TDK KR - 1973 - JP/US
"One of TDK's first Type II. We don't believe it is TDK tape in this, as it's a pure chrome, the only one TDK ever sold before they went onto "Super Avilyn" cobalt doped ferric." Tony Villa
Note 1: 90 Minutes: Made in Japan. Out of Stock.
Note 2: 60 Minutes: B101: Assembled in the USA. What you see is what you get. Same with the ones below. See side note below for all of the changes made to these tapes. . Only 1 available.
Note 3: 60 Minutes: B102: Assembled in the USA. Same as above. Only 1 available.
Note 4: 60 Minutes: B103: Assembled in the USA. Same as above. Only 1 available. SOLD
Note 5: 60 Minutes: B104: Assembled in the USA. Same as above. Only 1 available.
General Notes on These C60 KR Tapes: All arrived completely inoperable and unusable; they required repair before anyone could use them. I chose to restore them rather than sell “as is,” using a high‑quality splicer kit that lets me perform clean, reliable tape repairs.
Repairs & Parts Replaced:
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Tape Guides: Replaced 6 of 8 guide rollers (see photos). #B104 kept its originals as they function perfectly. All guide pins were cleaned and lubricated.
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Hubs: All hubs replaced with compatible ones. #B101 and #B102 received BASF hubs; #B103 received TDK OD hubs—all in excellent condition.
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Leader Tape: All leader tapes replaced with proper new splicing tape, as every old joint had failed. #B104 already had new blue leader tape attached.
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Slip Sheets: Some black slip sheets were replaced due to minor handling damage or when improvement was possible.
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Screws: All screws replaced due to rust or buildup from 53 years of age. #B101 and #B104 now have original‑style silver screws; #B102 and #B103 have new black screws. If you prefer different screw colours, include a note with your order.
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Tape Winding: Each tape was fully wound forward and back. They run exceptionally smooth and quiet in FF and REW.
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Packaging: These are brand‑new tapes with brand‑new J‑cards. After photos are uploaded, they will be sealed to protect cases from scratches and keep tapes safe from dust and other elements.
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Final Condition: Every effort was made to restore these tapes to optimal, usable condition. As with most tapes 35–50+ years old, no warranty can be offered, though they have held up beautifully.
- Pictures: B101 has 5 pictures. B102, B103, and B104 have 3 pictures each. After these, there are 4 generic pictures to all of the tapes available. The last 3 pictures show the some of the splicing work, the splicing kit used, and the new black or silver screws used.
About TDK:
TDK was founded in Tokyo, Japan, on 7 December 1935 to manufacture the iron-based magnetic material ferrite, which had been recently invented by Yogoro Kato and Takeshi Takei.[3] In 1952 and 1957 they began production of magnetic tapes, with compact cassette tapes following in 1966; it is for these that the company is most widely noted. TDK used to manufacture an extensive portfolio of magnetic and optical media, including several formats of videotape and blank CD-R and recordable DVD discs until the recording business was sold to Imation in 2007.
Operations in the USA began in 1965 with a New York City office,[4] and European operations began in 1970 with an office in Frankfurt, West Germany.[5]
Since 1997 TDK has gradually withdrawn from the production of compact cassettes. First with the MA-X and AR ("Acoustic Response"), then the AD ("Acoustic Dynamic") and SA-X line in 2001 and 2002 respectively, then the MA ("Metal Alloy") line in 2004. The SA ("Super Avilyn") and D ("Dynamic") lines were withdrawn in 2012 under Imation ownership. Industry trends see the company moving into new forms of media; in 2004 TDK was the first media manufacturer to join the companies developing BD post-DVD technology.[4] TDK operated a semiconductor division in California for about a decade, but divested it in 2005.
In late 2007, Imation acquired TDK's recording business, including flash media, optical media, magnetic tape, and accessories, for $300 million.[6][7] This also included a license to use the "TDK Life on Record" brand on data storage and audio products[8] for 25 years.[6] In September 2015, Imation announced that it had agreed to relinquish this license[9] and would cease selling TDK-branded products by the end of the year.[10]
TDK KR - 1973 - JP/US