Orpheus10, you are too pessimistic. Yes, it would cost, and shipping RTR deck has its risks, but it's worth it. There is no end of the road. If I get Otari and at some point will have to ship it to Japan to properly service it, I will ship it to Japan. The same with Studer. I will find places in Europe if I can't find them in the US or Canada. My audiophile fund is quite limited, but I will save up and get it done. It might take time to find qualified people prepared to deal with shipping decks, I'll find them. For now I am about to ship my Nakamichi 682ZX deck to Willy Hermann in California to have it cleaned aligned and for minor repairs. He will spend 5-6 hours with the deck to make sure everything is in top condition. Yes, it would cost me around $850 including shipping both ways. But I play the deck a lot and have to do it only every 5-7 years.
So, things are pretty bad but not that bad.
So, things are pretty bad but not that bad.