Way OT (sorry): DA-88 help

["jj 179" <jj179subs@hotmail.com>]

Sorry to bother the list with an OT post - if you feel the need to flame, 
please email me privately.

I've got a Tascam DA-88 (8 track digital multitrack) deck that I've had 
for 
several years. It's worked beautifully, never had a problem with it, but 
it's suddenly decided to eat tapes. I found a service page on the net that 
told me how to pop the unit open and look for problems. It looks like the 
head itself is in perfect condition, but something else (rollers? 
capstans?) 
must be slightly out of alignment, because the tape isn't aligning exactly 
right against the head, or the rollers ... thus it starts to get off of 
the 
rollers and start going everywhere.

I'm usually pretty good with finding obvious mechanical problems in 
electronic equipment, but I can't find anything obvious here. I'm hesitant 
to take the machine to a repair shop since the list price for the 
replacement head assembly itself is around $500. Yet, the head itself (and 
the signal coming off of it when the tape is aligned properly) is fine, 
and 
I'd rather find another solution than simply replacing the whole darn 
assembly.

Any suggestions before I go blow $500+ ?

Again, my apologies for offending with a non-strictly-looper post.

Thank you,
Jason




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