Re: [ARSCLIST] vinegar reel to reel - is it safe to play?

[Michael Biel <mbiel@xxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Frances, Melodie" <mfrances@xxxxxxx>
> The box says Kodak and has a sticker that says 'durol base, new high
> strength triacetate'

This makes sense.  Kodak tape is well known as the major American tape
brand to show vinegar syndrome.

> - the reel itself has not additional info 

Kodak tape was usually backprinted.  Do you see any lettering on the
back of the tape?  It was not backcoated, just backprinted.  It was a
very European thing to do, and it never caught on with any other U.S.
manufacturer.  The Kodak plastic reels themselves were interesting in
that they had a crude splicing block moulded into it.  Too bad the tape
was crap.  At the time I had a friend who did some sound tests on it and
found that it had a lot of tape hiss compared with other brands, so I
never used it.  

Mike Biel   mbiel@xxxxxxxxx


> and yes, it is separate from everything else (probably by accident
> thank goodness).         Melodie Morgan Frances






From: "Frances, Melodie" <mfrances@xxxxxxx>
> We have some reel to reel, probably early 60s with a strong vinegar
> smell and some very visible cupping. 
From:  Michael Biel
Can we have the brand and type data for this tape if you know it? And
it should be noted that this tape should be kept away from all other
tape and the machines fully cleaned after playing it.

Mike Biel mbiel@xxxxxxxxx