Does anybody have Ringo Starr's Q8? (Goodnight Vienna)

[Q-Eight]

Just wondering if anybody elses' has the same problem as mine.
I scored mine on ebay, sealed in the wrapper....so I'm the first to ever play it.

On Program 1, Front left flutters.

On Program 2, Back Right flutters.

This is the only tape of mine to do this noticeably, with the exception of my early Quad-8 copy of Wheatfield Soul.... but that is a high milage tape.

Is this a known problem or did I just get a faulty tape?

 

[winopener]

These are the most external tracks on the tape (1 and 8), it's possible that the tape had been exposed to heat and the tape isn't so flat anymore at the edges.
It does happen.

 

[Dylan Berichon]

Try replacing the pads on the back side of the tape. It might help.

 

[Q-Eight]

I used a Win-Gib pad on it. I'm going to try one of my wider, home made pads to see if maybe it's just not getting enough support on the outer edges of the tape.

 

[JonUrban]

My Goodnight Vienna tape is fine. Sometimes even though they are sealed, they still degrade. Q8's can be stunning, but they're always a crap shoot.

 

[Q-Eight]

Q8's can be stunning, but they're always a crap shoot.

You know it! Every sealed Q8 I've scored usually takes 1 to 2 hours of work to get back into playable shape. Most have gotten all bunched up around the center and jammed up. Thankfully, they're almost always near the splice and I can cut and do surgery without having a splice in the music!