Quad 8 Track Collections

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Quad Linda, you will shortly be receiving several marriage proposals from the gentlemen at QQ. "Hey, look at her quad collection!" is the new catcall here..... :)
 
Hey, I saw her first!

Anyway, the sole Q8 I have is a purple DSOTM I recartridged back in the late seventies - early eighties when I worked at Telex and we were making decks for Ford.

The tape jammed and cartridge broke when I tried to get it apart to fix it. So I put it in a white RCA test tape cartridge which is much better quality anyway.

We used to play that on the quad system we set up at work using the completed electronic Ford quad deck/radio I smug....er...ah...brought back with me from Toronto with full permission of the Ford company personnel. Actually, that last part IS true. I would never have taken anything out of their factory without prior OK. That would be bad.

Recently, when I decided to persue Q8 reproduction again, I got out the old deck and hooked it up but it wouldn't run and I smelled something getting hot. So, I took it apart assuming the deck motor had seized. It wasn't that (I should have known better - our decks NEVER malfunctioned, well, hardly ever). The deck still works fine. It's something else and I just haven't taken the time to troubleshoot it. It's kind of a compactly made little devil. Advanced for 1979.

I guess I'll have to buy a more home stereo type player or adapt my deck from the ford radio to an external amp.

Doug
 
*sheepish grin*
Thanks! The Ohio Players tapes sound really good. Honey sounds identical to the DTS CD that was also released. Fire is also good, though I don't play it all that often.

Pictures can be done! :D

I'd love to see first BTO album be converted... My BTO II was done a little bit ago and
the first two albums are my favorites.

-B
 
Here's a list of what little I have.

ALLMAN BROS. - LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST
AMERICA - HOLIDAY
HEARTS
ART GARFUNKEL - BREAKAWAY
BERSTEIN - HIGHLIGHTS FROM MASS
BILLY PRESTON - MUSIC IS MY LIFE
CAT STEVENS - TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN
CHOPIN’S GREATEST HITS
CONCERT HALL - CQ10705
DOOBIE BROS. - CAPT. & ME
STAMPEDE
EAGLES - ON THE BORDER
EDGAR WINTER GROUP - THEY ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT
ERIC CLAPTON - 461 OCEAN BLVD.
FOCUS - MOVING WAVES
FORD - A KALEIDOSCOPE OF QUADRAPHONIC SOUND
FRANK ZAPPA - APOSTROPHE
GEORGE BENSON - BODY TALK
GUESS WHO - ROAD FOOD
IGUANA - THE WINDS OF ALAMAR
JEFF BECK - BLOW BY BLOW
JOHN KEATING - 250 YEARS OF FILM MUSIC
JONI MITCHELL - COURT & SPARK
THE HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS
KOOPER/STILLS/BLOOMFIELD - SUPERSESSION
LOHN LENNON - WALLS AND BRIDGES
MELISSA MANCHESTER - MELISSA
MOODY BLUES - 7TH SOJOURN
DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED
QUESTION OF BALANCE
NILSSON - SCHMILSSON
OZARK MTN. DAREDEVILS - IT’LL SHINE WHEN IT SHINES
PAUL HORN & THE CONCERT ENSEMBLE
PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
POCO - DELIVERIN’
RICK DERRINGER - ALL AMERICAN BOY
RICK WAKEMAN - KING ARTHUR ALBUM
6 WIVES OF HENRY THE VIII
SEALS & CROFTS - UNBORN CHILD
SIMON & GARFUNKEL - BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
SOUTHER HILLMAN FURAY BAND - 1ST
STEELY DAN - CAN’T BUY A THRILL
TOMITA - THE PLANETS
FIREBIRD
KOSMOS
SNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING
WEATHER REPORT - MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER

I only bought stuff I liked - or could afford. I saw Volunteers on someone's list. I have the LP and always wanted to get that in quad, but never did. Also saw the Guess Who's #10 which my brother-in-law had the quad LP of on someone's list (but I never heard in quad). Always thought "Musicione" would have been cool in quad. I was the only one in my area - and age group - I knew of that was even buying quad. It would have been nice to have some of you folks close by back then. Oh, I always stored mine alphabetically for those keeping track.
 
cool collection

Linda

Here's a list of what little I have.

