SOLID WOOD FEET For TEAC 2300 2340 3300 3340 3440 6300 Etc - LIFETIME GUARANTEE
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:51366227 | Brand: TEAC |
SOLID WOODEN FEET FOR TEAC TAPE DECKS
THIS LISTING OFFERS ONE PAIR OF FEET TO FULLY ACCOMMODATE ONE TAPE DECK.
I love these vintage TEAC reel to reel tape decks from the‘70’s and ‘80’s. But nothing’s perfect! The feet TEAC used on many of these machines in the ‘70’s (see photos) weren’t particularly well engineered, at least in my opinion. They are lightly constructed plastic pieces designed such that the entire weight of the tape deck,... up to 50lbs. or more, rests on less than about one square inch of plastic foot. The four feet are located such that they provide a relatively small footprint compared to the dimensions of the deck as all four of them are recessed well inside of the front, rear, and side surfaces of the machine.
These decks are designed with the four heaviest components(two reel motors, one capstan motor and the power transformer) located very high in the chassis. All four items are well forward of the center line of the frame. And in addition, the head assembly and any mounted tape and take up reel are positioned well in front of the front feet. All of this makes for a deck that is not only top heavy but front heavy as well.
If you own a TEAC tape deck with these small, poorly located feet here’s something to try. See just how easy it is to tilt the top forward (so the deck is resting only on the front feet) compared to tilting the top backward (so the deck is resting only on the back feet. Pretty front heavy, huh!
With the front feet located well behind the front of the machine it is not unusual at all for these machines to get knocked over on their face. When that happens several things can occur, none of which are good. On Quad decks, which are even more susceptible to tipping over because they’re taller, the first things that hit are generally the SimulSync switches on the head cover. That impact breaks the circuit board on which these switches are mounted, which in turn causes the SimulSync switches to feel very sloppy to the touch. But more serious than that, the land patterns on the circuit board are now broken, causing lost channels during record, or playback, or other erratic behavior with your audio. Then the QuicLocs on the reel tables get bent or broken and the shafts of the Mic input level pots get damaged. The reel tables are simple to repair if you can find the pricey parts but even if you’re handy, repairing or replacing the SimulSync circuit board is not for the faint of heart. And good luck finding THAT replacement part!
These original TEAC feet are designed specifically for either the right or the left side of the deck. However, you CAN get them installed on the wrong side if you don’t pay attention. There is an easy to over look relief that exists on the top of these feet to accommodate the lower rear sheet metal cover. Installing the feet on the wrong side causes them to tilt outwards at the bottom, leaving the entire weight of the deck resting on just the EDGE of the foot. That makes the feet pretty easy to break, maybe by as mundane an act as scooting the deck sideways!
Along the way Teac apparently recognized this design flaw and re-engineered the feet to allow them to extend out in front of the deck by about an inch. Rather than making the feet from solid plastic, Teac chose to make them hollow (see photos). While these re-engineered feet probably did slow down the occurrence of the decks falling over, the hollow feet sticking out weren’t strong enough to withstand any sort of impact. I regularly find that even if these feet are still in place many of them are cracked or maybe even broken in half. They’re held in place with three machine screws that can make the feet appear to be whole when in fact they aren’t!
Because these feet project out towards the front, but NOT the rear of the deck, they are NOT intended to be reversible! But, again, you CAN get them installed on the wrong side which results in the same tilting and easy breaking noted above!
Many of the vintage TEAC tape decks that come into my shop have either broken, poorly repaired, or missing feet. When one foot gets broken off one common“solution” I see regularly is to removed the rest of the feet, let the weight of the deck rest on the bottom of the side panels, and pretend that there never were any feet! This probably provides better footing than the original feet, and the deck sitting on that thin veneer(the original side panels) is probably OK if you don’t move the deck around very much. But doing this results in all of the tape deck’s weight being supported by the machine screws that hold the side panels to the frame. Those machine screws are in place to hold the weight of the side panels, maybe 3 lbs each… not a 50 lb tape deck! So over time they get bent, either by metal fatigue or by setting the deck down abruptly.
