The Califone works fine but is cheaply made. The Lafayette is built like a tank but needs electrical restoration. Life is never perfect! At least they're both AC bias.
Other thoughts here: the wires to the head might be loose, where it attaches to the head. There also might be a "microcrack" in the circuit board tracks. You can try resoldering and putting new solder on the tracks. That cracking in the sound when you hit "play" gave me that thought. Also it could still be the record-play switch.
Sounds like it could be the record/playback switch messing around on the lafayette.Very nice machines though,and there weren't many cassettes like that with a variable record control.
Califone was mainly known for manufacturing A/V equipment to be used in classrooms. They made several different types of record players, and I think they still made the good ones, even into the 90s. I have a Model 1430C, but I'm not sure when it's from. I know the earlier ones were mostly gray and brown, but later on, all the print was in blue. I think Califone still makes record players today, but very cheaply.
Other thoughts here: the wires to the head might be loose, where it attaches to the head. There also might be a "microcrack" in the circuit board tracks. You can try resoldering and putting new solder on the tracks. That cracking in the sound when you hit "play" gave me that thought. Also it could still be the record-play switch.
CassetteMaster 2 years ago
Did you ever spray the record-play switch? That might be causing the problem in the Lafylette.
CassetteMaster 2 years ago
Sounds like it could be the record/playback switch messing around on the lafayette.Very nice machines though,and there weren't many cassettes like that with a variable record control.
AG3304 2 years ago
Man! That Lafayette makes very nice recordings! On playback it's putting out sounds like my Sony TC-100 before it died.
Trance88 2 years ago
We used to use Califones in school
tasteslikewater 2 years ago
Califone recorders are nice, but they are very cheap! I like the Lafayette!
ddl312 2 years ago
Califone was mainly known for manufacturing A/V equipment to be used in classrooms. They made several different types of record players, and I think they still made the good ones, even into the 90s. I have a Model 1430C, but I'm not sure when it's from. I know the earlier ones were mostly gray and brown, but later on, all the print was in blue. I think Califone still makes record players today, but very cheaply.
NEUDude 2 years ago
might be a weak power supply for the lafayette
bmtimv 2 years ago