Tapex (clear with tapered, angular front)

Zenmaster Gary N. considers these Mutant Carts from Hell, but they’re really not that bad…. They actually came to us as rejects from sister station KDVS, U.C. Davis 90.3, proving once and for all that we reign supreme as the fly-infested, derelict relative of the U.C. Radio Network! (but damn if we don’t rip it up on air!). Just repeat the following mantra and you’ll be fine: “They run backwards. They run backwards. They run backwards. They run backwards.”

No brakes, and sometimes no pads, just a teflon® washer, brass tape pack hold-down, and the “backwards” tape hub, plus a “hidden” bottom screw in addition to the obvious top screw. The designers clearly couldn’t make up their minds: Tapexs are designed to run with no pads, but the shells of some have pad holders which accept Fidelipac 300 series pads (these could be different models of Tapex—no one at KALX really knows much about them). Your goal is to wind a pack of optimum tension to avoid the use of pads, but do use them if you need them, and the body has a cutout for them. Always wind on the VM (tan) winder, not the Magnecord (black) winder used for nearly all other carts.

The top case pulls straight up once both screws are removed. Note the kinky zig-zag the tape is forced to endure in the left rear corner–you must thread this correctly upon reassembly. All Tapex parts are essential, except pads. Throw away broken pieces which aren’t easy to fix—Tapexs are too difficult already to waste any more of your precious time on.