You didn't give it a chance in my opinion. Take it apart. See what the belts look like. Some internal cleaning and lubricating could bring it back to life. I wouldn't expect a 40 year old unit to work without a little TLC. You aleady spent $20 for it. Maybe another $10 for belts and a couple hours of time could bring it back to a fully functioning stereo. That's what thrift store hunting is all about. Don't give up on it. I would look forward to your video taking this to the next level.
It's unfair to blame the equipment for the wrath of time. Even the highest-quality turntables and tape decks will eventually need servicing. The required repairs to this one would not be too difficult, except possibly straightening out the bent cassette deck buttons. 12voltvids and the Guitologist both made good videos about repairing BSR record changers, including the trick of using either a heat gun or the tip of a soldering iron to heat up and soften the old, sticky grease so that you can remove the spindle and platter. (I suppose a hair dryer would work, too.) And as for why the cassette player was only giving you hum when it appeared to be playing a tape, it could have dirty contacts on the record/play switch, so if you ever decide to repair it, spraying some Deoxit into it should fix that.
@@Recordology So why did you buy it then if you had no desire to revive it ? Maybe you should take it back to the thrift store for somebody who does have an interest.
@@Recordology then don’t buy vintage electronics and compare them to low end brand new electronics that you review. guarantee not a single Crosley or Victrola unit will still be working in 40 years time.
Dude, the thing is 40 years or more old. Of course it needs new belts all around. Tape deck heads will need to be cleaned and same with 8 track head and capstan. It isn't a piece of crap. It just needs servicing. Probably needs a new needle on the record player too. Chill bro chill. It's over 40 years old.
I'm sure that back in its day this Realistic Clarinet 102 was perfectly adequate for a lot of people out there and it would have functioned properly, but we're all expecting a bit too much from a 40-year-old unit to be working without any issues. It's a bummer, but not that surprising which is why one has to thoroughly test used equipment as much as possible at thrift stores before purchasing since not all, if any, thrift stores or antique dealers offer returns. Thanks for the video, Record-ology. :)
It's probably not overly complicated with a bit of patience and time to bring it back to full working order. It would easily outperform modern equivalent all in one systems, especially with a suitable set of speakers to get the most out of it. Those BSR record changers are commonly ceased up around the platter bearing particularly the ones with the plastic platters and change cycle cam under the platter. The spring loaded gear that engages the speed when selected with the switch gums up with hardened grease on the shaft too making the switch slide freely and not engage in any speed. Not many things will work perfectly for 40 years. Even better quality vintage stereo systems usually.
Not going to lie, as an 80s child I have a lot of nostalgic affection for these 'music centres' as we called them in the UK. When I was a kid pretty much every family friend and relative we visited had one of these beasts holding court on a sideboard or table in the living room. They bridged the gap between the 'stereograms' (generally a record player and tuner built into a piece of furniture) of the 1950s and 60s and the stacking separates of the mid-80s to mid-90s, which were then themselves miniaturised into the bookshelf 'micro systems' that saw out the end of the physical media era. This one is a nice looking item in spite of its many problems. Systems of this period are very modular and easy to work on provided (as seems to be the case here) the power supply and amplifier are in good order. The belt and 8-track deck probably just need belts and the heads cleaning, the turntable disassembling and de-gunking (as is the case for most BSR and Garrard decks of this era.) Clean the scratchy controls, replace the dial lighting (I love the way they look all lit up at night) and it will be good for another 40 years. Aside from the missing hinge, it seems to be in good physical shape. I don't see a POS here, I see potential. Realistic stuff wasn't half bad. I'd still rather put a weekend into getting this up and running than spend however much a Crosley Cruiser costs these days!
i HAVE ONE OF THE PANASONIC TOP OF THE RANGE MUSIC CENTRE .BOUGHT IT IN 1977 .IT SOUNDS FANTASTIC AND WOULD PUT SOME SEPERATES SYSTEMS TO SHAME. POINT BEING THEY WERNT ALL CRAP
My parents have that exact unit and it still works like new. My parents home is stuck in time because everything they own still works, so they kept everything. No need to upgrade if it works.
I gave my parents my 65" projection TV when I upgraded to flatscreen 15 years ago...they are still using it as I put fans in it and it won't die. I am beginning to feel guilt......
Most every middle-class family had a variant of one of these when they moved on from their 1970s console stereo, as well as most kids 12-18 at the time who had a stereo in their bedroom.
I was a Radio Shack store manager when this was a current product (1981ish). The 102 sold for $299 regularly but $219 when it was on sale in the winter 1981 sale flyer. Most of the time these sold for graduation or Christmas presents. The matched speakers (8" woofer and 3" tweeter) had reasonable sound. Better than today's portable or all in one stereos. Since the electronics and power supply seem to work, it can probably be reconditioned. The mechanicals probably need a full cleaning, lubrication and new belts for the tape players. A cleaning and polish of the dust cover as well. It's not a classic component system, but might make an interesting system for a collector.
Yep, and there is no such thing now as a combo unit with an 8-track and record changer. I could have got this puppy playing both tapes and records with about an hour of work. This guy is a ding dong expecting thrift store stuff to work. The first thing to check is the amp and radio. If they work then clean the rest, install new belts and your Jimi Hendrix is rockin' out the cheap 5" Radio Shack speakers in simulated walnut wood grain ezy kleen no rust vinyl.
It's hardly fair to review this unit without first going through it and making sure everything works as it should. All it would take is time, it costs little to nothing to get these running and I'm pretty sure you have all you need to do it. Like grease, oil, flat and square belts, and contact cleaner. That's basically all you need. The capstan on the 8 track deck is absolutely not worn out. Simply take it out and run some fine sandpaper over it and it's fixed.
You're being slightly rough on this unit. It's only not working because of it's age and has probably sitting for years/decades. For an "all-in-one" unit, there are FAR worse models out there. The belts are bad on the cassette deck, the motor on the 8 track is probably frozen. The record player is actually easy to repair. Dried-up grease is the issue there. Just a simple cleaning and re-lube and oiling will get it going again. I'd put it on Craigslist for free for someone who likes to repair such equiptment. Better than in a landfill.
I wouldn't be this disappointed with a $20.00 purchase of a vintage component from a thrift store. I find the reaction quite puzzling. The expectations should be very low in these particular cars. The component is likely quite fixable. I bet this thing could be brought back to life if one is inclined to do so.
When I lived in England as a child, I found that during this era in the early 80's most speaker connections were 2 pin DIN. It had one flat connector and one small pointed round connector. It would be bizarre to have RCA speaker connections, I'd never seen any, but I guess America was never into DIN connectors. During the 80's it gradually got replaced by the spring connectors that are still quite common today.
Yes, the RCA connectors were very common in those portable systems with the drop-down record changers that were all the rage here in the 1960s, and they must have gotten carried over into these table-top "compact" entertainment centers. They were more convenient than the spring clips or screws, but there was always the possibility of confusion with line-level inputs and outputs. I doubt these units put out enough voltage to easily damage other equipment, though. Maybe the ideal solution would be spring clips on the receiver and a plug with very thin prongs from each speaker, giving the user a choice of easily connecting the provided speakers or adapting some other speakers and tolerating fussier connections.
Most of the Uk stuff was built to german specs at the time which used either the 2 prong or 5pin DIN. Very few had RCA connections for speakers. RCA were almost exclusively for use to connect other components to each other.
I buy these for 20 bucks… all the time….. lube the record changer….replace the belts in cassette and 8 track and resale them for well over 100 bucks…… you cannot buy something this old and not do some work…. With minimal work this stereo would rock
I like your videos but i feel like you missed the point of finding these systems at the thrift store. If you're expecting anything 40 years old to work perfectly your going to be disappointed. These kind of finds are for parts or repair. They're for someone with a little repair knowledge and time to bring them back to life.
Mechanical issues with both tape players will be worn out belts, clutches, idlers etc as everyone surmises. Lack of audio will probably be dirty record/playback changeover switches on both decks since the cart player is also (unusually) a recorder. The changer would work after a degrease and relube. BSR decks were everywhere in these types of low end units, and they were sonically awful things
I was with my parents shopping for a record player in the 70's and saw this at the Radio Shack store. The salesman, who seemed to be a grump, actually told them not to buy this as they have been receiving returns on it because of the 8 track deck failing. They ended up getting a Magnavox Stereo, which had two speakers with dual cones on each speaker (one cone on top the other on the bottom) I guess to compete with the Zenith Circle of Sound. Connected to the Magnavox was a Ampex Micro 95 cassette deck that held six cassettes and played them all automatically. The record changer tone arm taps the side of the record to measure it before dropping the record it is amazing. Mom gave it to me when Dad passed. To this day, the cassette player and stereo work wonderfully. What quality! Great video thanks for posting.
