAH!!!i know at least 10 or more that were all better than this and i had the entire system where this deck fits, but for a entire month i thought i had a great system ,laughing at my own cost, but sold my fathers entire nakamichi devices and with the money bought a sport car, a maseratti V8, 70´s look

@DubiousEngineering 24 күн бұрын

Yeah, its a good one for its age 😂.. enjoy the V8 😜

@RUfromthe40s 23 күн бұрын

@@DubiousEngineering at least will work for more years than any nakamichi device, kept some but only the ones i liked when using them and they last more than any other also the sound quality was above average while top end models were far inferior to other brands good decks, still have the 700ZXL, the BX-2 and the DR-1