Problems with Your Tape Deck? Fix That Stereo!

The compact disc came out in the late 80s and swept the nation. By 1993, many people were replacing their old cassettes with Cd's. But not EVERYONE did. Many people still have a decent am/FM cassette player in their automobile and though they may have to go to yard sales and flea markets to find some of their favorite cassettes but they still use them. If you're one of those people who still uses them, this article will give you some tips on how to properly treat some of the common problems with cassette players.

Symptom: Tape sounds muddy and not crisp at all.

Treatment: You may have to clean your heads. In a place like Radio Shack, you can likely find a head cleaner kit. But if you don't wish to spend the money on one, you can do it manually. In a home tape player on your stereo the heads are very easy to get to. Open the cassette door. If there is a cassette in the door or the player, remove it. Look down into the mechanism. There will be TWO silver/chrome squares that the tape is stretched across while the tape is playing. Those are the tape's heads. Many will recommend that you use a cue-tip but that may leave a bit of lint or cotton on the heads. I recommend the purchase of a pair of forceps or something similar for a tool and a small lint free cloth much like one from an eyeglass cleaning kit. Clutch the cloth in the tool, soak it in regular Isopropyl Alcohol and gently rub the heads. Leave the cassette door open to air it out and allow it to fully dry before using the player.

For a care stereo with a cassette deck that you insert the cassette in and the player sucks in it much like a VCR, open the door and look inside. Deep inside you'll see ONE silver/chrome square. That is the PLAY head. The home player had TWO heads because one was for playing AND recording. Once again, clutch the lint free cloth with your tool in the alcohol and reach in the player. (It won't be easy on a car stereo) and gently rub the head with the cloth. Once again, allow the head to fully dry before inserting a tape.

Have you ever heard it said that a magnet will destroy your tape? It's true. A tape is actually magnetic. When a magnet rubs on metal, that metal becomes magnetic eventually as well. This happens to your tape heads and the magnetic head will slowly destroy the sound on your cassette tape.

Demagnetizing your tape heads is essential to the longevity of your tapes. Go to a Radio Shack or other electronics store and purchase a cassette head demagnetizer. This should be done on a monthly basis if you use your tape deck frequently.

Symptom: Tape deck is eating your tape.

Treatment: A lot of times a tape eating incident is due to the tape and NOT the player. If both wheels of your tape are not spinning in the player, your tape is being eaten. If it's the mechanism within the tape deck that is doing this, the problem is a bit complicated to fix for the novice. I don't suggest you attempt it.

The Bright side.

Tape players are considered old technology. You can't even find them in most department stores anymore. That means, you can likely go on eBay or some flea market and pick up a replacement real cheap. A car stereo (AM/FM cassette deck) that would have cost you $250 back in 1985 you can get for about $10-$20 today.