I think it goes without saying that most equipment that's been sitting around this long is going to need some restoration, especially the mechanical drives for the record and tape decks. The receiver probably also needs some re-capping, though it's likely that that could be done selectively. This doesn't seem like really bad example; at least the defects shown so far would be easy fixes, though the lack of speakers with a system like this is a major deficiency, since one of the few saving graces of these otherwise mediocre systems was that RS had a chance to match the speakers to the characteristics of the amplifiers. Still, if properly restored, this thing would almost certainly be better than a typical Crosley .
Even if working perfectly, the cassette part has no record level controls, no Dolby B, and no chrome/metal tape capability. It would make poor recordings and most tapes from other systems or store-bought pre-recorded tapes would sound bright and hissy. The record player part is not something, even in perfect working order, that you'd want to play any good record on since it would damage it since most of those units tracked at 6 grams or more. There is no counterweight adjustment or anti-skate allowing you to put a good magnetic cartridge on it and adjust the tracking force down to 2 grams or less. I've never liked those kinds of record players since the platter isn't large enough for an album to sit on it without overhang and I'd never want my records dropped with one of those changers. Maybe for playing old 78s it would be OK but I feel it would damage microgroove records quickly. The speed on those BSRs was always off and often a bit fast with no adjustment or strobe pattern on the platter side to help adjust the speed exactly on the fly. This unit is fine for someone who just listens to the radio in a garage or something. It's all I could recommend it for.
My parents had this identical unit in the early 80's. I used it to make mix 8 track tapes to play in my '67 Sport Fury which it did well enough but the whole unit didn't sound as good as what it replaced (1960's Sears Silvertone console). My parents didn't have a lot of huge expectations for it, but my dad used it to record cassette tapes through the microphone inputs which I think might have been one of the deciding factors in the purchase. It was having real problems with both tape decks by the end of the 80's and I replaced it for them with a Fisher all in one with dual cassette decks and a lot more features which also included microphone inputs. The Clarinette was still playing records well enough. Bass response was not great and the speakers clearly not the best even when new. The Fisher lasted longer than the Clarinette. After that, they upgraded massively with separate components and better speakers. The expectations for the unit you reviewed were probably too high. If it sat for thirty years, the grease hardened up in the turntable which is why it won't turn. Cleaned out and regreased, I have no doubt it'd be in fine form again. The belts were probably dried up and brittle in both tape decks and would have broken quickly even if either of them played especially if it spent part of its life in a hot attic. Time and age were against an all in one that was only adequate when new and from the looks of it did not hold up well under what was probably normal use. All that said, your review was perfect for what can be expected from an untested unit found in a thrift store. Based on my parents' experience with a brand new unit, I would have a passing moment of nostalgia and then leave it in the store knowing it was going to need a lot of work and still not be great.
When I was a young teenager in the early-to-mid '90s, I was all the time picking up these "all in one" systems for cheap or free, I'd fix them, and flip them. As far as quality goes, they ranged from very low end to decent quality models with a metal platter on the record changer and a magnetic cartridge, but even the cheapest ones could be fixed without much effort or expense. Yes, this one here would be considered lower end, but I've seen much worse and, to be fair, I'm not surprised that it has all these problems. However, it still would not take much of an investment to get it going. Both tape decks likely need new belts, cleaning, and adjustment. The pots and switches likely need to be cleaned. The record changer likely needs a full cleaning and relubrication, and a new stylus. After all that is done, it will probably be good for another 40 years. Personally, I don't get annoyed when I see something that is 40+ years old that needs a good bit of work because, after all, it's over 40 years old and was likely ran hard with little-to-no maintenance. With that said, even higher quality gear is going to fail if it is "used and abused", and never maintained. What I get annoyed by is recently made equipment that is shoddily made and fails within a short period of time. Currently, I have a bunch of "all in one" systems of all quality levels and they all need an overhaul, which is to be expected. One day, I'll get around to working on them.
I have a Realistic Clarinette 2 which I bought in 1974. It is just a record changer and amp, but it has inputs for AM/FM radio or a tape deck. It has a BSR changer, which tended to play fast in that era. It was also the last model to feature a rubber platter instead of plastic. The plastic platter would leave marks on the records. The unit was never in a repair shop, but I did re-lube the turntable, and filed the shaft so it now plays at the correct speed. I miss Radio Shack.
Take everything apart, and clean all the parts, turntable platter needs some WD-40 to loosen it up so you can pull the platter off, clean and lube all the turntable mechanism, replace the belts on the 8-track and cassette units, clean all controls and this bookshelf stereo should work, add a couple of low cost speakers and you have a good shop stereo system!!
Those BSR record changers always seize up if not used, the grease on them goes solid. Clean and re-grease they work well as a basic record deck. Much better than a Croxley!
Aren't you being a bit harsh? After 40 years of course the tape belts have perished and the changer is gummed up - you can't buy something this old - whether or not it was originally cheap or high quality when new - and not expect problems. I have a very nice Pioneer amp from the '70's that I found on the corner of a driveway. It buzzed and was otherwise dead, so I got it fixed. "Not working" doesn't automatically equal "junk".
The unit needs servicing. It's old, no wonder it's not working properly. Belts are definitely stretched, and old grease turned into glue, making all parts stuck, you can see it on the platter and on the 8-track. It's engine also stuck, it's visible by dimmed light. The unit itself is not to blame. Modern chinese junk is unserviceable at all.
Whenever picking used gear in thrift stores always try it out in the store and see if it'll at least function, I've saved myself some headaches that way.
I would have felt all my birthdays and Christmases had come at once, if I'd got one of these in the late 70's/early 80's. They're nothing to look at now, but back then, it was considered a vast improvement on a mono tape recorder. Being able to record directly off the radio and records, (in stereo, no less), was enough for us youngsters, back in the day. Realistic was, of course, what you got when shopping at Tandy's. In the UK, at least. It was their brand, and compared to the big names at the time, it was considered a, 'cheap and cheerful', alternative. It didn't have Dolby or even a manual recording level, so any recordings onto cassette tended to be a bit hit and miss. Some where better than others. This one obviously hasn't aged at all well(!) I guess if you were so inclined, you might consider trying to get it to work. But, would it really be worth doing?
Put a magnetic phono cartridge a pre amplifier inside , the record changer reduce the velocity of changer a rubber in the plate incorporate a a blue tooth inside use better speakers only have love that its all in life.
All easy fixes. At first I thought the amp was out too, but I thought I heard music during the cassette test. The BSR is just a “gluebricant” problem,, this is very common for BSRs that have sat around for years not being used. Just pop the C clip, like you’ve seen on the other record players,, work the table back and forth while lifting up. Clean the area with alcohol,, drop some 3 in 1 ,, good to go. An 8track belt is easy to find,, take a string and run it around the motor and flywheel to get the measurement,, order where belts can be found. Also, a good rubber band can be good enough if you just want to quick test it. The catch on the cassette door is probably needing a spritz of lube too. All is not lost,, minimal money needed.
I inherited a BSR turntable in a similar housing. The idler tire(unobtanium) was out of round and had a divot where the spindle sat for a very long time. I just removed the whole changer to look it over. Removing the platter is not straightforward for sure. Hopefully someone will fix this.
Back in early 2016, I stumbled upon a Realistic Clarinette 110 all in one stereo that was about to be thrown out… although I was actually able to get the record changer working again, that unit was otherwise not fully functional (and the speaker outputs eventually failed as well), which is why I threw it out not long after. The wood grain veneer was also curling up, too!
In lower cost BSR TT's the spindle was fixed-no long or short spindles on these players.The tape machines all need belt and pulley kits-if they are still available.Sure the TT and tape players have dried lube that needs to be cleaned and relubed.The set needs A LOT of work.The radio seems to be the only thing that works.
All BSR changers when left sitting it will freeze up but they can be cleaned and relubricated as for the tape players the belts need replaced so with a little bit of money and time it will come back to life
bsr made some really good changers with magnetic cartridges and tonearms with adjustable tracking force and anti-skate, but the vast majority of them had crappy tonearms with ceramic cartridges like the one on that clarinette. radio shack/realistic did make some decent quality stuff but the clarinette line was the cheapest, lowest quality stereo that they offered. but, as crappy as that bsr changer is, it is still vastly better than any modern plastic crosley...
What I would like to know, is what you consider to be an adequate starter deck for someone with not a big budget? I've seen your video with the all in one unit where the tape deck buzzed, but I'd love to see your take on a decent budget record player that has speakers.
