Nakamichi Dragon


I remember well when the call went out that Nakamichi would stop making parts for and servicing the Dragon. The main issue at hand seemed to be desiccation of diodes. I had no need at the time and remarkably (especially since I live in the desert) my Dragon has performed famously right up until three days ago. Suddenly, it began detecting resistance before the end of the tape and auto-reversed or stopped. After a day or less it behaved this way from the very beginning of the tape. I am completely naive, but it strikes me that this could be a mechanical problem that might be fixable without the need for parts that are no longer available. My question is "how" or perhaps better still "is there anyone out there anywhere who is competent to work on it?" I sure could use advice!

Ironically, this all started when I finally decided to digitize my vintage tapes, knowing for years that both the deck and the tapes had finite lifespans. It had been playing flawlessly right up until I only barely got started digitizing. Predictable, right?
phoude

Showing 2 responses by fiesta75

If you're looking for someone to service it for you, Willie Herman on the west and ESL on the east. Advice can be had at Naktalk@lists.naks.com, good luck.
I really doubt a good repair shop would have a chance at fixing a Dragon! Those things are very special and only a handful of experts. Heck, even changing belts is a major job. The guys that do it right use test equipment to select the best belts for a particular machine. The belts and rubber available nowadays is the biggest problem!