In my case, I constantly have more tape decks than I have feet to hold them up! My first solution was to buy 1” plastic round feet and modify the top of them to clear the lower sheet metal cover and the custom side panels I install on my restores. That wasn’t a very elegant solution as each foot needed to be hand made and was pretty labor intensive considering the mediocre result. Support wise it was probably better than the original feet, certainly more surface area to support the deck, but often didn’t fit particularly well. And also, this didn’t address the top heavy/tipsy problem!
So I aborted that plan and began “borrowing” feet from new arrivals to install on decks that, other than missing feet, were ready to sell and move out. You can only do that for so long. I’ve now wound up with a dozen or so Teac decks that I’d like to sell that don’t have any feet! (Anybody out there want to buy a tape deck without feet? I don’t want to put my name on it!)
I’ve said all that to explain how I got where I am. And where I am is, I’m now making wooden feet(1) for the Teac decks I restore, and also (2) to make available to YOU! I’m making the feet out of the same Jatoba wood I use in making the side panels I install. The feet are solid on the bottom providing a total of about 12 square inches of support for the deck, as opposed to less than 2 square inches provided by the TEAC feet. I’ve extended the REAR of the feet to match the front extension which provides quite a bit more protection from tipping over BACKWARDS. They measure over 7” long and about ¾” wide.
I’m sure there are other Teac owners out there who see similar problems with the feet under (or not under) their TEAC deck. I feel like these wooden feet will do a better job than either of the Teac versions I’ve referred to, and pictured, in this listing. They provide more substantial footing, more tip over protection, and just plain look nicer.
The strength of these feet is an order of magnitude above the strength of the original feet provided by Teac. The originals are so regularly broken that it is routine when looking at Teac decks for sale to find some with no feet. They didn't falloff...one got broken and, instead of replacing the broken one, the owner removed the other to level the deck.
These wooden feet are so strong that I'm including a ZIPPO lighter guarantee, to the original purchaser, with the purchase. -->>>>>>>>>>
IF THESE FEET EVER BREAK I"LL REPLACE THEM FOR JUST THE COST OF SHIPPING!
I’ve included several photos so you can get a really clear picture of what I’m offering. In reviewing them please note:
The difference in length and width between what Teac provided and what I offer
The hollow sections of the TEAC feet The Book matched end grain on the front of each pair of feet The countersunk holes bored through the bottom The rear extension that matches the front extension One pair sprayed satin black Two pairs sprayed with polyurethane One pair not coated with anything
So, this listing should be of interest not only to owners of TEAC tape decks that are missing the feet, but also those who see the imminent danger of a tip over (that’ll ruin your day). That may never happen to you. But if it does you’ll be faced with a huge repair bill and a lot of inconvenience. These new feet are far, far cheaper then the repair bill you might be facing without them! They’re also a great way to dress up your deck.
I can provide these either sprayed with three coats of polyurethane, painted satin black or unfinished. THE BUYER NEEDS TO SPECIFY THE DESIRED FINISH!!! I ALSO NEED THE MODEL NUMBER OF THE DECK THEY WILL BE MOUNTED ON. If no selection is made then I'll ship these items sprayed with polyurethane. I’ll also provide the mounting hardware you’ll need. (The original machine screws you may have are too short and quite likely bent.)
Stated shipping cost is for the lower 48. Note our feedback, buy with confidence! Please contact me with any questions. Thanks for your interest!
JATOBA WOOD
Jatoba wood is regularly used in Brazilfor furniture and hardwood floors. It is a very heavy wood and is so dense that in order to put a nail through it one would normally drill a hole first rather than try to drive a nail with a hammer! The course grain is very similar to Teak, it is often mistaken for Teak, and often used where the look of Teak is desired but the oily nature of Teak is not necessarily required.