My family had one of these -- not Realistic but another brand with a BSR changer -- that my older brother acquired used in the early 1970's. It was in good shape, and we used it as the family stereo for a number of years. It didn't have a cassette deck, only an 8-track player, which failed early on. But the radio worked well, and we used the record player a lot. Finally, sometime after I left home, something went wrong with it, and my dad packed it up and took it to the attic, where it lingered in deterioration until he finally junked it. I suspect your unit met a similar fate, likely spending years in an attic or garage, which would have led to all the belts turning to mush.
I have a soft spot for this type of all-in-one sound systems. We got a Sears by Mecca system with a BSR turntable in 1977. It had great sound and never ever failed. We had it until 1998. Yes, when Cds became popular, I got a system with a CD player and rarely used the Sears. I don't have it anymore, and I regret it. There are many memories of my childhood and teen years attached to that system. I guess that people in general were not so obsessed with getting the purest sound of a system, and we were happy with something like this.
The record button (and all the others) on the cassette deck looks out of alignment, one reason for the lack of sound might be the record/play switch not making contact. You could try pressing record/stop repeatedly... And it definitely needs some belt and grease work! Internally I'd wager the components are modular enough it would be not too challenging to add an Aux in or Bluetooth board...
Before the economy took a nosedive, I found a few of these types of all-in-one systems being discarded on trash day around my area. Nowadays, from a quick look on Facebook marketplace, it seems many people think they have gold and are selling various models for outrageous prices-- they'll be holding on to them for awhile for what they are asking! I have two of them that I revived and use them mostly around the holidays to play Christmas albums since they are very nostalgic to me. As far as buying one, I would never have paid $20 for the unit in the video as the work involved to get it operational just wouldn't be worth the effort to me. However, had I found it in the bins, I would have definitely rescued it and probably tried to get the autochanger working at least, or keep it around for parts.
@@Recordology that's cool. I understand that. I agree with you too. To spend that much money on it, you'd think something besides the radio should work. I can see why it's a discouraging investment
Thrift shop electronics and cameras are always risky. Even my old stuff I leave unused for a long time develop problems with aging. You have to plug it in and play records and tapes, if possible, and try the radio before you decide to buy it.
I had a Sears all in one similar to that when I was kid. Only with just the 8 track recorder. I upgraded to a Pioneer Centrex all in one. Belt drive TT with magnetic cartridge and a full logic tape deck with music search. One of those would well be worth fixing and a great entry level unit.
So... here is my opinion. The cassette deck and 8-Track need belts. The TT needs to be taken apart and cleaned and all would function properly. The problems were caused by longtime storage, and not by abuse IMO. Just saying the unit itself is probably way better than anything in the budget realm today, and would be worth the small investment for a newbie. Plus it could be a great learning experience. So I don't think it is an absolute piece of junk. Is it great? NO!!!! But there is much worse out there. Take care my friend...
It probably would take very little to get this up and running well 1st off your obviously going to need belts and the turntable is going to need to be decreased and reluctance and some clean up and you would be up and running
To be fair, this thing is about 40 years old. Something that old requires servicing. It would be extremely unusual to find a cassette or 8 track mech still working after all that time, since the belts nearly always fail, and sometimes even melt to goo completely. The BSR turntables are nearly always serviceable still, but also nearly always, the oils and greases used become sticky and the unit therefore will just need all moving parts cleaned and then oiled or greased as appropriate. I would expect that BSR to work perfectly, if that work was done. Some rubber grommets in the unit might also need changing, The fact that the amp and tuner still work is good. Some capacitors would probably need replacing and radio alignment carried out. But costs would be small, and a hobbyist with the correct skills could get this unit working for a very small cost. The most expensive bit might be the drive belts for the tape units. Yes, it's a budget unit, but with reasonable speakers it would produce an acceptable sound.
Sorry to see this unit was not working well. That is a bummer. Sine if ut is probably due to age but my guess is that this particular unit was not taken care of. I still have my Dad;s All in one Panasonic stereo from 1983 and it works very well and will probably last another 10 years at least. Take care!!!
The belts need replaced the cassette player looks like something heavy fell on the buttons and have bent them the turntable needs have the old lubricant cleaned off and fresh applied to it
I think this unit still has some potential. It just needs a bit of TLC. It's crazy how expensive stuff like this was back in the day when you look at the cost through an inflation calculator. You've also got to consider the cost of living was a bit better back then and also, people had fewer things to spend money on, so anyone with a decent job probably could afford one of these.
I had a Realistic all in 1 sound system early 80's. The 1 I had the tape player/ recorder was ontop the unit next to the turntable. Receiver worked great tuner was sensitive when care listening on the FM stereo side picked up a lot of stations. Used the tape recorder plenty of times when I was recording from three good college stations back then. Turntable (BSR) had no issues with. The speaker's were not the greatest but when you buy one of these Clarinet models from Radio Shack u got what you paid for!
I remember being 4 year old using one of these for the record and 8 track player function. It was my dad's turn table, I think I know understand why he's blown away by my setup. Makes sense. Btw - my notifications never tell me when you are live =( do you have a Facebook you can do a couple hours warning on????
All she needs is a bit of simple maintenance. New belts on the tape decks, cleaned controls (including the record/play switches), and a re lubricate the turntable. Within less than a couple of hours she'd be good to go. Anything that old needs basic maintenance even if it's new old stock.
This poor old music centre is definitely in the wars. I've never seen one here in England with an 8 track recorder. The turntable is exactly the same BSR turntable that we have in our second system downstairs. I use it to play my collection of 1960's singles. It got relegated to the loft when we moved here 20 years ago but got brought down when my friend Val died and I inherited her small collection of singles (now grown to over 100). We had to have the turntable cleaned but now it plays my singles and also my small, but growing, 78's - to which I've added two Glenn Miller over the last week. As you show, it has a flip cartridge and plays 78's and modern records. These music centres are good for newbies to experiment with as they can try different formats etc. ......but is this one terminal?
A hairdryer, or soldering iron applied to the base of the changer spindle may help free-up the jammed platter; the heat loosens the gummed-up grease..... If you can get it free and clean off the dried grease mess it may help it at least play a record! The player/plinth will need removing from the music centre chassis to get at the dried up grease underneath though. Just for 'fun', and an excuse for a second video out of the system, it'd be worth tearing this down and attempting some basic servicing, and belt replacing on the cassette and 8-track! At least the ad-revenue will help towards recovering the cost of that item..!! 👍
This unit dates back to about 1978 to 79. The turntable is a BSR turntable very standard back in the day this turntable is not belt driven it uses an idler wheel Very easy to remove the turntable pour a little rubbing alcohol in the center with a spindle is and then use a blow dryer to heat it up and loosen up the joint of Grease do not allow the plastic turntable to get too hot or the turntable will melt as the turntable is plastic I am a service technician and have serviced many of these
All of the major electronics brands made a similar PoS with that BSR changer. I had a Sony one sans 8-track circa 1981 and hated it. I wanted the step-up model with a Sony-made turntable instead. I was so happy when I started to get separate components starting with a receiver and turntable in 1987! I still have the excellent speakers, however, and replaced their cones in the 1990s with higher-quality models when the woofers cracked. Peace.
You probably have to take 'er apart, clean out all of the old gunky grease then regrease the mechanism and then double check that idler wheel to see if it needs new rubber. Also put a few drops of sewing machine or 3-in-1 oil down the spindle and that might help you get the spindle loose. Yeah, it's a heck of a lot of work to bring that ol' gal back to operational status. Oh and I think the belts might be the issue with the 2 tape players.
It's not a "50 watt system". The 50 watts marked on the rear panel refers to the electrical power consumption of the unit. I doubt the speaker output of that thing is more than 10 watts per channel.
50W is the maximum estimate of what it pulls from the wall and has little to do with the speaker outputs which are generally just a few watts per channel in these combo units.
You can easily repair it compared to modern disposal China junk this Japanese made stereo center is great (Toshiba and Sanyo made many items for Realistic / Radio shack)
Brilliant video !! I guess $20 Dollars,price tag,reflects the condition of the unit-It looks like,when new,back in the early 80s,this was pretty much an OK unit,especially from a starter perspective,with a little TLC-new belts,for the cassette and 8 track decks,as for the BSR record player,with it's stiff,gummed-up mechanism,I've seen plenty of these,restored,elsewhere,here on TH-cam. I am a little worried about the fate of this unit,as you've already indicated,that you wouldn't spend the time,and money,in restoring it ! Perhapsyou can take it backtotheGoodwillstore,where you bought it,and get a refund !!! I always love to see units such as these,getting restored !! Teddy Hashee's channel,here on TH-cam,has restored a couple of these ! Although I am a little disappointed,about the fate,of this unit,I still love your channel,and everything else,you stand for in life !!
