Tape player maintenance zine
30th Nov 2023
I'm a big fan of cassette tapes.
For years now I've been collecting them and portable steroes, often having to troubleshoot and resolve and technical issues that crop up.
Repairing tape players has become a regualr past time and I've since sold a good number of refurbished players online and through Bristol's only and best heavy metal record shop, Black City Records.
(Shout out to Dave we letting me sell my wares there)
Quite a few people have come my way and asked for for advice and assistence in repairing their own cassette players and while I'm all too happy to oblige it revealed a larger issue to me.
Not many people know how to maintain their cassette players or even know how they work.
The days of being able to take your walkman into a shop and have someone dispense this advice is a thing of the past and will not be returning.
It's up to everyone to take repairing and mainting cassette players into their own hands if there's any hope of keeping the medium alive.
As someone who operates a cassette only label, I very much have a vested interest in this!
So to help spread the good word of cassette player repair I've written a zine on the subject!
It very much serves as an introduction more than a comprehensive guide, but my main hope is ensure anyone who picks up a walkman from a car boot or charity shop will know how to take care of it.
Fingers crossed this will save one or two serviceable tape players from ending up in landfill.
A digital copy of this zine is avalable to read in full
here.
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