Rats...
I think it was here in this thread that I stated that I had an R2R deck, well it was my wife's R2R, and I stated that I wasn't sure if it worked. Well, I was still sent a reel of tape last Christmas by the kind folks on this forum. Yesterday, I FINALLY dragged the R2R out of the closet - a Sony about 35 years old. I had to jury-rig a power cord, it powered up, OK so far. I put that tape on, with tape trying to unloop off the spool, and I remembered all the reasons why I got rid of my Wollensak R2R years ago... The capstan spins, the reel drives work OK in all modes, but the pinch roller will not come up, and neither will the little pads which hold the tape to the heads. I can't change the speed, either.
I'm going to examine the entrails, and if it's not an easy fix, it's bye, bye. There is a better Pioneer for sale at a local shop for $45, and either way, it's hardly worth it for one tape.
Chances are that I'll be giving the tape away for free in the "For Sale" sub-forum...