I have a BSR that plays 16-78 speed. The only issue I have is that it rubs underneath sometimes can be audible through cartridge. Otherwise speeds are perfect. I could use the turntable as parts for another that works properly. For all I know, the one you have just needs a good grease up job. I have had some that are as stuck as that platter was, it would just take some elbow grease and a little maneuvering to get it off. FYI these and all BSR record players if not used constantly will lock up like that. That's why I have tuner cleaner and sewing machine oil to revitalize the old parts.
It all needs to be cleaned, lubricated, and rebelted. There are people who’d love to fix that up. Anything after awhile is going to need to be cleaned, lubricated, adjusted, etc.
on the back panel where it says 50 w, that's not how much power it puts out that is the power consumption of the unit. at the very most this thing is 12 watts per channel
Those British turntables appear in multiple 70s stereos, they all look the same. I have a similar one in an Aciko stereo - the turntable was was frozen stuck too, had to open it and clean the lubricant which had become solid. Obviously they didn't come like that when new...
I always realized that the older something is, the more likely something will go wrong. It’s just common sense. It’s like buying a vintage Impala VS a new Tesla. You’re most likely going to put more time and money into the Impala and even then, it’s only a matter of time before those 40 year old parts break.
About a decade ago, a family down the street from my parents' home threw out an Aiwa AF-5080 Music Center all-in-one unit which weighed a ton (35 to 40 pounds, I'm sure) and luckily for me, it was still mostly working when I tested it at home. Apparently at the time (1976), it was a flagship model for Aiwa with cool VU meters, a nice yellow-green glow, an oil-dampened tape deck (not playing, but it did rewind and FF tapes), an AM/FM radio, and an auto-return turntable with an S-curve tone arm and completely removeable head shell, cartridge, and stylus, as well as a counterweight, and also a storage area for cassette tapes while the plastic lid (badly cracked) covered the entire top of the unit. It had a lot of great features including a headphone jack (of course), two mic input jacks, auxiliary input jacks at the back to connect any device via RCA cables, and it had the screw-type of speaker connectors. All in all, a lot of thought had been put into designing this unit with its beautiful silver face in front and wooden paneling on the sides and trim. I recommend checking out photos of this AF -5080 model online and I can't complain about a totally free unit despite its tape deck not working since I can use the AUX connection to add an external tape deck, 8-track player, reel-to-reel deck, CD player, Blu-ray player, Bluetooth receiver, etc.
That is indeed a beautiful machine with its proper brushed metal fascia and wood cabinet. That's the thing about these 'music centres' (as they were known in the UK) - whilst they all took a very similar form factor, they varied greatly in build / sound quality. I recently picked up a 'Fidelity' unit (budget British brand) also for free and whilst the construction is very plasticky and lightweight, everything works and the sound quality is perfectly acceptable for a budget system. It's in perfect physical condition too, and even has some nice features such as LED VU meters and a separate tuning strength display. It does lack an 8-track deck but that's not entirely unsurprising as it was always more of an in-car format here and home players were relatively rare. The AUX input allows a standalone one (which were often just an in-car player fitted into a wooden cabinet) to be connected. It's a pity that they are so unloved by the vinyl crowd these days, as I think they're a very neat solution for playing obsolete physical formats and I'd still choose one over a Crosley Cruiser or similar - even one like this that has problems is worth repairing for the small amount a generic belt kit will cost.
That’s so upsetting I recently found one in my uncles garage it works perfectly I have two speakers and a subwoofer hooked up to it and all the features work 😭
Got the exact system. Everything works perfect with a little cleanup. The BSR needed new grease and the tape players needed new belts. EASY fix, works perfect. Didn't need to change out capacitors or anything. I was surprised with the quality of 8-track sound (not how I remember it as a kid). They could continue playing for days until you powered off the unit or pulled them out to stop them. The record changer here is interesting. There's like a built-in sleep mode. If you turn on the record player on the top, it turns on the whole unit. Once it goes through all the records, it shuts the whole stereo off. You can even keep repeating one side of a record if you leave the changer arm up. I've never seen any of your videos, but I was wondering why you were manhandling this?... for show? Kinda sad. "a lot of work" you say is less than an hour, 2 sizes of Phillips screwdrivers (the free harbar freight blue handle changer can do it all) a bit of grease (grease for the turntable, mineral oil for the cassette and 8-track capstan bearing.. done... no time at all.
I wouldn't even bother with Thrift Shop buys unless it's mint and fully working or your good with a screwdriver and soldering iron ..okay so not in the same price bracket but there are some amazing deals when looking at open box or end of line products. Few examples Audio Technica LP1240 £175 end of line....Pioneer PLX1000 £330 open box...Music Hall A30.3 £270 end of line... Acoustic Energy AE520 £1700 open box....not cheap but massive savings when compared to RRP My latest system I've put together is Synq XTRM turntable £100, Nobsound PM5 hybrid Valve Amp £75 and a pair of Acoustic Energy Linear 3 Speakers £25...total £200 for a full fantastic sounding system....this is going to my nephew for his Christmas present....lol
Ha Ha-In my basement I have Realistic's Clarinett 101-It's basically the same as 102 except the 8-track is on the front left bottom with the cassete recorder-player on top. It has a VU meter beside the 8-track with the radio band completing the front. Around the turntable is the fake, cheap wood paneling. It still works-it was the last stereo my parents got me for Christmas in 1974. I had to take it back the first week I had it as the cassette deck was not aligned properly and made a strange mechanical noise as it was playing. Didn't get the unit back until a month later. Lasted me through my high school and college years before I got a real system in the mid-80s.
I'll grant you the tape decks are shot, but 40 year old rubber is going to be rotten, heck, look at an old junker car sometime and if it's tires are as old as it is they're going to have some deep cracks in them. That being said, you could fix that turntable easily and with common stuff around your house. BSR turntables are well known for "freezing up" after having sat unused for years because the grease in them turns to something like glue. Put a cloth on the spindle then put a pair of pliers on it and pull hard and pull it out. Then you can take either a soldering iron OR a heat gun OR a hair dryer and either put the iron's tip in that hole, or blow into it with the heat gun or dryer and the platter will loosen up nicely...enough to get it to work anyhow. For restoring one to like new condition, take the unit out of the receiver and turn it upside down and every spot with old hard grease, use a solvent to dissolve the grease, then re-grease with lithium, Vaseline, or some other light grease like that. You can even use a drop or two of oil if you want to thin the grease down more. Now, flipped back upright take the E clip off and remove the platter and clean and re-lube the eccentric wheel under the platter. You can check the idler wheel to make sure it's still soft and pliable and it should be as my 54-year-old BSR turntable on my Fisher 125 is still soft so that one being 14 years newer should be as well. Afterwards just put the platter back on, put the e clip back in place and push the spindle back in and you're all set to go. BSR may have been cheap, but they were pretty well indestructible. You can even adjust the needle drop point on them by turning a screw under the base of the tonearm. I'm fortunate with my older BSR as it has a metal platter, metal plinth and metal eccentric wheel as well as a Pickering V-15 moving magnet cartridge and it sounds really good.
You didn't give it a chance in my opinion. Take it apart. See what the belts look like. Some internal cleaning and lubricating could bring it back to life. I wouldn't expect a 40 year old unit to work without a little TLC. You aleady spent $20 for it. Maybe another $10 for belts and a couple hours of time could bring it back to a fully functioning stereo. That's what thrift store hunting is all about. Don't give up on it. I would look forward to your video taking this to the next level.
My uncle had a stereo like that not the same one but it look like it think you got it at Sears or caldors
I'd never buy something that old and not expect to have to do some kind of repairs. Everything wrong with this stereo can be easily fixed.
Exact also what i want you to do.. Make a "show room" stereo of it. Regards Stig Österberg from Dalsbruk in Finland
It's unfair to blame the equipment for the wrath of time. Even the highest-quality turntables and tape decks will eventually need servicing. The required repairs to this one would not be too difficult, except possibly straightening out the bent cassette deck buttons. 12voltvids and the Guitologist both made good videos about repairing BSR record changers, including the trick of using either a heat gun or the tip of a soldering iron to heat up and soften the old, sticky grease so that you can remove the spindle and platter. (I suppose a hair dryer would work, too.) And as for why the cassette player was only giving you hum when it appeared to be playing a tape, it could have dirty contacts on the record/play switch, so if you ever decide to repair it, spraying some Deoxit into it should fix that.
Again, it’s not that I don’t understand what needs to be done…it’s that I have no interest in doing so. I’ve got better things to do.
@@Recordology So why did you buy it then if you had no desire to revive it ? Maybe you should take it back to the thrift store for somebody who does have an interest.
@@Recordology then don’t buy vintage electronics and compare them to low end brand new electronics that you review. guarantee not a single Crosley or Victrola unit will still be working in 40 years time.
