HOW TO - fix playback issues on a Technics RS-AZ6 3 Head Cassette Tape Deck

Hi Everyone.

In this video I show an example of what can cause playback issues causing tapes to be crinkled or sound issues - and how to fix it.

Also a few tips on general servicing and cleaning of pinch rollers / capstan on powered door mech decks.

[phantomguard]

Great video mate, Thanks!. Pinch Roller Part Number is RDP0055. It fits a bunch of Panasonic/Technics models from the RS and SA Series

[stuartleckie]

Nice. Thanks.
My Technics deck went in to a local shop for this exact issue.
They said it’s all fixed, but first tape I ran through did the exact same thing.
In it went again.
I’m told it’s all good now.
But now, it does the slow down, speed wobble, chew tape thing about 1 in every 4 tapes.
Off to really check my pinch rollers 😃

[Rijeka]

I also changed roller on my AZ6, but im curious, how to change belt? Is it hard?

[quadfuland]

Thanks for the video, I have an az7 and, cleaning the capstan as you do, I was worried about the noise I heard.
Can you explain better why you hear all that noise?
Thanks

[franciscosolis]

Hello excellent video! I have a z6 and some days ago when I open the door this close automatically after 1 or 2 second, but if I reopen the door this no close automatically... Can you help me or explain what happened?

Thanks very nice channel!!

[michaelh]

Hi, new to this page, I have just been looking for answers to playback issues i am having with tape decks. I am horrified to just learn that demagnetizing the heads is a bad thing on certain decks, I always believed this was the thing to do to clean properly. Have i been causing more harm than good by using a demagnetizer? How do you know when and when not to use a demagnetizer?

[italobusto]

Excellent, thank you very much for the video!
Issue soved with just few euro!

[Mr.Beaners]

Молодец, главное, что бы отвёртка была хорошо намагничена..

[christianclough]

Hi, i have a Technics RS BX501, had since new around 99, just started making a lot of noise when door opening or closing and also when rw/ff. Also quieter knocking noise when playing. Can you tell me what is likely the problem at all ? Thanks.

[dangaAgadanga]

I used to have this deck, with the same issue - it always chewed a cheap metal tape from Maxell. Wondering if anyone else experienced a fault where playback keeps stopping, as if its reached the end of the tape. Eventually I bought the AZ-7 on eBay, which none of the above faults.

[ioanniskyriakidis]

Hi. Any ideas where can I find the Amorphous Z RED0040 head please?

[xadmi]

I have RS AZ6 which rotates slowly. Should I replace belt ? (I can't do that actually)

[sahajankhan]

I have a similar issue but t its not chewing, the some goes deep and you can't hear the tweeters.

[RUfromthes]

i use technics material since the 70´s, but all material bought after 1980, turntables or decks the supposed rubber parts seemed to melt and i live in a very dry and hot area, wich is becoming since they build a dam we have the biggest artificial lake in europe, now it´s almost impossible to live outside very hot and the levels of humidity through the roof, normally after 11 p.m. it´s when you can go outside this if you live in a 70 years old house wich it´s always fresh, the old ones build better than the new ones, buildings are like saunas, this to say i own material from diferent brands and sometimes i get to store things i don´t need and technics devices, are always in need of new rubbers, it transforms in a high-density black paste wich doesn´t happen with any of other components from the brands i own devices, even to the point of using others without any problem and you show a deck from the last they came out and the rubber is in a very bad condition but from other brands even a few years older they work perfectelly and in the decks of cassettes it´s a matter of changing the belts and they work as new, also had a pioneer deck and a technics both from around 1981, they were almost forgotten, the pioneer i change the belts clean the capstans and pinch rollers and it works like new, even i was amazed with it´s quality, this pioneer i never had used it also the technics, but in this case all have to be changed, this were systems of components bought by my father and also my uncles that came with a complete system, more cheap than what they didn´t want it was stored, if i didn´t need it they stayed there till today, the same with a belt driven turntable from technics the belts become a glue paste, i have a simple pioneer that was 5 years older and i was amazed that when testing the r.p.m´s they were perfect and constant not variable, the technics not even usable, and i have 2 decks that i´m using more both start to damage the tapes, normally older ones but very good cassettes this is related with the double capstan and the plastic that leads the path to the tape and also the rubber wheell, both had installed new belts and worked perfectelly after a couple of years and from one moment to another i can´t listen to a cassette without damaging the tape, but a high-end pioneer deck from 1990 or 89, does work perfect but only type I cassettes from maxell the UR and TDK D, those are never damaged, the problem is that to clean this parts it´s probable that i have to take them appart because they have no access from the outside, regards

[ThePupil]

All the front buttons stopped working. Anyone any idea?

[grizzlyaddams]

Whoa. How does one know if they need to demagnetize their heads or not?!

[roetsj]

I own 2 of these, the pinchrollers are terrible quality, the rubber is bad, I bought 2 substitutes from eBay, Made by a Guy in Ukrain, metal base and much better rubber, I used to change the original rollers every year