Grundig TK 120 De Luxe Issue

[alandav123]

Hi all,

I acquired an old Grundig TK 120 De Luxe recorder and have got around to playing with it. The fast forward and rewind work fine BUT the "play" results in no movement of the reels at all and the record button seems immobile. I have no idea of whether the button is meant to go up or down as there is nothing to compare it to.

The machine itself is mint-looking and I am seriously in the mood to try and repair it myself if it's likely to be a straightforward job. I'm no electronics whizz but anything needing replaced/exchanged /swapped out is right up my street.

I know it's hard to say but is there any way of deciding whether it's do-able by a relative layman? I like older things and I would rather sell it on to someone who could get it going than me make a pigs ear of it and ruin a savable machine.

Regards,
Alan

[Peter.N.]

Hi Alan,

I would suspect that the capstan is not rotating, could be the belt/pulley that drives it, you will need to investigate.

Welcome to the forum by the way..

Peter

[Steve_P]

The record button has a safety interlock, so it won't always move. Try the Stop setting of the big knob (oo-er missus) and hold it down while you switch to play.

The TK120 has two belts used in playback. One from the motor to the capstan drive, one from the capstan drive to the take up spindle. These belts do break, and there's a guy on Ebay does replacements and a book to explain how to fit them. These are good value.

Note - There are four screws on the top panel that you must not undo. If you do, the whole thing falls to bits, You have been warned...

Cheers,

Steve P.

[julie_m]

Surely somebody, somewhere must have undone those screws on a late-model Grundig and successfully reassembled it? Now, that surely would be sticky material.

[peteratnith]

Hi Steve,

It's not that hard to refit the top plate, the one with the heads on and various pivot points to line up. I've had to do it many times when these machines were still new, they broke belts even then. Just remove the 4? and fold the assembly carefully not straining the head leads. Output transformers went O/C quite often too and might be hard to source now.

Peter

[Steve_P]

Try it with one hand!

Cheers,

Steve P.

[alandav123]

Hi all,

I've seen the guy on eBay selling belts and manual for £21 or so. The question I have is would the deck be a useful bit of kit in todays world? I am not that well up on these matters and wonder if these recorders have a place today or are they more of a nostalgic look to the past? If they have a practical use I will be over the moon, I could show my kids how to use it etc.

Worst case senario would be to get it going properly and sell it to an enthusiast who will look after it.

Regards and thanks,
Alan

[Darren-UK]

Originally Posted by alandav123

If they have a practical use I will be over the moon, I could show my kids how to use it etc.

The TK120 was, and still is, a quite common domestic machine. Before today's electronic gadgets were even thought of, domestic tape recorders would be used for recording family and friends, TV sound and radio programmes or for listening to prerecorded tapes. Otherwise they were used for their amusement value; people gathered round, said something daft into the microphone and then found it hilarious when it was played back.

So you could repair it and show your kids. They could record themselves and then keep the tapes for replaying to their kids in the future. I've a friend with a TK120 and some tapes of his father talking and singing. His father's been dead for a great many years now and the tapes are in one sense quite eerie to listen to, but in another sense are better to have than something mute like a photo album.

Unless you're a tape recorder enthusiast, the above is just about the only practical use these domestic machines have these days. You therefore have to decide if you have such a use for the machine; if the answer is "no" then it's probably best to not spend any money on it and get shot of it as it is.

If you decide to repair and keep it, tapes are another consideration. Like a lot of other things these days, you can no longer waltz into your local electrical shop and buy tapes. That leaves you with the secondhand market and whether or not secondhand tapes are still usable is something of a gamble.

If you decide to got shot, you can always list it in our S&PO section and members will guide you regarding its value (if anything). I'm not a tape recorder enthusiast but have nonetheless tried to give you a sensible answer so I hope it helps.

[Steve_P]

The Grundigs do seem to be worth a bit more, one has to say. If you've got any tapes with it, what's on them is a perfect snippet of times gone by.

They do have their uses, even today. What's with it Microphone wise?

Go on Ebay for tapes - you can still get them!

Cheers,

Steve P.

