Otari fixed tape guides

[bahringe]

I thought I read somewhere in the forums you knew how to convert the fixed guides (with the brown plastic spacers) to roller guides - with some effort. Could you share how this could be done? I have a Otari MX 5050B2-ii with the tensioner kit already installed and a extra set of the fixed tape guides.

Thanks,
Eric B
NYC

[Doc B.]

The guides on later units are one piece stainless steel and cannot be easily modified. On earlier models they are three piece - ceramic (I think) edge guides and stainless center. We tried updating the stainless centers of the older guides. I think maybe we got one machine modded. Unfortunately the guides are glued together and it is all too easy to break the ceramic edge guides trying to horse them apart from the stainless center with lots of heat and force. So we stopped trying. I suppose one could turn down the center of a newer guide in a lathe to remove it and sub in a roller bearing. If you have that level of skill you can probably figure out how to approach the project.