Look at the photos and be aware that you are looking at the natural color of this wood…no stain here, just 3 coats of low gloss polyurethane.
THIS LISTING OFFERS ONE PAIR OF FEET TO FULLY ACCOMMODATE ONE TAPE DECK.
I love these vintage TEAC reel to reel tape decks from the‘70’s and ‘80’s. But nothing’s perfect! The feet TEAC used on many of these machines in the ‘70’s (see photos) weren’t particularly well engineered, at least in my opinion. They are lightly constructed plastic pieces designed such that the entire weight of the tape deck,... up to 50lbs. or more, rests on less than about one square inch of plastic foot. The four feet are located such that they provide a relatively small footprint compared to the dimensions of the deck as all four of them are recessed well inside of the front, rear, and side surfaces of the machine.
These decks are designed with the four heaviest components(two reel motors, one capstan motor and the power transformer) located very high in the chassis. All four items are well forward of the center line of the frame. And in addition, the head assembly and any mounted tape and take up reel are positioned well in front of the front feet. All of this makes for a deck that is not only top heavy but front heavy as well.
If you own a TEAC tape deck with these small, poorly located feet here’s something to try. See just how easy it is to tilt the top forward (so the deck is resting only on the front feet) compared to tilting the top backward (so the deck is resting only on the back feet. Pretty front heavy, huh!
With the front feet located well behind the front of the machine it is not unusual at all for these machines to get knocked over on their face. When that happens several things can occur, none of which are good. On Quad decks, which are even more susceptible to tipping over because they’re taller, the first things that hit are generally the SimulSync switches on the head cover. That impact breaks the circuit board on which these switches are mounted, which in turn causes the SimulSync switches to feel very sloppy to the touch. But more serious than that, the land patterns on the circuit board are now broken, causing lost channels during record, or playback, or other erratic behavior with your audio. Then the QuicLocs on the reel tables get bent or broken and the shafts of the Mic input level pots get damaged. The reel tables are simple to repair if you can find the pricey parts but even if you’re handy, repairing or replacing the SimulSync circuit board is not for the faint of heart. And good luck finding THAT replacement part!
These original TEAC feet are designed specifically for either the right or the left side of the deck. However, you CAN get them installed on the wrong side if you don’t pay attention. There is an easy to over look relief that exists on the top of these feet to accommodate the lower rear sheet metal cover. Installing the feet on the wrong side causes them to tilt outwards at the bottom, leaving the entire weight of the deck resting on just the EDGE of the foot. That makes the feet pretty easy to break, maybe by as mundane an act as scooting the deck sideways!
Along the way Teac apparently recognized this design flaw and re-engineered the feet to allow them to extend out in front of the deck by about an inch. Rather than making the feet from solid plastic, Teac chose to make them hollow (see photos). While these re-engineered feet probably did slow down the occurrence of the decks falling over, the hollow feet sticking out weren’t strong enough to withstand any sort of impact. I regularly find that even if these feet are still in place many of them are cracked or maybe even broken in half. They’re held in place with three machine screws that can make the feet appear to be whole when in fact they aren’t!
Because these feet project out towards the front, but NOT the rear of the deck, they are NOT intended to be reversible! But, again, you CAN get them installed on the wrong side which results in the same tilting and easy breaking noted above!
Many of the vintage TEAC tape decks that come into my shop have either broken, poorly repaired, or missing feet. When one foot gets broken off one common“solution” I see regularly is to removed the rest of the feet, let the weight of the deck rest on the bottom of the side panels, and pretend that there never were any feet! This probably provides better footing than the original feet, and the deck sitting on that thin veneer(the original side panels) is probably OK if you don’t move the deck around very much. But doing this results in all of the tape deck’s weight being supported by the machine screws that hold the side panels to the frame. Those machine screws are in place to hold the weight of the side panels, maybe 3 lbs each… not a 50 lb tape deck! So over time they get bent, either by metal fatigue or by setting the deck down abruptly.
