8 Track players - worth owning?

[defender]

I've been messing about with tape formats and I decided to try 8 track for the novelty as I'd never had one.
First I got an in car one off ebay with some tapes, that needed a belt and some tinkering but it plays at the wrong speed, just slightly but noticeable and annoying.
Then I happened on one at the local flea market for a couple of quid with speakers but it had no audio output, had a tinker, got nowhere, eventually I couldn't be bothered with it so binned it.

Then another from the flea market for £2 that needs plugging into an amp and a tinker with, got that going and it sounded better (ac motor, Thorpe Grenville TD145 made by BSR), and bought ELO Out Of The Blue to play on it, plugged it into a Tandberg tape recorder (series 12) to use as an amp and it sounds reasonable.
Did eye up the Akai range but they were going for too much money in ebay £80+ so gave up with that idea.

All the interesting tape content is more expensive as there is LOTS of crap on 8 track, I think the ELO was £8 and it needed a foam pad fitting.

[mark_in_manc]

Originally Posted by defender

All the interesting tape content is more expensive as there is LOTS of crap on 8 track

I'm holding out for Herb Alpert to become 'retro'.

(He was the 'A' in 'A&M' records, it seems. So he'll not be too upset by the number of his albums in Oxfam bargain bins).

[Martin Bush]

I bought an Herb Alpert single in the 80s - a new one. I think he was hip for a few weeks.

Interesting that a £2 machine from the market did OK with a bit of attention.

Also, for the interest of those here who have machines already, I have found that there are cartridges still being released. Of course they are aimed at collectors and enthusiasts, but it's interesting all the same.

[af024]

There was also a cartridge adaptor to provide radio in an 8 track player. Good fun.
Just don't drop the tape whilst you have the cartridge opened up for repair, you'll be at it for days!

[Radio Wrangler]

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass did have a hit in the sixties, one summer; Spanish Flea. It was playing everywhere despite the name.

All the 8-track carts I've ever come across were Klaus Wunderlich...

David

[ms660]

Or as we used to say, Herb Alpert and his Marijuana Brass.

Lawrence.

[Refugee]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

All the 8-track carts I've ever come across were Klaus Wunderlich...

David

We have had Elvis in post#7

[Martin Bush]

Having read what's said in this thread I am tempted initially to seek out a player (ie not a recorder).

My reason for this is to gain some initial experience with minimal outlay - there is the possibility that having had a bit of a play with one I decide it's not for me. I've spotted a few higher end machines which are not guaranteed to work or need extensive repair, but are rather expensive.

Of course if I decide I'd like to go further I can set my sights on something a bit better at a later date.

One other observation... When I worked as the Saturday lad in a hi-fi shop we had Wunderlich LPs in the repair room... They got played at all sorts of speeds and sometimes manipulated on a slip-mat equipped Technics 1210.

[ben]

I actually like some of the Wunderlich and Herb stuff. ol' Klaus did some interesting early synth stuff on the Sound 2000 and Sudamerica series. Not experimental like Kraftwerk or anything, but fun. Sort of a poor man's Perrey and Kingsley in places.

Herb Alpert's late 70s and 80s stuff is a bit more towards jazz-funk, things like Rise and Rotation show that he had left behind the cheesy parp-fest of the Tijuana brass by then!

[Martin Bush]

Does anyone know anything about the Wien brand of electronics? 1970s I presume.

[Ted Kendall]

The Wien 8 track was a badged BSR, if memory serves.

[defender]

The BSR based 8 track player came with an amp, speakers and a tuner. I think the guy was going to bin em so happily took a couple of quid.
Teleton saq 203 amp, Realistic speakers and Sony tuner.

[Richard_FM]

I remember reading somewhere that in-car 8-track players can be run from the mains with a a CB mains adaptor.

My Dad remembers hiring a car with just an 8-track player installed. It came with a Four Tops album which was initially good as my Dad liked Motown, but after hearing it played few a few times it got a bit boring.

Elsewhere I've mentioned the quadrophonic 8-tracks were a single format unlike vinyl.

James Last was one artist that supposedly had a lot of material released on 8-track.

[Andrew2]

Originally Posted by ben

I actually like some of the Wunderlich and Herb stuff. ol' Klaus did some interesting early synth stuff on the Sound 2000 and Sudamerica series. Not experimental like Kraftwerk or anything, but fun. Sort of a poor man's Perrey and Kingsley in places.

Herb Alpert's late 70s and 80s stuff is a bit more towards jazz-funk, things like Rise and Rotation show that he had left behind the cheesy parp-fest of the Tijuana brass by then!

I quite liked his post-cheese stuff. And don't forget his solo vocal recording 'This Guy's in love with You', which I still think is a great song.

[TonyDuell]

Originally Posted by Martin Bush

Does anyone know anything about the Wien brand of electronics? 1970s I presume.

Somewhere I have a portable MW/LW radio badged 'Wien 6' which belonged to my late grandmother. She got it in the early 1970s from what I remember, and it's a typical cheap-n-nasty Hong Kong radio of the time.

From that, I would not regard Wien as a high-end brand.

[Martin Bush]

The Wien/ BSR I have been looking at on ebay appears to be a British made unit and is apparently serviced and working. I know it won't be high-end, but it's about in my price range.

This is the model: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/bsr_wi...o_t145mr2.html

[Richard_FM]

Originally Posted by Andrew2

I quite liked his post-cheese stuff. And don't forget his solo vocal recording 'This Guy's in love with You', which I still think is a great song.

It was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, just the right thing to listen to when you want to be relaxed & mellow.

[defender]

Originally Posted by Martin Bush

The Wien/ BSR I have been looking at on ebay appears to be a British made unit and is apparently serviced and working. I know it won't be high-end, but it's about in my price range.

This is the model: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/bsr_wi...o_t145mr2.html

That's the same as the one I have, the brand on mine is a sticker across the bottom of the front, I'm tempted to peel it off to see what's underneath.

[mark_in_manc]

Originally Posted by Richard_FM

James Last was one artist that supposedly had a lot of material released on 8-track.

Ah, now we're really in the Oxfam bargain bin When I was a teenager, my mate's Dad had a (much derided) 'We appreciate James Last' car window sticker, in the kind of bubble-font they used for the LP covers. It would be rather a nice thing to have, in a funny kind of way!

[Martin Bush]

I suppose some of these lesser loved artists' 8 tracks would be good to practice repairs on...

On the subject of repairs, am I right in saying that the tape in the cartridges is 1/4 inch and so splicing kit made for that would be suitable?

And, that being the case, would "vintage" splicing tape actually be worth buying given that the splices on the cartridges need to be renewed due to the adhesive being past it?