Tape Project Forum

Tape Machines => Reel to Reel Tape Machines => Topic started by: heideana on February 11, 2007, 11:16:34 AM

Title: Otari III
Post by: heideana on February 11, 2007, 11:16:34 AM

Hey gang -- I saw this Otari III when doing my usual e-bay check and thought I'd point it out as it seems there's is a lot of II's, but hardly any III's.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260085201032&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:US:1 

Also, this one doesn't appear to have been riden too hard....

Title: Re: Otari III
Post by: ironbut on February 11, 2007, 12:10:24 PM

The Mk lll is a 2 track only model. It doesn't have the 4 head configuration of the previous models which can playback 1/4 track tapes also. On the other hand, if 2 track is all you want, they are more recent and could be in better shape. When I was considering buying an Otari, there were enough of them out there for me to wait till there were ones in my general area so I could actually look at them. I went out and looked at 3 of them and they were all in pretty bad condition (at least in bad enough shape that I didn't feel like they were worth biding enough to assure I would get it).

Title: Re: Otari III
Post by: docb on February 11, 2007, 09:53:22 PM

Thanks for the clarification, Steve. Your experience with MX-5050 condition is similar to our experience with RS1500s. Even so called low hour machines we have acquired have had problems. It bugs me think of prices rising crazily on machines that are clapped out just because a feeding frenzy has started. That reminds me of the guys who pay thousands of dollars for rusted out Western Electric theater amps. After a while the reality of how the amps actually sound - if they even function - has absolutely nothing to do with what collectors are willing to pay. It's just a commodity being exchanged for profit. We have been hoping that folks will realize that virtually any 30 year old tape machine is going to need money put into it to get it working at its best, and that a buyer ought to make their offers with the expense of this additional service in mind. 

Title: Re: Otari III
Post by: heideana on February 16, 2007, 10:33:31 PM

I'm in total agreement with you about the need to bear in mine the need/cost of having your rtr purchase overhauled, even when advertised as being already re-conditioned.  I think I tried to say this somewhere else as well...on the other hand, once their up and running, they can be great! 

Thanks for the differentiation between the III and the II...