8 track player

Hi All,

Back on usenet after about a 10 or so year hiatus...

have a q about my recently acquired Craig H260 8 track player/recorder.
All looks near pristine and I am slowly acquiring a collection of 8
track tapes to compliment my "70's Marantz and Pioneer supersystem". The
8 track player records and plays very well, but, on some tapes i get
crackling sound - as if there are magnetic filings on the tape "adding"
to the sound as the tape passes the head (which looks as new and
polished). Some tapes are fine, the ones I record are fine, but some
tapes are shocking with the crackling noise = even some straight out of
shrinkwrap. none have bad pinch rollers and i've redone the tape
cushioning on some - with no audible change.

is this a head or tape problem ?

anyone come across this before? My Jethro Tull and Commodres tapes sound
really bad, while my partridge family and country church 8 tracks sound
bewdiful....something's gotta give !!!!