Cleaning cassette head...

[upbnsfrrfan]

Hi everyone, I need your advice. What is the best way to clean and demagnetize a cassette head if I don't have one of those old cassette head cleaners? I've heard from the good ol days that a q tip dip in alcohol does the trick. Is this true? Right now my Panny 5150 cassette works but the sound is very low and muffled. All advice and tips will be appreciated. Thanx.

LARRY

 

[baddboybill]

Yes Qtip with alcohol and for really tough stains like surface rust I dip the head of an erasure in alcohol and rub head surface. After its all clean use an electronic demagnetizer on head and capstan shaft and you should get superior sound again

 

[upbnsfrrfan]

Yes Qtip with alcohol and for really tough stains like surface rust I dip the head of an erasure in alcohol and rub head surface. After its all clean use an electronic demagnetizer on head and capstan shaft and you should get superior sound again

Thanks for tip Bill.

 

[Alberto]

After you have cleaned and demagnetized the head as Bill explained, While you have the Q-tips and alcohol in hand you should also clean the pinch roller and capstan. You have to plug in your your radio or use batteries. To clean the pinch roller, set your radio function switch to Tape and activate/engage the play mode. the pinch roller will make contact with the capstan and start turning. Place the Q-tip with alcohol on the side of the pinch roller that is turning/rotating away from the capstan ( if you put the Q-tip on the side of the pinch roller that is turning/rotating towards the capstan you might slip towards the capstan and get a whole lot of cotton wrapped around the capstan ). You are going to clean the pinch roller until the the Q-tip comes up totally white. Again I repeat, you will clean the pinch roller until the Q-tip comes up "TOTALLY WHITE ". After you have cleaned the pinch roller you will clean the capstan. To clean the capstan you will already have the play mode activated/engaged. Now activate/engage the "pause button". This will pull the pinch roller away from the turning capstan for you to clean ( if you do not activate the pause button the capstan will still be making contact with the pinch roller and when you go to clean the capstan you will slip and get a whole lot of cotton wrapped around the capstan ). After all this cleaning it still sounds muffled, we can talk about adjusting the play head azimuth. Good luck.

 

[upbnsfrrfan]

After you have cleaned and demagnetized the head as Bill explained, While you have the Q-tips and alcohol in hand you should also clean the pinch roller and capstan. You have to plug in your your radio or use batteries. To clean the pinch roller, set your radio function switch to Tape and activate/engage the play mode. the pinch roller will make contact with the capstan and start turning. Place the Q-tip with alcohol on the side of the pinch roller that is turning/rotating away from the capstan ( if you put the Q-tip on the side of the pinch roller that is turning/rotating towards the capstan you might slip towards the capstan and get a whole lot of cotton wrapped around the capstan ). You are going to clean the pinch roller until the the Q-tip comes up totally white. Again I repeat, you will clean the pinch roller until the Q-tip comes up "TOTALLY WHITE ". After you have cleaned the pinch roller you will clean the capstan. To clean the capstan you will already have the play mode activated/engaged. Now activate/engage the "pause button". This will pull the pinch roller away from the turning capstan for you to clean ( if you do not activate the pause button the capstan will still be making contact with the pinch roller and when you go to clean the capstan you will slip and get a whole lot of cotton wrapped around the capstan ). After all this cleaning it still sounds muffled, we can talk about adjusting the play head azimuth. Good luck.

Hi Alberto, yes that's what i did. I played the cassette and run the alcohol dipped Q-tip on the pinch roller, capstan and tape head for several times and so far the sound improved a lot than when I first played it. By the way, what do you mean by "Again I repeat, you will clean the pinch roller until the Q-tip comes up "TOTALLY WHITE "???

Hey Bill, is this the one I need to purchase to demagnetize the tape head and capstan:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-WAND-Tape-Deck-Head-Demagnetizer-Reel-to-Cassette-/400152605924?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item5d2af434e4

Larry

 

[Alberto]

Hi Alberto, yes that's what i did. I played the cassette and run the alcohol dipped Q-tip on the pinch roller, capstan and tape head for several times and so far the sound improved a lot than when I first played it. By the way, what do you mean by "Again I repeat, you will clean the pinch roller until the Q-tip comes up "TOTALLY WHITE "???

Hey Bill, is this the one I need to purchase to demagnetize the tape head and capstan:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-WAND-Tape-Deck-Head-Demagnetizer-Reel-to-Cassette-/400152605924?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item5d2af434e4

Larry

No tape residue on Q-tip.

 

[upbnsfrrfan]

No tape residue on Q-tip.

Oh I see Well that's gonna be a lot of Q-tips

Larry

 

[baddboybill]

No tape residue on Q-tip.

Oh I see Well that's gonna be a lot of Q-tips

Larry

Use very light sandpaper on pinch roller and it helps with hard to get of residue. Then clean with alcohol and dry after. You don't want alcohol seeping in tire as it will dry it out. Also that is same demagnetizer I use and works great