Sticky Shed Syndrome Tapes (2024)

Just wondering if we could make a list of tapes we know suffer from sticky shed syndrome. I've been told many Ampex tapes suffer from this including 456. Anyone have a list they could make up?

Also a supplimentary instruction on how to "bake" a tape suffering from SS would help too.

It's not really a LONG list, so much as many of the ones involved were so widespread. These are the ones I know of off the top of my head:

Ampex

406/407, 456/457, 2020/373

Scotch/3M

206/207, 226/227, 986,

"Classic"

Sony

SLH, ULH, FeCr

A bump from the archives in light of the question:

What a sticky shed tape looks like.

Bad as any

"Ampex Quality Tape from Pacific Stereo" 1800ft in a white and blue box.
Ampex 20:20 1200ft in silvery- grey box
All ruined!!

Scotch 206/207

I have never had any problem with Scotch/3M 206/207 - and I used quite a bit of it. However, I did purchase a case of 10" 3M 808 that was unusable. The seller knew this and sold them to me for the reels and boxes.

What little experience I've had with Scotch 206 and 207 has been positive as well.

To add to the list of bad tape: Agfa PEM 469 (and I'm sure its 1 mil cousin, PEM 369). Not to be confused with their famous PEM 468 (later BASF, EMTEC and RMGI SM 468) tape, the '69s were a 'hotter' formulation designed to compete with Ampex 456/457.

Des-Lab said:

It's not really a LONG list, so much as many of the ones involved were so widespread. These are the ones I know of off the top of my head:

Ampex

406/407, 456/457, 2020/373

Scotch/3M

206/207, 226/227, 986,

some

"Classic"

Sony

SLH, ULH, FeCr

Click to expand...

Also should be included with Sony is the PR-150, which doesn't shed but has wheel squeek, and looks fine but sticks, and will stop your machine, in fast mode.

http://richardhess.com/notes/formats/magnetic-media/magnetic-tapes/analog-audio/degrading-tapes/

Interesting page on all this.

braxus said:

http://richardhess.com/notes/formats/magnetic-media/magnetic-tapes/analog-audio/degrading-tapes/

Interesting page on all this.

Click to expand...

The whole site is great with lot of interesting facts and links.
many thanks!

Hi all,

I have 4 unused 2500' reels of Ampex 631 tape. Anyone else have experience with this tape? Without scouring the net, can someone tell me of the characteristics and quality of this tape for recording? I'd like to use it for recording, but I'm worried about the shedding issue with many of the Ampex tapes.

Thanks,

Nando.

Des-Lab said:

It's not really a LONG list, so much as many of the ones involved were so widespread. These are the ones I know of off the top of my head:

Ampex

406/407, 456/457, 2020/373

Scotch/3M

206/207, 226/227, 986,

some

"Classic"

Sony

SLH, ULH, FeCr

Click to expand...

I have to add something here. While I haven't had a chance to test the SLH and ULH formulations, I can vouch for the FeCr. I have honestly never had an issue with these. The tape seems to be in fine shape and they sound great. I haven't experienced any sticking or peeling. (I'm basing this off of Elcaset tapes.) reel to reel is apprently different.

As far as the SLH goes, I just bought 4 Sony SLH C90 Elcaset tapes, so we'll see how they fare. (I've heard some not-so-great things about these.)

Aren't Elcaset and reel-to-reel the same width?...or not?

Thanks for your help Reeler and 4tified.

Nando.

interesting that a lot of people are complaining about ampex and scotch.

I have several reels of both (circa 1980's) (grand master, a few pacific stereo branded ampex reels and a mix of scotch 111, 156, 202)
and no problems *hope*
so far.

I did once buy a case of used 10 1/2 reels off flea-bay and one reel was back coated and the machine could barely play the tape, but couldn't fast rewind/forward. but at $20 for a case of 12, can't complain

the music was of 1940's or 1950's vintage but very lo fi sound quality even at 7 1/2 ips and 1/2 track, maybe full track audio.

also had a inch of oxide accumulated below tape path. what a mess
The tape path was something else, I wondered if I'd ever get it clean.

The tape was dumped and now I have a spare take up reel.

I almost purchased a case of ampex 20:20 and scotch 206/206 off ebay but someone else wanted to pay more so best of luck to them.

I'ver since settled on Maxel brand, also no problems yet...

If I can ask an Uneducated question,

What was the purpose in back coating tapes anyway?

(from what I've read) It seems that is was a bad idea from the start and a experiment gone wrong.

thanks

toddbailey said:

If I can ask an Uneducated question,

What was the purpose in back coating tapes anyway?

(from what I've read) It seems that is was a bad idea from the start and a experiment gone wrong.

thanks

Click to expand...

See this site: http://www.airmedia.org/PageInfo.php?PageID=197...

I would agree with you, it was a bad product. The idea was good, material used was bad. I was told by Sony tech the original lubericant was whale oil, which was band, this was the answer. What I read it was supose to lubercate the tape better and stop print through when storing tape. Which explains why 1965-1969 Sony PR-150 and still good and the 1970's are bad, just reel squeek no sheding, since it wasn't back coated.

Ampex Grand Master series

I had a lot of problems with the Grand Master series.They were in a black box with red lettering 1800 feet. The reel was dark tanish with 2 long slots on each side bout inch wide and a few inches long with AMPEX in white on each side.. When were these ones made,what year it start and end? I remember having them in 1978-79,going by the dates i have on the boxes from when i recorded the music that's on them. I turned 9 in 1979. Didn't take care of my toys very much. But i still have all my reel to reel tapes from when i was 7.