Dude, the thing is 40 years or more old. Of course it needs new belts all around. Tape deck heads will need to be cleaned and same with 8 track head and capstan. It isn't a piece of crap. It just needs servicing. Probably needs a new needle on the record player too. Chill bro chill. It's over 40 years old.
I'm sure that back in its day this Realistic Clarinet 102 was perfectly adequate for a lot of people out there and it would have functioned properly, but we're all expecting a bit too much from a 40-year-old unit to be working without any issues.
It's a bummer, but not that surprising which is why one has to thoroughly test used equipment as much as possible at thrift stores before purchasing since not all, if any, thrift stores or antique dealers offer returns.
Thanks for the video, Record-ology. :)
It's probably not overly complicated with a bit of patience and time to bring it back to full working order. It would easily outperform modern equivalent all in one systems, especially with a suitable set of speakers to get the most out of it. Those BSR record changers are commonly ceased up around the platter bearing particularly the ones with the plastic platters and change cycle cam under the platter. The spring loaded gear that engages the speed when selected with the switch gums up with hardened grease on the shaft too making the switch slide freely and not engage in any speed. Not many things will work perfectly for 40 years. Even better quality vintage stereo systems usually.
Not going to lie, as an 80s child I have a lot of nostalgic affection for these 'music centres' as we called them in the UK. When I was a kid pretty much every family friend and relative we visited had one of these beasts holding court on a sideboard or table in the living room.
They bridged the gap between the 'stereograms' (generally a record player and tuner built into a piece of furniture) of the 1950s and 60s and the stacking separates of the mid-80s to mid-90s, which were then themselves miniaturised into the bookshelf 'micro systems' that saw out the end of the physical media era.
This one is a nice looking item in spite of its many problems. Systems of this period are very modular and easy to work on provided (as seems to be the case here) the power supply and amplifier are in good order. The belt and 8-track deck probably just need belts and the heads cleaning, the turntable disassembling and de-gunking (as is the case for most BSR and Garrard decks of this era.)
Clean the scratchy controls, replace the dial lighting (I love the way they look all lit up at night) and it will be good for another 40 years. Aside from the missing hinge, it seems to be in good physical shape. I don't see a POS here, I see potential. Realistic stuff wasn't half bad. I'd still rather put a weekend into getting this up and running than spend however much a Crosley Cruiser costs these days!
i HAVE ONE OF THE PANASONIC TOP OF THE RANGE MUSIC CENTRE .BOUGHT IT IN 1977 .IT SOUNDS FANTASTIC AND WOULD PUT SOME SEPERATES SYSTEMS TO SHAME. POINT BEING THEY WERNT ALL CRAP
My parents have that exact unit and it still works like new. My parents home is stuck in time because everything they own still works, so they kept everything. No need to upgrade if it works.
Waste not, want not. 👍
I gave my parents my 65" projection TV when I upgraded to flatscreen 15 years ago...they are still using it as I put fans in it and it won't die. I am beginning to feel guilt......
Good old BSR turntables, would have been in many a teenagers bedrooms in the late 70's, needs a good clean. Built to take a bit of a punishment
Most every middle-class family had a variant of one of these when they moved on from their 1970s console stereo, as well as most kids 12-18 at the time who had a stereo in their bedroom.
I was a Radio Shack store manager when this was a current product (1981ish). The 102 sold for $299 regularly but $219 when it was on sale in the winter 1981 sale flyer. Most of the time these sold for graduation or Christmas presents. The matched speakers (8" woofer and 3" tweeter) had reasonable sound. Better than today's portable or all in one stereos. Since the electronics and power supply seem to work, it can probably be reconditioned. The mechanicals probably need a full cleaning, lubrication and new belts for the tape players. A cleaning and polish of the dust cover as well. It's not a classic component system, but might make an interesting system for a collector.
New belts, a little repair on the tape deck, some lube here and there and I can guarantee that this will beat the snot out of a modern "all in one".
Yep, and there is no such thing now as a combo unit with an 8-track and record changer. I could have got this puppy playing both tapes and records with about an hour of work. This guy is a ding dong expecting thrift store stuff to work. The first thing to check is the amp and radio. If they work then clean the rest, install new belts and your Jimi Hendrix is rockin' out the cheap 5" Radio Shack speakers in simulated walnut wood grain ezy kleen no rust vinyl.
When "auto level recording" and "lighted tuner dial" are the highlighted features of your stereo; you are hovering just above bottom.
It's hardly fair to review this unit without first going through it and making sure everything works as it should. All it would take is time, it costs little to nothing to get these running and I'm pretty sure you have all you need to do it. Like grease, oil, flat and square belts, and contact cleaner. That's basically all you need. The capstan on the 8 track deck is absolutely not worn out. Simply take it out and run some fine sandpaper over it and it's fixed.
50 watts is how much power this DRAWS from the wall, it's not even remotely 50 watts output... more like 10 watts max output.
You're being slightly rough on this unit. It's only not working because of it's age and has probably sitting for years/decades. For an "all-in-one" unit, there are FAR worse models out there. The belts are bad on the cassette deck, the motor on the 8 track is probably frozen. The record player is actually easy to repair. Dried-up grease is the issue there. Just a simple cleaning and re-lube and oiling will get it going again. I'd put it on Craigslist for free for someone who likes to repair such equiptment. Better than in a landfill.
I wouldn't be this disappointed with a $20.00 purchase of a vintage component from a thrift store. I find the reaction quite puzzling.
The expectations should be very low in these particular cars.
The component is likely quite fixable. I bet this thing could be brought back to life if one is inclined to do so.
When I lived in England as a child, I found that during this era in the early 80's most speaker connections were 2 pin DIN. It had one flat connector and one small pointed round connector. It would be bizarre to have RCA speaker connections, I'd never seen any, but I guess America was never into DIN connectors. During the 80's it gradually got replaced by the spring connectors that are still quite common today.
Yes, the RCA connectors were very common in those portable systems with the drop-down record changers that were all the rage here in the 1960s, and they must have gotten carried over into these table-top "compact" entertainment centers. They were more convenient than the spring clips or screws, but there was always the possibility of confusion with line-level inputs and outputs. I doubt these units put out enough voltage to easily damage other equipment, though. Maybe the ideal solution would be spring clips on the receiver and a plug with very thin prongs from each speaker, giving the user a choice of easily connecting the provided speakers or adapting some other speakers and tolerating fussier connections.
Most of the Uk stuff was built to german specs at the time which used either the 2 prong or 5pin DIN. Very few had RCA connections for speakers. RCA were almost exclusively for use to connect other components to each other.
I buy these for 20 bucks… all the time….. lube the record changer….replace the belts in cassette and 8 track and resale them for well over 100 bucks…… you cannot buy something this old and not do some work…. With minimal work this stereo would rock
I like your videos but i feel like you missed the point of finding these systems at the thrift store. If you're expecting anything 40 years old to work perfectly your going to be disappointed. These kind of finds are for parts or repair. They're for someone with a little repair knowledge and time to bring them back to life.
Mechanical issues with both tape players will be worn out belts, clutches, idlers etc as everyone surmises. Lack of audio will probably be dirty record/playback changeover switches on both decks since the cart player is also (unusually) a recorder. The changer would work after a degrease and relube. BSR decks were everywhere in these types of low end units, and they were sonically awful things
I was with my parents shopping for a record player in the 70's and saw this at the Radio Shack store. The salesman, who seemed to be a grump, actually told them not to buy this as they have been receiving returns on it because of the 8 track deck failing. They ended up getting a Magnavox Stereo, which had two speakers with dual cones on each speaker (one cone on top the other on the bottom) I guess to compete with the Zenith Circle of Sound. Connected to the Magnavox was a Ampex Micro 95 cassette deck that held six cassettes and played them all automatically. The record changer tone arm taps the side of the record to measure it before dropping the record it is amazing. Mom gave it to me when Dad passed. To this day, the cassette player and stereo work wonderfully. What quality! Great video thanks for posting.
I think it goes without saying that most equipment that's been sitting around this long is going to need some restoration, especially the mechanical drives for the record and tape decks. The receiver probably also needs some re-capping, though it's likely that that could be done selectively. This doesn't seem like really bad example; at least the defects shown so far would be easy fixes, though the lack of speakers with a system like this is a major deficiency, since one of the few saving graces of these otherwise mediocre systems was that RS had a chance to match the speakers to the characteristics of the amplifiers. Still, if properly restored, this thing would almost certainly be better than a typical Crosley .
Fisher made a similar all in one music audio system in the late 60's through the mid 70's!!
