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What to do with Revox B77 MKll

184.45.8.145
Posted on February 19, 2014 at 15:22:59
recordhead
 I was handed two Revox B77 MKll's reel to reel machines yesterday. They were pulled from a radio station. The units are dirty, smell of smoke and since I'll have to buy a power cord, I have no idea if they work. I have a solid Technics 1520 so I doubt I'll keep the Revox units but I would like to test them out. Question is, what can I use to clean the smoke and layers of dirt off that won't ruin anything?

 

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RE: What to do with Revox B77 MKll, posted on February 20, 2014 at 03:04:20
vinnie2
Audiophile

Posts: 4481
Location: North Carolina
Joined: September 28, 2013
 You don't want to do all that work! Send them to me and I will gladly pay the shipping. Some people have all the luck ......

 

RE: What to do with Revox B77 MKll, posted on February 20, 2014 at 07:58:07
Inmate51
 Better yet, he can send them to me. I'll check them out, and send you the one that doesn't work so you can fix it up and send it back to me.

:)

 

RE: What to do with Revox B77 MKll, posted on February 20, 2014 at 08:42:04
Inmate51
 You won't be able to get rid of the smoke smell, since it's not only on the outside, it's on the inside as well.

With regard to cleaning the grunge off, I would try a little Windex. Spray it on a white cloth (not colored!) and try it in an obscure area before doing the face and knobs, etc. If it takes off the finish, then try a little liquid dish soap in water, again with a white cloth. Be sure to rinse a couple times with plain water to remove any soap residue. You can do this easily by taking the machines out onto the patio and just hose them off. (Kidding!)

But the first thing you'll want to do is see if they work. It seems to me that they use a special power connector (my A77 does). If so, you can rig up a temporary pigtail by wrapping bare leads around the prongs, and terminating the other end with a standard AC plug (male) that you can connect to any handy extension cord. This is actually fairly easy: Just get one of those cheap 6 foot extension cords, cut off the female end, unzip a foot or so, and strip enough of it to wrap around the prongs a few times.

Obviously, use care and caution when wrapping those prongs! Put some electrical tape over them to ensure that no stray strands contact from one lead to the other.

What do I win? A B77?

:)

There is another issue: Condition of the heads. Coming out of a radio station, I'd expect that they're pretty worn, so there may be a fairly expensive refurbishment in their futures. Also, the record and playback amp cards will probably need some new capacitors, especially if these machines have been sitting unused for a long time, which is often the case, since most stations haven't used reel-to-reel tape in YEARS.

Once you've invested about $1,000 into each one and they're good to go, list them on eBay. You'll easily get $500 apiece. ;)

Actually, I'd be interested in one or both machines if the price is right, even if they don't work. It'd be cool just have it to look at.

 

RE: What to do with Revox B77 MKll, posted on February 23, 2014 at 03:25:22
vinnie2
Audiophile

Posts: 4481
Location: North Carolina
Joined: September 28, 2013
 Now that would be a deal for one of us alright....

 

RE: What to do with Revox B77 MKll, posted on February 26, 2014 at 07:31:32
Inmate51
 ;)

I figured since you're willing to pay the shipping, I should at least let you work on one of them. lol

I'm not going to get into a bidding war with you. But I do feel that expecting two machines for free plus shipping is, well, being a little cheap. So I'm offering shipping AND $10 EACH.

:)

 

RE: What to do with Revox B77 MKll, posted on February 28, 2014 at 04:24:25
vinnie2
Audiophile

Posts: 4481
Location: North Carolina
Joined: September 28, 2013
 $20 each

 

RE: What to do with Revox B77 MKll, posted on February 28, 2014 at 07:40:00
Inmate51
 You obviously didn't take my post seriously. I said I'm not going to get into a bidding war with you. But, since that's the game you want to play, $25 each.

:)

 

RE: What to do with Revox B77 MKll, posted on March 2, 2014 at 05:00:46
vinnie2
Audiophile

Posts: 4481
Location: North Carolina
Joined: September 28, 2013
 $100

 

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