Just found a Sharp VHS from 1979

[Eric H]

Walt, are you sure about the model on this Sharp?

I had it apart lubing and cleaning but I didn't notice the head being Gold, do you mean the drum or the heads themselves, seems like Gold or Gold anodizing wouldn't last long on the rotating drum.

[waltchan]

Originally Posted by Eric H

Walt, are you sure about the model on this Sharp?

I had it apart lubing and cleaning but I didn't notice the head being Gold, do you mean the drum or the heads themselves, seems like Gold or Gold anodizing wouldn't last long on the rotating drum.

Oh yes, the Sharp VC-6800 was the first VCR ever released by Sharp. In 1980, the VC-7400 was the second. In 1981, the VC-8500 was the third. In 1982, the VC-9400, VC-9500, and VC-9600 were the forth and the first ones with the regular, chrome-color video head.

The VC-6800 I used to own before came with an owner's manual and service manual.

I also used to own a 1981 VC-8500 in 2003 that was completely smashed, broken, and shattered from shipping. I was forced to throw it out without playing with it. This one was the last Sharp VCR model with a gold-color video head. So far, I have not found another VC-8500 on eBay for 8 years now (dang).

I have heard that the gold-anodizing video drum head had a very high cleaning rate, but it is very durable. People who used to own a 1979-1981 Sharp VCR didn't keep it for very long because they were tired taking it in to a repair shop and clean the video head every year. The video head drum itself is the most heaviest, most amount of metal ever found in a VCR.

Lastly, I currently own a portable 1981 Sharp XA-900 (not 2002 XA-905/XA-920) Professional Series VCR, the first Sharp XA model, with the gold-color video head inside. Not really my favorite one, but it's better than nothing since I haven't found another VC-8500.