In my case, I constantly have more tape decks than I have feet to hold them up! My first solution was to buy 1” plastic round feet and modify the top of them to clear the lower sheet metal cover and the custom side panels I install on my restores. That wasn’t a very elegant solution as each foot needed to be hand made and was pretty labor intensive considering the mediocre result. Support wise it was probably better than the original feet, certainly more surface area to support the deck, but often didn’t fit particularly well. And also, this didn’t address the top heavy/tipsy problem!
So I aborted that plan and began “borrowing” feet from new arrivals to install on decks that, other than missing feet, were ready to sell and move out. You can only do that for so long. I’ve now wound up with a dozen or so Teac decks that I’d like to sell that don’t have any feet! (Anybody out there want to buy a tape deck without feet? I don’t want to put my name on it!)
I’ve said all that to explain how I got where I am. And where I am is, I’m now making wooden feet(1) for the Teac decks I restore, and also (2) to make available to YOU! I’m making the feet out of the same Jatoba wood I use in making the side panels I install. The feet are solid on the bottom providing a total of about 12 square inches of support for the deck, as opposed to less than 2 square inches provided by the TEAC feet. I’ve extended the REAR of the feet to match the front extension which provides quite a bit more protection from tipping over BACKWARDS. They measure over 7” long and about ¾” wide.
I’m sure there are other Teac owners out there who see similar problems with the feet under (or not under) their TEAC deck. I feel like these wooden feet will do a better job than either of the Teac versions I’ve referred to, and pictured, in this listing. They provide more substantial footing, more tip over protection, and just plain look nicer.
The strength of these feet is an order of magnitude above the strength of the original feet provided by Teac. The originals are so regularly broken that it is routine when looking at Teac decks for sale to find some with no feet. They didn't falloff...one got broken and, instead of replacing the broken one, the owner removed the other to level the deck.
These wooden feet are so strong that I'm including a ZIPPO lighter guarantee, to the original purchaser, with the purchase. -->>>>>>>>>>
IF THESE FEET EVER BREAK I"LL REPLACE THEM FOR JUST THE COST OF SHIPPING!
I’ve included several photos so you can get a really clear picture of what I’m offering. In reviewing them please note:
The difference in length and width between what Teac provided and what I offer
The hollow sections of the TEAC feet The Book matched end grain on the front of each pair of feet The countersunk holes bored through the bottom The rear extension that matches the front extension One pair sprayed satin black Two pairs sprayed with polyurethane One pair not coated with anything
So, this listing should be of interest not only to owners of TEAC tape decks that are missing the feet, but also those who see the imminent danger of a tip over (that’ll ruin your day). That may never happen to you. But if it does you’ll be faced with a huge repair bill and a lot of inconvenience. These new feet are far, far cheaper then the repair bill you might be facing without them! They’re also a great way to dress up your deck.
I can provide these either sprayed with three coats of polyurethane, painted satin black or unfinished. THE BUYER NEEDS TO SPECIFY THE DESIRED FINISH!!! I ALSO NEED THE MODEL NUMBER OF THE DECK THEY WILL BE MOUNTED ON. If no selection is made then I'll ship these items sprayed with polyurethane. I’ll also provide the mounting hardware you’ll need. (The original machine screws you may have are too short and quite likely bent.)
Stated shipping cost is for the lower 48. Note our feedback, buy with confidence! Please contact me with any questions. Thanks for your interest!
JATOBA WOOD
Jatoba wood is regularly used in Brazilfor furniture and hardwood floors. It is a very heavy wood and is so dense that in order to put a nail through it one would normally drill a hole first rather than try to drive a nail with a hammer! The course grain is very similar to Teak, it is often mistaken for Teak, and often used where the look of Teak is desired but the oily nature of Teak is not necessarily required.
Look at the photos and be aware that you are looking at the natural color of this wood…no stain here, just 3 coats of low gloss polyurethane.