ALLMAN BROS. - LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST
AMERICA - HOLIDAY
HEARTS
ART GARFUNKEL - BREAKAWAY
BERSTEIN - HIGHLIGHTS FROM MASS
BILLY PRESTON - MUSIC IS MY LIFE
CAT STEVENS - TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN
CHOPIN’S GREATEST HITS
CONCERT HALL - CQ10705
DOOBIE BROS. - CAPT. & ME
STAMPEDE
EAGLES - ON THE BORDER
EDGAR WINTER GROUP - THEY ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT
ERIC CLAPTON - 461 OCEAN BLVD.
FOCUS - MOVING WAVES
FORD - A KALEIDOSCOPE OF QUADRAPHONIC SOUND
FRANK ZAPPA - APOSTROPHE
GEORGE BENSON - BODY TALK
GUESS WHO - ROAD FOOD
IGUANA - THE WINDS OF ALAMAR
JEFF BECK - BLOW BY BLOW
JOHN KEATING - 250 YEARS OF FILM MUSIC
JONI MITCHELL - COURT & SPARK
THE HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS
KOOPER/STILLS/BLOOMFIELD - SUPERSESSION
LOHN LENNON - WALLS AND BRIDGES
MELISSA MANCHESTER - MELISSA
MOODY BLUES - 7TH SOJOURN
DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED
QUESTION OF BALANCE
NILSSON - SCHMILSSON
OZARK MTN. DAREDEVILS - IT’LL SHINE WHEN IT SHINES
PAUL HORN & THE CONCERT ENSEMBLE
PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
POCO - DELIVERIN’
RICK DERRINGER - ALL AMERICAN BOY
RICK WAKEMAN - KING ARTHUR ALBUM
6 WIVES OF HENRY THE VIII
SEALS & CROFTS - UNBORN CHILD
SIMON & GARFUNKEL - BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
SOUTHER HILLMAN FURAY BAND - 1ST
STEELY DAN - CAN’T BUY A THRILL
TOMITA - THE PLANETS
FIREBIRD
KOSMOS
SNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING
WEATHER REPORT - MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER

I only bought stuff I liked - or could afford. I saw Volunteers on someone's list. I have the LP and always wanted to get that in quad, but never did. Also saw the Guess Who's #10 which my brother-in-law had the quad LP of on someone's list (but I never heard in quad). Always thought "Musicione" would have been cool in quad. I was the only one in my area - and age group - I knew of that was even buying quad. It would have been nice to have some of you folks close by back then. Oh, I always stored mine alphabetically for those keeping track.
 
If I were to post my collection now, the Board would implode. 300+ cartridges and climbing. Even got some of the ridiculously rare (or at least, hard to find) 34xxx series albums from 1976 and 1977!
 
Anyway, the sole Q8 I have is a purple DSOTM I recartridged back in the late seventies - early eighties when I worked at Telex and we were making decks for Ford.


We used to play that on the quad system we set up at work using the completed electronic Ford quad deck/radio I smug....er...ah...brought back with me from Toronto with full permission of the Ford company personnel. Actually, that last part IS true. I would never have taken anything out of their factory without prior OK. That would be bad.

Recently, when I decided to persue Q8 reproduction again, I got out the old deck and hooked it up but it wouldn't run and I smelled something getting hot. So, I took it apart assuming the deck motor had seized. It wasn't that (I should have known better - our decks NEVER malfunctioned, well, hardly ever). The deck still works fine. It's something else and I just haven't taken the time to troubleshoot it. It's kind of a compactly made little devil. Advanced for 1979.

