Anybody into 8 tracks?

rem

 

now you will have to find a reverb unit??


had a few used ones after i came back from Nam, used to hit a bump and they went boing

still got a 8 track in the basement i found from a car from 1974 , we used to buy and sell a lot of stuff cheep in those days

got a nice stereo and booster in a truck and dont know how to turn it on, tough being old in a young peoples world

 

I have an eight track recorder also, never tried it. Where do you get blank tapes? I also have a nice Craig radio/ 8 track for my car.

 

never saw a blank 8 track,, that was the problem could never record on them & you had to wait for the song to come back around!!
If i had one i would probably keep it on the top of my "ice box" next to my "victrola" & use my "dial phone" to call my sister to see whats shes watching on her "black & white" TV!If she could adjust her "rabbit ear" antenna!!lololololol
JimV

 

I find my blank 8 tracks at thrift stores. Pre-recorded tapes, too. I sure would like to find a source of fresh new blanks.

 

im all about traditional, but fuck that! just hide an ipod like everybody else.

 

My dad was heavy into reel-to-reel in the 60s, we laughed at the 8 track guys. And yes, we did take the big RtR deck, amp, and speakers in the wagon on vacations, powered by a big inverter.

 

just get a bunch of cheap jim nabors and lawrence welk tapes and record over that shit

 

An 8 track with a glass head will closely rival the sound of an rtr, and will out perform most cassettes. Such high-end 8 tracks are very hard to find, though.

 

The old 8-tracks did indeed have a better sound quality than the newer cassettes. The tape speed was higher, and since the tape was wider, the sound separation between right and left stereo tracks was clearer. The cassettes had a bit of bleedover and slow-tape hiss that the 8-tracks did not.

What do you do when the tapes start dragging?

I know a common remedy when the endless-loop tape started dragging was to cut the tape at the track-changer foil tape, unwrap a turn or two , then re-tape the splice. You then ended up with a looser wound tape coil that didn't drag anymore. but that only worked for a while until it needed tape-lube again.

What do you use for a tape-lube when the tape starts dragging again?

Was there a fine powdered graphite to sprinkle on the tape coil or something?

I vaguely remember spraying lightly with something made for the purpose, but don't remember the name or what it was. Later experiments with other lubes only made the tapes drag worse. I wish I could find what we used decades ago.

I still have over a hundred 8-track tapes of special music like Sly And The Family Stone jam sessions, Georgio Moroder's (famous big-time producer today) early 70's computer/synthesizer music creations- the early days of electronic music, or Jeff Beck when he used to practice at the USO in Orlando where my brother was stationed long long ago, but with no way to revive the dragging tapes.

If anyone knows how to lube them or revive them let me know.

thanks

 

fat hack is into 8-track if i remember right.

also, ebay is your friend. blanks come up there from time to time

 

I've amassed quite a few NOS blank cartridges on ebay for way cheap. It's been several years since I bought any, but I seem to recall if someone were selling several at a time you could pick em up for what broke down to like 2 or 3 bucks per piece.

Glad to know I'm not the only one still waving the analog banner!

 

What I remember most about them was launching them out the window and watching that streamer of stuck tape fluttering in the breeze. Back then, the highways were littered with them.

 

I have a Panasonic 8-Track recorder/player.
I also have an adaptor that allows you to play cassette tapes in an 8-track player. Along the way I also aquired an old-fashioned reverb unit. All are sitting on the shelves waiting to be used again.

 

For recording, I use a Fisher "Studio Standard" ER-8130 recorder/player. It has Dolby and separate recording levels for each channel with meters for each channel.

 

Ive been looking at purchasing one for my Chevelle but I don't know much about them..

 

Still have some,,the Quad 8's sound really great Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden on 8 track woo hoo

 

I remember putting a book of matches part way under the bottom of the tape when they started dragging. Seemed to have to go towards the left side to work, at least on my tape player. Mine was Craig dual volume contol [right and left side] 8 track player, I just ran across it in the garage the other day.

 

I haven't been "into" 8 tracks since the 60's, but I 'll have to agree with eugene vik, you need a "reverb" unit!

 

I thought everybody was into 8 tracks, is there something newer?

 

Keep your eyes open for a Lear brand. Lear invented the 8 track. All others are made under license from Lear. Another very good brand would be a Pioneer unit. Stay away from the cheap junk units. If it is heavy, then that's a good indicator of good quality. Craig was a low-end brand (cost wise), but seem to be of good quality. They are the ones that you see most often. I'm not familiar with the Panasonics, but my bet would be that they are good quality.

 

IF you can find one.
and, again...
IF you can get the person to part with it.
and, yet again...
IF you can afford it.

yes, a lear 8-track would be the pinnacle of sound for you

 

I still have my Monky WARDS 8 TRACK PLAYER THAT I BOUGHT ON MY PAPER ROUTE WHEN I WAS 14 back in 1967 and about 100 tapes that still work

 

The book of matches under the left side I clearly remember. You could record 8 tracks, and record over them too. The best song always switched in the middle of the track.
Some 8 tracks failed quick some never failed. They came free on GM's for a while I'd guess just to expend.

 

I was a large Pioneer dealer in the 70's ,,80's i sold out in 1992.. I kept a lot of that stuff.. I have new car 8 track players in there ordg boxes...Have not used any in years..

 

My dad just picked up a box of about 150 8 tracks at a garage sale for $10. Quality stuff, too. Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Elvis. I really wanna put one in my wagon but I have NO idea what's involved. Is it worth it? I'm sure most nostalgic guys'll say yes but I just don't know if it's cost effective.

 

I bought 2 big boxes of 8 tracks at a yard sale.They were gonna throw em in the garbage. I sold em at a swap meet 2 bucks each or 3 fer 5 the best part was watching all the fun those people had picking through them

 

Don't forget the Muntz 4-track player, predessesor to the 8-track!

 

I've got a recorder, a huge stack of unopened blanks, and some regular albums. I have a factory player for my GTO and a Learjet player for my '73 Mercedes but I have yet to install either and I haven't yet recorded anything. The '68 Caddy I got this fall also has an 8 track deck.

I really want to make up a series of tapes and have functional players in at least a couple of cars. Just for the novelty of it, I think it'd be fun. Plus, with an 8 track player, everyone has to listen to my music because my buddies won't be able to play their crappy CD's.