(source: Electronics World, Jul. 1963)
ALL TAPE HEADS WEAR OUT! HERE'S HOW AND WHY!
Magnetic tape itself is the real cause of head wear!
The abrasive action of tape as it passes over the head face gradually wears away the depth of metal left on a new head after final polishing (see above). Because wear is nearly always uneven, craters or ripples are also formed on the face as wear progresses, thus making it impossible to achieve good contact between the head gap and the all-important signal recorded on the tape. The severe high frequency losses and erratic output resulting from poor tape-to-gap contact are very annoying to the ear. Head wear should NOT be permitted to reach this point--much less go beyond it to the limit where the gap actually begins to open up.
By replacing the worn head with a new Nortronics professional type of laminated tape head you will obtain improved high frequency response over the original head, plus the added feature of longer life since laminated heads have 50% more depth of metal at the gap. Nortronics manufactures both laminated and solid-core heads, but recommends the use of the laminated types for upgrading of your recorder.
HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR HEADS LATELY?
Get the most from your investment in tape equipment. Be certain that head wear is not causing you to lose the clean, crisp sound which only tape gives you. Have your Hi-Fi dealer, Radio /TV serviceman or camera store check your heads for wear. Insist on Nortronics replacement heads and "Quik-Kit" mounting hardware; both correctly matched to your recorder.
“Music sounds best on tape--Tape sounds best with Nortronics heads”.
Nortronics, 8127 10th Ave., North Minneapolis 27, Minn., USA