Here's my Rock Quads

I wish I had more Rock Quads! Now that I'm getting my Panasonic Home & Car convertible player complete, time to start throwing money at some tapes. Oh, if I only had $300 to secure the Piano Man on eBay...

My DSOTM just popped its splice tonight, listening to it while making a few posts to the Forum.

I have a dozen more quads not shown in this picture, though some are in varying states of (dis)repair.

When was the last time anyone found any "new-old-stock" Q8s?



I suspect that there are still warehouse finds being made of these tapes. The market for them disappeared almost overnight in the late seventies when it seems all at once everybody finally embraced cassettes.

:steering:

Hepcat said:

When was the last time anyone found any "new-old-stock" Q8s?

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All the time. Keep an eye on eBay, there's a bunch on there right now matter-of-factly.

Still Sealed (SS) tapes are in my experience, a double edged sword. Granted they have never been played, but that also becomes a problem! Years of lack of use makes the tape "sticky". The dry lubricant needs to be moved once in a while to work. If a tape hasn't moved in 40+ years.... well, like Newton says: An object at rest tends to remain at rest.

Then there's the fact that they've been kicked around for the latter portion of the century. Thrown into boxes, knocked around, kicked around.... almost every one I've gotten has had the middle section of tape come off the spool and bunch up. Unless the tape is showing the splice, you've now got to cut into sound to be able to unsnarl it and get it working again. I think the ONLY tape I ever got was The Joker by Steve Miller. That one was a rare occurance of the perfect tape. It's never needed it's splice changed either. Plays 100%.

My Billy Preston tape on the other hand is missing about 10 seconds off the top and still doesn't play right. I keep hoping to snag another copy cheap and toss the "good" spool of tape inside my very mint appearing cartridge.

Q-Eight said:

...well, like Newton says: An object at rest tends to remain at rest.

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Sir Isaac's insights are still valuable today. I wonder what kind of hi-fi equipment he would have preferred?

Hepcat said:

... when it seems all at once everybody finally embraced cassettes.

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Maybe the Quad fortunes would have been better if Phillips had allowed Quad cassettes.

proufo said:

Maybe the Quad fortunes would have been better if Phillips had allowed Quad cassettes.

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I guess they saw much more potential in telephone answering machines and secretarial dictation recorders.

Nice Tape boxes! Are those handmade? Also nice glass grapes, those are a classic I have been meaning to find some glass grapes

workmeistr said:

I wish I had more Rock Quads! Now that I'm getting my Panasonic Home & Car convertible player complete, time to start throwing money at some tapes. Oh, if I only had $300 to secure the Piano Man on eBay...

My DSOTM just popped its splice tonight, listening to it while making a few posts to the Forum.

I have a dozen more quads not shown in this picture, though some are in varying states of (dis)repair.

View attachment 5134

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Sometimes I wonder if Q8's were a lot more popular in Canada than the US. There seems to be a lot of Canadian Q8 collectors. I even notice that there seems to be more quad stuff in the northernmost states like Wisconsin as well.

Q-Eight said:

Jeebus!! Look at all them Canadian tapes!

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Q8 said:

Sometimes I wonder if Q8's were a lot more popular in Canada than the US. There seems to be a lot of Canadian Q8 collectors. I even notice that there seems to be more quad stuff in the northernmost states like Wisconsin as well.

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That is quite possible. You still see them at flea markets and thrift stores all the time ... although the titles are usually Country and Western or Easy Listening, and who knows if they will play or not. There were a lot of inexpensive quad units at the time with Q8 players in them (and lots of car decks), so maybe it was a matter of affordability.

I have very little luck finding Q8's at the thrift stores and flea markets (and I shop a wide variety of them over a good distance constantly. I occasionally hit large caches of good stereo tapes (aside from the usual country and easy listening). Thats why I have a pretty enourmous stereo 8 collection. But I usually only occasionally find a lone Q8 tape. That does not happen often. Hopefully my Q8 luck will change. (It still is more fun to find them <$1 )

Great collections! Would love to find more quad stuff here in Tucson. Been lucky to find a few SQ, QS & CD-4 vinyl treasures, But the Q8's have been tough to find especially the rock ones. I presently only own about 8 quad 8's none of them rock. & the Q4's have eluded me all together. the only Q4's I have are dubs that i play to impress friends & such.

Oh goodness! Y'all got it going on! I am just putting together my first quad system and picked up a 4 channel 8 track player yesterday. Would any of you audiophiles ever be interested in letting me rent one of your tapes with a healthy deposit? Thanks and Rock On! Scott in South Carolina

Q8 said:

Sometimes I wonder if Q8's were a lot more popular in Canada than the US. There seems to be a lot of Canadian Q8 collectors. I even notice that there seems to be more quad stuff in the northernmost states like Wisconsin as well.

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More like our land is frozen 8 months out of the year so we tend to stay indoors! But, I would think that back in Quads heyday, Canada didn't really feel the effects of the oil embargo quite so much, our economy was booming in the early 70's and more people had a lot more disposable income than say the comparable "average" American.

Scotty1023 said:

Oh goodness! Y'all got it going on! I am just putting together my first quad system and picked up a 4 channel 8 track player yesterday. Would any of you audiophiles ever be interested in letting me rent one of your tapes with a healthy deposit? Thanks and Rock On! Scott in South Carolina

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Check eBay right now. There is a TON of Q8's up for grabs currently. Even I've listed a bunch of my dupes.

proufo said:

Maybe the Quad fortunes would have been better if Phillips had allowed Quad cassettes.

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In all probability a lot better!



I really don't understand why Phillips was opposed to Quad cassettes. What's wrong with selling more product?

I betcha Quaddies would've embraced a Quad Elcaset. Good Fidelity, reasonably transportable, relatively compact, Dolby, Rewind Capabilities..... Might've saved Quad AND Elcaset!

They made a Quad Elcaset for a show
I remember a picture in and old Mag.
At the time I was hoping there would ones made for sale