[QuadList] Why buy a quad

[Shai Drori]

Dear Everyone
Reading all your post was enlightening. When I spent time with Tim I was 
fortunate to work with reasonably good tapes and patient mentor and a 
forgiving beast (1200B). Originally I come from the world of audio but 
both my interest in the mechanical side of things and my clients desire 
for me to expand my services drove into video as well. I have been in 
the business almost 20 years, 6 of them in video. This means that all 
people here can teach me much more than a thing or two. On my side of 
the Pond (Israel), I have kept my business strategy very simple. Be 
honest, always smile, it makes you a happier person, and never cut 
corners on quality. Keep the cost down for my clients and be courteous 
to my competitors, even though most of them are assholes to me. This 
last mantra made me more clients than the cost and also, made them tell 
me what my competitors think about me.

So why go to this headache of Quad video?
1. Because I love these beasts. The sound of the whine when you press 
that ready button is magnificent.
2. Because my clients have quad tapes, but will never be able to afford 
the $400 per hours charges in the States or the 600$ average per reel 
charged in Israel (1 machine only. BTW, he claims he has the only 
operational machine in Europe).
3. I make my living from digitizing a/v material and if I can just break 
even on this venture I'll be happy. It will give me extra points with my 
clients, who appreciate the troubles I go to help them transfer odd 
media they find.
4. It will be a major burn to my competitors (just icing on the cake).

I would love to have a refurbished machine like the Merlin Mod or that 
tr070C. I would actually be happy with some sort of a rental agreement 
or other arrangement. Once I finish the tapes here I have no use for the 
beast and I doubt I will find room for it for keeps, even though it will 
look lovely in my collection.

So there you have it. I know this is not a smart business decision if I 
look only on the financial side. but I think I am entitled to some fun 
as well. ;-)
Shai