It's time I posted some photos of my collection to date. I've been collecting and restoring for close to a decade now, focusing on the rarer and higher-end models. As an engineer myself, I admire the quality of engineering and design ingenuity of these things. Most of these were bought on eBay in Spares or Repairs condition, and have needed repairs ranging from simple servicing / belt replacement, through to intricate electronic repairs and extensive overhauls. Occasionally I have got lucky with a unit that has arrived in fully-working condition (sometimes unexpectedly) - a couple of these are still going strong on their original belts, including the Aiwa HS-P202 MIII, which I have owned from new! All of the models in the photos are working... a few of them will need some further work to get the best out of them. I have a few rare gems in here - the Panasonic RQ-S55 (with Dolby C), near-mint example of the very rare Sharp JC-785, and the Panasonic JA2 and Toshiba KT-4177 are some of my other favourites. I also have many more different makes and models awaiting restoration, so at the rate I work through these (typically a few per year), I think this hobby is going to keep my occupied for many years to come! Watch this space!
Thanks for sharing, very nice. I'm trying to figure out what the red one is, it looks like a sports type.
@Mister X thanks, the red one is an Aiwa HS-J150. It's a recording model with digital tuner, using a 2-belt variant of the Alpha mechanism. Bought it with a cracked LCD screen, which I've replaced with a part salvaged from a lower-spec donor unit. It's still not in great cosmetic condition (the Aiwa logo has almost completely worn off!), but it's fully working and still quite eye-catching in red!
When I look at my office shelves with lots of players, I only have one red Sanyo, it's not even that nice but it definately looks cool. All the others are the standard USA Flavors, black and silver, we rarely saw other colors.
Thanks for the comments! Yes the blue Panasonic is a beauty, it's an SX91, a lucky find on eBay for about £30 Buy It Now (several years ago), boxed with all accessories and in truly mint condition, as if it had never been used! I think walkman colours other than black and silver were equally rare here in the UK too, so it's often been the more unusual models that I've bid on, either because they were aesthetically distinctive or technically interesting. Recently the eBay market (at least in the UK) has been flooded with JDM imports, and I've bought a few, sometimes unwittingly... but the red Aiwa J150 is definitely a UK / Europe model, identifiable by the 87.5-108MHz FM tuner band and 9kHz AM step. I have many more in the pipeline, but I'll only post them once I've got them working to my satisfaction. Meanwhile when I get some time I'll take some better individual photos of some of the nicer units above...
Wow - this is an amazing collection . I am just starting out repairing ageing and discarded Walkman , discman and mini disc units. I started out fixing my trusty DD33 which had the classic click clicking from a broken main gear cog . I’ve got a metal replacement from fixyouraudio.com on the way. Would recommend them if you’re not already aware. I will watch your threads with interest and may well be back to ask your advice ! Many thanks for your pictures - brilliant collection.
I also buy only bottom end units and see how good I can get them. Replicating missing knobs and missing label inserts, and fixing broken case parts with chips broken off is more difficult than fixing electronics or mechanisms. You must have some intricate methods. So far out of 14 Aiwa HS-J9/09/600/10/360, I have only one that is a complete write-off. And one with a strange problem that the radio only works if the tape is on Play. When buying bottom end units, there's always a risk of getting someone else's donor unit.
@Bonymarrony and @Steve Grant, appreciate the comments, thank you! Yes I'm well aware of Marian's excellent products at fixyouraudio - my DD3 has the same replacement gear. The units I've bought don't always start out as wrecks. Your cosmetic repair skills on your Aiwas are truly next-level stuff! (and I've replied to your thread as well). My specialism is diagnosing and repairing obscure electrical faults, but I'll give anything mechanical a good go as well. It's fair to say I've devised a few of my own tools and techniques - one example below, which I'm going to shamelessly promote because it's a technique that I think all serious restorers should know about! https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/the-key-to-perfect-azimuth-in-both-directions.10735/
