These are common symptoms for the Pioneer RT-909 reel to reel tape deck. There are a handful of guys that work on the deck. One of the things that is best about the RT-909 is that it has remained popular and serviceable. Another is that it holds its resale value.Larry at Approved Audio Service is a great guy, knowledgable and a sponsor of this forum, so I'd give him a call if you want to send it in. If you're looking to fix it yourself, you'll probably be interested to know you can get the service manual and the owners manual at www.StereoManuals.com. And if you ever want to sell or trade, talk to gvon at eBay. I've dealt with each of these folks and my experience has been good.