I have a Fisher from 84 my CD player fr late 80s sound great speakers didn't look like that looks like a early sound design or Sears I've had from 70s
Even if working perfectly, the cassette part has no record level controls, no Dolby B, and no chrome/metal tape capability. It would make poor recordings and most tapes from other systems or store-bought pre-recorded tapes would sound bright and hissy. The record player part is not something, even in perfect working order, that you'd want to play any good record on since it would damage it since most of those units tracked at 6 grams or more. There is no counterweight adjustment or anti-skate allowing you to put a good magnetic cartridge on it and adjust the tracking force down to 2 grams or less. I've never liked those kinds of record players since the platter isn't large enough for an album to sit on it without overhang and I'd never want my records dropped with one of those changers. Maybe for playing old 78s it would be OK but I feel it would damage microgroove records quickly. The speed on those BSRs was always off and often a bit fast with no adjustment or strobe pattern on the platter side to help adjust the speed exactly on the fly. This unit is fine for someone who just listens to the radio in a garage or something. It's all I could recommend it for.
My parents had this identical unit in the early 80's. I used it to make mix 8 track tapes to play in my '67 Sport Fury which it did well enough but the whole unit didn't sound as good as what it replaced (1960's Sears Silvertone console). My parents didn't have a lot of huge expectations for it, but my dad used it to record cassette tapes through the microphone inputs which I think might have been one of the deciding factors in the purchase. It was having real problems with both tape decks by the end of the 80's and I replaced it for them with a Fisher all in one with dual cassette decks and a lot more features which also included microphone inputs. The Clarinette was still playing records well enough. Bass response was not great and the speakers clearly not the best even when new. The Fisher lasted longer than the Clarinette. After that, they upgraded massively with separate components and better speakers.
The expectations for the unit you reviewed were probably too high. If it sat for thirty years, the grease hardened up in the turntable which is why it won't turn. Cleaned out and regreased, I have no doubt it'd be in fine form again. The belts were probably dried up and brittle in both tape decks and would have broken quickly even if either of them played especially if it spent part of its life in a hot attic.
Time and age were against an all in one that was only adequate when new and from the looks of it did not hold up well under what was probably normal use. All that said, your review was perfect for what can be expected from an untested unit found in a thrift store. Based on my parents' experience with a brand new unit, I would have a passing moment of nostalgia and then leave it in the store knowing it was going to need a lot of work and still not be great.
Try wiggling the function knob. It could possibly be dirty and a dirty switch could cause it to not have audio.
When I was a young teenager in the early-to-mid '90s, I was all the time picking up these "all in one" systems for cheap or free, I'd fix them, and flip them. As far as quality goes, they ranged from very low end to decent quality models with a metal platter on the record changer and a magnetic cartridge, but even the cheapest ones could be fixed without much effort or expense. Yes, this one here would be considered lower end, but I've seen much worse and, to be fair, I'm not surprised that it has all these problems. However, it still would not take much of an investment to get it going. Both tape decks likely need new belts, cleaning, and adjustment. The pots and switches likely need to be cleaned. The record changer likely needs a full cleaning and relubrication, and a new stylus. After all that is done, it will probably be good for another 40 years. Personally, I don't get annoyed when I see something that is 40+ years old that needs a good bit of work because, after all, it's over 40 years old and was likely ran hard with little-to-no maintenance. With that said, even higher quality gear is going to fail if it is "used and abused", and never maintained. What I get annoyed by is recently made equipment that is shoddily made and fails within a short period of time. Currently, I have a bunch of "all in one" systems of all quality levels and they all need an overhaul, which is to be expected. One day, I'll get around to working on them.
I have a Realistic Clarinette 2 which I bought in 1974. It is just a record changer and amp, but it has inputs for AM/FM radio or a tape deck. It has a BSR changer, which tended to play fast in that era. It was also the last model to feature a rubber platter instead of plastic. The plastic platter would leave marks on the records. The unit was never in a repair shop, but I did re-lube the turntable, and filed the shaft so it now plays at the correct speed. I miss Radio Shack.
Take everything apart, and clean all the parts, turntable platter needs some WD-40 to loosen it up so you can pull the platter off, clean and lube all the turntable mechanism, replace the belts on the 8-track and cassette units, clean all controls and this bookshelf stereo should work, add a couple of low cost speakers and you have a good shop stereo system!!
Those BSR record changers always seize up if not used, the grease on them goes solid. Clean and re-grease they work well as a basic record deck. Much better than a Croxley!
Aren't you being a bit harsh? After 40 years of course the tape belts have perished and the changer is gummed up - you can't buy something this old - whether or not it was originally cheap or high quality when new - and not expect problems. I have a very nice Pioneer amp from the '70's that I found on the corner of a driveway. It buzzed and was otherwise dead, so I got it fixed. "Not working" doesn't automatically equal "junk".
In its current state = junk.
The unit needs servicing. It's old, no wonder it's not working properly. Belts are definitely stretched, and old grease turned into glue, making all parts stuck, you can see it on the platter and on the 8-track. It's engine also stuck, it's visible by dimmed light. The unit itself is not to blame. Modern chinese junk is unserviceable at all.
Whenever picking used gear in thrift stores always try it out in the store and see if it'll at least function, I've saved myself some headaches that way.
I would have felt all my birthdays and Christmases had come at once, if I'd got one of these in the late 70's/early 80's. They're nothing to look at now, but back then, it was considered a vast improvement on a mono tape recorder. Being able to record directly off the radio and records, (in stereo, no less), was enough for us youngsters, back in the day. Realistic was, of course, what you got when shopping at Tandy's. In the UK, at least. It was their brand, and compared to the big names at the time, it was considered a, 'cheap and cheerful', alternative. It didn't have Dolby or even a manual recording level, so any recordings onto cassette tended to be a bit hit and miss. Some where better than others. This one obviously hasn't aged at all well(!) I guess if you were so inclined, you might consider trying to get it to work. But, would it really be worth doing?
Put a magnetic phono cartridge a pre amplifier inside , the record changer reduce the velocity of changer a rubber in the plate incorporate a a blue tooth inside use better speakers only have love that its all in life.
It would be really better than today modern units. Its only modernize it and take care of the sistem.
All easy fixes.
At first I thought the amp was out too, but I thought I heard music during the cassette test. The BSR is just a “gluebricant” problem,, this is very common for BSRs that have sat around for years not being used. Just pop the C clip, like you’ve seen on the other record players,, work the table back and forth while lifting up. Clean the area with alcohol,, drop some 3 in 1 ,, good to go. An 8track belt is easy to find,, take a string and run it around the motor and flywheel to get the measurement,, order where belts can be found. Also, a good rubber band can be good enough if you just want to quick test it. The catch on the cassette door is probably needing a spritz of lube too. All is not lost,, minimal money needed.
I inherited a BSR turntable in a similar housing. The idler tire(unobtanium) was out of round and had a divot where the spindle sat for a very long time. I just removed the whole changer to look it over. Removing the platter is not straightforward for sure. Hopefully someone will fix this.
Back in early 2016, I stumbled upon a Realistic Clarinette 110 all in one stereo that was about to be thrown out… although I was actually able to get the record changer working again, that unit was otherwise not fully functional (and the speaker outputs eventually failed as well), which is why I threw it out not long after. The wood grain veneer was also curling up, too!
In lower cost BSR TT's the spindle was fixed-no long or short spindles on these players.The tape machines all need belt and pulley kits-if they are still available.Sure the TT and tape players have dried lube that needs to be cleaned and relubed.The set needs A LOT of work.The radio seems to be the only thing that works.
Nice to see a series of videos where you restore this, it might be cheap crap but it looks cool
I have one of those units but with an 8 track that doesn't work but the record part works perfectly I love it
All BSR changers when left sitting it will freeze up but they can be cleaned and relubricated as for the tape players the belts need replaced so with a little bit of money and time it will come back to life
bsr made some really good changers with magnetic cartridges and tonearms with adjustable tracking force and anti-skate, but the vast majority of them had crappy tonearms with ceramic cartridges like the one on that clarinette. radio shack/realistic did make some decent quality stuff but the clarinette line was the cheapest, lowest quality stereo that they offered. but, as crappy as that bsr changer is, it is still vastly better than any modern plastic crosley...
Try playing the "walkman" CD machine thru the units Aux input.
What I would like to know, is what you consider to be an adequate starter deck for someone with not a big budget? I've seen your video with the all in one unit where the tape deck buzzed, but I'd love to see your take on a decent budget record player that has speakers.
My family had one of these -- not Realistic but another brand with a BSR changer -- that my older brother acquired used in the early 1970's. It was in good shape, and we used it as the family stereo for a number of years. It didn't have a cassette deck, only an 8-track player, which failed early on. But the radio worked well, and we used the record player a lot. Finally, sometime after I left home, something went wrong with it, and my dad packed it up and took it to the attic, where it lingered in deterioration until he finally junked it. I suspect your unit met a similar fate, likely spending years in an attic or garage, which would have led to all the belts turning to mush.