Doug

cool Doug, I remember this story but I couldn't remember which forum member worked at Ford, now I do :)

how long did you let your radio sit on the shelf before trying it out? the 1979 Ford quad 8 track player was the black digital one correct? they only made them for one year before moving onto the silver colored radio's when the new 1980 Lincoln models got introduced

I am surprised that you didn't actually use a ford Demo quad tape for testing purposes, I thought that intro was specifically designed for playing in the car - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq-Sht1tTx8&feature=related

anyways here's my collection

1. Ford "A kaleidoscope of contemporary sound" DPT1-0197
2. Ford "A kaleidoscope of contemporary sound" DAT2-0249
3. Kraftwerk "Autobahn"
4. Pink Floyd "DSOTM" (USA)
5. Pink Floyd "AHM" (USA)
6. Pink Floyd "WYWH" (USA)
7. Deep Purple "Stormbringer"

8. Deep Purple "Machine Head" - note to anyone else who has this - does your cardboard case have a misspelling (Quadriphonic)- mine does- will take a pic when I get a chance


9. Duke Ellington "New Orleans Suite"
10. Q8 Demo "Radioshack"
11. Q8 Demo "Panasonic"
12. Q8 Demo "Pickwick"
13. Rick Wakeman "The Six wives of Henry the VIII"
14. Rick Wakeman "The myths and legends of king Arthur and the Knights of the round table"
15. Fiddler on the roof & the Great new love themes
16. Blue Oyster Cult "Tyranny and Mutation"
17. The Best of the Guess Who
18. Jefferson Airplane "Volunteers"
19. Jefferson Airplane "The worst of"
20. The Doors "The best of"
21. Joan Baez "Diamonds and Dust"
22. Moody Blues "A Question of Balance"
23. Moody Blues "Seventh Sojourn"
24. Moody Blues "Days of Future Past"
25. Carnegie Hall Concert "Shirley Bassey Vol. 2"
26. Black Oak Arkansas "Raunch n' Roll"
27. Charley Pride "Songs of Love"
28. Charley Pride "Pride of America"
29. Henry Mancini "Hanging out with"

no rare ones-----wish I had the guts to buy the Zeppelin cover band Q8 when it was last on ebay,
 
8. Deep Purple "Machine Head" - note to anyone else who has this - does your cardboard case have a misspelling (Quadriphonic)- mine does- will take a pic when I get a chance

That's not a misspelling. Back in the day, no one could decide on the proper spelling of Quadraphonic and the IHF (Institute of High Fidelity) finally issued a statement that Quadriphonic was the correct term since the prefix "Quadra" is not of Greek or Latin origin and is thus, garbage - Tetraphonic would be the most correct name for four-channel sound, so it would be Monophonic, Biphonic, Triphonic, Tetraphonic, Quintaphonic, etc... Companies called thier receivers and software Quadriphonic, Quadraphonic, Quadrophonic, etc... all of which were 'correct' for the time. Long after quad was dead it was kinda decided - by general usage or osmosis, I guess - that "Quadraphonic" was the correct spelling.
 
man that bums me out in away, Trying to build a Q8 collection now is seriously hard, I've got 11 Q8's and ebay is crazy. How many here are bidding on Q8's at the moment? I'd hate to be bidding against other here because some are going for crazy money.
 
man that bums me out in away, Trying to build a Q8 collection now is seriously hard, I've got 11 Q8's and ebay is crazy. How many here are bidding on Q8's at the moment? I'd hate to be bidding against other here because some are going for crazy money.

Hehe, Newb. :) Quite honestly, general prices (as in, tapes that actually SELL) are down considerably when compared to 2006-2008 prices. I'd say almost 50% down. The hard part is when you have the general public sellers who think anything "rare" is valuable, trying to sell very common Q8's for $75+ Don't get sucked in just because you want a particular tape. Wait a week and you'll probably score the title you want for $9 - $30. It's taken me the better part of a decade to amass my collection and there have been many frustrating moments either being outbid at the last second or receiving a tape that turns out to be a tangled mess inside.
 
