Wonderful Wollensak 3500 Vintage Tape Recorder

Explore the Wollensak 350 vintage reel to reel tape recorder! This machine is also featured in the Vintage Tape Recorder Hall of Fame at:

http://www.vintagetaperecorderhof.com

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Wollensak seems to have only distributed one battery powered portable reel to reel tape recorder, the Wonderful Wollensak 3500 5-inch reel to reel tape recorder, released in 1967. Similar machines were released by RCA and Hitachi around the same time. This vintage Wonderful Wollensak tape recorder was made in Japan but sold under the American Wollensak name. It has a good strong amplifier with AC bias and is belt driven by a flat belt. It is unusual in that the pinch roller is located above the capstan, whereas most tape recorders placed the pinch roller below the capstan. As a result, this Wollensak tape recorder capstan turns in a clockwise direction, as opposed to the more usual counter-clockwise rotation found in most machines and always in cassette tape recorders.

This Wonderful Wollensak machine was purchased from E-Bay and came in pretty good condition for a 42 year old vintage tape recorder. It needed a new drive belt, and the motor is showing its age, as it is rather noisy, probably the brushes have worn down. The tape recorder uses an electronic speed control instead of the more common capstan sleeve change to switch between 3-3/4 ips and 1-7/8 ips.

It is a tribute to the designers of this machine that it works as well as it does after 42 years!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• clydesight
• Wollensak
• 3500
• reel
• tape
• recorder
• vintage
• subliminal
• messages
• abundance
• genie

[whereismypistol]

I recently acquired one of these machines from my grandfather a few months ago; it had been sitting up in his attic for 40+ years. Cosmetically, it's in great condition, however, the feed table does not spin when I rewind and the take-up table does not spin when I fast-forward. On playback & record the take-up table spins erratically, as if it's slipping. Is this an indicator of a bad drive belt? I'm very glad that you made this video by the way, it's very informative!

[clydesight]

@whereismypistol HI, Thanks for your comment. The rewind is done by idler drive, but the fast forward is managed by the belt. Usually the belt is stretched The only way to know is to open the machine and observe the insides. You need to check why the rewind idler is not transferring motion to the feed table in rewind. Also check the belt for looseness. You'll never be able to tell anything for sure until you get inside the machine. Sorry.

[whereismypistol]

@clydesight

I got the front panel off. I was able to fix the rewind issue and got the take-up table to spin consistently on playback. But when the top idler pushes down on the rubber wheel to fast-forward, everything freezes up except the motor shaft. If I lift up the top idler off the rubber wheel just slightly (still making contact) everything spins. The belt is definitely loose, and it has a kink in it. How should I go about replacing that?

[clydesight]

@whereismypistol Send me a PM that I can respond to. I can give you a link to a supplier that sells replacement belts for this machine. That should fix it.

[clydesight]

@thatmuse76

The big stereo tape decks held on for a good long time, but as you said, the portable versions died quickly thanks to cassettes.

Then the CD tried to do in the cassette.

But cassettes are still around, and big R2Rs are available as specialty items. Magnetic tape recording is still very useful for certain needs. If you look carefully, you'll be amazed how many times you see a cassette machine used as a movie prop!

[thatmuse76]

@clydesight

Certainly is was completely gone as a "portable" medium. I found it a really cool novelty when I was a kid and rarely found myself without a reel to reel since. Of course I graduated to 4-track stereo machines, but still have a Sony TC-800B waiting in the wings for a restoration and service.

[clydesight]

@thatmuse76

Thanks for your comment! By 1985, R2R was fading fast.

[thatmuse76]

I used to have one of those. I bought mine as a kid (maybe around 9 years old) from a thrift for $5. That was around 1985 or so if I remember correctly and those portable reel to reels filled the thrifts back then.

[clydesight]

Ummm, Bable Fish translated ther 1st part of your comment as: like D very detailed video practice which I assume means you liked the Video. Thanks!

I have MANY tape recorders, all but four bought for the cheap on E-Bay, most of them busted and then repaired, and some so far gone, they can't ever be restored. (ruined motor, petrified rubber, etc.)

[vieuxson]

comme d habitude video tres detaillee how many decks do you have ,,?