I had a GE unit in the 80’s, it was missing the 8track, I loved that player
I have a soft spot for this type of all-in-one sound systems. We got a Sears by Mecca system with a BSR turntable in 1977. It had great sound and never ever failed. We had it until 1998. Yes, when Cds became popular, I got a system with a CD player and rarely used the Sears. I don't have it anymore, and I regret it. There are many memories of my childhood and teen years attached to that system. I guess that people in general were not so obsessed with getting the purest sound of a system, and we were happy with something like this.
The record button (and all the others) on the cassette deck looks out of alignment, one reason for the lack of sound might be the record/play switch not making contact. You could try pressing record/stop repeatedly... And it definitely needs some belt and grease work! Internally I'd wager the components are modular enough it would be not too challenging to add an Aux in or Bluetooth board...
Do you know anything about the 107 model?
The 103 also had individual record level controls, showing that the 102 likely just had "automatic level control" for its tape deck.
Before the economy took a nosedive, I found a few of these types of all-in-one systems being discarded on trash day around my area. Nowadays, from a quick look on Facebook marketplace, it seems many people think they have gold and are selling various models for outrageous prices-- they'll be holding on to them for awhile for what they are asking! I have two of them that I revived and use them mostly around the holidays to play Christmas albums since they are very nostalgic to me. As far as buying one, I would never have paid $20 for the unit in the video as the work involved to get it operational just wouldn't be worth the effort to me. However, had I found it in the bins, I would have definitely rescued it and probably tried to get the autochanger working at least, or keep it around for parts.
You didn't waste your money. Don't be afraid to fix it. Surely you have a can of oil and rubbing alcohol somewhere.
It’s just that I am uninterested in restoring this one. Other projects take precedent.
@@Recordology that's cool. I understand that. I agree with you too. To spend that much money on it, you'd think something besides the radio should work. I can see why it's a discouraging investment
That bsr changer is an excellent deck, it just has to be cleaned and lubricated. You shouldn't throw it out, at least take out that bsr changer.
We had one of those in the 70s - by Sanyo. We weren't audiophiles in those days, we didn't know that from anything.
Thrift shop electronics and cameras are always risky. Even my old stuff I leave unused for a long time develop problems with aging. You have to plug it in and play records and tapes, if possible, and try the radio before you decide to buy it.
I had a Sears all in one similar to that when I was kid. Only with just the 8 track recorder. I upgraded to a Pioneer Centrex all in one. Belt drive TT with magnetic cartridge and a full logic tape deck with music search. One of those would well be worth fixing and a great entry level unit.
It's too bad that VWestlife didn't get this unit. Just a little TLC and it would be fine.
If I wanted to waste some time and money I would have fixed it up.
So... here is my opinion. The cassette deck and 8-Track need belts. The TT needs to be taken apart and cleaned and all would function properly. The problems were caused by longtime storage, and not by abuse IMO. Just saying the unit itself is probably way better than anything in the budget realm today, and would be worth the small investment for a newbie. Plus it could be a great learning experience. So I don't think it is an absolute piece of junk. Is it great? NO!!!! But there is much worse out there. Take care my friend...
It probably would take very little to get this up and running well 1st off your obviously going to need belts and the turntable is going to need to be decreased and reluctance and some clean up and you would be up and running
To be fair, this thing is about 40 years old. Something that old requires servicing. It would be extremely unusual to find a cassette or 8 track mech still working after all that time, since the belts nearly always fail, and sometimes even melt to goo completely. The BSR turntables are nearly always serviceable still, but also nearly always, the oils and greases used become sticky and the unit therefore will just need all moving parts cleaned and then oiled or greased as appropriate. I would expect that BSR to work perfectly, if that work was done. Some rubber grommets in the unit might also need changing, The fact that the amp and tuner still work is good. Some capacitors would probably need replacing and radio alignment carried out. But costs would be small, and a hobbyist with the correct skills could get this unit working for a very small cost. The most expensive bit might be the drive belts for the tape units. Yes, it's a budget unit, but with reasonable speakers it would produce an acceptable sound.
Sorry to see this unit was not working well. That is a bummer. Sine if ut is probably due to age but my guess is that this particular unit was not taken care of. I still have my Dad;s All in one Panasonic stereo from 1983 and it works very well and will probably last another 10 years at least. Take care!!!
I still have my realistic sta2000 am fm receiver 75 watts per channel, and lab 400 direct drive turn table that I bought in 1979. Works fine.
The belts need replaced the cassette player looks like something heavy fell on the buttons and have bent them the turntable needs have the old lubricant cleaned off and fresh applied to it
It's the same as what Victrola is putting out now days. Same price point too.
I think this unit still has some potential. It just needs a bit of TLC. It's crazy how expensive stuff like this was back in the day when you look at the cost through an inflation calculator. You've also got to consider the cost of living was a bit better back then and also, people had fewer things to spend money on, so anyone with a decent job probably could afford one of these.
I had a Realistic all in 1 sound system early 80's. The 1 I had the tape player/ recorder was ontop the unit next to the turntable. Receiver worked great tuner was sensitive when care listening on the FM stereo side picked up a lot of stations. Used the tape recorder plenty of times when I was recording from three good college stations back then. Turntable (BSR) had no issues with. The speaker's were not the greatest but when you buy one of these Clarinet models from Radio Shack u got what you paid for!
Thanks for the records!
I remember being 4 year old using one of these for the record and 8 track player function. It was my dad's turn table, I think I know understand why he's blown away by my setup. Makes sense.
Btw - my notifications never tell me when you are live =( do you have a Facebook you can do a couple hours warning on????
All she needs is a bit of simple maintenance. New belts on the tape decks, cleaned controls (including the record/play switches), and a re lubricate the turntable. Within less than a couple of hours she'd be good to go.
Anything that old needs basic maintenance even if it's new old stock.
This poor old music centre is definitely in the wars. I've never seen one here in England with an 8 track recorder. The turntable is exactly the same BSR turntable that we have in our second system downstairs. I use it to play my collection of 1960's singles. It got relegated to the loft when we moved here 20 years ago but got brought down when my friend Val died and I inherited her small collection of singles (now grown to over 100). We had to have the turntable cleaned but now it plays my singles and also my small, but growing, 78's - to which I've added two Glenn Miller over the last week. As you show, it has a flip cartridge and plays 78's and modern records. These music centres are good for newbies to experiment with as they can try different formats etc. ......but is this one terminal?
Big? Not in 1982 it wasn't. How time changes things.
A hairdryer, or soldering iron applied to the base of the changer spindle may help free-up the jammed platter; the heat loosens the gummed-up grease..... If you can get it free and clean off the dried grease mess it may help it at least play a record!
The player/plinth will need removing from the music centre chassis to get at the dried up grease underneath though.
Just for 'fun', and an excuse for a second video out of the system, it'd be worth tearing this down and attempting some basic servicing, and belt replacing on the cassette and 8-track!
At least the ad-revenue will help towards recovering the cost of that item..!! 👍
Sears made a similar one that only had a cassette deck,i knew someone who had one. it didn't sound too bad
This unit dates back to about 1978 to 79. The turntable is a BSR turntable very standard back in the day this turntable is not belt driven it uses an idler wheel
Very easy to remove the turntable pour a little rubbing alcohol in the center with a spindle is and then use a blow dryer to heat it up and loosen up the joint of Grease do not allow the plastic turntable to get too hot or the turntable will melt as the turntable is plastic I am a service technician and have serviced many of these
You need to send that over to Mr. Carlson's Lab, he's such a miracle worker that I think within a few days he'd turn it into an audiophile's dream!
I used to have that stereo back in the early '80's. It worked great for the 13 year old me!
Would make a good restoration project. Wish my thrift stores had stuff like this.
All of the major electronics brands made a similar PoS with that BSR changer. I had a Sony one sans 8-track circa 1981 and hated it. I wanted the step-up model with a Sony-made turntable instead. I was so happy when I started to get separate components starting with a receiver and turntable in 1987! I still have the excellent speakers, however, and replaced their cones in the 1990s with higher-quality models when the woofers cracked. Peace.
I was first released in 1981.
Fine piece of equipment🤭
You probably have to take 'er apart, clean out all of the old gunky grease then regrease the mechanism and then double check that idler wheel to see if it needs new rubber. Also put a few drops of sewing machine or 3-in-1 oil down the spindle and that might help you get the spindle loose. Yeah, it's a heck of a lot of work to bring that ol' gal back to operational status. Oh and I think the belts might be the issue with the 2 tape players.
i could get it to work great in an afternoon ,simple maintenance
First rule of thrift club, test it in the store or assume it is broken.
