RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Everyone needs a stompbox.
User avatar
mackerelmint
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 13674
Joined: Sun May 05, 2013 9:51 pm
Location: トイレ国、ウンチ市

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by mackerelmint » Thu Nov 18, 2021 8:25 pm

Are motor bearings tough to source or replace in these? Let's hope not, this could be a really nice score!
This is an excellent rectangle

User avatar
JSett
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8802
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Old Hampshire, Old England

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by JSett » Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:34 am

Well, despite him shipping it second class, uninsured and untracked, it's here...

Image

...and it (mostly) damn well works!!

For now I've only been able to plug it into my little Yamaha THR10 and play it quietly until my partner finishes work so full judgement is reserved but all indications are good. All the echo functions work but you can tell the heads need cleaning though. Reverb not so much. No signal at all but the EQ section is working. I'm hoping it's just a loose cable or suchlike on the pan. Pots are functional but crackly and with some dead spots - a thorough clean and lube should sort that out pretty easily. It feels like a unit that's been sat a while and just needs a little servicing - which I'll get into this evening. It's only missing one lid screw and one tape cover retainer - original tape cover is present and in perfect condition. Felts look a little tired.

So far, pretty good score!
Last edited by JSett on Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:44 am, edited 2 times in total.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

User avatar
PorkyPrimeCut
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 24464
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:46 am
Location: Leipzig
Contact:

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:44 am

johnnysomersett wrote:
Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:34 am
Well, despite him shipping it second class, uninsured and untracked, it's here...

Image

...and it (mostly) damn well works!!

For now I've only been able to plug it into my little Yamaha THR10 and play it quietly until my partner finishes work so full judgement is reserved but all indications are good. All the echo functions work but you can tell the heads need cleaning though. Reverb not so much. No signal at all but the EQ section is working. I'm hoping it's just a loose cable or suchlike on the pan. Pots are functional but crackly and with some dead spots - a thorough clean and lube should sort that out pretty easily. It feels like a unit that's been sat a while and just needs a little servicing - which I'll get into this evening. It's only missing one lid screw and one tape cover retainer - original tape cover is present and in perfect condition. Felts look a little tired.

So far, pretty good score!
This is becoming one of those "deal of the decade" threads! I've always wanted one of these!!

Good luck with the troubleshooting.
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.

User avatar
JSett
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8802
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Old Hampshire, Old England

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by JSett » Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:46 am

PorkyPrimeCut wrote:
Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:44 am

This is becoming one of those "deal of the decade" threads! I've always wanted one of these!!

Good luck with the troubleshooting.
Yeah, I'm very surprised so far. I could never justify the prices these have been for the last decade or so but taking chances can occasionally be rewarding.

Oh, and wildly surprising and added bonus it's already at UK voltage! (Well, 220v). I had my step-down transformer already dug out and ready to go but no need 👌🏻
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

User avatar
PorkyPrimeCut
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 24464
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:46 am
Location: Leipzig
Contact:

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Fri Nov 19, 2021 8:15 am

johnnysomersett wrote:
Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:46 am
....Oh, and wildly surprising and added bonus it's already at UK voltage! (Well, 220v). I had my step-down transformer already dug out and ready to go but no need 👌🏻
Yaay!!

My favourite old analog delay pedal (DOD680) ended up getting an organ transplant after I changed the US plug for a UK one & then forgot to plug it into a step-down transformer!! Gaaaah!!!!

Thankfully the important chips survived, I replaced the burned out part for a UK one & I can now plug it into the mains directly with no problems.
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.

User avatar
Pacafeliz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 18518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:34 pm
Location: Cococologne, Germany

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by Pacafeliz » Fri Nov 19, 2021 8:48 am

:w00t: DUDE!!! AMAZING NEWS!!!
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

User avatar
JSett
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8802
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Old Hampshire, Old England

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by JSett » Fri Nov 19, 2021 9:36 am

Pacafeliz wrote:
Fri Nov 19, 2021 8:48 am
:w00t: DUDE!!! AMAZING NEWS!!!
I know, right.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

User avatar
JSett
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8802
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Old Hampshire, Old England

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by JSett » Fri Nov 19, 2021 9:42 am

So. I sat on the floor in my front room and went through it all inside. Gave the pots a massive dose of cleaner and lube. Checked the state of the reverb tank and it's little transformer thingies (transponders?). They all checked out so I quickly reflowed the solder on the joints at the tank and circuit board. All fuses checked and good.