The Eric Burdon Band Sun Secrets, I gave up at around $65 , final price was $201, if people are pay that it means I'll never own it
 
That's not a misspelling. Back in the day, no one could decide on the proper spelling of Quadraphonic and the IHF (Institute of High Fidelity) finally issued a statement that Quadriphonic was the correct term since the prefix "Quadra" is not of Greek or Latin origin and is thus, garbage - Tetraphonic would be the most correct name for four-channel sound, so it would be Monophonic, Biphonic, Triphonic, Tetraphonic, Quintaphonic, etc... Companies called thier receivers and software Quadriphonic, Quadraphonic, Quadrophonic, etc... all of which were 'correct' for the time. Long after quad was dead it was kinda decided - by general usage or osmosis, I guess - that "Quadraphonic" was the correct spelling.

cool didn't know that....the cardboard package on machine head uses both spellings Quadraphonic and quadriphonic

the deep purple Stronbringer cardboard case, only uses quadraphonic
 
The Eric Burdon Band Sun Secrets, I gave up at around $65 , final price was $201, if people are pay that it means I'll never own it

And I've seen that one top $450 in the past, so it's getting better. I'd like to grab it and send it off for converting.
 
How have these Q8 cartridges held up over the years? I take it that they're prone to snarling and jamming. But have the tapes otherwise degraded over the years the same way as old video tapes?

:confused:
 
How have these Q8 cartridges held up over the years? I take it that they're prone to snarling and jamming. But have the tapes otherwise degraded over the years the same way as old video tapes?

:confused:

Snarling and tangling is typically due to the foil splice failing. As long as you know how to care and refurbish the tapes that should not ever be a problem. My experience has been that the tapes themselves seem to hold up better than 1/4" reel to reel tapes I've had from that era. I've not had any issues with my 1quad 8 track collection to date. However, I have on occasion had issues with degradation of cd recordings of converted quad recordings. So, even the more modern technology is prone to problems of age at times.
 
My experience has been that usually the adhesive on the "sensor" foil loses it's adhesion. I ALWAYS stand ready to pull the tape the first time I play it when the foil comes around that first time. I always replace it - even if it appears good - to avoid it separating and causing an "accordion" jam or worse (like wrapping around the capstan or flowing into the player itself).

How much the tape was played and how it was stored will affect the audio quality in my experience. I'm guessing the dry lube backing helps in this area. From working with 2 inch tape in the studio - mostly 3M 226 - the back coating adds to the resistance to print through and stability of the tape when running. This seems to apply to 8-tracks also.

The other problem is the foam which usually has degraded from UV or whatever. I have found that the "Audiopak" style carts foam pressure pad that Columbia used toward the end of the 8-tracks existence hold up the best compared to earlier manufactured tapes. The "Lear/3M" style carts with the spring metal pressure pads are better than foam in a sense. The felt can come off of these due to loss of adhesion too. I use a double sided tape - like the tape that comes in the 3M window kits - to reattach. As Dr8track said, if you aren't afraid to open them up and address problems they should work well for you.

Going way back to the mid 60s you can encounter situations where the pinch roller in the cart has turned to goo. I've only encountered this in very early carts. The formulation of the "rubber" for pinch rollers was addressed relatively quickly. If I remember right it had to do with the curing process (although I could be in error on that).

I find I have more challenges with the player than with any particular cart, but that's another subject altogether. Hope this helps.
 
Very informative post! Love your avatar. I kick myself because I didn't buy that album when it was new. Could have bought half a dozen copies, which would buy a cheap car. Yes, I've had gooey stereo 8's, which I simply tossed. At the time, I thought those plastic pinch rollers that Ampex used were cheesy. In retrospect, they seem like a better decision than they did when they were new.

I've done some live recordings of a local jazz fusion band I managed in the late '70's/early 80's on 1/4" 10 1/2" back coated Maxell and TDK. The tape is effectively thicker, due to the back coating. I'm sure the thickness and the coating itself lessens the print through. I've not had print through issues, thank God, even on non-back coated tape. The back coated runs so much smoother. Have had print through on cassettes, especially BASF, which I used briefly.

From working with 2 inch tape in the studio - mostly 3M 226 - the back coating adds to the resistance to print through and stability of the tape when running. This seems to apply to 8-tracks also.
 
If you get an 8-track with a melting roller, stick it in the freezer. Once it's frozen the wheel is easy to remove and dispose without any mess.
 
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