That’s wouldn’t make fur a very interesting video though!
@@Recordology I may be alone in this, but I think videos of thrift shop finds that work are more interesting than reviews of broken junk.
It's not a "50 watt system". The 50 watts marked on the rear panel refers to the electrical power consumption of the unit. I doubt the speaker output of that thing is more than 10 watts per channel.
That used to sell for $300? WOW!
50W is the maximum estimate of what it pulls from the wall and has little to do with the speaker outputs which are generally just a few watts per channel in these combo units.
You can easily repair it compared to modern disposal China junk this Japanese made stereo center is great (Toshiba and Sanyo made many items for Realistic / Radio shack)
Taiwan
@@Recordology yeah Taiwan made Toshiba stuff under licence
Realistic was rebranded Pioneer so if you can get that working its would be an ok system
Brilliant video !!
I guess $20 Dollars,price tag,reflects the condition of the unit-It looks like,when new,back in the early 80s,this was pretty much an OK unit,especially from a starter perspective,with a little TLC-new belts,for the cassette and 8 track decks,as for the BSR record player,with it's stiff,gummed-up mechanism,I've seen plenty of these,restored,elsewhere,here on TH-cam.
I am a little worried about the fate of this unit,as you've already indicated,that you wouldn't spend the time,and money,in restoring it !
Perhapsyou can take it backtotheGoodwillstore,where you bought it,and get a refund !!!
I always love to see units such as these,getting restored !!
Teddy Hashee's channel,here on TH-cam,has restored a couple of these !
Although I am a little disappointed,about the fate,of this unit,I still love your channel,and everything else,you stand for in life !!
I have a BSR that plays 16-78 speed. The only issue I have is that it rubs underneath sometimes can be audible through cartridge. Otherwise speeds are perfect. I could use the turntable as parts for another that works properly. For all I know, the one you have just needs a good grease up job. I have had some that are as stuck as that platter was, it would just take some elbow grease and a little maneuvering to get it off. FYI these and all BSR record players if not used constantly will lock up like that. That's why I have tuner cleaner and sewing machine oil to revitalize the old parts.
It all needs to be cleaned, lubricated, and rebelted. There are people who’d love to fix that up. Anything after awhile is going to need to be cleaned, lubricated, adjusted, etc.
on the back panel where it says 50 w, that's not how much power it puts out that is the power consumption of the unit. at the very most this thing is 12 watts per channel
Those British turntables appear in multiple 70s stereos, they all look the same. I have a similar one in an Aciko stereo - the turntable was was frozen stuck too, had to open it and clean the lubricant which had become solid. Obviously they didn't come like that when new...
I always realized that the older something is, the more likely something will go wrong. It’s just common sense. It’s like buying a vintage Impala VS a new Tesla. You’re most likely going to put more time and money into the Impala and even then, it’s only a matter of time before those 40 year old parts break.
About a decade ago, a family down the street from my parents' home threw out an Aiwa AF-5080 Music Center all-in-one unit which weighed a ton (35 to 40 pounds, I'm sure) and luckily for me, it was still mostly working when I tested it at home.
Apparently at the time (1976), it was a flagship model for Aiwa with cool VU meters, a nice yellow-green glow, an oil-dampened tape deck (not playing, but it did rewind and FF tapes), an AM/FM radio, and an auto-return turntable with an S-curve tone arm and completely removeable head shell, cartridge, and stylus, as well as a counterweight, and also a storage area for cassette tapes while the plastic lid (badly cracked) covered the entire top of the unit.
It had a lot of great features including a headphone jack (of course), two mic input jacks, auxiliary input jacks at the back to connect any device via RCA cables, and it had the screw-type of speaker connectors.
All in all, a lot of thought had been put into designing this unit with its beautiful silver face in front and wooden paneling on the sides and trim. I recommend checking out photos of this AF -5080 model online and I can't complain about a totally free unit despite its tape deck not working since I can use the AUX connection to add an external tape deck, 8-track player, reel-to-reel deck, CD player, Blu-ray player, Bluetooth receiver, etc.
That is indeed a beautiful machine with its proper brushed metal fascia and wood cabinet. That's the thing about these 'music centres' (as they were known in the UK) - whilst they all took a very similar form factor, they varied greatly in build / sound quality.
I recently picked up a 'Fidelity' unit (budget British brand) also for free and whilst the construction is very plasticky and lightweight, everything works and the sound quality is perfectly acceptable for a budget system.
It's in perfect physical condition too, and even has some nice features such as LED VU meters and a separate tuning strength display.
It does lack an 8-track deck but that's not entirely unsurprising as it was always more of an in-car format here and home players were relatively rare. The AUX input allows a standalone one (which were often just an in-car player fitted into a wooden cabinet) to be connected.
It's a pity that they are so unloved by the vinyl crowd these days, as I think they're a very neat solution for playing obsolete physical formats and I'd still choose one over a Crosley Cruiser or similar - even one like this that has problems is worth repairing for the small amount a generic belt kit will cost.
That’s so upsetting I recently found one in my uncles garage it works perfectly I have two speakers and a subwoofer hooked up to it and all the features work 😭
Got the exact system. Everything works perfect with a little cleanup. The BSR needed new grease and the tape players needed new belts. EASY fix, works perfect. Didn't need to change out capacitors or anything.
I was surprised with the quality of 8-track sound (not how I remember it as a kid). They could continue playing for days until you powered off the unit or pulled them out to stop them. The record changer here is interesting. There's like a built-in sleep mode. If you turn on the record player on the top, it turns on the whole unit. Once it goes through all the records, it shuts the whole stereo off. You can even keep repeating one side of a record if you leave the changer arm up.
I've never seen any of your videos, but I was wondering why you were manhandling this?... for show? Kinda sad.
"a lot of work" you say is less than an hour, 2 sizes of Phillips screwdrivers (the free harbar freight blue handle changer can do it all) a bit of grease (grease for the turntable, mineral oil for the cassette and 8-track capstan bearing.. done... no time at all.
I wouldn't even bother with Thrift Shop buys unless it's mint and fully working or your good with a screwdriver and soldering iron ..okay so not in the same price bracket but there are some amazing deals when looking at open box or end of line products. Few examples Audio Technica LP1240 £175 end of line....Pioneer PLX1000 £330 open box...Music Hall A30.3 £270 end of line... Acoustic Energy AE520 £1700 open box....not cheap but massive savings when compared to RRP
My latest system I've put together is Synq XTRM turntable £100, Nobsound PM5 hybrid Valve Amp £75 and a pair of Acoustic Energy Linear 3 Speakers £25...total £200 for a full fantastic sounding system....this is going to my nephew for his Christmas present....lol
Ha Ha-In my basement I have Realistic's Clarinett 101-It's basically the same as 102 except the 8-track is on the front left bottom with the cassete recorder-player on top. It has a VU meter beside the 8-track with the radio band completing the front. Around the turntable is the fake, cheap wood paneling. It still works-it was the last stereo my parents got me for Christmas in 1974. I had to take it back the first week I had it as the cassette deck was not aligned properly and made a strange mechanical noise as it was playing. Didn't get the unit back until a month later. Lasted me through my high school and college years before I got a real system in the mid-80s.
I'll grant you the tape decks are shot, but 40 year old rubber is going to be rotten, heck, look at an old junker car sometime and if it's tires are as old as it is they're going to have some deep cracks in them. That being said, you could fix that turntable easily and with common stuff around your house. BSR turntables are well known for "freezing up" after having sat unused for years because the grease in them turns to something like glue. Put a cloth on the spindle then put a pair of pliers on it and pull hard and pull it out. Then you can take either a soldering iron OR a heat gun OR a hair dryer and either put the iron's tip in that hole, or blow into it with the heat gun or dryer and the platter will loosen up nicely...enough to get it to work anyhow. For restoring one to like new condition, take the unit out of the receiver and turn it upside down and every spot with old hard grease, use a solvent to dissolve the grease, then re-grease with lithium, Vaseline, or some other light grease like that. You can even use a drop or two of oil if you want to thin the grease down more. Now, flipped back upright take the E clip off and remove the platter and clean and re-lube the eccentric wheel under the platter. You can check the idler wheel to make sure it's still soft and pliable and it should be as my 54-year-old BSR turntable on my Fisher 125 is still soft so that one being 14 years newer should be as well. Afterwards just put the platter back on, put the e clip back in place and push the spindle back in and you're all set to go. BSR may have been cheap, but they were pretty well indestructible. You can even adjust the needle drop point on them by turning a screw under the base of the tonearm. I'm fortunate with my older BSR as it has a metal platter, metal plinth and metal eccentric wheel as well as a Pickering V-15 moving magnet cartridge and it sounds really good.