It's adds a bit of hiss to the signal but, well, we have lift off!

Image

I think the tape is a little old - it feels a little crispy and theres a few creases in it. I have some new ones on the way already. But, everything works. Echo, echo variations, reverb...everything. And it sounds fantastic. Totally blows away the Boss RE-20 in depth.

I'm going to look into giving it a cap job. The hiss it's adding does sound a little like old-cap hiss to my ears. I see EchoFix do cap sets and felts and stuff so I might give it a full overhaul now I know it's working.

Happy days.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

User avatar
Unicorn Warrior
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3491
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Kentucky, USA

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:13 am

What a great find. You couldn’t have went wrong with that price. It’s nice that it wasn’t very hard to fix. Great unit

User avatar
stevejamsecono
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4552
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:55 am
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Contact:

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by stevejamsecono » Fri Nov 19, 2021 12:27 pm

Man, that's really special. Congratulations! Hopefully I can be as lucky some day.
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam

Resident Yamaha Fanboy

COYS

User avatar
marqueemoon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7343
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Nov 19, 2021 1:24 pm

Excellent news!

User avatar
MattK
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3569
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Hobart, Australia

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by MattK » Fri Nov 19, 2021 3:15 pm

Wooo!

User avatar
øøøøøøø
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 5984
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:26 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by øøøøøøø » Fri Nov 19, 2021 4:24 pm

johnnysomersett wrote:
Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:11 pm
marqueemoon wrote:
Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:10 pm
Nice. Hope it’s a simple fix.
Hopefully it's a 'no fix' situation :D
“Untested” is internet for “definitely broken” :)

In all seriousness, the most common issues with these are all the common tape machine and amplifier issues:

Worn out tape, dirty or magnetized tape heads, hardened or worn pinch rollers, failed or tired electrolytic capacitors, etc.

If it hasn’t had a full service, it’s a good bet that most of these areas will need addressing to have it function its best (or at all)

Great price nonetheless, and congrats on the score!

EDIT: should’ve read to the end.

Congrats and well done!

User avatar
JSett
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8802
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Old Hampshire, Old England

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by JSett » Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:36 pm

øøøøøøø wrote:
Fri Nov 19, 2021 4:24 pm
“Untested” is internet for “definitely broken” :)

In all seriousness, the most common issues with these are all the common tape machine and amplifier issues:

Worn out tape, dirty or magnetized tape heads, hardened or worn pinch rollers, failed or tired electrolytic capacitors, etc.

If it hasn’t had a full service, it’s a good bet that most of these areas will need addressing to have it function its best (or at all)

Great price nonetheless, and congrats on the score!

EDIT: should’ve read to the end.

Congrats and well done!
I definitely got lucky here, the fact it even works was a surprise.

***

So, plan of action is to see if I can get the noise floor down a bit. I've been spoilt by the near-zero noise of my home setup (the Champ is scary quiet) so the added dB of noise is obnoxious in contrast. It's probably okay but I reckon I can get it down a bit. Hopefully the new tape loops come soon and I'm on the hunt for a decent demagnetizer (not actually that common here in the UK). If those two things don't improve it much I'll start digging into the circuit boards for the source.

*EDIT: Had the mini realisation that I could just remove the tape to see if the 'hiss' was in that part of it. It's not. I guess it's somewhere in the circuit boards then - either some drifting resistors or ageing caps.

And I need to find a footswitch, but I expect that's just a standard 1-button thing a-la Fender?
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

User avatar
Pacafeliz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 18518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:34 pm
Location: Cococologne, Germany

Re: RE-201 incoming. An unknown situation

Post by Pacafeliz » Sat Nov 20, 2021 2:33 am

:-/ "cleaner and lube" ... I hope you mean Deoxit !!!
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

Post Reply