[Nickthedentist]

I'd fix it and have fun with your kids with it.

I would guess that in monetary terms, you would struggle to sell it for very much more than what you would have to pay for parts to repair it, i.e. it would be a labour of love, not a money making exercise.

Nick.

[Michael Maurice]

Originally Posted by alandav123

Hi all,

I've seen the guy on eBay selling belts and manual for £21 or so.

Regards and thanks,
Alan

What he sells is not just the belts but a fully bound manual showing you how to replace the belts and other parts included in the kit.

Well worth it.

[peteratnith]

Agreed the TK120 was not the best mechanically but sounded quite good, not worth much today, but it did come with a fairly good microphone, a moving coil one at that, as standard GDM212?. It has the distinction of being the last Grundig RtoR, unless anyone knows better? Further thoughts on removing/refitting the top plate, the main control spindle and cam (big white thing) fall out on removal but I dont remember it being that hard to line things up. Having said that my 19 year old fingers were more dextrous than now!

Peter

[Steve_P]

The Grundig TK747 was I believe the last. By this time, they were made in the same factory as the Unitra machines. They were still good units, but whether they are real 'Grundig' is open to question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4PS0...eature=related

Cheers,

Steve P.

[Steve_P]

Look at this... you'll see what I mean. It's a Unitra, but it looks like a Grundig....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OthFj...eature=related

Cheers,

Steve P.

[wd40addict]

I remember Grundig lookalike machines from Poland being sold by McDonalds HiFI on Oxford street in the 80s. Probably the last domestic R2R it was possible to buy.

Regards,

Paul

[Tractorfan]

Hi,

My parents (now passed away) bought the TK120 two track model (non deluxe!) for 29½ guineas in 1967. It was made in Grundig's Ireland factory. We had much fun with it and I've got a treasured recording of my mother that never fails to elicit a tear. I've since copied it onto Minidisc, but I still like digging out the original from time to time. I'm just sorry I haven't got a tape of Dad.

I've now inherited the TK120 and, luckily, it's still got its original belts. I've just had to replace two valves in all that time. They're very nice machines and very well made. The only down side with ours was that the rewind was a bit sluggish. And, yes, I have undone those four screws and watched, horrified, as all the various levers sprang out of their pivots!

I never realised that there were "look-alikes" made. Learn something new every day.

Cheers,
Pete

[julie_m]

Hearing your own voice coming out of a loudspeaker -- especially after you had already said your piece, straight away, and being able to listen to it again and again -- must have been a great novelty at the time. No need to send anything off for developing, and you could keep your favourite recordings forever.

These days, with a 720p HD camcorder built into almost every phone, it seems so quaint and trivial. But yeah, it was good fun when that was all there was.

We must all have used to have been so much more easily amused in the Olden Days .....

[Tractorfan]

Hi,

The things that would, in my humble opinion, limit the appeal of the TK120 and its stable-mates to a modern day user are that it's mono, has but a single speed, and has a limited reel size (5¾ inches). Having said that, I still think they're a great little machine.

PS. Whenever I hear myself back on a tape, I always sound broad "Scouse", even though I was born across the water in Ellesmere Port!

Cheers,
Pete

[robjkmannering]

Originally Posted by ajs_derby

Surely somebody, somewhere must have undone those screws on a late-model Grundig and successfully reassembled it? Now, that surely would be sticky material.

I have!
It was Steve p's fault (sorry Steve). He gave me the same advice as the OP but in my haste I read it as there are 4 screws to undo!
The sinking feeling as the sprung parts release from their locating holes is almost enough to make sure it heads for the tip.

It is not too bad to reassemble, the various lugs line up with holes on the plate and a lever underneath needs correct placement. It is a mistake that I would not want to make twice.

Having had a used belt snap on this, I have had sucess with super glue for a temporary repair that has held for several weeks now.

Rob

[Ekcoman]

Good quality super glue really does come into its own with belt repairs. The bog standard BSR tape deck has a good long lasting belt that over time stretches. Have found that taking a couple of inches out and super-glueing does the trick every time.