Nak 550. Stay away or come and play?

[Chris Cables]

I've been avoiding these as I've heard they're so difficult to service and some key parts are now unobtanium.
However, one has popped up in outstanding condition, working and running including all the accessories and even the original mics, bag/strap looks to be in great condition. Battery compartment has never seen batteries so no concerns there. So I'm seriously tempted.
Asking a fair price for its' condition.
Should I maintain caution and stay away or just accept the risk it goes kerplup the day after I get it home?
I restore, refurb and recalibrate decks and know my way around the Nak CR range and Yamaha decks like the back of my hand but this is a different kettle of fish of course.
What's the trickiest thing that goes wrong with these?

 

[Elite-ist]

The issue I recall being said about the 550 - and other Nakamichi decks using the same transport - is with the motor and motor control circuit not being able to hold a constant and correct speed.

Nando.

 

[Chris Cables]

Thanks for that Nando. I asked the seller to give me a few WFGUI screenshots.
Let's see how that comes out....

 

[Elite-ist]

I have a few portable recorders, but I prefer the DAT format over compact cassette. Sony TCD-D7 & Sony TCD-D10 shown:




Nando.

 

[Chris Cables]

That's a nice collection Nando!

I stayed away from DAT as I never really got the appeal or saw any benefit over solid-state digital recording.
The failure-anxiety just put me right off.

I love that TOSlink cable in the clear tube. Does it glow when passing a signal/hooked up?

 

[Elite-ist]

I haven't hooked up the TOSlink cable, yet, so I don't know whether it has visible light passing through it. Might check that out, soon.

I use an inexpensive Tascam DR-05 Version 2 for digital recording. Easy to use and no-fuss recordings. I use it a lot for dubbing from many of the group Travelling Tape projects as an archival medium.

Recording the ABBA Covers TT project:



Nando.

 

[nakdoc]

550 motors are fine. That deck cover is super sexy...never knew one was available. Nakamichi CM300 and C700 mikes are super, the CM100 not so much. The big concern is the reel idler. Originals were a single bearing with a plastic body, which wore out in a few years causing flutter. We replaced them with the 2 bearing aluminum versions on every dec that came into the shop. I finished a real PIA 550 by adding a second top bearing to a plastic body idler. The job would be easier if I had a super strong, small gear puller. Open the cassette campartment and look under the eject plat at the silver pulley between the reel tables. That is the idler. If you see an off white plastic body, its days are numbered. If aluminum, grab the deck. They sound great.

 

[Chris Cables]

550 motors are fine. That deck cover is super sexy...never knew one was available. Nakamichi CM300 and C700 mikes are super, the CM100 not so much. The big concern is the reel idler. Originals were a single bearing with a plastic body, which wore out in a few years causing flutter. We replaced them with the 2 bearing aluminum versions on every dec that came into the shop. I finished a real PIA 550 by adding a second top bearing to a plastic body idler. The job would be easier if I had a super strong, small gear puller. Open the cassette campartment and look under the eject plat at the silver pulley between the reel tables. That is the idler. If you see an off white plastic body, its days are numbered. If aluminum, grab the deck. They sound great.

I remember your advice re. the alu pulley and asked the seller about it but by the time he replied I was shying away from it in any case. He sold it about a week later too.
I think if ida bought it it would have just become an un-used dust trap at the end of the day.
If it was the same size as my trusty TC-D5M that sits on the end of my workbench which is used daily then it would be a no-brainer swap but it isn't, so it won't.